I tried three leading loose-setting powders – one sets make-up almost invisibly

FACE powder is the No1 product for controlling shine and getting make-up to last longer – but there’s a huge choice.

Today I go back to basics as I test three leading loose-setting powders.

BUDGET

NATURAL Collection Setting Powder (£4 for 9g, boots.com): For a long time I’ve struggled to find a decent budget setting powder.

I can count on one hand how many I rate, and this one just shot straight to the top of the list.

It’s super-fine, so it doesn’t look dusty on skin or settle into fine lines, and the translucent shade is slightly pink rather than white so you don’t end up looking like Casper The Friendly Ghost.

I do have just one gripe – the packaging is quite messy, and I always end up covered in powder when I screw the lid back on, so it’s not one to take travelling.

But for the great price, I can deal with that.

MID-RANGE

FENTY Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder (£26 for 28g boots.com): I have loved every Fenty Beauty base product I’ve tried, so I had high hopes for this setting powder.

Unfortunately, they weren’t quite met.

Firstly, the tub is so big it doesn’t fit in my make-up bag, but even looking past that I don’t love the formula.

It’s more drying than I’m used to, and I found it made my make-up look quite patchy by the end of the day – and if I didn’t wait for my foundation to dry down before applying the powder, it made it look cakey.

Swerve this one!

LUXURY

LAURA Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder (£38.50 for 29g, spacenk.com): Every make-up artist I’ve ever worked with has had this setting powder in their kit.

It’s the original, and pretty unanimously regarded as the best across the industry – so much so, the brand has launched tens of different versions over the last few years yet the original outperforms them all.

It sets make-up almost invisibly, isn’t drying or cakey and a tub lasts forever – although, if you want a cheaper alternative, then the Natural Collection comes in a very close second.

Pick of the week

IT might seem early to be thinking about Father’s Day already, but M&S has just launched the perfect gift you won’t want to miss.

M&S Beauty The Grooming Edit, £30 (but worth a whopping £100) contains seven beauty staples.

There’s two fragrances, a hand cream, post-shave balm, face scrub and a full-sized L’Occitane shower gel and Ren EverHydrate cream, so you’ll quickly be Dad’s favourite!