Laura Mercier has launched a luminous version of its bestselling setting powder, so we put it to the test

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The phrase “cult status” is thrown around liberally in the beauty industry, despite few products being worthy of such merit. Nars’s orgasm blush, Charlotte Tilbury’s pillow talk lipstick and YSL’s touche éclat concealer fit the bill, but when it comes to setting powders, there’s none more coveted than Laura Mercier’s.

The brand’s award-winning translucent loose setting powder is revered for its pore-blurring, soft-focus finish that sets your make-up all day long. Incredibly finely milled, it feels weightless on the skin yet has serious staying power of up to 16 hours (this is our go-to powder, so we can testify to this claim). With one powder selling every 20 seconds in the US, it’s a truly desert island product, and one that make-up artists around the world can’t live without.

The brand extended its shade range with a new “honey” shade in September last year, and, like clockwork, has now revealed a brand new iteration of its bestseller. The new light catcher setting powder claims to harness the long-wearing, skin-smoothing properties of the original formula, but is infused with a pearl blend that gives a multi-dimensional luminosity to the skin. Think of it as the translucent powder’s glowy sister.

The debut formula promises 12-hour wear, which is four hours less than the original, but given how hard it is to create a product that offers both glowyness and longevity, it’s still a breakthrough launch in the make-up world. If we want our make-up look to stay put all day, we usually have to reach for a matte powder, to keep shine at bay and avoid any fading. If Laura Mercier’s new formula pays off, it will be music to the ears of oily skinned beauty lovers like us who long for that glowy, lit-from-within look but have to sacrifice it for matte finishes that stay put.

As huge fans of Laura Mercier’s original powder, we had high hopes for the latest version, so couldn’t wait to put it to the test. Read on to find out whether the new formula powder could be the answer to all your glowy prayers.

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We tried the new light catcher powder using multiple techniques, applying it in different ways to give it a thorough test. We judged its finish, shade range, staying power, how it blended with our other products, whether it caused flashback (a white cast that appears in flash photography).

Fans of the original formula will recognise the signature tub this powder comes in. The light-catching version looks nearly identical, but the brand has replaced the classic black lid with a silver chrome one, indicating the glowy formula that lies inside. The powder comes in three shades, just like the original, and we tried the lightest of the lot, “celestial light”. Unlike the original translucent powder, this one has a peach tint to it, but there’s no chunky glitter in sight, as is often the case with shimmery powders, which was a relief.

With that said, the formula looks completely different in the pan than it does on the face. When it arrived, we over-excitedly applied it across our whole face, just as we would with the original formula, using a fluffy brush. This was a big mistake, as the powder has a significantly pearlescent finish that can highlight texture and blemishes when used everywhere. If used too liberally, it can also make you look a bit like a sweaty disco ball, which was not the look we were going for.

But fear not, Laura Mercier fans, as we soon learned the error of our ways and ended up falling in love with this formula. The trick is to treat this setting powder as you would a powder highlight, brushing across areas of the face that would naturally hit the light (we should have guessed this given it’s called light catcher, but make-up application is full of trial and error). This gives you a natural-looking, lit-from-within glow with serious staying power.

Read more: We tried Amazon’s bestselling ‘peel and reveal’ lip tint

We’re not normally huge fans of pearlescent formulas, but Laura Mercier has fine-tuned this finish to perfection. It gives just enough of a sheen to appear natural without looking too silvery on the skin. As the powder does feel like more of a highlighter, we were skeptical of how long-wearing the finish would be. But thankfully, it wore beautifully throughout the day, maintaining the glow while keeping the make-up underneath intact. We also put its anti-flashback claims to the test and didn’t experience any issues, which is great news if you’re planning to use this powder before an event.

We’re glad that the brand has been transparent about the slight differences in longevity between formulas, as although this one did last incredibly well for a glowy product, we did see slightly more oiliness peek through, which we wouldn’t usually get from the original matte version. But we can still wear the light catcher formula all day long without the need for touch-ups, which is practically unheard of for oily skin. We became truly obsessed with the finish of this, and would have loved for it to launch earlier in the year, as it’s the perfect product for glowy, summer skin.

We think this is a really clever move for Laura Mercier. It’s already nailed the matte setting powder, but has found a gap in the market for a luminous formula that still maintains the staying power its products are so well known for. The light catching setting powder definitely won’t be replacing the original translucent formula for us, but we love using them together to create a natural-looking radiance.

Having oily skin but wanting to wear glowy make-up is an eternal struggle, but this product is an absolute game changer as it gives you luminosity without compromising on longevity. Just like the original, this powder is an investment, but will last you a long time – particularly if you’re only using it to highlight certain areas. We’ll be reaching for it daily.