How To Use Setting Spray
Discover different ways you can use setting spray in your beauty routine to prime, set and refresh makeup.
- 28th August 2025
- By Charlotte Tilbury
6 minute read
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1. Prime
Darlings, did you know that you can use setting spray as a makeup primer? Setting sprays form an invisible film on your skin which is the secret to creating a super-smooth surface for makeup to glide onto. After moisturising with a rich face cream like Charlotte’s Magic Cream, spray setting spray over your face for a flawless skin finish that’s perfectly primed for makeup.
Moisturise + Prime with Charlotte’s Magic Cream + Setting Spray Duo and save 15%!*
2. Set makeup
The primary purpose of setting spray is to set makeup into place, helping to increase makeup longevity for flawless, long-lasting wear. I never finish a makeup look without spraying on a makeup-fixing veil of setting spray. My legendary AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray is proven to lock in your makeup look for up to 16 hours** without fading, creasing or melting! If you want your makeup to look flawless all day and night, darlings, setting spray is the makeup step you mustn’t miss!
3. Melt powder makeup
Powder makeup can look sensational, darlings, but too much powder can look unflattering on skin, emphasising the appearance of texture and leaving a powdery residue. Setting spray and setting powder go hand-in-hand, working together to help makeup last longer and to look flawless. Applying setting spray on top of your powder helps to meld powder makeup into your skin, giving it a smooth, skin-like texture that looks seamless and never powdery! I like to call it my sandwich method, darlings… Set your makeup with AIRbrush Flawless Finish, then spray on AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray to melt makeup into skin, then tap a little more powder on top to get the airbrushed, flawless-looking finish!
Save a magical 10%* with my AIRbrush Flawless Finish + Set Duo
Discover the differences between setting powder and setting spray
4. Mattify your complexion
Do you love a matte makeup look, darling? If you have oily or combination skin or you simply prefer a smooth-like-butter matte complexion, setting your makeup with a matte setting spray is a gamechanger! I created my AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray Matte with an Oil + Shine Control Complex that helps to mattify skin and removes unwanted shine. This magic matte formula smooths and blurs the look of skin, giving your foundation a flattering, soft-matte finish and giving your look my iconic AIRbrush Effect!
5. Intensify eyeshadows + highlighters
More is more, darling! Dial up your eyeshadows and highlighters with a spritz of setting spray! Before dipping into your favourite shades, spray your makeup brush with setting spray; this will intensify the colour pay-off of your shade of choice… Just like that, matte eyeshadows look opaque, shimmer shades pop and look even more dazzling, and highlighters have a wet-looking gleam glow. Shake your setting spray, saturate your brush, and swipe on for makeup that looks intensely pigmented and always catches the eye!
Discover wet-look eyeshadow and highlighter looks to try
6. Refresh makeup
Set it, but don’t forget it, darlings! You can use setting spray to refresh and revive the look of your makeup, helping it to look just-applied hours after the fact! After the first hour or two, your complexion can start to become shiny or lose its lustre, but reapplying your setting spray can bring your makeup look back to life! Bring a travel-sized setting spray in your handbag for touch ups on the go and makeup can appear fresher and more flawless. To boost radiance, apply my AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray, and to blur and mattify, apply AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray Matte.
Discover the differences between matte vs radiant setting spray
7. Waterproof your makeup
Don’t get caught in the rain, darlings! From beach day beauty to looking flawless in wet weather, waterproof your makeup with setting spray to help it last longer, rain or shine! Choosing a setting spray with waterproofing properties like my AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray is the ultimate insurance for your makeup look. If you are wearing makeup out in the elements, setting spray is not to be skipped! Waterproof your foundation and it will wear flawlessly!
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How To Use Setting Spray: More FAQs
What’s the right way to apply setting spray?
Before you apply setting spray, you need to SHAKE IT TO WAKE IT! Shaking your setting spray bottle activates the formula and will boost performance. Once shaken, hold your setting spray 6-8 inches away from your face and mist on evenly. Let your face air dry or use a handheld fan to speed up the process.
Do I use setting spray before or after makeup?
You can use setting spray before or after makeup as well as between makeup steps to prime, set and blur the look of your complexion. I recommend applying setting spray in light layers to get the full AIRbrush Effect!
How many layers of setting spray should I apply?
Setting spray can be applied in multiple layers – I like to use setting spray to prime before makeup then again to set makeup into place. You can also apply setting spray between makeup steps such as after foundation, after pressed powder, and after powder bronzer and blush. The secret to flawless layering is not over-applying your setting spray all in one go; instead apply one light layer at a time and build as needed for a perfectly primed and set complexion.
How should I use setting spray for oily skin?
Oily skin types that are prone to producing excess oil can be prone to makeup creasing, fading and becoming shiny throughout the day. People with oily skin can benefit from setting spray as it helps to lock makeup into place and can mitigate some of the slipping and sliding that comes with having oily skin. If you have oily skin, darlings, I recommend setting your makeup with my AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray Matte – the Dual-Action Oil + Shine Control Complex helps to control the appearance of oil and remove unwanted shine, giving skin a soft-matte finish that makes skin appear less oily.
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AIRBRUSH BRONZER
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$78.50
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Author Details
Charlotte Tilbury
Founder, President, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty
With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.
