Today, Saie launched a setting powder that vows to cut down on unwanted shine, blur fine lines and pores, and give skin a natural-looking, radiant finish. But the brand already has a loose setting powder, so how is the new product different? I tested it out to see.
What’s so special about Saie’s new setting powder?
What makes this powder different is that the brand developed it with dry and sensitive skin in mind. So for all the people who say they can’t use setting powder: This one is noncomedogenic and non-drying. Plus, it’s mature-skin friendly. The formula includes brightening licorice-root extract, blurring hectorite, and hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane. Meanwhile, the radiant finish comes from mica and silica.
I recently went to the company’s factory in Italy to see how it is made. During the production process, those ingredients, among a host of other components, are hand-whipped into a mixture that looks and feels like dough. Workers in the manufacturing facility then deposit the right amount onto individual terracotta disks and literally bake the “dough” in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment for about a full day. Later, I tested the Saie powder in Italy during a heat wave, and I can attest that it stayed put and didn’t break down, despite its moisturizing properties and how much I sweated.
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What is it like to use the powder?
I haven’t put this powder down since the day I got it. At first, I tried to use it on its own to mattify and set my concealer. A light dusting looked beautiful, and the powder didn’t suck any of the moisture from my face — a dream for all the dry-skinned and traditional-powder-hating folks out there. However, as someone who likes to feel dry to the touch, I had to apply way too much for my desired result and ended up slightly resembling the Tin Man in certain areas of my face.
But then I tried going in with the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder first, and the combination was like magic. I felt matte and didn’t look greasy at all, but the Slip Tint powder made my face brighter and more dimensional. Saie’s accompanying All-Over Powder Brush has also been making it easy to distribute just the right amount of product. I’ve never been able to truly perfect that lit-from-within glow without looking a hair too shiny, but I feel like I’ve finally done it. It’s like I have healthy, naturally luminous skin that’s under candlelight at all times.
How is the new formula different from Saie’s Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder?
Something I always loved about Airset was how mattifying it was without drying out my skin or flattening everything out. It completely set my makeup and eliminated the sticky feeling I dislike, and it still didn’t look like I was wearing any powder at all. However, it didn’t have the noticeable sheen that the Slip Tint powder does. Because it’s a very fine loose powder, it also flies everywhere when you apply it, and it gets messy during travel. Airset isn’t something I’d use to touch up my makeup throughout the day, but I wouldn’t mind carrying Slip Tint with me or putting it in my carry-on. I recently layered them together, and they looked incredible. One more thing: Airset has three sheer shades that are meant to accommodate all skin tones, whereas the new formula comes in five semi-translucent ones that are supposed to cover skin tones that range from “Very Light” to “Deep.”
How does it compare to other popular baking setting powders?
There are three other popular baked setting powders I keep in my rotation: the aforementioned Pat McGrath Labs powder, the Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Powder, and the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. The Pat McGrath powder is super-finely milled and blurring, which makes it the best mattifying powder I have, but it makes me matte matte. If I apply a little too much, my skin looks flawless but feels parched. It’s also marketed to be used for the under-eye area, so it’s much smaller than the Saie.
The Kosas one is more similar to the new Saie powder, and it’s also meant to be luminous and dry-skin friendly. When I compare the two, the Kosas has a more skinlike finish while the Saie is glowier. The Kosas powder also feels more loosely packed, so particles fly a little more when you run your brush or fingers over the surface. That may also be why it seems to have more coverage but looks the tiniest bit cakier, if I’m being super-nitpicky. Its packaging is also bulkier than that of the Saie option.
The ultra-sheer Houglass powder is designed to imitate flattering light conditions, which means it’s more of a finishing powder than a mattifying one. I never use it to set my makeup; instead, I apply it after the rest of my base routine to add a bit of a glow when I’m looking too flat. I’d say it’s sheerer and even thinner than the Saie powder, and while they both blur the skin, Saie’s Slip Tint is more obviously luminous.
Is it drop-proof?
Surprisingly, yes. I even dropped it from above my head (I’m five-foot-four) onto my hardwood floors to test it. If it shattered, it would’ve broken my heart, but I had to do it for science. Thankfully, it still looked brand new after. I’ve even dropped it a few times since then by accident, and it still looks perfect. I can’t say that for any of my other baked powders.
Apparently, this goes back to how the powder is made; because the formula is baked over such a long period of time, the water in the initial mixture evaporates very slowly, creating a more uniform and stable structure. I’d 100 percent travel with this powder, and I think we should campaign for Saie to make a mini for our purses, too.
Do I need to buy this powder?
If glow is your goal or if you want to set your makeup but have dry skin, it’s an absolute yes. On the other hand, if you like a completely matte look or have oily skin and want to use this as your main powder, I would skip. At $32, it’s not the cheapest option, nor is it the most prohibitively expensive. But this powder is truly unlike any other I’ve tried before, and whenever I wear it and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I think, “Damn, my skin looks good.”
The setting powder is available on sephora.com, saiehello.com, and in stores.
