Best Powder Foundation? 750 Ulta Reviews of Lancôme, bareMinerals, IT

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Product links marked “paid link” earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide which product we recommend. Offers and sellers change, so check the shade, size and seller on the product page before you buy.

Review-analysis guide: 750 customer reviews read on Ulta Beauty (October 22, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from brand and retailer pages checked October 22, 2026. We paraphrase patterns and never copy reviews. Results are patterns that customers described and we counted.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 22, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

In 750 Ulta reviews of three powder foundations, IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder (paid link) gets the most praise for a natural finish (46%) and for coverage (39%), though 9% call it cakey. Lancôme Dual Finish (paid link) is close on coverage (35%), but 18% dislike its scent. bareMinerals BAREPRO 24HR (paid link) is newer: 44% of 55 reviewers call it light or natural, and 18% say the shade was off.

Which pressed powder foundation should you buy?

A pressed powder foundation does two jobs at once: it covers like a foundation and sets like a powder, from a compact you can carry. We compared three sold in Amazon's premium beauty store, each with a different promise: Lancôme Dual Finish (the classic you can use wet or dry), bareMinerals BAREPRO 24HR Skin Perfecting Talc-Free Matte Powder Foundation, and IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder Foundation. [A1] [A2] [A3]

The counts differ in useful ways. Of 246 usable Lancôme reviews, 86 (35%) praise the coverage and 44 (18%) dislike the scent. Of 55 for BAREPRO, 24 (44%) call it light or natural and 10 (18%) say the shade was off. Of 246 for IT Cosmetics, 112 (46%) call it light or natural and 23 (9%) cakey. [R-ULT-LC] [R-ULT-BP] [R-ULT-IT]

How we read 750 Ulta reviews

We read the 250 newest reviews in Ulta's own review list for each powder: Lancôme from December 2019 to October 2026, IT Cosmetics from October 2022 to September 2026 and BAREPRO from October 2025 to October 2026. Ulta sells all three and has recent reviews for each. [R-ULT-LC] [R-ULT-BP] [R-ULT-IT]

BAREPRO needed one extra rule. 192 of its 250 newest reviews were posted between October 21 and November 19, 2025, during a free-sample campaign, and 42 of them say the product was sent free. We set that whole window aside, along with 3 later reviews that mention a free product. That leaves 55 BAREPRO reviews, a small group, so read its percentages as a rough guide. [R-ULT-BP]

We also dropped 6 reviews that were only about store service or another item and 2 about a powder bought for someone else, which leaves 547 usable reviews: 246, 55 and 246. [R-ULT-LC] [R-ULT-BP] [R-ULT-IT]

Lancôme Dual Finish powder foundation is the classic, if you like its scent

Ulta's product details call Dual Finish a sheer-to-full coverage, mattifying powder and foundation in one that can be applied wet or dry, in 26 shades; its ingredient list includes talc and fragrance. Amazon's listing, sold by Lancôme, calls the finish natural matte and shine-free. We link shade 220 Buff II C. [U1] [A1]

It has the longest-standing fans of the three: 112 of 246 (46%) loved it, 42 (17%) say they have used it for years and 32 (13%) say they bought it again. Coverage (86, 35%) and a natural, light look (85, 35%) are the main praise, and 36 (15%) say it lasts all day. Eight say they apply it with a damp sponge. [R-ULT-LC]

The scent is the dividing line: 44 (18%) dislike it, and 20 of its 34 one- and two-star reviews mention it, while 12 others say they like the smell. Fifteen (6%) found it too sheer, and 7 reported a rash, itching or breakouts. [R-ULT-LC]

See Lancôme Dual Finish Powder Foundation (220 Buff II C) on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens shade 220 Buff II C, sold by Lancôme and shipped by Amazon; other shades are on the same page, so pick yours before you buy.

bareMinerals BAREPRO powder foundation is the talc-free choice, once you find your shade

Ulta's product details call BAREPRO 24HR a talc-free, natural matte powder foundation in 29 shades, with full coverage and oil control claims based on studies cited on Ulta's page. The Amazon listing, sold by bareMinerals, names a pineapple complex with licorice root, shea and cocoa butter and squalane, and says to use the included sponge dry or damp. We link Fair 15 Neutral, 0.28 oz. [U2] [A2]

Of the 55 usable reviews, 24 (44%) call it light or natural, 17 (31%) praise the coverage and 9 (16%) say it lasts all day. Ten (18%) said they would buy it again, and 22 (40%) loved it. [R-ULT-BP]

Shade is the problem to plan for: 10 (18%) say their shade ran dark, warm or orange, including one long-time user who noticed new shade names, and 5 (9%) found it cakey. With 55 reviews, these shares can move a lot as more people write in. [R-ULT-BP]

See bareMinerals BAREPRO 24HR Talc-Free Powder Foundation (Fair 15 Neutral, 0.28 oz) on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens Fair 15 Neutral (0.28 oz), sold by bareMinerals and shipped by Amazon; several reviewers say shades run warmer or darker than expected, so compare shades before you buy.

IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder gets the most natural-finish praise

Ulta's product details call it a talc-free, sheer-to-full coverage powder with optical-blurring pigments, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and peptides, worn alone or over foundation. Ulta lists 6 shades. The Amazon listing is sold by IT Cosmetics; we link the shade Light. [U3] [A3]

The finish is its strength: 112 of 246 (46%) call it light or natural, 96 (39%) praise the coverage, 22 (9%) say it does not settle into lines and 16 (7%) say it blurs pores. Thirty-seven (15%) like how quick it is to put on. [R-ULT-IT]

It also has the most cakey reports of the three: 23 (9%). Eighteen (7%) mention a changed formula, 13 of them missing the SPF it used to have, and 12 (5%) say the shade was wrong for them. Ten (4%) had a compact that crumbled or broke. [R-ULT-IT]

See IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder Foundation (Light) on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the shade Light, sold by IT Cosmetics and shipped by Amazon; the current formula has no SPF, which some long-time reviewers miss.

Powder foundation for oily, dry or mature skin: what reviewers said

Few reviewers name their skin type, so these are small counts. Of the 13 Lancôme reviewers who say their skin is mature, 6 say it does not settle into their lines; of the 11 with oily skin, 7 praise how it controls shine. Of 15 IT Cosmetics reviewers who mention mature skin, 7 say it stays out of lines and none call it cakey; for BAREPRO it is 3 of 6. [R-ULT-LC] [R-ULT-IT]

Dry skin is harder to call: only a handful of reviewers in each group mention it, too few to say which powder suits it best. Oily skin is similar for BAREPRO and IT Cosmetics, where fewer than ten reviewers each name it. [R-ULT-LC] [R-ULT-BP] [R-ULT-IT]

Which powder foundation to buy, and when to skip it

For buildable coverage from a classic compact you can use wet or dry, choose Lancôme Dual Finish, but skip it if perfume in makeup bothers you. For a talc-free powder foundation with a light, skin-like look, choose bareMinerals BAREPRO 24HR, and compare shades carefully before you buy. [R-ULT-LC] [R-ULT-BP]

If you want the most natural-looking finish, start with IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder (46% call it light or natural; 9% say it stays out of fine lines), unless you need SPF in your powder or a wide shade range. [R-ULT-IT]

Keep reading

• Korean cushion foundation: a finish guide
• Best Korean concealer: 1,072 reviews
• Cloud-skin powder placement

Frequently asked questions

What is the best powder foundation for mature skin?

Our groups are small. Of reviewers who say their skin is mature, 7 of 15 said IT Cosmetics CC+ stays out of their lines and none called it cakey; 6 of 13 said the same of Lancôme Dual Finish and 3 of 6 of BAREPRO. Across all reviews, IT Cosmetics has the most praise for not settling into lines (9%).

Which is the best powder foundation for oily skin?

The groups are small. Of 11 Lancôme Dual Finish reviewers who say they have oily skin, 7 praise how it controls shine. Too few BAREPRO or IT reviewers named oily skin to compare the three.

Is there a talc-free powder foundation here?

Yes, two. bareMinerals BAREPRO 24HR and IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder are both talc-free, according to Ulta. Ulta's ingredient list for Lancôme Dual Finish starts with talc.

Which is the most full coverage powder foundation of the three?

All three build from sheer to fuller coverage. Coverage praise is highest for IT Cosmetics (39%) and Lancôme (35%); Lancôme reviewers mention applying it with a damp sponge most often (8), and 6% of them still found it too sheer.

Why do people say Lancôme Dual Finish smells strong?

Ulta's ingredient list for it includes fragrance, along with scent ingredients such as linalool, geraniol and coumarin. In our count, 44 of 246 usable reviewers (18%) dislike the scent and 12 say they like it. Scent comes up in 20 of its 34 one- and two-star reviews, so if perfume in makeup bothers you, this is the one to skip.