9 best make-up setting sprays for longer-lasting foundation, eyeshadow and lipstick

When it comes to increasing the longevity of your make-up, this is the only product that has ever come close to Urban Decay’s all nighter setting spray, in our book. We’ve been cult fans of that one for years, but Charlotte Tilbury’s mist has taken the top spot for its ability to deliver long wear as well as radiance – a previously impossible feat in the setting spray world. Usually, you have to sacrifice one for the other, but this formula lives up to its name, providing a soft-focus, airbrush finish to the skin that doesn’t appear dull or matte, but truly locks your make-up in place all day.

The subtle scent is fresh and not overpowering, and the fine mist dries down nearly instantly, blending and setting your make-up seamlessly without making the skin look flat. Like many other Charlotte Tilbury products, the formula oozes skin-loving ingredients, including green tea and aloe vera, meaning it can be used as a primer as well as a fixing spray.

Promising 16-hour make-up insurance, we were amazed at how polished our face looked after a full day’s wear, especially considering the lack of compromise in the glow stakes. During testing, our make-up survived being caught in the rain and long workouts.

It’s by no means as glowy as other make-up setting sprays in this list, but unlike other matte, long-wearing mists, it lifts the skin and adds subtle radiance. At £30 for 100ml, it’s pricey, but we can’t be without it.

Read the full Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless setting spray review

Another decent alternative for Urban Decay’s all nighter, L’Oreal’s setting spray worked well to absorb oil throughout the day. The mist is subtle enough not to disrupt your make-up, without being so fine you can’t feel where you’re applying it.

It’s a very matte finish, making it a great option for oily skin types or for anyone who finds setting with powder too cakey. This spray really does prolong the wear of your make-up, as we only had to touch up once throughout the day. It melded products together well, for a more natural finish, and didn’t leave any large droplets on the face, as other affordable setting sprays often do. It isn’t as complex as Urban Decay’s sweat-wicking formula, but this is a good budget buy for anyone who is looking to keep oil at bay.

The OG of the longwear make-up game, Urban Decay’s all nighter needs little introduction. Its original formula has been a holy grail product for full-coverage-lovers for years, but the brand has expanded its line to create sprays with different finishes, from matte to radiant. The matte formula is our top pick for those with oily skin, as even the shiniest of foreheads will be subdued with this heavy-duty product.

Its genius temperature-control technology (present in the brand’s whole setting spray range) prevents sweat and oils from breaking down make-up – even when braving the Tube in the depths of summer, our maquillage stayed put after applying this mist. Unlike many other setting sprays, this formula is oil-free, making it a great option for acne-prone skin. The finish is undoubtedly matte, so if that’s not your bag, opt for the original all nighter spray, but this is truly a godsend if you’re a matte-lover looking for some extra longevity.

Read the full Urban Decay all nighter setting spray review

A make-up artist favourite, this is one of the most versatile setting sprays we tested. With a serious skincare focus, the formula is packed with vitamins and skin-soothing ingredients, including aloe vera and algae extract. As the mist is so fine and hydrating, we loved using this at different stages of our make-up application, including as a primer, to meld liquid and powder layers together, and as a finishing spray. It delivers a dewy, radiant finish that doesn’t look too shiny, and the formula is also oil-free, so it’s fine to use on acne-prone skin, too.

This product claims to keep make-up looking “fresh for 12 hours”, but our oily skin didn’t quite make it that long, as there was a bit of disruption around the T-zone and our foundation faded slightly around the mouth, but, on the whole, our make-up still looked fresh and healthy by the time we got round to removing it.

We love spritzing this spray throughout the day for extra hydration, and would say it’s a must-have for drier skin types, for which other setting sprays may be too matte or drying.

There’s a range of scents to choose from, too, but those with sensitive skin should opt for the original.

The perfect setter for anyone who hates matte skin, this gives a gorgeous glow in all the right places, without looking sweaty or too shiny. We have to mention the packaging here, as the glittery bottle looks brilliant on our dresser, and the applicator gives you good control over how much product you want to apply.

We’d usually write off this formula for oily skin types, as it does contain castor oil, but our make-up stayed put surprisingly well for a product that’s all about dew rather than longevity, and the healthy-looking glow stayed strong all day long. Our oily-skinned tester is a glowy convert after trying this spray.

If you hate how setting sprays feel on the skin, this offering from Morphe is worth considering. The ultra-fine mist is the most lightweight we tried – you can barely feel the spray on the skin, and, once dried down, it delivers a matte finish without looking heavy or cakey.

We weren’t huge fans of the aerosol can design, as the nozzle was a bit temperamental, delivering large blotches of spray in some areas, but that’s a small bugbear, as we liked the finish.

It feels cooling and refreshing on the skin, with a subtle scent that didn’t offend us. There are lots of fruit extracts in this formula, including papaya and grape seed, as well as cucumber water for hydration. It does contain oil, but it’s not high up on the ingredients list, so we think this would suit all skin types.

This shimmery spray is summer in a bottle – as you shake the component, the glittery particles mix to create a golden, pearlised finish. This might look daunting to those keen to avoid looking like a disco ball (we fall into that camp) but, thankfully, we were surprised by how natural the glowy finish was, with no chunky glitter particles in sight.

With that said, it’s the dewiest setting spray in this list and is heavily oil-based, so won’t offer much longwear and isn’t the best choice for acne-prone skin. However, we loved applying this over a natural make-up look for a radiant, summer-ready finish. For even more glow, apply to the décolletage and shoulders and watch the shimmer catch the light beautifully.

This ultra-fine mist was one of the most refreshing formulas we applied, with an invigorating, spa-like scent that woke us up in the morning. The affordable formula rivals pricier contenders on this list, as its skin-loving ingredients include green tea, cucumber and aloe vera, to hydrate and soothe.

The spray is easy to apply, with no dreaded blotches in sight, and delivered a soft-focus finish that looked natural, neither too matte or overly glowy. Our make-up lasted well throughout the day, too. Suited to all skin types, this is a great starting point for anyone who wants to try a setting spray for the first time, as it combines longevity with good skincare ingredients.

Part of the brand’s “porefessional” line (famed for its pore-blurring, mattifying primer), the setting spray claims to lock your make-up in place for 16 hours, reduce the appearance of pores, and smooth skin. Much like Urban Decay’s offering, it claims to be sweat-proof, too.

The mist is surprisingly fine and lightweight, and the applicator disperses the product well, with no obvious wetness to the skin post-application. It dries down matte and lives up to its skin-perfecting claims, with a soft-focus finish that blurs imperfections. As for long-wear, we still think Urban Decay and Charlotte Tilbury’s offerings beat this formula. But it does smooth the skin more successfully than its competitors, so, if blemishes and enlarged pores are a concern, this is a great product to try.

Read the full Benefit porefessional super setter review