Whether you have oily or dry skin, makeup lovers know powder is used at some point during your routine. Regardless of if it's a light setting of your concealer or you're a fan of full-on baking, it's virtually impossible to get a flawless full face without it. Still, powders can be a particularly confusing category, especially if you don't know the difference between a setting powder versus a finishing one.
When trying to build your perfect routine, a myriad of questions may enter your mind when you get to the powder category of Sephora or your favorite drugstore. What's the difference between setting and ? Is it just marketing, or do they really serve different purposes when it comes to doing makeup? Do I really need both? Trust us, we get it. To help clear it up, we reached out to makeup artist and beauty blogger Ivy Boyd.
is a makeup artist and beauty blogger based in Iowa. To answer your question: yes, finishing and setting powders are different and serve different purposes — it's simply a matter of function vs. form.
"A does exactly that — it sets your makeup," Boyd tells PS. She describes finishing powder, on the other hand, as more of a filter. "It is often translucent and is used to blur pores, soften texture, and even give an overall glow to the skin.
" Basically, finishing powder is for looks, whereas setting powder helps you get more hours out of your concealer, foundation, and other face makeup. When applying setting powder, Boyd recommends using a damp to pres.
