This £3.98 setting powder is the perfect fix for disappearing make-up

Disappearing make-up is the bane of my life. I spend half an hour laboriously applying a primer; a foundation; a concealer; a setting spray and for what? Only to look in the mirror five hours down the line and see all that's left of my efforts is a smear of mascara under my eyes (despite the fact that the tube promised me it was smudge-proof...).

Some days it makes me think I might as well have stayed in bed the extra 30 minutes because, honestly? Why waste my time.

I've tried pretty much all the setting powders. MAC Mineralise Skin Finish is quite good and the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder works as a nice oil blotter but, in my experience, none of them adequately preserve my foundation.

If anything, by the time I've even thought about touching up (maybe around two to three hours?), my foundation has already oxidised, and by that point the powder just makes my patchy face base more obvious. Not ideal.

So, after trying many a luxury powder and paying up to £40 for what's essentially skin-safe flour, I found my answer in the hallowed halls of Boots for less than a fiver.

It's at this point that I could have cried over all the pounds wasted in the likes of Harvey Nichs and John Lewis but, overwhelmed with sheer joy at the actual functionality of this shiny new powder, I quelled my sobs.

Introducing sounds of gospel choirs Max Factor Creme Puff Pressed Compact Powder.

Creme Puff is by no means a new addition to the high-street beauty hall. On the contrary, it's been around for over 65 years and, in the old days of Hollywood, it was used on the likes of Judy Garland and Joan Crawford (according to The Telegraph).

Make-up artist and general beauty icon Pat McGrath called it a "true glamour essential" and, to be honest, I'm quite offended that it was only when I rang my mum last year asking, "Have you ever tried this powder?" that she, for the first time, told me, "Creme Puff? Oh I loved that back in the day!" Cheers, mum.

Creme Puff is quite fragrance heavy so you might avoid if you have uber-sensitive skin and, in terms of texture, well, it does what it says on the tin - it's creamy.

In fact, I think the creaminess is what makes Creme Puff better than your usual setting powder. Instead of setting in your pre-existing foundation (patches and all), Creme Puff smoothes over and into your foundation, absorbing any excess shine and filling in any bare smudges seamlessly.

It's the perfect all-day product and, because it's a compact, it's travel friendly. In the spirit of full disclosure, my one bugbear with Creme Puff is that the packaging isn't all that durable. A word to the wise if you have a tiled bathroom: do not drop it on the floor. It will smash, and you will be sad. But, you know, for £3.98, I think I can manage a bit of brittle plastic 🤷🏼‍♀️.

CHECK OUT: The best long-lasting setting powder

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Different types of setting powders:

Just a quick run down of what your options are...

Setting powder for dry skin

If you have particularly dry skin but you still want your make-up to stand the test of time, you going to want to look for a product with moisture-locking ingredients.

For example, the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder uses hyaluronic acid to attract moisture to the skin while also using silica microbeads to smooth out your complexion.

Setting powder for oily skin

For oily skin, you'll probably want to opt for a loose powder to ensure that you can blot away shine in all those hard-to-reach creases - particularly around the nostrils.

One of our favourites is the MAC Loose Blot Powder, it's lightly tinted and very finely milled so it'll smooth away shine without building up a chalky texture.