Sprays Setting Sprays
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FAQ
Setting spray is the hairspray of makeup – preventing it from smudging, creasing and fading throughout the day. Setting spray is normally a mix of water, glycerin, oils and alcohol. The water and oils mix with the makeup on your face, making it more resistant to what the day throws your way. The glycerin and water also work to lock in moisture, making your face look hydrated all day long.
Setting spray is always applied as the last part of doing your face. Once you’re happy with your look, the setting spray goes on.
- Shake the bottle: This helps prevent your spray from going on without dripping or blotches. Some ingredients can sometimes separate inside the bottle, so give it a good shake before your spray!
- Spray in an X- and T-motion: Hold your bottle about 6-8 inches from your face (the distance varies depending on the product, so make sure to read the instructions), to optimise your coverage first spray in an X motion, then in a T motion.
- Let it dry: Before pulling any clothes over your head, hugging a friend or heading out the door, make sure your setting spray has completely dried to avoid any smears or stains.
While both setting spray and makeup primer contribute to a long-lasting makeup look, they’re not the same thing. Makeup primer is applied before your makeup, creating a good base to work on. Setting spray is your ‘final touch’ working to keep your look as fresh as when you painted it. If you’d like to keep your makeup bag as decluttered as possible, there are setting sprays that double as a primer spray. Meaning you can use it to start and finish your makeup look.
Just like any other skincare product, choosing the right setting spray depends on your skin type. Dry skin needs a setting spray that hydrates and really locks in moisture. Alternatively for oily or acne-prone skin, a matte spray that absorbs excess oil is ideal. If your skin is sensitive, it’s a good idea to opt for an alcohol-free product to avoid irritation.
If you want your look to last, setting spray plays a pretty important part. Just like a topcoat keeps your painted nails from chipping, or hairspray helps your hairstyle stay gorgeous, setting spray protects the makeup look you’ve worked hard to create. With that said, if you’re not spending a long time on your makeup routine, setting spray might be a bit excessive, but that’s up to you to decide.
Three things to consider before buying setting spray
Setting spray not only sets your make-up, it can also give you the exact finish you’re looking for. There are matt setting sprays which give your skin a velvety matte feel and setting sprays that add glow and radiance to your skin.
There are setting sprays both with and without alcohol. The type you should choose depends on your skin type (especially how sensitive it is to drying ingredients) and the purpose of the spray.
Setting sprays with alcohol last longer than non-alcoholic variants, but can irritate sensitive skin. Drier skin types may need to avoid alcohol, which dries out the skin.
Many setting sprays can be quite drying and are best saved for those times when you need a particularly long-lasting make-up, although nowadays there are many sprays with caring properties.
Setting spray with SPF not only seals in your makeup, it also protects your skin from sunburn.
Moisturising setting spray is alcohol-free or contains ingredients that combat the drying effect of alcohol.
Anti-age setting spray has anti-ageing properties.
Setting spray specially designed for theatre and carnival make-up, body painting and similar activities with heavy make-up is often called fix spray, fixing spray or fixative. It usually contains alcohol and usually doesn’t have any protecting properties, as it isn’t intended for everyday makeup.
Getting you makeup to last all day can often be tricky. We've found some helpful tricks for you at Cosmopolitan to help your makeup last longer.