This Setting Spray Prevents My Makeup from Transferring onto My Face Mask

Pia Velasco
·2 min read

Welcome to Game Changers, a weekly series in which we reveal the holy grail beauty products we’re loving now—the ones that saved our hair, cleared our skin and, in some way, changed our lives.

If you've ever watched a makeup tutorial or scrolled through a beauty guru's Instagram feed, odds are you've seen and heard about the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. The cult-classic product has gained popularity over the last few years for its impressive formula that helps makeup grip to the skin and stay put for up to 16 hours. I've used it before a night out dancing with friends, on hot summer days, and recently, every time I step outside with my cloth face mask. Why? Well, simply put, it prevents my makeup from transferring onto my mask.

The Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray uses ingredients like kaolin clay to absorb excess oil (read: sweat and sebum) that keeps your skin shine-free for hours and PVP (or polyvinylpyrrolidone) to bind makeup to the skin. Additionally, it has temperature control technology that lowers the temperature of your cosmetics so that it doesn't melt off—science!

Urban Decay

Shop it! $33, Sephora

When we all first started using non-medical face masks to stop the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, I quickly realized that using a setting spray wasn't just something to use before big events and special occasions, but something I'd need to wear on the regular. Of course, I already knew that the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray was a godsend for helping lock in makeup all day, but I hadn't realized how well it also worked to prevent makeup from transferring.

I've noticed that if I don't use the setting spray after applying makeup, my face mask ends up looking like I stamped it with my face, but if I do use the spray, I only see a little bit rubbed off on the tip of my nose area where I squish the mask to secure it tightly. Look, I know there are more important things to think about during a global pandemic, but if you don't like the look of foundation on your mask, I'd give this setting spray a go.