The Shelf · Makeup · The No-Makeup Makeup Edit
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
It is the reference point for this category and has been for twenty years. It is also talc-first and preserved with methylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben, which you should know before you buy it.
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Why we like the Translucent Loose Setting Powder
- Nothing else sets this finely
- A little genuinely goes a long way
- Predictable, which matters in a setting powder
- Texture
- Very fine loose powder
- Key ingredients
- Talc · Magnesium Myristate · Nylon-12 · Zea Mays (Corn) Starch
- Fragrance
- Fragrance free. No parfum in the list.
- Best for
- Setting the centre of the face · Controlling shine where it appears
- Works on
- Shine · Creasing
- Made in
- USA
- Where to buy
- Amazon
- Price
- $43, approximate
- Listing checked
- 2026-08-12
Our verdict on the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Still the benchmark. If you avoid talc or parabens, this is not your product, and the Hourglass Vanish in our Investment Makeup Edit is the talc-free answer.
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Where the Translucent Loose Setting Powder sits on The Shelf
The rest of The No-Makeup Makeup Edit
Reviewed 2026-08-12. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder appears in The No-Makeup Makeup Edit. Every product on The Shelf is listed in the product index.