Kevyn Aucoin is a name synonymous with some of Hollywood’s top red carpet looks. When he released his eponymous make-up line in 2001, a year before his death, us mere mortals were allowed to have a taste of his genius.

The loose powder is an ultra soft setting powder in a translucent shade making it wearable for skin tones from fair to deep. We were instantly blown away by the silky texture. Although it does come with a beauty puff, we used a soft brushed to apply this and were immediately impressed by how it transformed the skin. Not only did it brighten, but it also softened the appearance of fine lines and imperfections leaving a velvet base that was hydrated and radiant all day.

Tarte’s shape tape range has taken the beauty world by storm with the likes of the brand’s concealer which has been lauded by beauty experts and novices alike, so were excited when Tarte extended its line with a pressed powder. The powder comes in a selection of colours ranging from fair to rich and is definitely for those who want a little more coverage than a translucent powder. 

We were pleasantly surprised with how pigmented this powder is and it definitely blurred the appearance of pores. We did see a few dry patches peeking through after a few hours of wear, though. For longevity and appearance of skin this powder is great, but those with drier skin would benefit with pairing this with a hydrating spray.

Raid any make-up artist’s kit and you’re likely to find Laura Mercier’s original translucent powder. Now, those with olive and medium skin tones can benefit from the new honey shade added to the line-up that promises a 16-hour matte finish and a flawless picture-perfect complexion.

Although those with dry skin tend to not opt for matte finishes, we were intrigued to give this a try and applied it over foundation. We were amazed at how it evened out the skin and softened the appearance of pores. After an eight hour wear our foundation hadn’t budged. 

As with all of Givenchy’s products this powder gives off a level of elegance and luxury thanks to being wrapped up in a sleek black box. Unlike many other powders, each shade contains four separate powders that are mixed together and then applied to the face, and used either to set make-up or for a lightweight base.

We applied this over foundation and were impressed with the shade taffetas beige that complimented our tester’s olive skin tone. It immediately softened the base, providing a flawless finish. A couple of hours into wear we did notice it gathering slightly in areas of the face that tend to be drier.  

KVD Vegan Beauty has evolved plenty since the days when tattoo artist Kat Von D started it with just a lipstick range. The lock-it translucent setting powder is part of the lock-it range, which aims to help you create a flawless base and promises to diffuse pores and leave you with a matte, undetectable finish.

This powder can be used to bake the under-eye area after concealer or applied all over the face. We went with the former – armed with a buffing brush, we applied the powder generously over concealer and let it set for a couple of minutes. After dusting off we loved the crease-free finish and brighter appearance. All in all, this is a great price for a high-end feeling product, but it’s worth making sure your skin is aptly prepped before application.

Known for its many hydrating and plumping skin products, Filorga has branched out to creating make-up to suit all skin types. The flash-nude powder comes in a translucent shade that promises to create a matte finish using hyaluronic acid while protecting the skin from pollution.

The translucent powder is a super soft formula and after swirling a brush through it we applied generously to the face. We were incredibly pleased at how well it set make-up and didn’t dry out once. It kept the skin looking hydrated and areas that we find are normally dry after a few hours were looking radiant after a full day of wear.

With the expertise and innovation that has gone in to creative Insta-beauty queen Huda Kattan’s make-up line, it seems no make-up round-up would be complete without a mention of her Huda Beauty brand. As with most of the mouth-watering names in the line, the easy bake loose powder comes in eight shades ranging from sugar cookie for fair skin to coffee cake for dark tones.

Armed with a damp beauty blender we used it to bake, setting the under eyes and forehead with ample product and dusting away the excess after a few minutes. Instantly our face was brightened and gained a healthy glow. Almost 10 hours after first applying our skin still looked as fresh as it had on first application and not one dry patch was fighting its way out. We would say that when using this powder it’s important to make sure all excess product has been buffed away as any leftover can lead to flashback in pictures.

Too Faced’s born this way range has quickly become one of beauty’s cult lines. Currently, there is a foundation, concealer and powder and as we are huge fans of the liquid formulas.

The multi-use complexion powder comes in 25 shades and is oil-free, infused with coconut water and hyaluronic acid. It promises to provide radiance while blurring pores. Using the sponge that comes with the powder, we applied this to our face and were amazed: it blurred pores and imperfections completely and provided a smooth and flawless coverage. Our dry skin behaved all day under this, providing a flawless finish. We do recommend that those with fine lines apply this lightly with a brush instead of the ample product that comes when using the sponge.

When Hollywood’s eyebrow queen Anastasia Soare created her make-up line, hordes of beauty fans relished the chance to get their hands on some of her must-have products. So of course, we had to pay homage to the brand and include the loose setting powder in our round-up.

The cruelty-free and vegan formula claims it will melt into the skin to brighten and keep make-up set all day. We applied this after foundation with a brush to the under eyes, forehead and laughter lines – after a few minutes of setting, we brushed away the excess. After seven hours of wear we were impressed with how well our make-up had stayed put – it still looked bright and didn’t settle into any dry areas. As if this wasn’t enough to convince us that this product is great, it comes in five tones, including a translucent shade. The brand has also recently added a travel size for those who need a quick fix on the move.

Is any round-up of powder products complete without something from bareMinerals? The brand’s original foundation is, as the name, suggests the OG product and has been for more than 20 years. It’s made with just five ingredients and describes itself as “make-up so pure you can sleep in it”.

We matched with one of the 30 shades and used the bareMinerals’s brush to apply it to the face. Instantly our complexion was brightened and had a natural yet healthy glow. After wearing for eight hours it looked as good as ever and is perfect as a stand-alone powder for those after a natural coverage or can be applied on top of foundation for a little extra coverage.