If you are a makeup girl, you know you’ll need more tools than just eyeshadow and mascara. My usually makeup routine can be anywhere from a 10- to 12-step process.  Your makeup routine should start with a primer (after you apply your moisturizer of course) and then end with a setting spray.

For those of you not in the know, setting sprays gained some massive popularity when Urban Decay premiered their now-iconic sprays.  I’ve tried UDs sprays but haven’t bought one in forever because they are incredibly pricey.  Like primers, setting sprays can run you anywhere from $15 and up.

So why do you need it?  Well, it holds your makeup in place for longer.  Have a special event (weddings, grads, etc.) that you need your makeup to hold up for?  Don’t forget to set it with these special sprays.

I’ve tried a variety of different ones and they are increasingly in popularity (L’Oreal Paris just released a drugstore version), but the old stand bys are still proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Take Make Up For Ever’s Mist & Fix for example.  Available in two sizes (125ml for $34; 30ml for $14), this makeup must-have delivers long-lasting hold on your makeup.  It has key setting features, including moisturizing benefits.

Mist & Fix has an O2 skin complex, which provides oxygenation to the skin while making it more radiant without a shiny finish.  They actually just relaunched this product, which the new-and-improved formula provides moisture to the skin with polyol, a molecule known for its moisturizing properties.  The formula is also alcohol-free and dermatologist tested, making it suitable for every skin type, even sensitive skin.

So how does it work?  Setting sprays are a colourless liquid, similar to water, that you spray on after all your makeup is finished. It provides an invisible shield against environmental stress factors such as pollution and extreme temperature changes. Mist & Fix uses acrylic copolymer as a main ingredient for its film-forming properties to create a non-sticky, protective shield resistant to rubbing and sweating. It prevents your makeup from fading, so you look as fresh as you did when you first applied it.

I’ve been using the Victoria’s Secret Prep & Prime spray for a few years now (it retails for $14.50), but I have to say that I was quite impressed with the Make Up For Ever version.  For awhile there I just thought setting sprays were more of a self-fulfilling prophecy, as in if you think its doing something, it is; but that isn’t the case with this one. Yes, my makeup isn’t as fresh as it was at 8 a.m., but I want to note that the 6 p.m. photo is after a full day at work and even a workout.  I would say my makeup held up pretty darn well throughout the day. Best of all, and this is such a minor thing but makes a world of difference, the spray nozzle on this product works great.  Weird to mention, but you get a nice even spray on your face.  Sometimes they get sticky, which concentrates the product on one area, which can make your makeup smudge.  Totally the opposite of what you are going for with these.

Overall, I highly recommend this setting spray.  Yes, it’s a pricey investment, but if you are a makeup fanatic, or if you have a special event coming up, I would look into investing in this product.

Do you use setting sprays?

Please note, this post contains product that were sent by PR. All opinions are my own.

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