# The best setting sprays and powders.

> Two sprays, two loose powders and a balm-to-powder, compared by finish, wear claims, shades, talc, fragrance and UK price.

- Canonical: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/best/best-setting-sprays-and-powders
- Author: Kaiser Khan (Founder & Editor)
- Published: 2026-09-25
- Updated: 2026-09-25
- Category guide: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/category/setting
- Method: desk research from published formulas, specifications and brand/retailer information — not lab or hands-on tested

## Quick answer

**What is the best setting spray or powder?**

Urban Decay All Nighter is the best long-wear setting spray: waterproof, with an up-to-24-hour brand claim, from £16.50. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless is the natural-finish spray, Laura Mercier Translucent the reference loose powder, Huda Easy Bake the baking powder with 12 shades, and Danessa Myricks’ balm-to-powder the option that blurs without flattening.

## Our top picks

- **Best long-wear spray:** Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray — Waterproof · up to 24 hours (brand claim)
- **Best natural-finish spray:** Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray — Green tea + aloe · up to 16 hours
- **Best loose powder:** Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder — 4 shades · matte · fragrance-free
- **Best for baking:** Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder — 12 shades · soft matte · 20g
- **Best balm-to-powder:** Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder — Balm-to-powder · soft blur · 18g

## Side by side

| Product | Award | Finish | Key spec | Guide price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray](https://thecastindex.com/beauty/urban-decay-all-nighter-setting-spray) | Best long-wear spray | Natural, soft-focus | Waterproof · up to 24 hours (brand claim) | from £16.50 |
| [Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray](https://thecastindex.com/beauty/charlotte-tilbury-airbrush-flawless-setting-spray) | Best natural-finish spray | Natural | Green tea + aloe · up to 16 hours | from £21 |
| [Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder](https://thecastindex.com/beauty/laura-mercier-translucent-loose-setting-powder) | Best loose powder | Matte | 4 shades · matte · fragrance-free | £38.50 |
| [Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder](https://thecastindex.com/beauty/huda-beauty-easy-bake-loose-powder) | Best for baking | Soft matte | 12 shades · soft matte · 20g | £34 |
| [Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder](https://thecastindex.com/beauty/danessa-myricks-yummy-skin-blurring-balm-powder) | Best balm-to-powder | Soft blur | Balm-to-powder · soft blur · 18g | £42.50 |

Prices are UK guide prices from the brand’s official page or a named UK retailer, checked 2026-09-25; they may have changed.

## The picks in detail

### 1. Best long-wear spray: Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray

All Nighter’s reformulated mist uses film formers and glycerin to set makeup, with waterproof, transfer- and sweat-resistant claims and an up-to-24-hour wear claim from Urban Decay’s own consumer test. It keeps a natural finish rather than adding matte or glow.

What stands out:
- Up-to-24-hour wear claim, from a 102-person brand test
- Waterproof, transfer- and sweat-resistant, per Urban Decay
- Natural, soft-focus finish
- Three sizes, from £16.50 for 30ml

Consider first:
- Contains fragrance and denatured alcohol
- Urban Decay’s UK site has closed — buy from retailers
- Some retailers still list the older 16-hour formula

Product guide: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/urban-decay-all-nighter-setting-spray
Official page: https://www.boots.com/urban-decay-all-nighter-setting-spray-natural-finish-118ml-10382018

### 2. Best natural-finish spray: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray

Charlotte Tilbury’s spray uses film formers with green tea and aloe vera in a lightweight, oil-free mist, with a waterproof claim of up to 16 hours. It sets without changing the finish you have chosen, which suits a luminous base.

What stands out:
- Oil-free, lightweight mist, per the brand
- Japanese green tea and aloe vera
- Three sizes: 34ml £21, 100ml £33, 200ml £51
- Waterproof claim

Consider first:
- Up to 16 hours claimed, shorter than All Nighter’s claim
- Sold by Charlotte Tilbury and its named retailers only
- Wear figures are brand claims

Product guide: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/charlotte-tilbury-airbrush-flawless-setting-spray
Official page: https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/product/airbrush-flawless-setting-spray

### 3. Best loose powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Laura Mercier’s original loose powder sets with a matte finish in four shades, including Honey and Medium Deep, and is fragrance-free. A separate talc-free Ultra-Blur version gives readers who avoid talc an equivalent.

What stands out:
- Four shades, from Translucent to Translucent Medium Deep
- Fragrance-free
- Talc-free Ultra-Blur version available
- 30g for £38.50

Consider first:
- The original contains talc
- A matte powder can flatten a glowy base if over-applied
- Loose powder is less portable than pressed

Product guide: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/laura-mercier-translucent-loose-setting-powder
Official page: https://www.lauramercier.co.uk/products/translucent-loose-setting-powder

### 4. Best for baking: Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder

Easy Bake is built for baking and targeted setting, in 12 shades on Huda Beauty UK. The wider shade range makes it easier to set under the eyes or through the centre of the face without a pale cast.

What stands out:
- 12 shades on Huda Beauty UK
- Suited to targeted setting and baking
- A 6g mini is sold
- £34 for 20g

Consider first:
- A separate fragrance-free version has fewer shades and limited UK stock
- Contains talc
- Baking uses more product than a light dusting

Product guide: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/huda-beauty-easy-bake-loose-powder
Official page: https://hudabeauty.com/en-us/products/easy-bake-loose-baking-setting-powder-hb00140m

### 5. Best balm-to-powder: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder

Danessa Myricks’ balm-to-powder blurs the look of texture while keeping skin luminous rather than chalky, per the brand. It is the pick for skin that looks dry or flat under loose powder.

What stands out:
- Designed to blur texture while keeping skin luminous, per the brand
- A balm-to-powder format rather than loose powder
- 18g

Consider first:
- £42.50 at Cult Beauty — the most expensive powder here
- The brand site sells in US dollars; UK buyers use retailers
- A different application technique from loose powder

Product guide: https://thecastindex.com/beauty/danessa-myricks-yummy-skin-blurring-balm-powder
Official page: https://danessamyricksbeauty.com/products/yummy-skin-blurring-balm-powder

## What to look for

### Spray or powder?

A setting spray locks the finish you already have; a powder controls shine and reduces glow where it lands. Many people need only one of the two.

### Finish

Sprays can be natural, matte or dewy; powders range from matte to blurred. Choose the one that keeps the finish you want rather than changing it.

### Shade matters for powder

A “translucent” powder can still leave a cast on deeper skin. Look for a range with several depths, such as Laura Mercier’s four or Huda’s 12.

### Talc and fragrance

Laura Mercier’s original and Huda’s Easy Bake contain talc; Ultra-Blur is talc-free. Urban Decay’s spray contains fragrance, and Huda sells a separate fragrance-free Easy Bake.

### Wear claims are brand claims

Hour counts come from the brands’ own testing. Treat them as a comparison between formulas, not a promise for every face and climate.

### Less, placed well

Set only where you shine. Leaving the outer cheeks unset keeps a luminous base from looking flat.

## How we chose

This guide is desk research. We compared setting sprays and powders using the brands’ published formulas, ingredient lists, specifications and directions, together with UK prices from official pages or named retailers on 25 September 2026. None of the products was tested in a laboratory or worn by our editors for this guide.

We compared finish, wear claims (labelled as brand claims), shade ranges, talc and fragrance, sizes and UK prices, and noted where a UK brand site has closed or a formula has changed.

Awards describe fit — the job a product is best suited to — rather than a single overall score. Brand claims are reported as brand claims. No brand paid for inclusion, and shopping links elsewhere on the site do not influence which products appear here.

## Questions

### Should I use setting spray or setting powder?

Use powder to control shine in specific areas and spray to lock in the whole look. Oily skin often benefits from a little powder through the centre of the face; drier skin may prefer spray alone.

### Which setting spray lasts longest?

Among our picks, Urban Decay claims up to 24 hours for the reformulated All Nighter and Charlotte Tilbury up to 16 hours for Airbrush Flawless. Both are brand claims from their own testing.

### Is translucent powder invisible on all skin tones?

Not always. Choose a shade close to your depth — Laura Mercier and Huda both sell deeper translucent shades — and apply sparingly.

### Is there a talc-free setting powder?

Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder Ultra-Blur is talc-free. The original Laura Mercier powder and Huda Easy Bake both contain talc.

### Does setting spray contain SPF?

None of the sprays in this guide provides sun protection. Apply sunscreen before makeup.

## Sources

- [Boots — Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray 118ml](https://www.boots.com/urban-decay-all-nighter-setting-spray-natural-finish-118ml-10382018)
- [Laura Mercier UK — Translucent Loose Setting Powder Ultra-Blur](https://www.lauramercier.co.uk/products/translucent-loose-setting-powder-ultra-blur)
- [Huda Beauty UK — Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder](https://hudabeauty.com/en-gb/products/easy-bake-loose-baking-setting-powder-hb00140m)
- [Charlotte Tilbury UK — Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray](https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/product/airbrush-flawless-setting-spray)
- [Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Makeup Setting Spray — official product page](https://www.boots.com/urban-decay-all-nighter-setting-spray-natural-finish-118ml-10382018)
- [Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray — official product page](https://www.charlottetilbury.com/uk/product/airbrush-flawless-setting-spray)
- [Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder — official product page](https://www.lauramercier.co.uk/products/translucent-loose-setting-powder)
- [Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder — official product page](https://hudabeauty.com/en-us/products/easy-bake-loose-baking-setting-powder-hb00140m)
- [Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder — official product page](https://danessamyricksbeauty.com/products/yummy-skin-blurring-balm-powder)