4 Editors Test Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Setting Powder
4 Editors Tried Makeup by Mario’s Viral Setting Powder — Here’s Our Honest Thoughts
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It seems like every other day, there's a shiny new beauty product going viral on TikTok. With so many different hacks and newness clogging your feed, it can be difficult to figure out what's actually worth your time or money. A setting powder from Mario Dedivanovic (you know, Kim Kardashian's makeup artist) went viral on TikTok after a user posted about her makeup lasting through a sweaty concert thanks to the product. The miracle product in question? The Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder ($38).
The bigger question, however, is whether it's actually worth the hype. This loose powder comes in seven shades, it has a natural finish, and it's also vegan, talc-free, cruelty-free, and noncomedogenic. It offers light coverage using key ingredients such as kaolin to help control shine, squalene to hydrate, and amino acids to help blur lines and pores.
The brand recommends applying it with either a puff applicator or a brush all over the face to set base makeup or just under the eyes to set concealer. Ahead, four editors test the powder on different skin types. Keep scrolling to find out how it worked for them.
Makeup by Mario Setting Powder in Medium Dark Honey
"As someone who loves the look of a flawless base, I depend on a quality setting powder and love discovering new ones. After trying out Makeup by Mario's SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder, I was immediately blown away by how it looks and feels on my skin. The loose powder is finely milled and feels like silk. It delivers a beautiful blurring effect and gives my skin that filtered look without feeling cakey.
I use the shade 4-Warm Honey to help brighten up areas like my undereyes and the shade 4.5-Medium Dark Honey to set the rest of my complexion. To make application easy, I sift some of it onto the cap and then go in with a fluffy brush or a powder puff to blend it into my skin. I like to bake with this in crease-prone regions, like my laugh lines. I have dry skin during the colder months, so I like that this isn't too mattifying either. By the end of the night, my skin looks smooth and untouched with very minimal creasing." — Anvita Reddy, assistant shopping editor
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Makeup by Mario Setting Powder in Neutral Peach
"Setting powder is a nonnegotiable in my makeup routine, so I was curious to see just how good this TikTok-famous formula really was. Over my usual base routine of primer and concealer, I used my trusty triangle powder puff to press the loose powder into my undereye area and forehead. I was immediately impressed by the finish — the powder blurred out my skin but still looked very natural and felt weightless. I also layered cream bronzer and blush over the powder and it didn't smear anything or make my skin look cakey. I also appreciated that it's fragrance-free.
While I typically finish my routine with setting spray, I went a day without any to test the powder's longevity. After a full day at the office, plus drinks afterward, it barely creased. With the combination of this powder and setting spray, though, my base makeup has stayed intact." — Yerin Kim, features editor
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Makeup by Mario Setting Powder in Warm Honey
"I have dry skin, so I don't typically like to put powder all over my face if I can help it. However, the first time I tested out this product, it was because I was going to the Sabrina Carpenter concert, and I knew I was going to be sweating my ass off. I was a little nervous testing it out for the first time for such a big event, but all in all, things went well. My makeup stayed in place all night, even through the screaming, crying, and throwing up. (Okay, there was no throwing up, but you get it.) My only complaint is that I did feel like my undereye area was a little drier than normal with this powder, but I've used it a couple of times since then and found that less product equals better, at least for my skin type." — Renee Rodriguez, staff writer and social producer
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Makeup by Mario Setting Powder in Neutral Peach
"I have a setting powder that I absolutely love, and I've been going steady with it for months (maybe even a year?). Ever since I added it to my makeup collection, I haven't strayed from it — that is, until I got my hands on the Makeup by Mario setting powder. I was lucky enough to get a preview of the new launch before it came out, and instantly, I knew my old favorite would have some competition. I was first blown away by the shade range; with seven hues, there's truly an option for all skin tones, which you don't often see with a setting powder. The texture is also incredibly soft, and the fine powder melts seamlessly over makeup to blur discoloration, lines, and texture. I found that applying it with a puff allows for smooth, targeted application under my eyes and on my T-zone, keeping the rest of my face dewy and glowing, which is exactly how I like my makeup." — Jessica Harrington, senior beauty editor
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Renee Rodriguez (she/her) is a staff writer and social producer for PS. She writes across all verticals, but her main areas of expertise focus on fashion and beauty content with an emphasis on reviews and editor experiments. She also produces social content for the PS TikTok and Instagram accounts.
