Lawless Beauty’s Perfecting Powder Made Me Change My Mind About Setting Powders

• Value: 18/20
• Wear: 19/20
• Ease of Use: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 20/20
• Longevity: 18/20
• TOTAL: 94/100

I've never been a fan of setting powders because I always found them to be too drying. Also, I’ve long preferred a dewier finish, despite the recent trend towards satin and matte looks.

Alas, I wouldn’t be in this line of work if I wasn’t insatiably curious and willing to try just about any new product that had a compelling enough story behind it. Which brings me to a couple of months ago when I was presented with a soon-to-be-launched setting powder from Lawless Beauty that promised to smooth over any pores and fine lines, so you were left with the polished complexion of an egg. (OK, I made that last part up, but you can easily picture the surface of an egg, right?)

Offered in seven shades, I tested “Light Medium,” which thankfully ended up being a good match for my in-between seasons skin. According to the brand, this setting powder is “unique in that it offers blurring coverage without silicone or talc, which often gives this effect.” Plus, it has phytosqualane to prevent the drying finish I was wary of in the first place.

Over the course of the next two and a half months, I wore the powder approximately a dozen times, for days when I had work events and even a handful of dance classes, where I tend to sweat a lot. Other things to note: I live in a mostly temperate but dry climate (Los Angeles) and I’d categorize my skin as classically combination—oily T-zone, drier cheeks.

Jenny Jin is PureWow’s Beauty Director (and resident skincare expert) who is currently based in Los Angeles. Since beginning her journalism career at Real Simple magazine, she has become a human encyclopedia of the latest beauty products, trends and ingredients over the last 10 years. Equally comfortable in front of the camera as she is behind a computer screen, she always aims to deliver information that's educational, entertaining and accessible to all. On that note, please subscribe to Youngish, her weekly beauty newsletter for millennials here or find her on Instagram (where she will happily reply to any DMs regarding nail polish, sunscreen and K-Pop sensation, BTS).

PureWow is the best friend you never had when it comes to finding the best, most useful lifestyle products online. Founded in 2010, our company’s editors and writers have spent more than a decade shopping online, digging through sales and putting our home goods, beauty finds, wellness picks and more through the wringer—all to help you determine which ones are actually worth your hard-earned cash. From our PureWow100 series, which sees each and every item we test being ranked on a 100-point scale of awesomeness, to the painstakingly curated lists our fashion, beauty, cooking, home and family editors create as vertical experts, you can trust that our recommendations include some of the greatest items you’ll find on the internet. Whether you're looking for travel-size hair dryers you can take on-the-go or women’s walking shoes that won’t hurt your feet, we’ve got you covered.

The PureWow100 is a scale our editors use to vet new products and services, so you know what's worth the spend—and what's total hype. Learn more about our process here.