What’s The Difference Between Loose vs Pressed Setting Powder?

Darlings, don’t be scared of using powder in your makeup routine! Setting powders like my iconic AIRbrush Flawless Finish and AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder are formulated to make every skin type look smooth, blurred and flawless without giving your complexion a heavy or cakey texture.

I hear you asking darlings, what’s the difference between a loose vs pressed setting powder and which one should I be using to set my makeup? The answer isn’t either/or… You can use a loose or pressed powder or a combination of the two to bake, set, brighten and blur!

Can’t decide which setting powder is right for you? I’m breaking down the differences between a loose setting powder and a pressed powder and breaking down the different effects they can give your finished makeup look.

Loose vs Pressed Setting Powder: Which Is Right For You?

Darlings, both loose and pressed setting powder are designed to set makeup into place and mattify your complexion, but the effect you get will vary when using a loose vs pressed powder. Discover the benefits of using both types of setting powder and learn when to reach for a loose or pressed powder in your makeup routine.

Discover more about AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder

Why To Use Loose Setting Powder

1. Extended Longwear

If you want your makeup to last all day, you should be using a loose setting powder. Even a light amount of loose setting powder will help grip onto cream foundation and concealer so it can last longer and avoid creasing. My AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder is the secret to 16-hour longwear* without creasing or transfer!

2. Oil Control

A layer of loose setting powder can work wonders for skin that’s prone to getting oily during the day. Loose powder can help to absorb excess oil and keeps your complexion from becoming greasy or shiny. Focusing loose setting powder in the oiliest parts of your face like your T-zone and around your mouth can reduce excess oil and keep your complexion looking smooth and matte. If you have an oily skin type, choose a loose powder like AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder - it's supercharged with Oil + Shine Control Microspheres that control oil + shine for up to 24 hours!*

3. Ultra-fine Texture

Loose setting powders are extremely finely milled and tend to feel more lightweight on the face than pressed powders. Their ultra-fine texture allows them to feel weightless while setting makeup down and also helps to avoid them looking cakey or powdery.

4. Baking + Brightening

Darlings, if you love full glam and want to bake with your setting powder, loose powder is the beauty trick for the job! Loose powder is so lightweight and can be easily packed on as a brightening-effect bake. It’s also easy to dust away, so once your face has been baked to perfection, you can effortlessly remove any excess powder without leaving a cakey, clumpy texture.

Discover how to bake your makeup with setting powder

Why To Use Pressed Powder

1. Light Coverage

Pressed powders usually offer slightly more coverage than a loose setting powder. When powders are pressed, they are bound together which creates a more pigmented effect than you would get from the sheerness of a loose setting powder. This light amount of coverage can be particularly useful for disguising blemishes or powdering down a full-coverage foundation and concealer.

2. Hydrating Texture

The formulation for a pressed powder often contains more hydrating ingredients than a loose powder. Makeup powders are pressed with ingredients like waxes and oils which work as binding agents for the formula, but this can also help them to feel less drying.

Tilbury Tip: If a pressed powder looks chalky or accentuates fine lines and skin texture, it may not have been pressed and milled enough to get a smooth texture. My AIRbrush Flawless Finish powder is formulated with rose wax and almond oil to give it that fresh, hydrating, seamless look.

3. Smoothing + Blurring Finishing Powder

If you want your complexion to look smoother, pressed powder is an easy way to manipulate the look of your skin texture. The coverage and blurring effects of a pressed powder can reduce the appearance of visible pores and create a smoothing-effect finishing layer over makeup that makes skin appear retexturised without emphasising fine lines. My AIRbrush Flawless Finish pressed powder is a staple on the red carpet because it gives stars a smoothing, soft-focus effect that looks super-flattering.

4. Easy Touch-Ups

One of the drawbacks to loose setting powders is that they can be messy to apply, especially on the go. Travelling with a pressed powder lets you touch up your makeup base quickly and easily - just a light touch of pressed powder around the nose and forehead effortlessly mattifies unwanted shine without any spills or over-application.

What Are The Main Differences Between Loose Vs Pressed Powder?

So, what are the main things to consider when choosing between loose vs pressed powder?

Texture: Loose setting powder is lighter and airier than a pressed powder, whereas pressed powders can be smoother with a base of waxes, oils and other binding agents.

Finish: Loose setting powders are sheer or translucent in finish, whereas pressed powders deliver sheer-to-light coverage.

Application: Loose setting powders are best applied with a powder puff to get a controlled, even application, whereas pressed powders should be applied with a powder brush for optimal product pick-up.

Techniques: Loose setting powders can be used for setting and baking whereas pressed powders are best used for creating a smoothing-effect finishing layer and doing makeup touch ups.

Routine: Loose setting powder should be applied after all your liquids and creams, whereas pressed powder should be the final step in your routine to secure that airbrushed skin finish.

Do I Need Pressed Powder If I Have Applied Loose Powder?

Setting your makeup with loose setting powder only is completely fine and will give your complexion a smooth, blurred look. But darlings, if you want double the blur, try setting with loose powder then applying a fine layer of pressed powder on top. I love to bake and set with AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder to lock my foundation look into place and strategically brighten the face, then apply a fine mist of AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray to seal the deal. Then, while my setting spray is drying, I press AIRbrush Flawless Finish pressed powder into the skin to create a soft-focus blur finish. Applying both loose and pressed setting powder together is how you look airbrushed in real life!

Should I Apply Loose Setting Powder Before or After Pressed Powder?

To get the most out of your setting powder, I recommend setting your face with loose powder first, then applying pressed powder on top. Loose setting powder is ultra-lightweight and sheer so you can easily apply a soft veil then add a smoothing layer of pressed powder on top without your makeup looking caked on.

Tilbury Tip: Apply AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray between makeup steps to flawlessly melt powder makeup into your skin.

Loose vs Pressed Powder: Which Is Best For Your Skin Type?

I Have Dry Skin: Should I Use A Loose or Pressed Powder?

A lot of people worry about applying powder to dry skin because it can accentuate the appearance of dry patches and flaky skin texture, looking powdery rather than smooth. If you are using the correct skincare products for dry skin, you shouldn’t have a problem adding a small amount of powder to your makeup routine. I recommend moisturising with Charlotte’s Magic Cream to create a smooth canvas for makeup, then setting your finished look with a pressed powder like AIRbrush Flawless Finish. My iconic pressed powder is formulated with hydrating rose wax and almond oil to hydrate skin while it sets and blurs! Lightly tap powder into areas you are prone to makeup creasing such as under the eyes or around the nose and mouth to improve longevity without enhancing dryness.

Tilbury Tip: Dry skin types can also use loose setting powder, you just need to find the right one. I formulated AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder with botanical emollients and magnolia bark extract to deliver up to 24-hr hydration - it’s perfect for anyone with dry skin that wants the blur, bake and brighten effect of a loose powder.

I Have Oily Skin: Should I Use A Loose or Pressed Powder?

Powder is your best friend if you struggle with excess oil. Both loose and pressed setting powders can absorb oil and mattify shine, helping your foundation to last longer and stay matte. In your everyday makeup routine, I suggest setting your makeup with a loose setting powder to give your base oil control and a blur-matte finish that vanishes the appearance of pores. If you love powder, try using both loose and pressed setting powder for double the blur!

Tilbury Tip: As oils start to seep through your foundation, the easiest way to mattify your face is by taking AIRbrush Flawless Finish on the Powder & Sculpt Brush and gently pressing powder into the areas you are getting oily.

Discover my foundation guide for oily skin

I Have Mature Skin: Should I Use A Loose or Pressed Powder?

The main consideration when choosing a powder for mature skin is that you don’t want a powder that settles in fine lines and wrinkles. I would recommend using a loose setting powder like AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder for mature skin because it functions in a way that gives you an ultra-fine, weightless feel but also hydrates with skincare. When loose powder looks cakey and dry, that’s a one way ticket to emphasising the lines in mature skin, but that doesn’t mean you need to stay away from powders. Choose a lightweight, hydrating formula and apply with a light hand - that’s the best way to approach powdering mature skin.

Discover my foundation guide for mature skin

Darlings, will you let loose with loose setting powder or press play on pressed powder? Setting powder is a makeup must-have for me! Makeup will always look smoother and last longer when you set it with powder - it gives you that beautiful blur that looks so flattering and forgiving.

Now that you know the differences between loose vs pressed setting powder you can use powder more strategically to set, blur and mattify and choose the perfect type of powder for your routine. And remember darlings, why choose one when you can wear both? Try using my AIRbrush Flawless setting powders together for double the blur!

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*Clinically tested on 32 people