How to Use Setting Spray to Make Makeup Last All Night
So, you’ve aced the perfect winged eyeliner and contoured some brilliantly sculpted cheekbones onto your otherwise round face, and now you find yourself out pulling a late nighter. But as the hours creep on, so does the humidity, and unlike your rowdy friends, your once perfectly applied makeup is ready to call it a night.
Next time you're primping for a late night, spritz on a little setting spray to lock your look into place and ensure your makeup follows you through the very end. Here’s how you can achieve an all-night makeup look with the help of setting spray.
What is Setting Spray?
Setting spray is basically a clear-coat protectant for your face. Just like with any DIY paint project, the color won’t stay in place unless you follow up with a spritz of clear coat. Setting spray forms an invisible barrier that allows makeup to bond to your face, and is essentially a wearable glue that seals everything into place.
Should Those With Oily Skin Use a Setting Spray?
Girls with oily skin may initially shy away from using setting spray, as they assume their powder is sufficient to keep everything in place, and don’t want to spritz a liquid onto their face. However, the best defense from appearing shiny on a sweaty night is to start off with a good setting powder, followed by a few spritzes of makeup setting spray, which will lock your look into place sans moisture.
Will Makeup Setting Spray Work on Dry Skin?
Due to its high alcohol content, those with dry skin might feel makeup setting spray won’t work for them, and could leave their face parched. However, setting sprays now come in dewy finishes, and won’t leave your face cakey or crepe-like, and the moisturizing spray keeps your makeup in place while providing a soft glow to the skin.
How Do You Use Makeup Setting Spray?
While it may sound like you’re adding a tedious step to your beauty routine, applying a makeup setting spray is surprisingly simple.
First, you’ll first want to ensure all your makeup is fully applied, including powder, and that your look is ready to lock into place. Next, grab your bottle of makeup setting spray and give it a good shake, to evenly distribute all ingredients inside the container. Now hold the bottle eight inches from your face and apply in an X-motion to completely cover the entire area.
Can You Substitute Hair Spray for Setting Spray?
A popular beauty hack surfacing the internet is that you can substitute hairspray for setting spray. While this may work in a pinch, beauty experts don’t recommend this hack as a long-term solution, for a couple of reasons.
For one thing, while they may have overlapping ingredients, these two beauty products are formulated with different substrates so they should only be used on the area of the body they were intended for.
Another reason: most hairsprays come in aerosol containers, whereas makeup setting sprays come in non-aerosol spray bottles. That’s because aerosols contain compressed gasses, which act as potential irritants to your eyes, skin or lungs.
For those reasons, it's not recommended to swap your makeup setting spray for hairspray, unless you’re, like, really in a bind (then anything goes!)
Added Benefits of Makeup Setting Spray
Besides setting your makeup into place, some of these sprays carry additional benefits and can further enhance and beautify the texture of your skin.
For instance, some setting sprays contain white charcoal, which, in addition to mattifying skin is thought to shrink pores.
If you’re headed for a pool party, check out one of the various setting mists that carries a built-in SPF 50 and has the ability to keep makeup water-resistant for your time splashing around and swimming, all while looking flawless.
There are even setting sprays that contain hydrating ingredients such as aloe, green tea, cucumber and Vitamins A, C, and E, and some with alcohol-free formulas that are perfect for dry and sensitive skin.
Our Takeaway: How to Use Setting Spray to make makeup last
Whether you’d like your look to last through a night out, or just an afternoon in the office under fluorescent lights, using a setting spray is the best way to seal your makeup into place no matter the conditions. Choose an alcohol-free formula for dewy radiance or a traditional mattifying spray that leaves your face smooth, your mascara locked into place, and your eye shadow crease-proof for up to 24 hours.
Resources— Good Housekeeping, NYX
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