Locking It In: My Favourite Setting Sprays

​Setting sprays are what I like to call a hybrid of both the skincare and makeup world. They can be used to soothe and rejuvenate your skin, while at the same time prepping your face for makeup application. Not only this, but these handy little sprays can make your makeup last all night long. Keep reading to learn all the unwritten rules about setting sprays and what I like to call my favourites. 

​What Is It?
A setting spray is a mist that you spray among your face at almost any time of the day. Seeing as they vary depending on your skin type and personal need, they can do everything from providing moisture, locking in makeup, or refreshing dull and tired skin. Usually formulated with simple ingredients, these products can be used alone on a bare face as a skin care product, or teamed up with makeup to make your makeup last longer and look even better. 

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​What Does It Do?
It’s hard to narrow it down and explain what these sprays do in just one sentence, so to make it a little easier on your eyes, listed below are the top uses in my opinion:

• Locking Makeup Into Place
  • Spraying a setting spray on your face right after makeup application will act like a protective barrier. It will keep the makeup you just spent so long applying in place, and will protect it from smudging and separating. Just being outside can affect how your makeup sits on your face, so using a setting spray will be sure to distance your makeup from any interruptions. 

 

• Priming Makeup
  • Not only can setting sprays be used at the end of your makeup application, but they can also be used at the very beginning. Before applying any makeup to your skin, start off by spraying a setting spray as a primer. This will create a great base for makeup to be applied and will work as a barrier against what happens on the inside. Oils produced from your skin throughout the day can cause your makeup to separate and look greasy. Priming with a setting spray will help towards blocking out these excess oils.

 

• Refreshing Makeup
  • Setting sprays are something that I like to keep in my purse, in my bag when travelling, or on nights where I have a lot of makeup on and I know a lot of pictures are going to be taken. These sprays can be used even hours after applying your makeup as an instant touchup. Throughout the day your skin will come into contact with a lot of things, whether it be the oils from the back of your hand, environmental toxins, or even the grease from the cheeseburger you had for lunch. Spraying a setting spray to your face throughout the day will put moisture back into your skin, which will in turn freshen up your makeup and make it look like your just applied it. It even gives me the sensation of feeling a little cleaner.  

 

• Toning Skin
  • As mentioned above, not all setting sprays are created strictly for the use of makeup. Many of these products are made as a 2-in-1, where they can double up as a skin care product. Toner setting sprays will not only act as a great base to your makeup, but they will also help to even our your PH balance. It will help to control excess oils and add moisture into areas that are a little too dry. I personally love toners that double as setting sprays because it feels like I am getting more bang for my buck.

 
My Top 3
 
TATCHA Luminous Dewy Skin Mist
(Sephora $58.00)
 
In the world of makeup, the TATCHA Dewy Skin Mist was all anyone could talk about for months. Whether hearing about it through YouTube Influencers or Instagram, social media was living this product up. I knew I needed to try it, but when I saw the price I was a little reluctant. After going into Sephora a countless number of times and drooling over it, I finally splurged and purchased this so-called “Holy Grail” item.
 
After testing it out of my face I was instantly in love. This setting spray gives an instant dewy look to your makeup, even if you applied matte foundation and powder. With dewy skin being right up my alley, I bathed in this stuff. Especially since I have dry to normal skin, this refreshes my makeup and lets me feel awake and revitalized. Not only this, but the formulation also has anti-aging properties which is a great bonus.
 
The only downside to this product is that I can go through a bottle quick, much more quickly than any other setting spray I have ever used. I don’t know if this is because I am constantly refreshing my makeup with it (even if it doesn’t need to be), but regardless it doesn’t last long. Since no one wants to drop $58 on one product repeatedly I had to restrain myself, only using this product on special occasions. So for this reason, I would say its good to have an every day setting spray, and save this one for special events. 

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​URBAN DECAY Chill Cooling and Hydrating Makeup Setting Spray
(Sephora $38.00)
 
As a makeup artist, this is a spray I am always using on clients. When working with clients, it’s usually one after another back-to-back. This usually causes the room to get hot with people filling up the area, especially when hair styling is being done at the same time. This setting spray comes in handy as it has a cooling formulation to it. Instantly after you spray it there is a sensation of coolness, almost as if a light breeze just blew past your face. This allows my clients to cool down and relax a bit, making them feel more comfortable. Whether you’re a makeup artist or not, I’m sure everyone who wears makeup has gone through the feeling of getting hot and flustered and not knowing how to stay relaxed and resist a heat flash. This product is perfect for cases like that, too!
 
The cooling sensation is not the only thing that makes me love this product. It also works great at locking makeup into place and have it last all day (16 hours to be exact). It is truly a great product and it’s the perfect spray for all skin types. 

​CALMING SEED 1-Second Calming Mist Toner  
(The Face Shop $26.00)
 
Since over the last few months I have been struggling with very sensitive skin, I’ve been having fun trying out new products that are formulated for easily irritated skin. I have been quite surprised with the array of products on the market that are formulated to help those with skin like mine!  This toner is another pleasant surprise. This is my go to setting spray on days where my skin is irritated and needs a little extra TLC.
 
The blend of different extracts gives my skin a calming effect, and helps to reduce redness and even took away small red bumps that were appearing randomly on my face. I loved using this when I was travelling for my skin gets easily irritated when it is constantly in the heat and producing sweat. Since it is a skin care product first, I use this on days I am not wearing makeup to refresh my skin and I also use it every night underneath my moisturizer. I like using it at night before I go to sleep because it preps my skin for bed and allows me to feel relaxed and refreshed when crawling into bed. 

​This post ran a little long, but I get so excited to talk about all things beauty. Skin care and makeup are truly my passions so thanks for taking the time to read about what I love and what makes me happy. I hope this helps you out the next time you’re trying to decide what products are best for your skin! As always, if there are any questions I can help with just send me a message!
 
Stay happy & healthy,
 
Liss