Set your makeup with the perfect setting powder for your skin tone and discover which makeup powder shades are best for brightening, colour-correcting and finishing your look.
15 minute read
Darlings, setting powder can smooth, blur and mattify the look of your skin to make your complexion appear airbrushed and flawless, but are you using the right shades of setting powder for your skin tone?
A setting powder that’s too light or too dark can alter the look of your complexion makeup, making it appear ashy, muddy, or unflattering. When you use a setting powder shade that complements your natural skin tone, your makeup will appear more seamless and skin-like.
Discover the best setting powder colours for dark, tan, medium and fair skin and choose your perfect shades of my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder to give your complexion my magic AIRbrush Flawless touch.
Discover everything you need to know about AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder
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The best loose powder shades for a deep skin tone are sheer, stretchable shades that mirror the richness of dark skin. I created the Deep shade of my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder as a velvety, chocolate-brown shade that melds beautifully into the deep brown tones present in a dark complexion. The beauty of a loose setting powder like this is that it is less pigmented than a pressed powder, allowing for more flexibility in shade matching and being less likely to look ashy or unflattering on deep skin. If you wear shade 13N or above of my AIRbrush Flawless Foundation, I recommend setting your makeup with my Deep loose powder to get that hyper-blurred AIRbrush effect and getting a seamless, skin-like finish.
If you have a deep or dark skin tone, set and finish your makeup with AIRbrush Flawless Finish in shade 4 Deep – my pressed setting powder for dark skin.
The difficulty with finding the perfect setting powder for dark skin is finding a shade that looks undetectable on a deeper complexion. Not all translucent setting powders are created equal and can create a white or greyish cast on dark skin. I prefer to set deeper complexions with a richly pigmented pressed powder as I find they mesh more beautifully with deeply melanated skin. Shade 4 of my AIRbrush Flawless Finish powder is a velvety cocoa brown shade that gives dark skin my world-famous AIRbrush effect. Tap it over foundation and concealer to set makeup into place or use it as a finishing powder for deep skin by brushing a light veil over your completed makeup look.
To lift and brighten the look of under eyes and the high points of your face, use my brightening powder for deep skin – AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in shade Tan/Deep.
It’s a misconception that people with deeper skin tones can’t wear brightening powder, darlings. While some brightening powders that are light pink or brilliant white can show up as ashy or unflattering on deep skin, banana powder can have a similar brightening, beautifying effect. Banana powders are warm, yellow-toned setting powders that look much more complementary on dark skin; lighter shades of setting powder can leave a cast or appear greyish in tone when applied to deep and dark skin, whereas the yellow tones in banana powder enhance and accentuate the rich brown tones in a deeper complexion. To give dark skin a brightening effect, reach for my AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in Tan/Deep – it’s a warm, yellow-toned brightening powder for deep skin that acts like a warm, beautifying spotlight!
You can brighten and colour-correct the appearance of dark circles and facial redness with a shade of pink or peach setting powder. For deep and dark skin, I recommend peach shades of Awakening AIRbrush Flawless Finish in my Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates Face Palette – Flawless Rosewood.
Deep and dark skin tones can wear pink or peach setting powder to brighten and colour-correct the look of skin. Naturally, deeper shades of pink or peach will more closely resemble the tones in darker skin, however, lighter shades can be equally flattering when applied with a light hand. I recommend peach setting powders for dark skin because peach and orange tones have more synergy with a deep complexion. My Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates Face Palette in Flawless Rosewood features a light peach shade of my classic AIRbrush Flawless Finish formula – it’s a smoothing and blurring setting powder with soft peach tones that are perfect for brightening under the eyes and colour-correcting blue tones and dark circles.
Shop Pillow Talk Beauty Soulmates Face Palette in Shade Flawless Rosewood
The best loose powder shades for a tan complexion have a brown tint like walnut, cappuccino or caramel that look super-flattering on brown skin. My AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in shade Tan/Deep looks flawless on tan skin; it’s a smooth, coffee-brown shade that beautifully complements the natural beauty of tan skin. This shade mattifies and blurs without leaving an unflattering cast on tan skin, making the complexion look airbrushed and flawless in the press of a powder puff. If you wear shade 10C-13C of AIRbrush Flawless Foundation, the Tan/Deep shade will be perfect for setting your foundation without muddying your tan complexion.
If you have a tan skin tone, set and finish your makeup with AIRbrush Flawless Finish in shade 3 Tan – my pressed setting powder for tan skin.
Tan complexions often have a complex blend of golden, olive or red undertones and require a rich setting powder that will look flattering on tan skin. One of the main considerations when choosing a setting powder for tan skin is to choose a shade that isn’t too light as paler powder shades can wash out a tan complexion and detract from its natural tone. Shade 3 Tan of my AIRbrush Flawless Finish powder is a perfect choice for setting and finishing makeup on tan skin; it’s a warm, sun-kissed brown shade that fuses beautifully with tan skin to create a smoothing, blurring effect while flawlessly setting and finishing makeup.
To lift and brighten the look of under eyes and the high points of your face, use my brightening powder for tan skin – AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in shade Tan/Deep.
Lighter tones of setting powder like brightening whites and pale pinks can leave a cast or create flashback on a tan complexion. I recommend reaching for a warm, yellow-toned banana powder for tan skin that flatters and enhances the natural golden-tan tones in a tan complexion. Setting under your eyes with a yellow setting powder like the Tan/Deep shade of my AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish is like casting a spotlight onto under eyes, creating a light-reflecting brightening effect that makes your eye area appear brighter and blurred. You can also dust yellow setting powder onto the tops of your cheekbones and in the centre of your face for a flattering lift effect.
You can brighten and colour-correct the appearance of dark circles and facial redness with a shade of pink or peach setting powder. For tan skin, I recommend my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Brightening Peach.
Both pink and peach setting powders have a beautiful, brightening effect on tan skin and are perfect for colour-correcting the look of a tan complexion with powder makeup. I love to brighten and blur the look of tan skin tones with a peach setting powder – the soft, orangey peach tones fuse flawlessly with the warm brown tones in tan skin. Press my peach loose setting powder under your eyes to neutralise the appearance of any dark circles and blue tones and tap onto your T-zone to set and perfect – it’s the perfect peach pink setting powder for tan skin!
Shop AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Brightening Peach.
The best loose powder shades for a medium complexion are a perfect balance of light and tan pigments – they should be nuanced shades with a dash of ivory and toffee brown, coming together to find a true mid-point. The Medium/Tan shade of my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder is the perfect warm-toned honey beige – it was born to set makeup on medium and tan skin tones! This shade looks beautiful on medium complexions, hitting the sweet spot between not too light and not too dark. If you wear shade 5N-9N of my AIRbrush Flawless Foundation, you will love my Medium/Tan loose setting powder.
If you have a medium skin tone, set and finish your makeup with AIRbrush Flawless Finish in shade 2 Medium – my pressed setting powder for medium skin.
Medium skin tones are a mid-point between fair and deep skin tones, so they can naturally swing slightly lighter or darker in tone depending on the shade you choose. To give your medium skin a flattering, perfected-looking finish, I recommend using a sandy-beige tone of pressed powder that strikes a balance of light and deep hues for true, medium tonality. Shade 2 Medium of my AIRbrush Flawless Finish powder is designed to smooth and blur the look of a medium complexion and give skin my signature AIRbrush Effect. The honey-beige colour is a dream setting powder for medium skin, camouflaging into your medium complexion to set and finish makeup flawlessly.
To lift and brighten the look of under eyes and the high points of your face, use my brightening powder for medium skin – AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in shade Fair/Medium.
If you have a medium skin tone and love the look of a super-bright, highlighted under eye area, you should try brushing a veil of brightening powder underneath your eyes to lift and brighten the look of your complexion. Brightening powders should be a fraction lighter than your skin tone to create a natural-looking brightening effect. The Fair/Medium shade of my AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish is a perfect brightening powder for medium skin; it creates a spotlight effect that bounces light from the centre of your face and acts like a blurring filter. Darlings, this brightening shade will make your medium skin tone appear brighter and retouched!
Shop AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in Shade Fair/Medium
You can brighten and colour-correct the appearance of dark circles and facial redness with a shade of pink or peach setting powder. For medium skin, I recommend my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Brightening Pink for a soft, cherry blossom effect or Brightening Peach for a warm, peachy blur effect.
Pink and peach setting powder shades can both mesh beautifully with a medium skin tone to create a flattering, brightening effect that neutralises and colour-corrects the look of darkness and blue tones. If you have a warm undertone and your complexion appears golden, I recommend applying a warm-toned peach setting powder, and if you have a cool undertone and your skin appears pink, I recommend a pink setting powder to give skin a rosy blur effect. The brightening shades of my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder are perfect for brightening, blurring and optically lifting the look of a medium complexion - try tapping them over dark circles and watch the magic happen!
The best loose setting powder shades for a fair complexion are sheer, almost translucent shades that look undetectable on fair skin. The danger applying loose powder to fair skin is choosing a shade that is too dark as these can appear muddy and stark. Instead, reach for a light shade like my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Fair/Medium that won’t appear orange or brown when applied to fair skin. My Fair/Medium shade is an ivory-beige that sets makeup with an invisible, weightless finish. It meshes flawlessly with the softness of a fair complexion and is perfect for setting shades 5C and below of my AIRbrush Flawless Foundation.
If you have a fair or light skin tone, set and finish your makeup with AIRbrush Flawless Finish in shade 1 Fair – my pressed setting powder for fair skin.
A fair complexion is the most delicate of all when choosing the right shade of setting powder. Light and fair skin becomes easily overwhelmed by a setting powder that is too dark, and for the fairest of complexions even setting powders that are light peach or beige in tone can appear orange or overbaked when not used sparingly. I created shade 1 Fair of my AIRbrush Flawless Finish to set and finish makeup on fair complexions; it’s a flattering, ivory-beige shade that works as a seamless setting powder for fair skin. Tapping a light veil of this shade into your T-zone and under your eyes will give your complexion a super-smooth, airbrushed-looking finish that effortlessly complements fair skin.
To lift and brighten the look of under eyes and the high points of your face, use my brightening powder for fair skin – AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in shade Fair/Medium.
Due to the light pigmentation of fair skin tones, people with fair skin rarely have to worry about brightening powder leaving a white cast on their skin. This makes it easy to apply a super-bright translucent white pressed powder to lift and brighten the look of a fair complexion without looking stark or unflattering. My AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in shade Fair/Medium is a flawless brightening powder for fair skin; it settles so smoothly under the eyes to blur the appearance of dark circles and highlight the under eye area, it creates pools of beauty light in the centre of your face that add brightening-effect dimension to your fair complexion, and it lifts the look of your face, making the tops of your cheekbones pop!
Shop AIRbrush Brightening Flawless Finish in Shade Fair/Medium
You can brighten and colour-correct the appearance of dark circles and facial redness with a shade of pink or peach setting powder. For fair skin, I recommend my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Brightening Pink.
Pink setting powder looks so dreamy on fair skin, darlings… It’s perfect for giving lighter, paler complexions a rosy, cloud-like hint of pink that beautifully blurs, brightens and colour corrects. Fair skin tones naturally have that blushing, English Rose look to them, and pink makeup powders are a perfect way to accentuate their soft, petal-pink tones. My Brightening Pink loose setting powder looks ethereal and super-flattering on fair skin. Veiling pink setting powder over your complexion acts as a romantic wash of enlivening pink – it’s the secret to getting that beautiful, love-flushed look while setting your makeup and giving you that flawless blur effect.
Shop AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Brightening Pink.
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A translucent powder is a setting powder created with no added pigments. The idea behind using a translucent powder like my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder in Blur Filter Translucent is to powder down your makeup without changing the colour of your foundation. Even sheer shades of powder can alter the appearance of your skin tone slightly, so if you have found a flawless foundation match and want to preserve it without skipping powder, you can set with a light amount of translucent powder for an invisible finish that helps to blur skin and make makeup last longer.
Shop Blur Filter Translucent setting powder
Yes – A setting powder that is truly translucent will work for every skin tone. Not every translucent powder is created equally! Some can look white, chalky and ashy especially on deeper skin tones. When I was creating the translucent shade of my AIRbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder, I knew I needed to create an extremely finely milled powder that was hyper-blurring and looked undetectable on skin without flashback or an unflattering cast. Setting your makeup with Blur Filter Translucent will make your complexion look so blurred, darlings, while creating a powder veil that looks invisible on every skin tone!
Translucent and brightening powders can both have a place in your makeup routine, darlings… The key differences are that translucent powders are designed to look undetectable on skin whereas brightening powders visibly illuminate the look of your complexion. If you prefer a less is more approach to powder I would recommend using a small amount of translucent powder to set your makeup only in the areas you need it. As for brightening powder, I would suggest using a brightening shade if you love the look of a super-bright under eye or if you experience prominent dark circles. For day-to-day makeup, I recommend taking a translucent powder or a shade that matches your skin tone and lightly setting your makeup, then adding a soft layer of pink setting powder under the eyes to brighten and lift.
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With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.
