The 3 best setting Sprays of 2025 to Lock in Your Makeup All Day Long, Tested and Reviewed – ryan
I’ll Never Forget The Moment 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 entity makeup look came off along with it. Since then, finding the best setting spray has Become a personal mission, especially be i’m out all day in full makeup and don’t have time to touch up before dinner plans. If you’ve experiences something simillar, then you’re probably already aware of the right setting spray be beauty ally, come Rain or Literally.
Setting Spray han’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 consider the first setting spray of its Kind, but before this, Women often use hairspray toir makeup intact.
In fact, when I was on the drill team in high school (with my bright red eyeleshadow and blush), i’d spray my face with some aquuanet after shellacking my hair so fit neatly into pillbox hat. Of Course, hairspray isn’t great for your face, as it contains loads of ingredients that can dry and irritate the skin. Hence, the need for a high-quality Setting spray that helps skin instead of harming it.
Some of the Setting Sprays Tested. From Top, Clockwise: About-Face, Caliay, NYX, NYX, Thrive Causemetics, Milk Makeup, Half Magic, Elf Cosmetics, Milan, Charlotte Tilbury, One/Size, Benefit Cosmetics, Flower Beauty and Too Faced.
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 retrieved the best i found, from my favorites gem to the near-perfect mists a-list Can’t stop rating about
Below, the best setting sprays to keep your makeup in place all day – and night – long.
Update, June 10, 2025: We checked all prices and availability. Our Number One Pick for Best Setting Spray Remains Unchanged.
Table of Contents
The Best Setting Sprays of 2025
Size: 3.3 oz | Finish: Sports | Wear: Up to 16 hours | Key Ingredients: Japanese Green Tea, Aromatic Resin, Film-Former Polymers
Finding the absolute best setting spray was a goldlocks situation. I WANTED Serious Staying Power With Making My Face Feel Stiff and Gross. The Spray Had to Keep My Makeup Locked in, evening I was out and about in hot la Weather, but with a natural, Almost dewy finish. Charlotte tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray Strikes Perfect Balance, Making It Ideal for An Everyday Setting Spray, Regardless of Whether A Subtle Glam or Something on a Level-10, Red-Carpet Vibe.
Serena Williams Used This Setting Spray in Her Vogue Secrets Videobut so many non-cake Also Swear by Its Magic, Including Over 2,000 Sephora Reviewers Who Gave It Five Stars. Writes one: “i’ve got an autoimmune dessease. I can’t regulate my body temperature. Last night, i had to sit in a Crowded gymnasium with no air conditioning. I couludn’t stop sweeting. It was like to the Car and Look, My Makeup Was Still Perfect!
I tested it on a long day when i had had a meeting in the morning, a dinner with Friends at Night, and Errands in BetWeen that Waouldn’t Give with ENOUGH TIME TO REDO MY MAKEUP. Everyiting 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 preference to have something more dewy and flexible, and this one is it.
Prost
- Waterproof
- Softens and Hydrates Skins
- Lasts up to 16 hours
$ 38 at Sephora
Size: 3.4 oz | Finish: Mattia | Wear: Up to 16 hours | Key Ingredients: Green Tea, Witch Hazel
If you’re look for a setting spray with a matte finish and an an unbellievably bulletproof one, you’ve come to the right place. One/Size on ‘Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray Boasts a Waterproof, Transfer-Proof, No-Budge-No-Matter-What Finish with A 16-Hour Hold. And, accorting to one beyoncé giselle knowles-carter, it actually lives up to its reputation. In 2023, Beyoncé Famously performed During a severe storm in washington, dc, 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 Starr has Also demoed the spray by literally dunking his head – compute with a full face of makeup – into a pool, only to come with nary a stream. Impressive, to say the least.
One funny Thing About on ‘Til Dawn is that it actually falls like you’re ussing the Old-School, hairspray-as-setting-spray technique when it is, duue to metal can and fine-spray. This one contains green tea and witch hazel, 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.
Prost
- Waterproof, No-Budge Finish
- Easy to Apply and Covers Well
- Vegan and Cruelty-free
Cons
- Strong Fragrance
- Alcohol Contains, WHICH SOME PEOPLE DON’T LIKE
- Pricey
$ 32 at Sephora
Size: 2.03 oz | Finish: Sports | 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, especally 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 great if you need, you party animal); IT ALSO PRIMES, HYDRESS AND CORRECTS IT.
With a price point at Around $ 10 and Over 30,000 Five-Star Reviews on Amazon, Its Not Hard to Resist This Setting Spray. It has a reputation for the being long-occupation, hydrating, leaving the perfect natural finish, and the evening having a good nozzle delivers the ideal fine. “Milan make it Last Original Setting Spray Lives up to Its Name by Keeping Your Makeup Intact All Day Long,” Reads One Amazon Review. “Whereter You’re Dealing With A Long Workday, a Night Out, or Hot and Humid Weather, This Setting Spray Ensures Your Makeup Stays Put. IT LOCKSE EVERING IN PLACE, FROM FOUNDATION TO EYESHADOW, WITH ANY NOTICEABLE FADING OR CREESS. Fresh at the end of the day as it did I have first applied. ” What’s not to love?
Prost
- Affordable
- Vegan and Cruelty-free
- Multifunctional
- Long-occupation
$ 10 at Amazon
How We Tested SEEting Sprays
I’ve been a beauty writer and editor for over a decade (i honestly think i could a football-field-size sephora with the products tested), so i’m well-verb in the setting spray skene. For this story, tested more than 20 different setting sprays. Started with a full face of makeup in the Morning, Including Foundation, Lipstick, Eyshadow and Eyeliner (Applying Mascara AFTERWARD – More on That Below). THEN, I GVE 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 issing with the nozzle?).
Setting Sprays We Tested That Didn’t Make the Cut
Through my testing, realized that there are actually a trendous amout of decentting sprays on the market, which I found impressive and surprising, only Because in the makeup world, this product has a lot of Responsibility! Still, there were definitely sprays that gave with pause, those i Cannot Recommend. I had problems with the nozzle on the flower beauty of the deal spray constantly getting stuke, and while I like the overall performance of ELF Cosmetics POWER GRIP SETTING SPRAY, IT FELT A LITTLE TACKY WEND I Used (I did. Some Sprays ALSO DELIVERED Bigger Droplets, Which Could Feel Jarring and Didn’t Really Accompish the Task at Hand. The Nozzle on Too Faced’s Makeup Insurance, who used to use to use, was so wonky it literally sprayed a straight stream into my eye, but i think (Hope?) There might have a problem with my particular bottle.
Setting Spray Fa
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 LOCKSE EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY YOUR Foundation, in Place so the hard work you did for your glam doesn’t melt, transfer or fade.
How will 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 work) and give a few sprotszes in an “x” and “t” motion. THEN, GIVE IT A FEW MINUTES TO DRY WITH TOUCHING OR BLOTTING YOUR FACE. Hot Tip: this is a bit divisive, but i like to apply mascara after my Setting Spray
Will I Need Different Types of Setting Sprays?
Its all a matter of preference and skin type. If you have dry skin or want something that is your skin a nice, 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 all of alcohol-free sprays sprays out there, if that your preference.
Can’t i JUST use alcohol as a setting spray, like of saw on tiktok?
Tiktok can be an allurying place … with a lot of Questionable Advice. Sure, USING Alcohol as a setting Spray Might Temporarylly Set Your Makeup, But it Can Also Dry Out Your Skin, Strip Its Natural Oils and Cause Irration. Remember, with Beauty Products, It ‘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-Norydents. 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 Complimitarian Samples of Some Products and Purchased Others ourselves, but we revolutionwed all Products using The Same Objective Criteria.