Happy weekend, friends! Sorry about the missed post Thursday…depression is a real big bitch sometimes. Am I right? Anyway. I talk a lot about makeup I love, but today we’re going to talk about how to keep that makeup in place all day long.
We’ve all watched makeup tutorials or read posts highlighting the various steps you should take in your makeup routine. It’s full of creams and powders and sprays (oh my!), but what does it all mean? And what does it all do? Today we’re going to focus on two products specifically–setting powder and setting spray–and the differences between them.
So what’s a setting powder?
The point of any setting product is to lock in your base products in place and help avoid slipping and sliding caused by excess oils from the skin or the product. Setting powder, specifically is designed to absorb the excess oil and moisture from the face and product applied to the face. Applied during your makeup routine, setting powder will set cream products to a smooth, matte, and skin-like texture and will help makeup from melting away from the porous skin beneath it.
Since the goal is to keep creams from moving, you want to be sure you’re applying it over the entirety of the skin. A quick dusting of powder won’t keep the product put. I like to apply setting powders with a pat + roll method, personally. I’ll take a large, fluffier brush, swirl it into the powder, and gently press the brush to my face and use a rolling motion to push the product into the skin.
How is a setting spray different?
Obvious differences are found in the consistency. Like the powder equivalent, setting sprays are also designed to keep product from being absorbed into the skin. Setting sprays are fine mists applied after finishing a makeup routine, and can elongate the amount of time makeup will last on the skin.
While setting sprays are different than finishing sprays, a topic we can discuss later, many setting sprays can shift the finish of the skin’s overall appearance. You can find a setting spray that’s mattifying, luminous, etc. to help with the finish of the makeup.
Setting Products vs. Skin Type
If you have very dry to dry skin, chances are high you can skip out on setting powder and opt for a spray instead. They are generally less mattifying and will keep your skin from feeling tight like a powder can sometimes do. When it comes to longevity, you can apply a powder in the areas you find move throughout the day.
If you skin is anywhere from normal to oily, I’d recommend using both a setting powder and setting spray for maximum wear time. If your skin is very oil, I’d use one of those puffs that come with a lot of loose setting powders. You know the ones you throw away? Yeah, I’d keep them. Since it’s more dense than most powder brushes, it’ll ensure your powder is applied all over the surface of the face.
I hope you found this somewhat helpful, and that it made sense! I’m a setting spray newbie, myself. But I have learned what the hype is about and have found I notice a difference in the overall appearance of my makeup. What are you favorite ways to set your makeup?
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