Sali Hughes on beauty: loose powders have had a glow up

I can’t remember the last time I wrote about loose powder because, honestly, there’s been little point. Pressed compact powders have become so sophisticated in formulation, so finely milled in production, that most of us rely on those to keep shiny bits matte and makeup looking fresh past lunchtime. Loose powders – messy, cumbersome and barely improved in decades – seemed trapped in the past. But there have always been times when one absolutely does benefit from a proper dusting.

A fine coating of loose powder locks down foundation and concealer like nothing else can – no bridal or TV makeup artist, dancer or performer would be without it. Now, seemingly all at once, a flurry of new generation powders are offering way more for your trouble.

Charlotte Tilbury’s new Airbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder (£40) is so good that I think she’ll revive the entire category. Its finish is ultra smooth, refined and flattering, and the packaging dispenses with everything that’s annoying about loose powder – no shaking messily from plastic sieves into lids here. The weightless powder sits neatly under a fine gauge mesh and you simply roll over your puff (included) to pick up exactly the right amount, then press on to the skin – even under eyes, where it sets concealer without caking or creasing.

The word “blur” is thrown around like confetti these days, but here it’s exactly right – everything is softer and hazier. It also looks terrifically natural on camera.

Kosas makes one of my favourite pressed powders, Cloud Set (£35), and now they’ve smashed the translation to loose. This is a loose powder for the nervous, in that it’s doing precisely what it should, only without really showing its workings. This is not overly mattifying – even dry skin still looks radiant, only without the “faux” glow of shimmer or glitter.

As with the Tilbury, powder particles are microscopic and diaphanous, allowing for creases around the nose to be coated without build-up or caking. The shades are realistic and approachable, too.

Staying power on both is very good, but if longevity is your primary goal try Maybelline Fit Me Loose Powder (£9.99). I feel certain you could wear this in a wind tunnel and it would still hold tight. As with all the high street powders I tried and rated, though, the range of shades is woeful in the UK (more inclusive in the US), so if you’re lucky enough to find one that works for you, snap it up.