Best setting sprays to beat shine and creasing, tested by a beauty writer

If there was ever going to be a setting spray that held up, it would be Patrick Starrr’s. For those not familiar, Starrr is a make-up artist and beauty influencer with a long list of credentials, including an appearance as guest judge on Drag Race. In 2020, he launched One/Size to unite beauty newbies and all-out glam experts.

From just one light application of Starrr’s on ‘til dawn spray, I could tell my make-up was firmly fixed in place. Even better, it looked largely the same after six hours and prevented my glasses from leaving their trademark smudge on the bridge of my nose.

Admittedly, it does feel and smell like hairspray, but it’s not suffocating. It leaves your skin slightly tacky before it dries down, so you can use it throughout your routine to give cream blush and other moveable formulas more staying power.

It’s less hydrating than some, so dry skin types might want to look elsewhere (see Elf below). On my oily skin, it took like a duck to water and I’m yet to find another setting spray capable of the same seamless, airbrushed finish.

No7’s pro artist range launched in late 2024 and has proved popular ever since. Its finishing touch spray took me by surprise with its fine mist and refreshing feel. I used it both as a lubricant on my brushes (for foundation, cream bronzer and blush) and as a final spritz to set my make-up – it made for a more smooth and seamless application, helping my brushes not to drag or leave streaks.

Throughout the day my make-up remained glowy without grease, and I saw no patchiness as the hours passed by. In fact, I exercised while wearing the make-up and found it looked as fresh afterwards as it had when I’d just applied it.

Even after five to six hours, my brow products and concealer remained firmly in place, without so much as a setting powder top up.

Formulations with dewy finishes don’t generally cooperate with oily complexions, so I was sceptical that Elf’s bi-phase (oil + water) setting spray could deliver on its promise of long-lasting grip. Considering my make-up looked as fresh and dewy after six hours as it did when applied, I needn’t have been apprehensive. For context, my skin usually becomes shiny around midday, so this isn’t a result I can achieve without setting spray.

For the price, I was shocked at the stellar performance of the spray pump. It had the finest mist of all the setting sprays I tried, meaning I wasn’t at risk of any over-zealous spurts rinsing away my base. You need to shake the bottle before use, so you don’t miss out on the oily top layer that contains squalane to comfort dry skin. I was worried the oil might cause my foundation to separate, but it had the opposite effect, eliminating patchiness entirely.

The versatile formula was a helpful tool for skin prep, make-up brush priming and securing my finished look. Skin-loving hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and green tea seed oil further its merits, and my face felt calm and hydrated all day. My one gripe would be the size; it may be hand luggage-approved, but the 80ml bottle won’t get you very far.

Milk’s hydro grip setting spray is the ultimate tonic to Britain’s bitter climes, with its moisturising combination of hyaluronic acid and hemp seed oil. If it wasn’t for its supreme hold, you might even argue it’s more similar to a skincare mist than a setting spray.

First impressions were promising – the pump releases a fine, whisper-light mist, while the ocean-blue bottle looks made for an Instagram flatlay. The liquid veil settles on the skin with a hydrated, dewy finish. Though I braced myself for the dew to tip into shine as midday approached, the formula held my make-up firmly in place for more than seven hours. No grease, no patchiness.

If you lean toward a natural finish, Milk’s hydro grip spray will be up to the task. It keeps skin smooth while allowing a little movement, so as natural oils surface, they soften rather than smudge the base. That makes it particularly flattering over lighter coverage foundations (skin tints, tinted moisturisers etc.), where there’s less product to break down and more skin to shine through. With that in mind, those seeking an acne or redness-concealing finish might prefer something more long-wearing.

For those willing to splurge, the Hourglass veil setting spray is a joy to use. Housed in a tasteful black, white and gold can, it dispenses a light-as-air mist that effortlessly melds the pigments – like cream blush and bronzing drops – on your skin.

The formula delivers on its promise of a “blurred, soft focus finish” and, thanks to moringa seed oil, your skin will benefit from antioxidant protection and moisture from fatty acids.

In my experience, high-end makeup rarely falters on application, but the real test comes with time. As much as I hate to justify a £40+ spend, the Hourglass setting spray didn’t disappoint. After four hours outdoors in sun, wind and rain, my make-up hadn’t budged.

My foundation had oxidised slightly and the finish was less natural than when first applied, but it still kept imperfections under wraps, making it a solid choice if you prefer high coverage.

If Elf’s power grip setting spray is your affordable go-to for hydration and glow, think of L’Oréal’s infallible formula as its oily skin counterpart – and a budget favourite for long-lasting grip.

True to its claim, it sets make-up in just three seconds, releasing a delicate film from its aerosol dispenser. This dries down quickly and, though slightly tacky at first, the grippy finish is exactly what keeps your pigments locked in place. During testing, my make-up faced everything from clammy commuter trains to an office thick with central heating, yet it stayed perfectly in place.

It even kept my midday shine at bay. In fact, my complexion remained grease-free for a full 10 hours. After that, my make-up looked a little more lived in, with some foundation breakdown around my nose and mouth, though it was only noticeable up close. Touching up with concealer proved tricky, as the setting spray made my base a little too stiff to blend. I ended up using my fingers, so it’s best to leave things as they are once it’s set.

For less than £10, I was definitely impressed and I’ll be keeping it close at hand during the summer months.

I’ve used Charlotte Tilbury’s airbrush flawless setting spray for years. With my oily complexion, I was excited to try the new matte iteration (£32, Cultbeauty.co.uk) but, after testing it, I was surprised to find I still favoured the original.

The hydrating formula has a devoted fanbase and often crops up in friends’ toiletry bags. Its promise of 16-hour wear is ambitious, but it’s definitely kept my make-up intact for at least six hours, thanks largely to its oil-free formula.

A key ingredient is PVP, which forms a sheer film on the skin to prevent foundations and powders from caking or settling into fine lines. Admittedly I’m a bit young to test the latter component, but mature skin expert Sabine Wiesel is a fan. She told me, “A quick spritz gives me a well-hydrated smooth canvas before make-up, and then I reapply it again to seal it all in place. This method not only prolongs the wear of my make-up, but it keeps it from migrating into lines or sitting around my imperfections accentuating them.”

On my 28-year-old skin, the airbrush flawless setting spray helps erase dullness, leaving my complexion looking fresh, bouncy and moisturised. It also softens foundations that won’t budge, making them much easier to blend.

I’ve been using Morphe’s setting spray on and off for more than two years. It’s a product I reach for when my make-up begins to flag at midday: just spritz, buff it in with a fluffy brush, and let the vitamin-E-rich formula imbue your skin with extra hydration and bounce.

For this test – as with the setting sprays above – I used Morphe’s continuous mist to prep my make-up brushes, give my setting powder more grip and lock-in my full face of make-up.

If it’s new to you, expect a soft, airy scent that sits somewhere between lychee and lilies, paired with an aerosol that releases an exceptionally fine mist. The latter proved especially useful for priming my brushes, adding just enough slip to help them glide without disrupting my foundation.

My finished make-up looked dewy from the start, and six hours after application, colleagues were still complimenting my skin’s healthy glow. Around hours seven and eight, the make-up began to falter, breaking down around my nostrils and pilling on my chin. Still, that’s an impressive amount of wear.

I’ve been using Urban Decay’s all nighter setting spray (intermittently) for more than five years, and it’s become a staple whenever I need my make-up to stay put through long days and special occasions. I’ve also tried the matte version (£20.65, Boots.com), which I liked initially, but eventually stopped using when it repeatedly splashed white speckles across my face.

The original spray delivers a light, even veil across the skin that helps everything stick – particularly when applied after foundation but before setting powder. My brushes found just the right amount of grip when blending cream bronzer, and my complexion stayed oil-free without any chalkiness.

Not a trace of shine appeared after two hours, though it does take a few generous spritzes to achieve full coverage. The pump doesn’t disperse as widely as some, like L’Oréal’s, but I appreciated the double-lid system, which has saved me from countless suitcase spills over the years.

Since 2024, Mac’s fix+ matte setting spray has been part of my make-up rotation and it’s a go-to when hormonal shifts make my skin more oil-prone. If you use a setting powder, the fix+ matte formula serves as a second oil-absorbing layer to stave off shine.

The finish is a satin matte that preserves the depth of your complexion, even if the skin feels slightly chalky to the touch.

The pump is more of a focused spray than a fine mist, so it can dislodge cream formulas like bronzer, meaning you may need to rebuff them to keep the finish even. In fact, the pump on my first bottle broke, turning it into more of a water jet than a spray. Granted, this won’t happen to everyone – I’ve had no issues with my second bottle – but it’s worth noting nonetheless.

Spray quirks aside, it works brilliantly when spritzed onto brushes, adding extra absorbing agents between each layer of product. And it keeps grease at bay for an impressively long time, making it a reliable pick for oily skin types.