Best Powder for Baking on a Budget: AOA Perfect Setting Powder

Over the last couple months, I’ve been focusing less on new makeup and more on rediscovering what I already own. During this shop my stash process, I actually came across the best powder for baking I’ve ever used that I already had in my very own collection.

The AOA Studio Perfect Setting Powder is from the budget-friendly online beauty retailer, ShopMissA. I’ve experienced both major hits and miserable misses when trying their products, though there have definitely been more winners lately. This powder is probably the best product I’ve ever tried from the store and their in-house AOA brand.

The AOA Perfect Setting Powder comes in several different finishes:

• Matte Translucent – for any skin tone, used to set makeup.
• Banana – perfect for medium to dark skin tones, or to help with dark circles and dark areas of the face.
• Brightening –  a brightening peach tone for light to medium skin tones. Tiny light reflecting particles for a beautiful glow.
• Soft Light – a brightening pale yellow for any skin tone, with subtle shimmer.
• Warm – tinted to be used as a contour/bronzer for light skin, as a setting powder for medium skin tones, or as under eye brightening powder for deep skin tones.

I have been using Soft Light which I honestly didn’t even know contained shimmer until reading the description. It’s incredibly subtle and only serves to add a natural looking radiance so that the mattifying effect isn’t dull on the skin. There’s no noticeable glitter particles. Also, I could have sworn it was a translucent shade as I don’t personally see a yellow tint, though I do have yellow undertones to my skin so it matches pretty well.

The texture is what sets this powder apart from so many others that I’ve tried. In fact, I never liked the “baking” method until I used this product. In case you’re unfamiliar, baking is a makeup technique where you apply excess powder over your foundation and concealer to set the makeup in for long wear that won’t crease. After it sits for a while, you brush off the excess. It’s a great technique for the under eye area, and I also use it on my forehead and laugh lines. However, using the wrong powder can have the opposite effect and cause cakiness and texture. The AOA Perfect Setting Powder has a very light, almost fluffy feel to it. Don’t breathe too hard with the lid open, that’s how fine it is!

The powder formula helps my makeup last all day by controlling oil, but unlike other mattifying powders, this one doesn’t make your skin look dry or flat. Even on my combo skin, it creates a very even appearance that lasts. What really blew me away was how smooth my skin looked after applying— other powders usually emphasized skin texture or fine lines. This one blurred everything for an airbrushed finish, no photoshop needed! Pores, who are they? Fine lines, never heard of them!

But wait… I haven’t gotten to the best part yet. This powder… only costs… $1! ONE freaking DOLLAR! Now of course, being available only online you’ll have to pay shipping but the site offers Free US shipping on orders over $35. Since many of their other products are $10 and under, you can get a really nice haul for that amount of money! Otherwise, standard US flat rate shipping is $3.95.

Have any products really WOWed you recently?