Tag: makeup longevity

Setting Spray Showdown Round 2: One/Size, MAC, Milk, Danessa Myricks, Milani, and Hourglass

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Setting Spray Showdown Round 2: One/Size, MAC, Milk, Danessa Myricks, Milani, and Hourglass

Welcome back to the Setting Spray showdown! This is the second full round in my setting spray showdown series, where I’m testing popular formulas side by side to see what actually makes a difference in real life. I’ll be doing the same makeup, with the same lighting, for at least 16 hours for each test. I’ve also been testing all of these setting sprays for months before doing these elimination rounds. For this round, I did all of the matches in this post since I’ve already talked about each spray at length in previous posts. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Round 2, Match 1: One/Size On ’Til Dawn Mattifying vs MAC Fix+ Stay Over – This one was honestly frustrating to kick off this round with because these are two of my favorite setting sprays, and I’d genuinely recommend either depending on what you want. If you’re looking for a more matte, smoothed, blurred finish and maximum hold for your makeup, One/Size absolutely delivers. It mattifies, blurs, and keeps everything in place all day. But the MAC Fix+ Stay Over surprised me by keeping my makeup staying looking good just as well as the One/Size while also having a better skin finish. It managed to smooth and blur while still maintaining a hydrated, skin like, slightly dewy finish, and my makeup still stayed together all day. I was really impressed that it held its own against the One/Size while also making my skin look hydrated and natural, so MAC is moving on. Note that I have dry skin and it’s the winter, so if you have combo or oily skin, you might really like One/Size.

Round 2, Match 2: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip vs Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Spray – I want to be fair to Milk because on its own or compared to plenty of other sprays, it really does work well, but head to head, Danessa Myricks made it obvious which of these two was moving on. The Milk side looked good at the start, but it looked way more textured as the day went on and the makeup seemed to fall apart faster. By end of day, it looked a more broken up on that side, almost like I hadn’t used a setting spray at all relative to the other side. The Danessa Myricks side, meanwhile, stayed noticeably smoother, blurred, and put together all day long. Everything stayed melded and cohesive instead of separating and getting textured. Way more easily than I expected, Danessa Myricks is moving on.

Round 2, Match 3: One/Size Powder Melt vs Milani Make It Last Dewy – This was another round where I really struggled to pick a winner. Right after spraying, Milani Make It Last Dewy looked more natural, while One/Size Powder Melt looked noticeably glassier and glowier. Both melted my powders together nicely, but the Milani felt like it slightly thinned the makeup, while One/Size kept everything more intact at the start. By my 6:30 p.m. check in though, most people I sent photos to actually preferred the Milani side because it looked smoother, even though the One/Size side held the makeup a little better. By the end of the day, both sides honestly still looked great and I’m not sure you’d really be able to tell the difference. So, I’m giving this round to Milani for that tiny bit of a smoother, less textured, more natural finish overall, and the huge price difference between them. The One/Size is still one of my favorites, and I will absolutely be finishing this bottle, but I feel confident recommending the Milani for a dewy, melt your makeup together spray.

Bye round: Hourglass Veil Soft Focus moves on. Because of the number of sprays in this showdown, one of them had to get a bye round this time, and Hourglass Veil Soft Focus is the one moving on automatically based on how the bracket shook out. I don’t mind at all, because it was one of my favorites from Round 1, and I’m excited to see how it stacks up against the Milani Make It Last Dewy.

Who’s moving on from this round: MAC Fix+ Stay Over, Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Spray, Milani Make It Last Dewy, and Hourglass Veil Soft Focus.

What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.

Setting Spray Showdown Round 1, Match 2 – MAC Fix+ Stay Over vs. Ulta Beauty Dewy Glaze Setting Spray

Featuredby liftbakeloveLeave a Comment on Setting Spray Showdown Round 1, Match 2 – MAC Fix+ Stay Over vs. Ulta Beauty Dewy Glaze Setting Spray

This is the second match of the first round in my setting spray showdown series, where I’m testing popular formulas side by side to see what actually makes a difference in real life. I’ll be doing the same makeup, with the same lighting, for at least 16 hours for each test. I’ve also been testing all of these setting sprays for months before doing these elimination rounds. For this round, I tested Mac Fix+ Stay Over on one side of my face against Ulta Beauty Dewy Glaze Setting Spray on the other side of my face. In this post, all links are affiliate links (thank you for your support!), but all opinions are my own.

Right after applying both sides, I was actually surprised by how similar they looked given how the tests up to this point had gone. Each gave me a dewy, healthy skin finish with all my makeup melted together. That’s one of the things I’ve loved about Mac Fix+ for years and why it’s been my go to when my face is a little too dry or powdery. The Ulta side stayed noticeably damp for a while and even felt a little cold on my face for the first ten minutes whereas the MAC side set down almost immediately and felt smooth and balanced. Once both sides dried, I couldn’t tell them apart visually, but I definitely could by touch. The Ulta side felt heavier and stickier, while the MAC side was practically weightless. This was in line with my experience so far, but it really stood out having them on my face at the same time.

A few hours later, the Ulta side began emphasizing texture I don’t usually notice, especially on my cheeks and forehead. It also never quite lost that slightly tacky feel. The MAC side stayed blurred and still felt comfortable and light. I asked a couple of people to compare both sides, and they all said that the Ulta side looked heavier and showed texture they hadn’t noticed before, while the MAC side looked smoother and more even. This was true both in pictures and in person.

By the end of the night (about 16 hours later), both sides still looked okay from a distance, but up close, the MAC side was the clear winner. The Ulta side still felt sticky and congested, while the MAC side stayed breathable and lightweight. I was pleasantly surprised that the MAC side actually kept the makeup look going as well as the Ulta side because I’m always a little suspicious if the Fix+ is doing anything. Now I can confirm that not only is it working, but it looked so much better on that side by the end of the day.

Who’s moving on?
If you want that soft-focus, weightless finish that keeps your makeup looking the same all day, MAC Fix+ Stay Over is the clear winner. If you prefer a shinier, ultra-dewy look and don’t mind a tackier feel, Ulta Beauty Dewy Glaze Setting Spray still gives a nice glow at first and might work better for very dry skin. I would take the glaze in the name seriously. After a full day of wear, Fix+ held up beautifully and stayed smooth, blurred, and balanced from start to finish, while the Ulta side started to emphasize texture I didn’t even know I had. This completely matches my past experience using Fix+, where it’s never let me down through long workdays, travel, or workouts. I was really hoping a more affordable option would win this round, but MAC Fix+ Stay Over moves on!

Stay tuned for the next round and more chances for drugstore products to move on! What other products would you like me to review? Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.