Beauty: Powder room

Estee Lauder creme caramel shimmer powder. Photo / Babiche Martens

Once it was just light, medium or dark and you dabbed it on your nose. The most interesting thing about powder was when it came in glamorous refillable compacts, but these days the contents often seem almost as collectible (examples: the Lancome elephant and the Estee Lauder Chocolate Decadence collection's creme caramel swirls, below.)

Powders now sometimes double as illuminators, highlighters, mattifiers and bronzers or multi-striped, multi-use combos, bringing blusher into the mix as well. There's also loose powders to choose from, some made from minerals and a whole category designed more as a face-base, but we'll leave that ever-growing selection for another column.

Powder's job is to set your foundation, and it is especially useful for those with oily or combination skin, though all but the truly dehydrated should look better powdered. Apply just where needed, usually on the forehead, chin and around the nose, with only a light sweep across the cheeks. If your powder looks chalky on, then it is too pale, so switch to something warmer. If it is cakey you may have over-moisturised or slapped it on without allowing your foundation to absorb a little. Unless you're using a combo product, add bronzer, highlighter and blush as needed afterward.

To get the best out of loose powder - which gives fuller coverage than from a cake - you need a good brush. Even for cake powder a brush allows for better blending. But there's something rather charming, not to mention convenient, about snapping open a mirrored compact and pressing the flesh with a pale pink puff.

1 Lancome Sun of India Bronzer Powder $80

I can't bring myself to try this out, it's too pretty. There's bronzer as the backdrop, flesh-toned highlighter as the elephant's body and a peachy blush as its saddle-cloth. Not really a setting powder, but something to bring warming tones to your complexion. As always with this hybrid powders you can just sweep them across the complexion, rather than pick out the individual colours.

2 Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfect Powder $95

This fine loose talc-free powder feels soft and soothing on the skin. It comes in four shades in one of the best compacts in the business (Elizabeth Arden also uses this style of twist-to-release dispenser for its good new mineral makeup). Smashbox provides a mini kabuki brush for your makeup kit, but at home you're best to use a bigger brush. I really rate this, and wear it either over foundation or on its own because it's not at all drying.

3 Becca Fine Pressed Powder $84

Becca recommends using its loose powder to "set" foundation, then using this finely textured cake powder on the go for touch-ups. Comes in plenty of shades with its own nice velour puff.

4 Estee Lauder Chocolate Decadence Creme Caramel Shimmer Powder $78

Try wafting this across your cheeks to give them a tropical evening glow. Or if you're willing to pick out the colours think of them as a bronzer and a highlighter.

5 Bare Minerals i.d Mineral Veil $75

This extra fine powder by a mineral makeup pioneer, leaves a lovely soft-look finish on the skin. The tinted version is for medium rather than fairer skins and there's translucent sheer and shimmer options. Ideal in tandem with the range's foundations, but can be worn over other products.

6 Anna Sui mirror (one of a set of two) $70

These lightweight rose embossed mirrors, one black, one white, are ideal for toting about and have the look of old-style Bakelite rather than the plastic they're actually made of.

7 Elizabeth Arden Powder Brush $49

This is the ideal shaped brush for loose powder. The trick is to give it a good dusting of powder then tap on the side of the container to shake off any excess before swirling it across the face as needed.

8 M.A.C Buffer Brush No. 182 $98

A mini-sized kabuki brush travels well. This one has beautifully soft bristles. A long handled version is available.

NB: Cheaper brushes are available at pharmacies, but professional standard ones like these will stand up to the regular washing they should get without moulting. If you're looking to pay less, avoid anything that feels scratchy or flimsy.

9 M.A.C Mineralize Skin Finish $52

This stuff is great to give your skin an all-over glow while also setting any face-base you might be wearing. Can be worn just as a highlighter on the cheeks and temples, but is subtle enough to serve as a powder if you get the right shade from the many available. Or opt for the non-mineral powder selection for a matte finish.

10 Elizabeth Arden Shimmer Powder $59

Sweep this lightly sparkling powder across the cheeks, decolletage and shoulders for an evening gleam. Comes with a mini kabuki brush.

11 Prescriptives Magic liquid powder $83

Super-finely milled, this loose powder glides across skin and helps diffuse light for a barely there look. Some may find the coverage a little light, but this enhances a clear complexion.

12 Yves St Laurent Collector Powder for the Complexion $113

This includes two shades of blush (one for a flush and the other for a pop of colour), a bronzer and an illuminator - after you have applied all of that who needs a regular powder? Comes with a tiny brush.

Stockists: Brand counters at department stores and selected pharmacies unless otherwise stated. Anna Sui exclusive to DFS Galleria, Customs St. Smashbox concept store, Ponsonby Rd. Becca from Glamorpuss, Nuffield St and Westfield Albany Mall. M.A.C Chancery and St Lukes stores and and Smith & Caughey. Bare Minerals stockist details 0800 575 565 and Prescriptives from Mecca Cosmetica, Ponsonby Rd .