Imagine spending hours perfecting your makeup, achieving a flawlessly blended foundation and precise winged eyeliner, only to have it smudge and fade away. We’ve all been there, and it’s frustrating, to say the least. That’s where makeup setting sprays come in — the final step that locks in your look, ensuring it stays flawless all day no matter what you’re up to.
You might have noticed setting sprays making an appearance at the end of your favourite makeup tutorials, but it is one of those products that has been overlooked for years, often dismissed as an unnecessary step in makeup routines. However, once you experience the transformative powers of this seemingly simple product, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Let’s dive deeper into the world of makeup setting sprays and unravel the secrets behind their popularity.
What does a setting spray really do?
Think of makeup setting sprays as the glue that keeps your masterpiece intact. Sure, they are the MVP for long-lasting makeup, but the benefits extend beyond that. Let’s have a look at what a setting spray really does, and why it should have a permanent place in your beauty arsenal.
Locks in makeup
The primary function of a setting spray is to seal in your makeup. It creates a protective barrier, preventing it from smudging, creasing or fading throughout the day. Containing alcohol and cross polymers, they keep your makeup in place for hours, even in challenging conditions like hot weather and high humidity.
Gives a matte finish or dewy glow
Depending on the formula you pick, some setting sprays can help mattify shine or infuse your dull skin with a goddess-like glow.
Fixes powders
If you’ve used setting powders to mattify your skin or set your makeup, then the spray can help meld these powders into your skin for a more natural finish. It prevents that ‘powdery’ look and gives your skin a dewy appearance if that’s the finish you desire.
Provides hydration
Some setting sprays for makeup contain hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe water or green tea. These keep your skin moisturised throughout the day, preventing your makeup from looking dry or cakey.
Refreshes makeup
Setting sprays can also be used throughout the day to refresh your makeup. A quick spritz can revive your makeup’s vibrancy and help it look freshly applied.
Controls oil
Certain makeup setting sprays for oily skin are formulated to control excess oil production, helping to keep shine at bay, especially for those with oily skin.
Blends makeup
If you’ve applied layers of makeup (like multiple eyeshadow shades for contouring purposes), a setting spray can help blend them seamlessly, giving your makeup a more polished look.
Protects skin
Setting sprays often provide some level of defence against environmental factors like pollution and UV radiation, which can help your makeup stay intact and save your skin from damage.
Like skincare, setting sprays’ effectiveness depends on their ingredients. Many contain alcohol, which can be drying and irritating for sensitive skin. Use caution and remember that a setting spray isn’t skincare. It’s not for daily use, and a light mist suffices. That said, some sprays are safe for all skin types, including sensitive ones.
Makeup setting spray or fixing spray – which is better?
While setting sprays and fixing sprays may seem interchangeable, each plays a unique role in ensuring your makeup looks flawless and lasts throughout the day.
- Setting sprays for women, simply put, blends the layers of primer and makeup on your skin. These light mists hold everything together to prevent your makeup from melting or sliding. Setting sprays create a protective barrier over your makeup and can provide various finishes, from matte to dewy, depending on the formulation you choose. These sprays can also be found in water-based versions.
- Fixing sprays are all about making your makeup last longer. These sprays are typically alcohol-based and may or may not contain oils. The best part about the makeup fixing sprays is that even friction cannot wreck the makeup. However, on using a fixing spray without setting your makeup first, the hold will only really work for the top layer of makeup. These sprays also tend to have a stronger perfume fragrance to cover the alcohol scent.
Setting spray vs. setting powder
Both products claim to do the same thing — help your makeup last longer. But what sets them apart, and how do you know which one is right for you?
Setting Powder: the matte miracle
Setting powder is characterised by its fine texture, designed to absorb excess moisture or oil from your skin, giving it a matte appearance. It is your makeup’s ally in ensuring a lasting finish, especially for those with oily or combination skin.
Designed to match your skin tone, they are typically applied after using cream or liquid products such as foundation and concealer. These powders serve as a setting agent, preventing your base makeup from shifting or sliding. You can find them in either pressed or loose forms, and they are commonly applied using a brush or sponge. Notably, finishing powders have the unique ability to create a soft-focus effect, blurring imperfections and enhancing the skin’s flawless appearance.
Setting Spray: the finishing touch
Setting spray for women, on the other hand, is a fine liquid mist, used as the final step in your makeup routine. Like setting powder, the most popular makeup setting sprays play a crucial role in keeping your makeup in place all day, but its unique feature is its ability to melt away excess powder, leaving you with a more natural finish.
When you mist setting spray onto your skin, it seals every layer of your makeup, from foundation to mascara and even setting powders. These sprays come in various formulations, offering different finishes to cater to different skin types and preferences. For instance, if you have dry skin, a makeup setting spray with humectant properties can give you a dewy finish. On the other hand, those with oily skin can opt for a mattifying mist to control excess oil.
Check out the most popular makeup setting sprays for the perfect finish
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- NYX Professional Makeup Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray Matte Finish
- URBAN DECAY All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
- M.A.C Prep + Prime Fix+ - Original
- Faces Canada Ultime Pro Makeup Fixer
- SUGAR Grand Finale Setting Mist
- Huda Beauty Resting Boss Face Setting Spray
- Smashbox Photo Finish Revitalize Priming Mist + Setting Spray
- Colorbar Stay The Day Finishing Mist
- Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Setting Spray
- Lakme Absolute Made To Last Setting Spray
- Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray
- Swiss Beauty Long Lasting Misty Finish Professional Makeup Fixer Spray
INR 629
Elevate your makeup game with NYX Professional Makeup Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray Matte Finish, a lightweight and comfortable setting spray that delivers a flawless matte finish that lasts all day. Perfect for oily skin, its breathable formula effectively controls shine without disrupting your makeup and ensuring it stays in place for up to 16 hours. Enriched with niacinamide, this instantly absorbs oil and minimises shine, leaving your skin looking fresh and matte.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 2495
Say goodbye to makeup meltdowns with Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. This iconic formula is not only oil-free and paraben-free but also vegan-friendly. Its long-wear, transfer-proof and smudge-proof properties ensure your makeup stays flawlessly in place for up to 16 hours, eliminating the need for touch-ups. What sets the Urban Decay setting spray apart is the patented Temperature Control Technology, which cools and locks your makeup, resulting in smoother, vibrant skin.
Image: Courtesy Amazon
INR 2150
The ultimate 5-in-1 mega multitasker, M.A.C Prep + Prime Fix+ – Original is a versatile product that not only soothes and refreshes skin but also delivers an instant boost of hydration. This lightweight water mist imparts a soft sheen, giving your makeup a fresh finish. Enriched with vitamins and minerals, it is infused with green tea, chamomile and cucumber to gently soothe and revitalise your skin. The M.A.C setting spray also excels as a primer, effectively setting your makeup for a flawless look that lasts up to 12 hours.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 519
Searching for a makeup fixer that not only keeps your look intact but also offers skincare benefits? Faces Canada Ultime Pro Makeup Fixer has a non-sticky, long-lasting formula that sets makeup plus hydrates, soothes and protects your skin. With added hyaluronic acid for hydration, caffeine and rosemary for nourishment and brightness, chamomile for soothing and vitamin E and moringa for protection against pollutants, this makeup setting spray is a must-have.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 608
Add a finishing touch to your beauty routine with SUGAR Grand Finale SPF30 Setting Mist, the ultimate sun-protection-meets-makeup-setting solution. This innovative 2-in-1 product combines SPF30 sun protection with the power of ginger root extracts, known for their antioxidant and hydrating properties. Just a spritz of this paraben-free, ultra-lightweight formula not only shields skin from harmful sun rays but also keeps makeup flawless all day. Plus, the added menthol lactate soothes and strengthens your skin’s natural barrier, making it a must-have for anyone seeking long-lasting makeup and sun protection.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 2700
Achieve a flawless, waterproof matte finish with Huda Beauty Resting Boss Face Setting Spray. This extra-hold makeup setting spray ensures your look stays intact throughout the day without leaving your skin dry. Say goodbye to makeup settling into fine lines and creases, as this setting spray keeps it in place. It also effectively controls oil, leaving your skin comfortably matte. Plus, its non-aerosol can with a fine-mist nozzle makes application a breeze.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 1200
The Smashbox Photo Finish Revitalize Priming Mist + Setting Spray is your all-in-one solution for flawless makeup and healthy skin. This 8-in-1 face spray primes, sets makeup and refreshes while providing essential hydration and nourishment. Packed with the Silkscreen Complex, featuring ingredients like hyaluronic acid, probiotic extract, vitamins, black rose and peony, it boosts hydration, balances, rejuvenates and strengthens your skin’s defences against environmental stressors. This oil-free, vegan and cruelty-free formula is also suitable for all skin types, creating a lightweight, breathable skin barrier.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 595
Step up your makeup game with Colorbar Stay The Day Finishing Mist, your go-to makeup setting spray and toner. This incredible formula locks in makeup and moisture for up to 16 hours, ensuring it stays put without smudging or settling into fine lines. Its lightweight texture blurs pores, cools the skin and leaves you with a fresh, flawless look, eliminating the need for touch-ups. Rain or shine, this waterproof, smudge-proof, and transfer-resistant legend keeps your makeup intact. Plus, it’s cruelty-free and free from parabens, sulphates and silicones.
Image: Courtesy Amazon
INR 607
Lock in your makeup all day with Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Setting Spray. Formulated with soothing witch hazel and oil-controlling clay, this setting spray protects your skin for up to 24 hours, absorbs excess oil and ensures makeup stays fresh and transfer-proof. Plus, it’s non-acnegenic and won’t clog pores. This matte + poreless setting spray gives you a mattifying finish while caring for your skin, making it a must-have for a flawless, long-lasting look.
Image: Courtesy Amazon
INR 575
Make your makeup go the distance with Lakmé Absolute Made to Last Setting Spray- a nutri-rich mist designed to set your makeup seamlessly and make it last longer. Enriched with hyaluronic acid and aloe vera extract, it not only locks in your look but also moisturises and hydrates skin. This setting spray keeps makeup refreshed on the go while providing essential nourishment. One of the best makeup setting sprays available, its ultra-fine, non-sticky and lightweight mist ensures your makeup stays flawless without compromise.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 3000
Experience makeup that lasts all day with Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray. This magical formula, inspired by the airbrush makeup family, locks in your look for up to 16 hours, ensuring your makeup stays fresh and flawless. Infused with complexion-enhancing ingredients like aloe vera, Japanese green tea and aromatic resin, it provides hydration and a weightless veil for a perfected finish. The best part? This makeup setting spray offers a spa-like experience with its fresh, floral scent.
Image: Courtesy Nykaa
INR 199
Say goodbye to frequent makeup touch-ups with Swiss Beauty Long Lasting Misty Finish Professional Makeup Fixer. This versatile matte setting spray keeps makeup in place with a fresh finish that lasts up to 16 hours. Infused with aloe vera and vitamin E, it’s lightweight and shine-free, with a hydrating formula that helps you achieve a moisturised and soothed complexion.
Ideal for all skin types, including sensitive skin, Swiss Beauty Makeup Fixer controls sebum, minimises pores, is non-sticky and provides a long-lasting, waterproof hold.
Image: Courtesy Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Is it good to apply a makeup setting spray?
Yes, makeup setting spray can be a useful addition to your routine for longer-lasting and smudge-resistant makeup.
– Can I use rose water as a setting spray?
Yes, you can use rose water as a natural and hydrating setting spray to prep your face or refresh your makeup, although its longevity may not be as long-lasting as dedicated setting sprays.
– How should I use a setting spray?
When you’re done with your makeup, aim the nozzle of the spray a few inches away from your face, mist in a zigzag motion to allow the product to settle over all your features, starting from the forehead to the chin, pat dry and go.
– What can I use instead of a setting spray?
Instead of a setting spray, you can use setting powder, translucent powder, makeup fixing spray, face mists or DIY options such as rosewater, aloe water, witch hazel or glycerin, selecting what suits your skin type and makeup preferences best.
– How do I set makeup without a setting spray?
You can set your makeup effectively without a setting spray by using a primer as a base and applying setting powder for fuller coverage. You can also use facial mists and DIY sprays to set your makeup.
(Prices of the products mentioned in the story are subject to change.)
(Hero Image: Courtesy Cottonbro Studio/Pexels; Feature Image: Courtesy Karolina Grabowska/Pexels)
Susmita, a post-graduate in English from Delhi University, is a passionate writer with a flair for creating content on diverse topics. Having worked at Thrillophilia, it's the world of travel and lifestyle that truly tickles her muse. When she's not weaving words, Susmita can be found lost in the pages of a novel with a cup of lightly brewed Darjeeling tea, binge-watching K-dramas, or unleashing her spirit onto canvases with vibrant strokes. She takes pleasure in strolling through gourmet grocery stores and discovering the finest Pan-Asian eateries. Her favourite retreat? Nestled beside a babbling stream, where she and nature engage in delightful conversations.
