The 3 best setting sprays to lock in your makeup all day long, tested and reviewed

Set it and forget it: Why Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray is the best setting spray for daily use.

Marie Lodi

·Contributing beauty writer

Wed, October 23, 2024 at 1:59 AM GMT+7·5 min read

I’ll never forget the moment I realized I needed a good setting spray. I was with friends at a vacation rental when I (gently) dabbed some sweat from my face with a towel — and my entire makeup look came off along with it. Since then, finding the best setting spray has become a personal mission, especially when I’m out all day in full makeup and don’t have time to touch up before dinner plans. If you’ve experienced something similar, then you’re probably already aware of how the right setting spray can be your strongest beauty ally, come rain or shine (literally).

Quick Overview

Setting spray hasn’t been around as long as, say, lipstick, but the concept is at least decades old. Skindinavia’s Makeup Finishing Spray, which debuted in 2007, is considered the first setting spray of its kind, but before this, women often used hairspray to keep their makeup intact.

When I was on the drill team in high school (with my bright red eyeshadow and blush), I’d spray my face down with some Aquanet after shellacking my hair so that it fit neatly into a sequin pillbox hat. Of course, hairspray isn’t great for your face, as it contains loads of ingredients that can dry out and irritate the skin. Hence, the need for a high-quality setting spray that helps skin instead of harming it.

We’ve come a long way since my Aquanet days — but maybe too long? Today, there are dozens and dozens of setting sprays on the market, which can be overwhelming and confusing. To help narrow your options, I sifted through the setting spray madness and reviewed and rated the best I found, from my favorite drugstore gem to the near-perfect mists A-list celebs can’t stop raving about

Below, the best setting sprays to keep your makeup in place all day — and night — long.

The best setting sprays of 2024

Charlotte Tilbury

Best overall setting spray

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Waterproof Setting Spray

Size: 3.3 oz | Finish: Natural | Wear: Up to 16 hours | Key ingredients: Japanese green tea, aromatic resin, film-former polymers

Finding the absolute best setting spray was a Goldilocks situation. I wanted serious staying power without making my face feel stiff and gross. The spray had to keep my makeup locked in, even when I was out and about in hot L.A. weather, but with a natural, almost dewy finish. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray strikes that perfect balance, making it ideal for an everyday setting spray, regardless of whether I’m doing a subtle glam or something on a level-10, red-carpet vibe.

Serena Williams used this setting spray in her Vogue Secrets video, but so many non-celebs also swear by its magic, including over 2,000 Sephora reviewers who gave it five stars. Writes one: “I’ve got an autoimmune disease. I can’t regulate my body temperature. Last night, I had to sit in a crowded gymnasium with no air conditioning. I couldn’t stop sweating. It was like I’d taken a shower with my clothes on. To my shock, when I got to the car and looked, my makeup was still perfect! Even my blush and eyeshadow were still on. Definitely my new go-to!”

I tested it on a long day when I had a meeting in the morning, a dinner with friends at night, and errands in between that wouldn’t give me enough time to redo my makeup. Everything stayed put, including my liquid eyeliner, which usually shows a little bit of wear after eight hours. It also had a comfortable feel all the way through. I don’t want a matte finish for an everyday setting spray and prefer to have something more dewy and flexible, and this one is it.

Best matte setting spray

One/Size On ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray

Size: 3.4 oz | Finish: Matte | Wear: Up to 16 hours | Key ingredients: green tea, witch hazel

If you’re looking for a setting spray with a matte finish and an unbelievably bulletproof one, you’ve come to the right place. One/Size’s On ’Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray boasts a waterproof, transfer-proof, no-budge-no-matter-what finish with a 16-hour hold. And, according to one Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, it actually lives up to its reputation. In 2023, Beyoncé famously performed during a severe storm in Washington, D.C., and her makeup didn’t move an inch — all thanks to her makeup artist, Rokael Lizama, using the spray. (Naturally, it sold out immediately.) One/Size founder and influencer legend Patrick Starrr has also demoed the spray by literally dunking his head — complete with a full face of makeup — into a pool, only to come out with nary a streak nor smear. Impressive, to say the least.

One funny thing about On ’Til Dawn is that it actually feels like you’re using the old-school, hairspray-as-setting-spray technique when you use it, due to the metal can design and fine-mist spray. This one contains green tea and witch hazel, both beneficial for oil control and tightening the appearance of pores. If you never want to worry about shine or smudging your makeup ever again, this one’s basically your dream come true.

Pros

• Waterproof, no-budge finish
• Easy to apply and covers well
• Vegan and cruelty-free

Cons

• Strong fragrance
• Contains alcohol, which some people don’t like
• Pricey

Milani

Best drugstore setting spray

Milani Make It Last Original Natural Finish Setting Spray

Size: 2.03 oz | Finish: Natural | Wear: Up to 24 hours | Key ingredients: Glycerin, 2% niacinamide

I’m not gonna lie; there are a lot of good setting sprays out there, especially at the drugstore, which is good news if you’re on a budget. But the one that really stood out for me was the ​​Milani Make It Last Setting Spray. First of all, it does more than just set your makeup for up to 24 hours (I mean, that’s great if you need that, you party animal); it also primes, hydrates and corrects it. ​​

With a price point at around $10 and over 30,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, it’s not hard to resist this setting spray. It has a reputation for being long-lasting, hydrating, leaving the perfect natural finish, and even having a good nozzle that delivers the ideal fine mist. “Milani Make It Last Original Setting Spray lives up to its name by keeping your makeup intact all day long,” reads one Amazon review. “Whether you’re dealing with a long workday, a night out, or even hot and humid weather, this setting spray ensures your makeup stays put. It locks everything in place, from foundation to eyeshadow, without any noticeable fading or creasing. My makeup looked just as fresh at the end of the day as it did when I first applied it.” What’s not to love?

Pros

• Affordable
• Vegan and cruelty-free
• Multifunctional
• Long-lasting

Cons

• Has fragrance

How we tested

I’ve been a beauty writer and editor for over a decade, testing enough products that would fill a football-field-size Sephora, so I’m well-versed in the setting spray scene. For this story, I tested more than 20 different setting sprays. I started with a full face of makeup in the morning, including foundation, lipstick, eyeshadow and eyeliner (applying mascara afterward — more on that below). Then, I gave my face some spritzes, went about my day (usually in hot weather) and analyzed the results at night. I looked for any smudging or smearing and how my makeup held up. I also graded each one on texture, feel (is it sticky?), scent, ingredients, value and packaging (did I have issues with the nozzle?).

Others we tested that didn’t make the cut

Through my testing, I realized that there are actually a good amount of decent setting sprays out there, which I feel is both impressive and surprising, only because in the makeup world, this product has a lot of responsibility! Still, there were definitely sprays that gave me issues. I had problems with Flower Beauty’s Seal the Deal Spray constantly getting stuck, and while I liked the overall performance of E.l.f. Cosmetics Power Grip Setting Spray, it felt a little tacky when I used it (I did find that going lighter on the application helped with that a bit.). Some sprays also delivered bigger droplets, which could feel jarring. Too Faced’s Makeup Insurance, which I used to use regularly, literally sprayed a straight stream into my eye, (but I think there might have been a problem with my particular bottle).

Setting spray FAQ

What exactly is a setting spray, and why do I need one?

Think of setting spray as sort of like an invisible shield for your makeup. It locks everything, especially your foundation, into place so the hard work you did for your glam doesn’t melt, transfer or fade.

How do I use a setting spray?

Setting spray is the final step in your makeup routine. Once you’ve finished putting on your glam, hold the spray a good distance from your face (10 inches or so usually works) and give a few spritzes in an “X” and “T” motion. Then, give it a few minutes to dry without touching or blotting your face. Hot tip: This is a bit divisive, but I like to apply mascara after my setting spray

Do I need different types of setting sprays?

It’s all a matter of preference and skin type. If you have dry skin or want something that’ll give your skin a nice glow, go for a dewy spray that has hydrating ingredients. If you have oily skin or just aren’t into a shiny look, go for a matte spray. There are also plenty of alcohol-free setting sprays out there, if that’s your preference.

Can’t I just use alcohol as a setting spray, like I saw on TikTok?

TikTok can be an alluring place … with a lot of questionable advice. Sure, using alcohol as a setting spray might temporarily set your makeup, but it can also dry out your skin, strip it of its natural oils and cause irritation. Remember, with beauty products, it’s all about the formulation. Plenty of setting sprays (both with alcohol and alcohol-free) can lock in your makeup while also providing benefits like hydration due to the addition of skin-nourishing ingredients. Alcohol might seem like a cheap, fast and easy fix, but sticking to real setting sprays that won’t harm your skin is a better bet.

We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.

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