Best Makeup Setting Sprays for Flawless, Long-Lasting Wedding Makeup
A quick spritz of a makeup setting spray will ensure your wedding makeup stays put from first look to last dance
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Ask any wedding makeup artist for their top tip for long-lasting wedding makeup, and they’ll likely say a setting spray.
While you’re unlikely to use a makeup setting spray in your day to day life (unless you go full glam every day, in which case, we salute you!), on your wedding day, a setting spray is an essential step to ensure your makeup lasts all day.
Setting spray does what it says on the tin (or beautifully designed bottle, as the case may be). It sets your makeup in place, locking in your foundation, blusher, bronzer and eyeshadow for a long-lasting wedding makeup look. “Always set your makeup in place with a setting spray,” says makeup artist Aimee Connolly. “By doing this you are ensuring that nothing moves around and stays exactly where it needs to be throughout the day.”
As Aimee says, a setting spray will stop your makeup fading, smudging, creasing or melting, for a beauty look that is as perfect at the end of your wedding as it will be when you take your first step down the aisle.
There are setting sprays for oily skin and acne-prone skin as well as hydrating setting sprays and setting sprays that give you an ethereal glow - gorgeous for summer weddings.
Read on for our edit of the best makeup setting sprays, along with a few choices from makeup pros, before discovering everything you need to know about using a setting spray for your wedding makeup.
9 Best Setting Sprays for Wedding Makeup
1. Best Multitasking Wedding Makeup Setting Spray: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray, £26
Trust Charlotte Tilbury to make the hardest working makeup setting spray out there. Not only does this lock makeup in place, giving skin a soft focus, blurred appearance, it can also be used as a primer before makeup to hydrate the face for a smooth base, plus it can be used to intensify your colour cosmetics - just spray it on your brush before applying eyeshadow or blusher to amp up the pigment pay off.
Lastly, spray this throughout the evening to add a hit of glow to your makeup if it is starting to look a little tired - the perfect trick for hen do makeup!
This setting spray comes recommended by makeup artist Lisa Caldognetto, who is a pro when it comes to creating flawless, picture-perfect wedding makeup.
READ MORE: The Best Charlotte Tilbury Makeup for Your Wedding
2. Best Vegan Wedding Makeup Setting Spray: Urban Decay All Nighter, £27
Probably the most iconic setting spray available, this makeup-locking mist comes in endless iterations, including a matte version and an extra glowy edition, but it’s the original that keeps everyone coming back time and time again.
The vegan setting spray promises to keep your makeup in place for 16 hours, plus it has in-built temperature control technology to lower the temperature of your makeup to lock it in place - ideal if you’re having a summer wedding, or you’re planning to hit the dancefloor hard. Makeup artist Lisa Caldognetto also gives this setting spray her seal of approval.
If you’re looking for the best setting spray for oily skin, the All Nighter Ultra Matte version is the one to go for to minimise sheen and oiliness.
READ MORE: The Best Vegan Beauty Brands for Your Wedding Makeup
3. Best Skin Protecting Setting Spray: Sculpted by Aimee Connolly Hydrate and Hold Makeup Setting Spray, £18
“Hydrate and Hold is the perfect combination of a setting spray and a moisturising mist that you can top up throughout the day to refresh your look in seconds,” says Aimee. “I deliberately designed the formulation to have this dual function so that all skin types can benefit from it.
It’s infused with hyaluronic acid for hydration, lemon extract for a refreshing light scent and Centella Asiatica to strengthen the skin’s barrier.
4. Best Setting Spray For Glamorous Wedding Makeup: Huda Beauty Resting Boss Face Setting Spray, £27
Makeup and skincare pro Huda Kattan is best known for a full face of ultra glam makeup (think impeccable eyeshadow, flawless contour and lipstick Kim K would be proud of), so if you’re planning on wearing A-list style makeup for your wedding, you need a setting spray that will stop it from budging - and Huda’s Resting Boss Face setting spray will do just that.
It mattifies the skin, yet keeps it feeling comfortable for makeup, plus it’s waterproof in case it rains on the big day. One thing to note is that this does include alcohol as the first ingredient, which means this can be drying, but if you don’t have dry skin, it’s not a huge issue.
READ MORE: The Best Wedding Lipsticks in Red, Pink & Nude Tones
5. Best Hydrating Makeup Setting Spray: & Other Stories Hydrating Setting Spray, £23
High street fashion favourite & Other Stories might not be the first place you think of when it comes to picking up beauty buys, but next time you’re stocking up on the linen dress of your dreams, add this product to your basket too.
It smells ultra-fresh, makes your skin look super-dewy with a refreshing burst of hydration, plus it keeps your makeup looking radiant for longer. This is one I’d suggest using on your honeymoon too, especially if you’re heading off to sunnier climes. And while you’re browsing the brand’s beauty offerings, throw in the Perle De Coco Glow Body Lotion, £11, it smells like holidays bottled and gives a subtle shimmer to the skin.
6. Best Setting Spray For Acne-Prone Skin: MAC Prep+ Prime Fix+ Coconut, £24
You can always rely on MAC to create makeup products that really work, and this holy grail setting spray is no exception. It’s the same formula as the brand’s original Prep + Prime Fix+, just with the addition of a tropical coconut scent, which is very pleasing. There’s also a relaxing lavender scent, plus a romantic rose fragrance, if you prefer.
The formula includes calming and soothing ingredients such as chamomile, cucumber and green tea to take down any redness or acne, plus it’s oil free, feels lightweight on the skin and supports hydration too if your skin is on the dry side. Plus it’s alcohol free.
It helps makeup look ultra-natural, for a ‘your skin but better’ glow which is ideal if you're looking for natural wedding makeup ideas.
7. Best Wedding Setting Spray for Glowing Skin: Iconic London Prep-Set-Glow, £22
Beauty brand Iconic London is best-known for creating makeup that gives you the ultimate glow (Maya Jama and Little Mix are fans), so you just know their setting spray is going to deliver on the radiance front.
Available in a golden and a pearlescent finish, this gives an other-worldly shimmering finish for a subtle boost of glow. You can use it both under and over makeup, and it looks after the skin too with soothing chamomile and cucumber. Spray it on your décolletage too for a glow that keeps on giving!
Given that this does impart a subtle sheen, it’s not the most natural of the setting sprays in our edit, so only opt for this if you want to go glam on the big day - otherwise save it for your honeymoon for an out of this world glow that will have you looking heavenly.
8. Best Setting Spray With SPF: Coola Makeup Setting Spray SPF30, £39
A setting spray that’s fab for your honeymoon too, this hybrid combines SPF30 with a fine mist that gives a flattering matte finish, doesn't leave you cakey or with a white cast and is great for dry, oily and combination skin types.
It blends soothing aloe vera with cooling cucumber and hydrating hyaluronic acid for a refreshing skin drink, and while it does smell a little alcoholic on first sniff, we can forgive it thanks to the sun-protecting powers that many other setting sprays lack.
It keeps skin shine-free and can be topped up throughout the day.
READ MORE: Expert Beauty Tips You've Never Heard Before
9. Best Drugstore Setting Spray: E.L.F Matte Magic Mist And Set, £6
For less than the price of a Pret lunch, this budget drugstore setting spray is a must-try. It has vitamin E and B to look after your skin and promises to stop makeup smudging or running.
This locks bronzer, blusher and foundation in place all day long without feeling sticky or heavy. The lightweight feel belies how powerful this is in the makeup preserving stakes. Seriously impressive for the price, and if you’re not convinced a budget buy can stand up to the likes of MAC and Charlotte Tilbury, give it a try and see for yourself - you’ve only lost £6 if you’re not convinced by it.
Everything You Need to Know About Setting Your Wedding Makeup
How Do I Use A Makeup Setting Spray?
A makeup setting spray is a simple step even if you never normally wear makeup. Simply mist your chosen wedding setting spray on top of your makeup and you’re done.
Do I Really Need A Setting Spray?
Yes, according to makeup artists a setting spray is essential.
“The key to long-lasting wedding makeup isn’t just an excellent primer and base, but a setting spray that will both keep makeup in place throughout the day, as well as keep the skin hydrated, so that makeup doesn’t start to split, cake or clump together as the day goes on,” says Aimee.
What to Look For in a Setting Spray
It’s more a case of what to avoid - makeup setting sprays with alcohol in are more drying, so look for alcohol-free makeup setting sprays if you have sensitive skin. Many setting sprays do include alcohol, but the further down the ingredients list the better.
For a souped-up setting spray, look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid for a hit of hydration - think of it as a drink for your skin as well as a powerful setting potion.
Sorted your setting spray? Make sure you read up on the pre-wedding beauty habits our editors never skip.
