The powder puff had its own famous box long before it had a viral moment. Coty's early face powder came in a box designed by Léon Bakst, the artist best known for his Ballets Russes costumes, and it became known as the powder puff box for the puffs floating across its lid. According to Cosmetics and Skin, Coty then went looking for a finer texture, and in 1935 began selling Air Spun face powder, milled with air-powered micronisers. The site says the new powder was such a hit that it doubled Coty's business in many parts of the world.

The finer the powder, the more the tool matters. A brush sweeps powder over the surface, while a powder puff presses it into foundation, so it grips, blurs pores and lasts longer. That is why makeup artists fold a velour puff in half and roll it over the under-eyes, the sides of the nose and the chin, where makeup moves first.

A damp sponge is the other route. It picks up less and gives a softer finish, which suits dry skin better than a full bake.

The first grid is powder puffs and sponges, from classic velour to a teardrop with a finger pocket. The second is loose powders to press in with them. My tip: load the puff, tap the excess off on the back of your hand, then press and roll. You want a thin, even layer, not a white cast.

Laura Mercier Velour Puff was made by the brand to press its loose powder into skin, and it molds to the face as you work. Sephora Collection Velour Puff is a triangle with a pointed tip for under the eyes and around the nose, and it is vegan. ONE/SIZE Ultimate Setting & Baking Puff has a precision edge for baking. Rare Beauty Soft Touch Puff Duo is two diamond-shaped velvet puffs for pressed and loose powder.

Beautyblender Power Pocket Puff is the one I would pick for control. It is a dual-sided teardrop with a silky finger pocket and a jelly center, and it works with loose and pressed powders. Beautyblender Original is the famous pink sponge, latex-free and the most reviewed tool in this grid. Rare Beauty Soft Touch Blending Sponge is a multi-angled waterdrop for liquids, creams and loose powders, and it has the highest rating here.

Natasha Denona HY-GLAM Marshmallow Puff is an ultra-soft, latex-free sponge for powders, creams and liquids, made to pair with the brand's setting powder for an airbrushed finish.

What I would skip: dragging a puff across the face. It streaks the foundation underneath. Press and roll instead, and wash puffs every week or two, because they hold on to oil and old powder.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder is the one most people know, and it is the most reviewed product in this edit. It is made for oily to normal skin, with up to 16 hours of wear and 24-hour shine control. Anastasia Beverly Hills Translucent Loose Setting Powder is super-fine and absorbs oil for a matte finish. Kosas Cloud Set is talc-free and made to blur and set while keeping some glow.

bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil is a weightless mineral powder with no flashback, which matters in flash photos. Hourglass Veil is ultra-refined and talc-free for a natural finish. Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Hyper Blur has 1% hyaluronic acid and niacinamide for a soft-focus finish for up to 15 hours. Dior Forever On Set is waterproof and blurring, with hyaluronic acid, and it ties with the YSL for the best rating here.

Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Face Powder is the gentle one, a finely milled silk powder with hyaluronic acid that keeps skin luminous rather than flat.

What I would skip: a full bake on dry skin. Use Koh Gen Do or Hourglass, pressed on lightly with a puff, and keep the heavier setting powders for the T-zone, where shine shows up first.

I think a powder puff is the most underrated tool on a vanity. It takes up almost no room in a makeup bag, it makes a basic loose powder look better, and a good one lasts for months if you wash it. Use a velour puff for pressing powder in and a sponge for blending, and choose the powder by skin type: translucent for oily skin, finely milled or silk for dry. If you only buy one thing from this edit, make it a velour puff and use it with the powder you already own. Coty sold its powder in a box covered in puffs for a reason.