Makeup by Mario’s Setting Powder Is Like Wearing an Instagram Filter IRL

Summer is the season of powders—this year especially. Brands have been putting a refreshed take on the tried-and-true final step to our makeup routine, re-inventing the wheel where we thought they couldn’t. It comes as perfect timing too. Whether ready or not, matte skin is making a comeback, and although likely not as extreme as it once was, powder is definitely involved. Amid the product’s revival comes Makeup by Mario’s Surrealskin Soft Blur Setting Powder, the latest launch of his SurrealSkin collection.

Anything released by the brand is worth paying attention to. Mario’s makeup artist eye (he’s the genius behind Kim Kardashian’s contour, FYI) looks at products in a “How can I make this better?” way and of course, he’s done just that with the new loose powder that comes in a wide shade range with an impressive laundry list of claims.

Ahead, everything you need to know about the new launch.

The Inspiration

Makeup by Mario is an icon in the beauty game and when launching his eponymous brand, it was expected he’d use his longtime industry perspective to create high-quality makeup-artist-approved products (and he has). That said, you can’t have a complete look without setting powder, and according to the press release, the SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder has been in the works for quite some time. The loose powder keeps the second-skin energy of the SurrealSkin product line (which includes a foundation and concealer), bringing a modern approach to the tried-and-true setting powder formula.

The Formula

SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder is like a beauty lover and makeup artist’s dream powder. For starters, its ingredient list strikes an ideal balance: squalane keeps the skin feeling supple, kaolin clay controls shine, and vitamin C adds antioxidant protection. The loose powder is also talc-free, removing the controversial ingredient that remains in a bevy of formulas on the market. Add it’s supposed to be blurring, smoothing, brightening, work on-camera (without the flashback), be non-comedogenic, cakey, or drying, and set makeup for 12-hour wear.

The powder comes in seven shades: Fair Pink, Neutral Light, Neutral Pink, Warm Honey, Medium Dark Honey, Neutral Medium Dark, and Warm Deep. To apply, Mario recommends using his F3 Brush under the eyes and the F2 Brush all over the face for a diffused result. For more coverage, he opts for the new Master Pro Puff (a thinner, easier-to-grasp puff) to deliver a “cloud-like” effect.