Is a $58 setting powder the answer to masking under-eye circles? (2024)

I’ve always had dark under-eye circles (thanks, genetics!), so finding a solution to making them look a little less noticeable à la concealer, color correctors, and setting powder is a quest I’ve been on since I started wearing makeup. When I saw people on TikTok singing their praises for Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder, along with its impressive ability to brighten the under-eyes, I thought I finally found a match-made-in-no-more-under-eye-bags heaven. But the question of whether this powder is as great as people on the internet say—and worth the nearly $60 price tag—is a whole other story.

What is the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder?

Described by the brand as an “ultra finely milled setting powder,” Givenchy’s Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder intends to serve three purposes: to give makeup a polished finish, to keep one’s makeup in place, and to bring balance to one’s skin tone when used on its own. The powder claims to withstand “caking” while “mattify[ing], blur[ring],” and brightening the skin. Furthermore, it promises to soften the appearance of pores and mask any visible texture on the skin. It comes in six varieties to compliment very light to deep skin tones. The pan also isn’t just one shade but is segmented into four colors that you sweep with the powder’s accompanying powder puff to pick it up all at once. The two cool tones are meant to color-correct, while the two warm tones are supposed to add “radiance” to the skin.

How I tested the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder

Over a total of five days and within an eight-hour period, I used the Givenchy product in the shade “4 Mousseline Acidulée” as a finishing powder in lieu of the Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder, which has been my go-to over the past six months (and I can thank TikTok for getting me hooked on this product, too). I wore the powder over my eye cream (Clarins Total Eye Lift Anti-Aging Eye Cream), color corrector (Nars Radiant Creamy Liquid Color Corrector), makeup primer (Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Hydrating Makeup Primer), under-eye concealer (Kosas Revealer Concealer), and setting spray (NYX Dewy Finish Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray).

What I like about the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder

It blurs away my under-eye circles

Similar to the powder from Kosas, my black-and-blue under-eye bags were “out of sight, out of mind.” For that reason alone, this powder gets a thumbs-up—so far—in my book. Right after application and for a few hours, the skin below my eyes appeared as if my dark circles were suddenly erased from my complexion.

My skin looks brighter

Givenchy stands firm on the claim that its powder “illuminate[s] the complexion,” and I agree. Every time I wear this powder, I notice that my skin looks brighter than it did without it, which is great for someone like me who worries she looks perpetually fatigued (thanks, under-eyes).

What I don’t like about the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder

It’s expensive

You’ve now arrived at the less-pretty side of this product. One box of this powder will set you back $58, so it doesn’t come cheap. As mentioned, TikTok users have lauded this product once, twice, and thrice more, but in all sincerity, I think you can achieve similar results with a powder that costs a lot less. Its luminosity and ability to mask dark circles comes pretty close to my tried-and-true favorite that I mentioned earlier, the Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder. I’m not saying that Kosas’ powder is a bargain—it retails for $34—but you can get the same brightening effect for $24 less, in a compact that is similar in size to Givenchy’s.

It’s prone to creasing

Even though I like wearing makeup, the mere thought of applying powder to my face fills me with trepidation. For one thing, I have combination/dry skin that errs more on the dry side below my under-eyes, so any makeup product—especially powders—is fair game for creasing. Thankfully, the powder holds up pretty well through most of the day, until about the eighth hour of wear comes around. Sadly, the smooth, mattifying finish begins to wear away, which I noticed specifically at the outer corners of my eyes. This visual may not sound too appealing, but let’s just say that my under-eyes looked as if small slings of mud were heaped atop my skin.

Is the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder worth it?

No—it’s overhyped

I don’t think it's worth shelling out $58 for a powder that doesn’t fully deliver on its claims. And if you have chronically dry skin, you might be wasting your money, given that the smoothing effects diminished on my dry under-eyes as the day progressed.

That said, I’d rather put my fellow dry-skin folks onto the powder that I’ve already namechecked twice, but I’ll say it one more time for emphasis: the Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder. Though I cannot speak to the oily skin experience with this powder, I’m sure there are plenty of oily skin-friendly, less expensive alternatives to the Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.