Dewy vs Matte Setting Spray: Which Is Best For You?
Which AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray is right for you? Discover the pros and cons of dewy vs matte setting spray.
- 28th August 2025
- By Charlotte Tilbury
6 minute read
Which AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray is right for you? Discover the pros and cons of dewy vs matte setting spray.
6 minute read
Darlings, a good setting spray will mist evenly over your face, feel weightless on your skin, and help to improve the longevity of your makeup. The number one goal of your setting spray is to help your makeup last longer, but there are different types of makeup setting sprays to choose from, and the formula you choose will influence how your makeup looks and wears on your skin.
Two of the most common types of setting spray are dewy setting spray and matte setting spray – both are formulated to set your makeup into place, however they create a very different skin finish. Discover the differences between dewy vs matte setting spray, then decide on the best setting spray formula for you.

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Face Kit
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Rose Gold & Night Crimson
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Dewy makeup refers to products that give you a fresh, healthy-looking glow. Makeup products with a dewy finish often have a cream or liquid texture and are infused with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid. Dewy makeup looks can include anything from luminous cream blushes and juicy-looking lip glosses to hydrating skin tints for gleaming glass skin.

Tilbury Tip: To give your makeup a dewy-looking glow, reach for cream makeup products like Unreal Skin Foundation Stick, Beautiful Skin Island Glow Lip + Cheek, Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer, Collagen Lip Bath and Eyes to Mesmerise.
Matte makeup has a smooth, soft-blur finish without any shimmer or glitter. Products with a matte finish are associated with a longer wear time because they have less slip than dewy formulas. Matte lipstick, matte blush, and matte foundation are all easy ways to keep your makeup looking matte and are perfect for smoothing and enhancing the look of your features.

Tilbury Tip: Mattify your makeup look with my AIRbrush icons like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation, AIRbrush Flawless Finish, AIRbrush Bronzer and AIRbrush Flawless Lip Blur, and add a pop of matte blush with my Matte Beauty Blush Wand.
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2 Medium
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There are different types of setting spray, darlings, and the formula you choose will influence how your finished makeup looks. Some setting sprays have a dewy finish that makes skin appear radiant and refreshed, and others have a matte finish that helps to control oil and shine and leaves your complexion looking smooth and mattified. Discover the differences between dewy vs matte setting spray and decide which formula is the best setting spray for your skin type and makeup style.
Sets makeup for up to 16 hours*
Waterproof finish
Prevents makeup melting, fading + creasing
Finish: Natural radiant vs matte
Effect: Hydrates and glows vs controls oil and mattifies shine
Pairs with: Light-coverage makeup vs full-coverage makeup

Darlings, AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray is my original AIRbrush fix! I created my legendary setting spray to set makeup while giving your complexion a fresh, natural, radiant finish. The waterproof formula gently mists over your face, using Flawless Film Formers to create a weightless veil that locks in your makeup look for up to 16 hours!* The multi-tasking formula can be used to prime, set and refresh your makeup – mist over moisturised skin to create a smooth, radiant canvas for makeup, use it as the finishing touch for your makeup look to help it stay all day, or spray on throughout the day as a dewy makeup refresher. If you want to set your makeup without dulling your glow, darlings, AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray is the one for you!

To keep your makeup looking matte, discover AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray Matte! My matte setting spray is inspired by my original formula, delivering my signature AIRbrush Effect with a magical matte makeover. Infused with a Dual-Action Oil + Shine Control Complex, my matte setting spray is designed to give your complexion a smoothing, blurring, mattifying, removing unwanted shine and controlling excess oil while locking in your makeup look for up to 16 hours!** This formula mirrors a lot of the benefits that you know and love about my original setting spray: it waterproofs your makeup, prevents creasing, fading and melting, and extends makeup longevity, however, the matte finish is perfect for blurring the appearance of pores and makes skin look airbrushed in real life! If your foundation starts to look greasy or shiny throughout the day, you need my matte setting spray!
The main benefits of a dewy setting spray – aside from helping your makeup look to last longer – is to top up hydration and to give your makeup a glowy appearance. Dewy setting sprays can be useful if:

Perfect pairing: Unreal Skin Hydrating Foundation Stick + AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray

Perfect pairing: AIRbrush Flawless Foundation + AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray Matte
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Face Kit
€76.00€72.20
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1 Fair
€52.00€41.60
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2 Medium
€52.00€41.60
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Rose Gold & Night Crimson
€45.00€36.00
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Darlings, once you know the differences between dewy vs matte setting spray, you’re all set! Will you reach for my original AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray to give your makeup a fresh, natural, radiant finish, or will you choose my matte setting spray for soft-blur, smoother looking skin? Either way darlings, set your makeup with my AIRbrush secrets and your makeup will be locked in for up to 16 hours!*
What does setting spray do? Discover more
Discover the difference between setting powder vs setting spray
Discover how to use setting spray
*Tested on 30 people
**Tested on 32 people
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.
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