Community favoriteCult favorite

Translucent Loose Setting Powder

The benchmark loose setting powder: finely milled, truly translucent and long-wearing, though it contains talc and costs $43.

8.3

Great

Beauty score

#2 of 14 complexion

Community

—/10

Format: Powder
Finish: Matte
Shades: 4
Price tier: Mid-range

Fragrance-freeMatte Long-wear Shine control Blurring Oil control

Made for: All skin types · Oily skin · Combination skin · Normal skin

Key ingredients:Vitamin C Vitamin E

Check price on Amazon Buy from the brand$43.00

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Last reviewed November 2, 2026 by our editors · How we score

The verdict

The benchmark loose setting powder: finely milled, truly translucent and long-wearing, though it contains talc and costs $43.

Translucent Loose Setting Powder is Laura Mercier's cult finishing powder, which the brand calls the top-selling setting loose powder in the US. It promises 16-hour makeup wear, 24-hour shine control and a matte finish without photo flashback, in four shades including Translucent Honey, Medium Deep and Tone-Up. It suits normal to oily skin and setting foundation and concealer. The formula is talc-based with parabens, and the brand points dry skin to its talc-free Ultra-Blur version instead.

Best for

Oily and combination skin that needs shine control
Setting foundation and concealer with a press-and-roll puff
Anyone who wants a powder with no flashback in photos

What we love

Finely milled formula that sets makeup without adding visible texture
Brand claims 16-hour wear and 24-hour shine control
Four shades, including options for medium-deep and deep skin
Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic and dermatologist-tested
Reddit users call it excellent for setting, including on combination skin

Worth knowing

Talc-based formula with parabens, which some shoppers avoid
Some users find it looks yellow or cakey under the eyes
Matte finish can look dry on very dry skin; the brand suggests Ultra-Blur instead

How it scored

The breakdown.

Five factors, weighted for makeup. Here’s our working.

8.3Great

Beauty score out of 10. Brands can’t pay for placement — ever.

Payoff & performance30%8.8
Creators and makeup artists still use it as the point of comparison for loose powders, and the brand reports 89% of users found it did not look cakey, although a minority of Reddit users disagree.
Wear time15%8.6
Laura Mercier claims 16-hour makeup wear and 24-hour shine control, and creator reviews such as Quynh Pham's include wear tests of it.
Shade range & inclusivity15%7.2
Four shades (Translucent, Translucent Honey, Translucent Medium Deep and Tone-Up) cover fair through deep skin, and creators such as Jackie Aina tested the deeper shade separately.
Value20%7.6
At $43 for 1 oz (29 g) it is the expensive option in creator comparisons, such as Quynh Pham's test against drugstore Coty Airspun.
Community love20%9.0
Laura Mercier cites it as the #1 setting loose powder in the US, and Reddit users still list it as an everyday staple, though some find it yellow or cakey under the eyes.

Beauty profile

Inside the bottle.

Texture

Brand describes an ultra finely milled, silky loose powder that sets without adding weight or texture

Format

Powder

Finish

Matte

Coverage

Sheer

Shade range

4 shades

Fragrance

Fragrance-free

Size

1 oz / 29 g

Key ingredients

Ingredient encyclopedia →

What’s in it: Vitamin C and E powders (ascorbyl palmitate, tocopherol) that the brand calls antioxidants; amino acid powder (lauroyl lysine) for a silky feel; corn starch as the botanical blurring powder. Talc is the first ingredient.

How to use

Saturate the Velour Puff with powder by folding and rubbing the halves together, tap off the excess, then press the puff onto skin with a rolling motion to set makeup.

Free from (brand-stated)

fragrance

Claims & certifications

Dermatologist-tested
Non-comedogenic
Fragrance-free

Full ingredient list (INCI)17 ingredients · key actives highlighted · as listed by the brand

TALC,
MAGNESIUM MYRISTATE,
NYLON-12,
CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE,
ETHYLHEXYL PALMITATE,
ZEA MAYS (CORN) STARCH,
ASCORBYL PALMITATE,
TOCOPHEROL,
LAUROYL LYSINE,
POLYMETHYL METHACRYLATE,
METHICONE,
SODIUM DEHYDROACETATE,
METHYLPARABEN,
PROPYLPARABEN,
BUTYLPARABEN. MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR/(+/-): IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499),
YELLOW 5 LAKE (CI 19140),
ULTRAMARINES (CI 77007).

Formulas change. Always check the packaging, and patch-test if your skin is reactive.

Official product page

Creator video reviews

Watch it in action.

Real reviews, try-ons and wear tests from independent creators — verified with TikTok and YouTube and labelled when sponsored.

We don’t pay creators for reviews, and they don’t pay us. Nothing from TikTok or YouTube loads until you press play.

What people say

Straight from the source.

Verbatim from Reddit, forums, blogs and the beauty press — linked, so you can read the whole thread.

3 verbatim quotes · 2 positive · 1 critical

r/Makeup

I’m a combo skin girlie! I prefer loose powder for setting, as I think it tends to stay on better. I use Laura Mercier’s translucent powder and keep innisfree’s no sebum powder in my purse for touchups. I’ve heard the Huda powder is stronger but for me personally the Laura Mercier is perfect for me.

u/TooObsessedWithOtoger/Makeup · 2026-101Source

r/Makeup

L’Oréal Blurfection (drugstore) 2. Laura Mercier Translucent loose (mid tier) Both are excellent

u/No_Lingonberry_8317r/Makeup · 2026-094Source

r/Makeup

this is how I feel about the Laura Mercier powder. It’s also meant to be translucent but makes my under eyes look straight up yellow and cakey

u/tclmcr/Makeup · 2026-094Source

Price & value

Is it worth it?

Typical price

$43.00

for 1 oz / 29 g

DrugstoreMid-rangePrestigeLuxury

About 13% more than the typical complexion we review. Our value score: 7.6/10 for a mid-range pick.

Price checked November 2026 at a non-Amazon retailer. Prices change — retailers show the current one.

Where to buy

Check price on Amazon Buy from the brand$43.00

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our scores or what we recommend. How we make money

Community

What members noticed.

Ratings, skin types and the benefits people actually saw — logged on the Benefit Wheel.

No member ratings yet.

Tried it? Your score — and your skin or hair type — helps the next person decide.

Highlighted: what it’s built to do.

Discussion

No discussions yet.

Tried Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder? Ask a question or share how it’s working for your skin or hair — you’ll be the first.

FAQ

Good questions.

What is the difference between the original and Ultra-Blur?

The original is talc-based with 24-hour shine control and a matte finish. Laura Mercier positions the Translucent Loose Talc-Free Setting Powder Ultra-Blur, made with hyaluronic acid, for dry skin and those who prefer a talc-free formula.

Which shade should I choose?

The brand says Translucent suits fair to medium skin, Translucent Honey sets medium skin with olive and golden undertones, Translucent Medium Deep is for medium-deep to deep skin, and Tone-Up is for light to medium skin.

Does it cause flashback in photos?

Laura Mercier says the truly translucent formula leaves no photo flashback. The brand also recommends tapping excess powder off the puff before pressing it into skin.

How do you apply it?

The brand recommends saturating the Velour Puff, tapping off excess and pressing and rolling the puff onto skin. It suggests double-setting shiny areas and using a small tapered brush around the nose.

Sources we checked (6)