If you’re assembling your matte makeup dream team, then you need our best setting powder in the lineup. Meet Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder, the key to setting, mattifying, and blurring any look. It’s a weightless, talc-free translucent setting powder that controls shine, blurs pores and fine lines, and sets makeup up to 16 hours for a smooth matte finish. Our team has been hard at work testing this formula for months and can confirm that it makes your skin look so out of this world, you’ll never want to use anything else again.
“Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder makes your skin look airbrushed,” says Milk Makeup Director of Artistry Sara Wren. But that’s just the start of its multitasking abilities. Below, everything you need to know about this matte makeup MVP.
Why do you need setting powder?
Take it from the pros: If you don’t want your makeup smudging, creasing, or sweating off, then you need to set it before heading out the door. “Setting powder is a must for locking in any makeup look,” says Sara. “It gives you that extra filtered look and a long-wear finish.”
Think of this extra step as insurance for your makeup routine. Along with giving all of your products added wear time, it also helps control excess oil and mattify your skin. Ideally, the best setting powder formulas should do this without making your skin look or feel dry, no matter your skin type.
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How does Milk Makeup’s Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder work?
When the Milk Makeup team set out to create Pore Eclipse setting powder, we envisioned a smooth, natural finish that could set your look, absorb oil, and fight shine with ease. We started with a triple-milled powder formula that feels silky, blends in seamlessly, and gives a soft-focus effect that never gets cakey. Then we added supercharged skincare ingredients that help improve the look of your skin’s texture, like niacinamide and bakuchiol. To make sure you never have to deal with flashback (the white cast that sometimes appears on your skin under bright lights and in photos), we added pore-blurring microspheres that don’t reflect light.
What you won’t find in this setting powder? Talc. You may have seen this mineral used in other setting powders, where it helps absorb moisture, smooth texture, and prevent caking. On the flipside, it comes with a couple of side effects we didn’t want—like a tendency to cause flashback at high concentrations, or leave behind a chalky finish. Talc has also been linked to proven cases of contamination with asbestos, a mineral substance linked to cancer. To clarify, there’s no definitive answer on whether talc is harmful in cosmetics, but the risk just wasn’t worth it to us. So, we swapped it out for oil-absorbing lentil extract to create a totally talc-free formula.
Is translucent powder the same as setting powder?
For those of you that loved our OG (now discontinued) Blur + Set, Pore Eclipse setting powder might sound familiar. Both fall under the family of translucent, loose setting powders, although we made a few upgrades in the formula for a launch you’re going to love even more. The difference between translucent powders and setting powders? In some cases, they can be exactly the same.
Translucent powder refers to any face powder that has a light-coverage tint, meant to give a sheer, soft-focus coverage to your skin. Meanwhile, setting powders are powders designed to set and lock in your makeup. Some setting powders are completely transparent, while others borrow the sheer tint of a translucent powder to add a filtered effect on top of bare skin, or your skin tints and full-coverage foundations. Both our OG Blur + Set and our new Pore Eclipse powder live at the intersection of these two categories.
The key differences between these two formulas involve a few upgrades that make Pore Eclipse powder our best translucent setting powder yet. First, we designed it with an easy-to-use sifter that locks in place to prevent spills when you’re on the go. To use, slide it open and tap your desired amount of powder into the cap. When you’re done, just slide it shut to keep things mess-free in your makeup bag. We also made it in a size that fits comfortably in any bag or travel makeup kit, yet still packs plenty of product for you to use. Add a new lineup of skin-care supercharged ingredients and four translucent shades that work across a wide range of skin tones, and you have the ultimate translucent setting powder.
What's the difference between setting powder and setting spray?
A lot of you already love our iconic Hydro Grip Set + Refresh Spray and Pore Eclipse Matte Setting Spray and are probably wondering where setting powder falls in your routine. According to Sara, the key difference between your setting powder and setting spray lies in the delivery. “Setting sprays are liquid and come out in spray or mist form,” she says. “Loose or pressed setting powders are applied with a makeup brush or sponge.” When it comes down to results, they guarantee a lot of the same things, like locking in your look and creating a smooth finish. Sprays give you a little more room to play with a glowy or matte finish, while powders are used to eliminate shine. Sara likes to incorporate both into any routine for double the insurance.
“Setting powder is a great addition to any setting spray routine,” she says. “Layering them together is my major hack.”
Is Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder good for all skin types?
Pore Eclipse isn’t just our best setting powder for oily skin; all skin types can benefit from its makeup-locking, shine-blocking effects. “It’s all about your skincare prep and what goes on under your setting powder,” says Sara. For oily skin types, Pore Eclipse is an essential for fighting T-zone shine and controlling oil all day. But it’s also a great option for creating a smooth matte look on dry skin. “For dry skin types, I like to prep skin with Hydro Grip Primer” says Sara. “For oily skin, I love the hack of misting on a setting spray like Hydro Grip first, then pressing Pore Eclipse powder into the skin with a sponge. This makes your skin look flawless and hydrated while still keeping oil under control.”
How do I use Pore Eclipse Matte Translucent Setting Powder?
Pore Eclipse setting powder couldn’t be easier to use, but we also found a few genius ways to hack it. For basic application, pair it with a fluffy brush. To avoid getting too much powder on your face, tap away any excess and use a light pressing, sweeping motion to apply.
Pore Eclipse powder layers gorgeously with all your base essentials like Future Fluid All Over Cream Concealer, but it also makes a surprisingly great sidekick for your eye and lip looks. “I love using my shade of Pore Eclipse powder as an eyeshadow base on top of Hydro Grip Eye Primer,” says Sara. “You can also use it one shade deeper in your crease to help blend your eyeshadow looks.” For a matte lip that doesn’t budge, try applying a layer of Pore Eclipse powder over tissue, between your layers of lip color. For a shiny finish, just add a slick of Odyssey Lip Oil Gloss. No matter how you hack this mattifying, setting hero, you’re guaranteed a long-wear finish that blocks out shine, not your glow.
Meet The Expert
Sara Wren (she/her) is the Director of Artistry at Milk Makeup. In her role, she does all the makeup artistry and direction for our Milk Makeup global campaigns, educates the staff and field team on application methods, stars in the brand’s social media videos, and travels to different markets spreading Milk Makeup’s good vibes. When she’s not on set, Sara loves experimenting with DIY hair colors, eating tacos, watching basketball, and scouring for vintage cosmetics to add to her impressive collection.
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