Setting powders are like magic dust. Their fine texture visually hides pores, imperfections, and small wrinkles leaving you with a flawless result.
Setting powder is a great finish for both liquid and powder makeup. Translucent powders can also be used without makeup to control excess shine.
If you are looking for a vegan setting powder, you do not have to look long. Setting powder is one of the few products with naturally vegan-friendly ingredients.
So hop aboard and see our selection of the best vegan setting powders and brands for 2023 from top brands like KVD, Aesthetica, and Hourglass.
From loose vegan setting powders to vegan baked powders, find the perfect vegan face powder for your skin.
What Makes A Setting Powder Vegan?
A vegan setting powder is free from animal-based ingredients and is not tested on animals.
While most setting powders use vegan ingredients, a large number of makeup brands still test their powders on animals.
In terms of ingredients, vegan setting powders use natural minerals like starch, silica, kaolin, and zinc oxide.
Very rarely, you can see these two animal-derived ingredients used in setting powders:
- Guanine – shine agent made from the skin of fish
- Silk powder – filler protein produced by silkworms
So when buying a vegan setting powder, you need to watch out for guanine, silk powder, and animal testing. Thus, it is better to prefer certified vegan brands.
What To Look For In A Vegan Setting Powder?
When choosing a vegan setting powder, you need to first choose between a loose or pressed vegan finishing powder.
Pressed vegan powder locks makeup for the whole day, and is suitable for all skin types. Loose vegan powders are finer, oil-free, and keep shiny areas matte longer.
You should also make sure your powder shade matches your skin tone to avoid looking too pale or too tanned.
If you are not sure how to match shades (especially when buying a powder online), go for a translucent powder. Translucent powder fits every skin tone.
Translucent vegan powders are also perfect when living in a latitude where skin tone changes with the season.
Ingredients To Avoid in a Vegan Setting Powder
There are two ingredients you would want to look out for in a vegan setting powder: talc and plastic. Especially if you have sensitive skin.
Talc has fallen under scrutiny for containing carcinogen asbestos. Today, talc is usually asbestos-free and thus safe. But you might still want to be careful.
Another strange ingredient you might find in a setting powder is plastic, more precisely, PTFE aka Teflon.
Teflon serves no specific function in a powder (besides harming your skin). While vegan makeup brands are mostly Teflon-free, see the ingredient list just to be sure.
The Best Vegan Setting Powders 2023
These are our favorite vegan setting powders right now. Get a gorgeous photo-ready look thanks to these high-quality, plant-based powders.
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Hourglass Veil is not only the best vegan setting powder but the best setting powder ever made. With great reviews on Sephora, the fans seem to agree.
The luxurious translucent powder is made with light-reflecting particles. It beautifully blurs your skin, minimizes pores, and gives your makeup a natural, luminous finish.
The loose powder fits all skin types and tones. It blurs dry patches and fine lines on dry skin. It also mattifies and controls shine for oily and combination skin.
We love how weightless and velvety the powder feels against the skin. It’s also free of parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, fragrances, and nanoparticles.
As of December 2020, Hourglass is a fully vegan and cruelty-free brand. As part of their mission, they donate 1% of annual profits to the Nonhuman Rights Project.
KVD Beauty Lock-It Setting Powder
Another fantastic loose vegan setting powder is the KVD Lock-It Setting Powder. As the name says, it really locks up the makeup for a whole day.
Although it is marketed as a light coverage powder, the translucent formula gives you just perfectly blurred and flawless skin.
The loose vegan setting powder hides pores and imperfection and has a matte finish. The vegan formula is also free of parabens and phthalates.
The powder is suitable for all skin types and skin tones. It stays completely undetectable even on dark skin tones.
KVD Beauty is an edgy and creative vegan makeup brand from the USA. It’s also one of the most trusted makeup brands amongst vegans.
Kosas Cloud Set Baked Vegan Powder
If you are looking for a talc-free vegan setting powder, Kosas Cloud Set is the one to go for. It’s also our favorite vegan powder for hiding pores.
This baked vegan powder feels completely weightless yet leaves the skin feeling soft and looking sheer. It gives you the most healthy-looking glow.
The powder features bamboo, passionfruit leaf, and peony extracts. Together they leave skin looking matte and reduce the appearance of pores and wrinkles.
The natural powder is gluten-free, cruelty-free, vegan, and suitable for all skin types. It includes gorgeous shades for both light and dark skin tones.
Founded in LA, Kosas has a long list of over 2700 ingredients they keep away from. Kosas is also a 100% cruelty-free brand with a wide vegan range.
Aesthetica Banana Loose Setting Powder
Aesthetica Banana Loose Setting Powder is hands down our favorite vegan banana powder. It also comes down highly recommended by makeup artists.
The vegan setting powder is talc-free, gluten-free, clump-free, and packed with high-quality ingredients. It blurs fine lines and pores and looks perfect all day.
What’s the hype with banana powders, you ask? Nothing to do with actual bananas, banana powder refers to its yellow tone that complements all complexions.
Banana tint tones help evaporate darker and redder areas. They also color correct blue under-eye circles leaving skin looking natural.
Based in Miami, Aesthetica is a PETA-certified vegan cosmetics brand. Their bestselling natural makeup promotes skin health and safety.
Cover FX Matte Setting Powder
If you love matte powders, we swear by Cover FX’s matte vegan setting powder. It delivers a completely matte finish and sets the makeup perfectly in place.
Kaolin Clay gets rid of the shine, absorbs oil, and hides pores. With a soothing green tea complex, it’s also a great option for sensitive skin.
This powder also belongs to the proud list of vegan talc-free finishing powders. It’s also free of parabens, alkyl sulfates, fragrance, gluten, and mineral oil.
Based in New York, Cover FX offers high-quality and customizable vegan makeup. Their ingredients are always clean and safe for every skin type.
W3ll People Superpowder Brightening Powder
W3ll People Superpowder is the most natural and organic vegan setting powder out there. It is also talc-free and made in the USA.
The powder blurs pores and imperfections, brightens your skin, and controls shine. It sets makeup effectively with a semi-mate, translucent finish.
Made from clean ingredients, the powder has a super light texture. It also features hydrating olive-derived squalane and magnolia bark extract.
W3ll People was founded in 2008 by a dermatologist. They only make plant-based makeup products described as simple and authentic.
Pacifica Beauty Neutralizing Mattifier Cherry Powder
We love Pacifica’s Cherry powder because it is silky smooth, blendable, and buildable. Simultaneously hydrating and mattifying, it fits all skin types.
This talc-free vegan powder uses gorgeous natural ingredients such as coconut water, lotus powder, and antioxidant-rich cherry extract.
The natural powder is free from all nasties like animal ingredients, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, petroleum, and synthetic fragrance.
For nearly 25 years, Pacifica Beauty has lead with love and compassion. The beloved American makeup brand has been cruelty-free and vegan since day one.
Best Vegan Setting Powder For Dry Skin
Becca Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder
Made with 50% water, Hydra-Mist vegan setting powder is a godsend for dry skin. It sets makeup and keeps your skin hydrated for the day.
You will get light and natural coverage with a cooling mist-like sensation. And we promise – no dry patches or flakiness.
The natural powder is free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates SLS and SLES, formaldehydes, mineral oil, coal tar, triclosan, and triclocarban.
Best Vegan Setting Powder For Oily Skin
Milk Makeup Blur + Set Matte Loose Setting Powder
Blur + Set is a wonderful vegan setting powder for oily skin and combination skin. It is talc-free but its blurring microspheres have a great mattifying effect.
The loose powder absorbs oils and leaves the skin shine-free for the whole day. No touch-ups are needed. We love the natural-looking soft matte finish.
The powder is made with clean ingredients without silicones, sulfates, SLS, parabens, formaldehydes, and other harsh additives.
Best Vegan Setting Powder For Sensitive Skin
This hypoallergenic vegan setting powder is perfect for sensitive skin. It minimizes shine and locks the makeup in place while being gentle on your skin.
The powder also nourishes sensitive skin with natural soothing ingredients such as aloe, cucumber, and licorice root.
Needn’t say, the powder is free of all major irritants like talc, gluten, parabens, phthalates, SLS, artificial colors, and synthetic fragrances.
Best Affordable Vegan Setting Powder
E.l.f High Definition Loose Setting Powder
The best affordable everyday setting powder is E.l.f High Definition powder. No competition there.
This loose translucent vegan powder is lightweight and gives you sheer, natural coverage. It sets makeup, reduces shine, and hides imperfections.
The powder is suitable for all skin types and tones. It can also be worn by itself to reduce shine and complete the no-makeup makeup look.
Best Vegan Powder Brush
Looking for a vegan powder brush? This beautiful brush from Wet n Wild is great for both pressed and loose powders. And it’s so affordable.
This vegan setting powder brush is soft and plush since the last thing you want is a dense powder brush.
The brush is made with synthetic bristles with a silicone handle. It feels easy on the skin and picks up just the right amount of powder.
The Best Vegan Setting Powder Brands
These three 100% vegan makeup brands carry the best selection of vegan setting powders. They have both pressed and loose vegan face powders you will love.
KVD Beauty
Promoting fearless self-expression, KVD is one of the most beloved cosmetic brands among vegans.
Their selection of vegan face powders includes pressed matte and translucent loose vegan finishing powders.
Aesthetica
Headquartered in Miami, Aesthetica is a PETA-certified cruelty-free and vegan cosmetics brand.
Aesthetica provides one of the most popular finishing powders in the market – The Banana Loose Setting Powder.
You can also find beautiful translucent vegan setting powders from their list of products.
Cover FX
Clean ingredients and high-performance – these were the pillars vegan makeup brand Cover FX was built on in 2000.
From their selection, you will find different loose setting powders, pressed finishing powders, and blotting powders.
FAQ About Vegan Setting Powders
Setting powders are not vegan if they have been tested on animals. Sometimes, setting powder can also include animal-derived ingredients such as guanine (derived from fish) and silk powder (from silkworms).
Vegan face powders are usually made from the same ingredients are all setting powders. Most commonly, talc, starch, silica, kaolin, and zinc oxide.
The best brands for vegan setting powders are KVD Beauty, Aesthetica, Cover FX, and Hourglass.
You can find the largest variety of vegan setting powders online. Amazon and Sephora both carry a wide selection of vegan setting powders.
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder. We also recommend Aesthetica Banana Loose Setting Powder and KVD Beauty Lock-It Setting Powder
No, Airspun loose face powder is not vegan since Coty tests on animals.
Summary
Choosing the right vegan setting powder can be tricky since there is so much to choose from. That’s why we hope you enjoyed our curated list.
The most essential things to consider when buying a vegan face powder are your skin type and tone. Once you find the right vegan powder, you will want to stock up!
No matter if pressed, loose, translucent, or banana powder – good-quality vegan setting powders come in every shade and form.
As we find new vegan and cruelty-free setting powders every month, we will make sure the best ones are added to this list.
See also: Vegan Makeup, Vegan Mascaras, Vegan Lipsticks, Vegan Foundations, Vegan Concealers, Vegan Makeup Brushes, Vegan Setting Sprays, Vegan Primers
