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  • If you want your makeup to last longer and look exactly the same hours after you applied it, you need to invest in a good makeup setting spray.
  • Our top pick is the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray because it’s weightless and will help your makeup last for up to 16 hours.

We’ve all had those days where we’ve left the house with our makeup looking flawless only to notice by lunchtime that our foundation or eyeshadow has started to smudge or fade.

Thankfully, a makeup setting spray is the perfect solution to this problem. Much like hairspray, a setting spray is applied at the end of your beauty routine to lock in the makeup and help it last longer.

But unlike setting powders that just protect makeup like foundation, blush, and concealer, a setting spray can be applied to your entire face to help keep eye shadow, mascara, and lipstick from smudging, caking, creasing, and settling into fine lines.

Not only will the right setting spray help keep your makeup in place, but it can also help improve the look and health of your skin. Some feature ingredients that help brighten and hydrate skin, while others help protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays and boost your skin's elasticity.

Like most makeup products, the number of setting sprays on the market can be overwhelming. So we did the research to find the best options available. Whether you're looking for a setting spray that works best for your skin type or one that features SPF, your makeup will look great all day and night long with any of these picks.

Here are the best makeup setting sprays you can buy in 2019:

Updated on 5/31/2019 by Jada Wong: Updated copy, pricing, links, swapped in Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist as our best clean makeup setting spray and Coola Makeup Setting Spray SPF 30 as our best makeup setting spray with SPF pick as the original products were discontinued.

Keep scrolling to check out our top picks.


The best makeup setting spray overall

Foto: sourceSephora

The Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray is a cult-favorite setting spray because it keeps makeup looking freshly applied all day.

The Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray has been one of the most popular makeup setting sprays for years. Not only does it keep your makeup in place for up to 16 hours, but it can also make your skin look smoother. Plus, it works on all skin types and prevents makeup from cracking, fading, or settling into fine lines.

Unlike other setting sprays that can feel sticky when first applied, this spray goes on as a microfine mist that you will barely feel. It's made with a patented technology that actually lowers the temperature in your makeup to help keep it in place even in hot, humid, or windy conditions.

The setting spray is an Allure Best of Beauty winner and has been recommended by both InStyle and Elle magazines. It has more than 460,000 likes on Sephora with more than 9,100 reviewers giving it a 4.4-star average rating.

One Sephora shopper wrote, "I love wearing makeup but have always had a problem with it fading and/or smudging (especially eyeliner). I've tried probably everything on the market to prevent this. This spray is unbelievable. I can put on my makeup at 6:00 AM before work and when I get home after 7, it still looks perfect - hasn't smudged or faded at all! SO happy to have finally found a product that works for me!"

The spray may be on the pricier side, but it comes in a mini size as well so you can test it before splurging on the standard-size bottle.

Pros: Fine lightweight mist, helps keep makeup in place for up to 16 hours, helps make skin look smoother, works on all skin types and in all climates

Cons: Pricey

Buy the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray at Sephora for $32


The best makeup setting spray for oily skin

Foto: sourceUlta Beauty

If oily skin makes your makeup melt or run, try the NYX Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray.

The NYX Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray helps your makeup last all day and night. If you have oily skin, you'll no longer have to worry about looking shiny, as the spray will leave your makeup with a gorgeous matte finish.

Fans of the product say that not only does it keep their makeup in place for hours, but the matte setting spray also stops excess oil from breaking through. Multiple reviewers said they'd normally have to use blotting papers to remove excess oil by midday but they no longer have to thanks to this handy spray.

The affordable setting spray went viral in 2017 after a shopper named Sofia left a 5-star review on Ulta saying, "I was hit by a car and through the hit itself, the rain, the ambulance ride, and the hours in the hospital my makeup stayed completely intact the entire time. When I was discharged from the hospital I had to take off my makeup and none of it had moved. if this setting spray can survive being hit by a car then that's all the proof I need and I'll definitely be buying it again."

A few shoppers did note that the spray has a strong smell at first but that it wears off after a minute once the spray sets in.

Pros: Keeps makeup in place for hours, prevents excess oil, matte finish, affordable

Cons: Strong smell at first

Buy the NYX Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray at Ulta for $8.50 (originally $8.49)


The best makeup setting spray for dry skin

Foto: sourceToo Faced

Looking for a setting spray that hydrates and moisturizes skin? Try the Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray.

The Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Setting Spray is a multitasking mist that works three ways. It can be used as a primer before putting on makeup, setting spray to lock makeup in place, and refreshing spray whenever your skin needs a pick-me-up.

It's specially formulated with coconut water, aloe leaf juice, and more to smooth, hydrate, and brighten skin, while at the same time helping to promote skin's elasticity and tone.

The setting spray has a 4.5-star rating on Influenster with more than 2,500 reviews, and a 4.3 on Sephora with more than 1,000 reviews. One reviewer wrote, "I have extremely dry skin and this is AMAZING. It hydrates and refreshes and I use it throughout the day. Without it, my makeup usually gets flaky but this fixes the problem. Love this spray and will always get more."

A few people said the spray bottle's spritzer was very powerful and can drench your skin if you spray too close to your face, so they recommend holding the bottle at least six inches away when applying.

Pros: 3-in-1 product, keeps makeup in place for hours, hydrating and refreshing

Cons: Can get drenched if sprayed too close

Buy the Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer & Setting Spray on Sephora for $32


The best clean makeup setting spray

Foto: sourceSephora

Hydrate your skin while keeping makeup from getting dry and cakey with the Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist.

If you're looking for a spray that you can use several times a day without messing up your makeup, the Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist is your new go-to. It's a super-fine mist that you can use before, during, and after makeup application without drenching your face. Like the name implies, the mist makes your skin look dewy and glowy - think of it as a natural highlighter.

The Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist also has a "Clean at Sephora" seal which means it's made without a whole host of questionable ingredients like sulfates, parabens, mineral oil, and more. Instead, it's formulated with red algae, hyaluronic acid, green tea, and 20% botanical oils to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

I won't use this on special occasions like weddings when I need a heavier-duty one like Urban Decay's, but I definitely use this several times a day to keep my makeup from getting dry and cakey. There's nothing worse than seeing that my foundation has cracked around my cheeks like a stock photo of a desert several hours later.

It's definitely a splurge at $48 a bottle and using it multiple times a day will use up the product faster than others, but it's one of my favorites for the moisture and glow it adds to my everyday look. It holds a 4.5-star rating on Influenster with more than 9,000 reviews and comments all very similar to this one by a major fan, "OMG this product is A-MA-ZING!!!! The mist is super fine and the product is super hydrating and has a dewy finish JUST like their Dewy face cream, which I am OBSESSED with!!!" - Jada Wong

Pros: Clean at Sephora seal, made with clean ingredients, preps skin before makeup, prevents makeup from caking, works on all skin types

Cons: Expensive, strong initial smell

Buy the Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist at Sephora for $48


The best makeup setting spray with SPF

Foto: sourceSephora

For additional SPF protection that won't ruin your look, try the Coola Makeup Setting Spray SPF 30.

If you're going to be out for a while, work the Coola Makeup Setting Spray SPF 30 into your routine stat. It has SPF 30 for additional sun protection and dries down to a matte finish - great for summer when I look like a greaseball before I can finish my coffee.

I use sunscreen daily underneath makeup but forget to reapply on most days, so this one comes in really handy before I head out to grab lunch or on weekends when I'm out and about. After all, you can never really have too much sun protection.

The 1.7 ounce is on the small size considering the $36 price tag (Urban Decay costs $32 for a 4-ounce bottle), but I actually find the size more convenient to carry around in my bag than with other sprays. And since it's meant to be used to set my makeup while offering SPF, I'm only using a spritz or two each time so a bottle can last a few months.

Some shoppers complain of the nozzle getting jammed and not spraying a fine mist but rather an uneven spritz, which is a common issue with many plastic pump sprays. It's happened to me once or twice, but I work around the situation by running the nozzle under warm water before using it. - Jada Wong

Pros: Additional SPF protection, made without oxybenzone, keeps makeup in place for hours, vegan, 70% organic, cruelty-free

Cons: Nozzle can get clogged, spray might be uneven depending on how close it is used

Buy the Coola Makeup Setting Spray SPF 30 at Sephora for $36


Check out our other makeup buying guides

Foto: sourceVoyagerix/Shutterstock

The best mascara you can buy

If there's one thing many women never leave home without, it's mascara. It makes your eyes pop and brightens up your face in an instant. We tested dozens of mascaras to find the best, and Chanel Le Volume Mascara is our top choice because it delivers long, lush lashes that last all day.

Here are the best mascaras you can buy in 2019:

The best long-lasting lipsticks you can buy

One of the major grievances I have with lipstick is that you apply it only to find your lips are bare the next time you look in the mirror. The solution is to amp up your beauty arsenal with a long-lasting lipstick that will stay put all day or night long.

In this guide, you'll find everything from cult favorites to drugstore steals. For luscious lips that last all day, read on in the slides below to discover our top picks.

Here are the best long-lasting lipsticks you can buy:

The best blush you can buy for any skin tone

Blush can add some color to your cheeks no matter your skin tone. These are the best blushes we've tried.

The right blush can help bring an entire makeup look together, wake up your face on tired mornings, or reinstate some life on your cheeks after you've blotted out your natural color with foundation.

Here are the best blushes you can buy:

The best makeup setting powder you can buy

A good makeup setting powder must cut down on shine without caking, look natural but last for hours, mattify but enhance luminosity, and remain undetectable on most skin tones.

The right formula will lock your makeup into place and cut down on shine without mattifying you within an inch of your life or making you look cakey and overdone.

Hopefully this list of my five favorites will help you cut through the noise and find the one that's right for you.

Here are the best makeup setting powders you can buy:

The best concealer you can buy for any skin tone

Finding your ideal concealer shade is tricky, so we tested a bunch to find the best concealer you can buy.

The best formulas can make you look airbrushed with very little product required. I put a bunch of highly rated concealers to the test over several weeks. This list features my top five favorites.

Here are the best concealers you can buy: