When I realised I was jetting away on holiday early last month, it's fair to say I was in a state of mild panic (I jest...of course I was rather excited to say the least but it did mean a dash around the shops and a quick re-evaluation of my current summer wardobe). After all, for any beauty obsessive, packing a suitcase is more than just gathering a selection of SPFs and throwing in a few pretty dresses and trusty Primark flip-flops - it means re-thinking your entire makeup routine. As well as a shift in foundation shades and the ever so tough task of condensing your rather sizable lipstick collection, all of a sudden you begin to think of the practicalities. Makeup and a humid climate doesn't exactly equal the easiest combination and a perfectly applied face of makeup can go from 'smokey eye' to 'i look like I've just been walloped in the eye' rather quickly. I took this as my excuse to finally purchase one of Urban Decay's Setting Sprays.
Firstly, I'll say that I don't have the oiliest skin in the world - in fact, it can be quite dry at times and I don't struggle an awful lot with shine. However, when I'm on holiday or during the summer months in the UK, i do struggle to keep my makeup firmly in place and I often get home and find that it's basically evaporated from my face. Never a good look. When I found the 'travel' sizes of Urban Decay's Setting Sprays online for £9.00 on a last minute internet shopping spree (got to love those last-minute panic buys!) - I knew I had to give one a go. I settled on 'De-Slick' over the 'All Nighter' version. To be honest, I couldn't really see a great deal of difference between the two and both received equally rave reviews. I thought that 'De-Slick' might work better in warmer climates as it promised to keep skin looking matte and shine-free, whilst helping to control oil and keep makeup looking freshly applied. As I was going away on holiday, anything that promised to reduce pesky 'flashback' shine in photographs was a winner for me. Did it do the job though?
I have to say - i did notice a difference when I used this. I put it through some tough tests, that's for sure! Before I went to Crete, I used this in London for a week where I was needing to keep my makeup in place from 7 in the morning until 10 at night some days. It was also a bloomin' hot week and I spent the majority of it inside a huge exhibition centre (admitedly with the help of some rather breezy air-con but it was still a makeup nightmare!) It did a smashing job, I'll give it that. I wouldn't say it looked freshly applied all day but it definitely helped to keep it in place and I didn't have to touch up my concealer as much. I was particularly impressed at how well it kept my foundation from smudging or disappearing from my face and when I went to top-up mid-way through the day, I found that my 'problem areas' (my chin and nose area) were still virtually in tact and there was minimal movement/fading. In Crete, it kept my foundation in place without the need for over-powdering and I definitely think it helped to reduce shine in photographs. I didn't feel as much of a 'hot mess' - put it that way! I will point out that I always prime my skin before makeup and I always use a dusting of light powder - I used the setting spray as a finishing touch and didn't substitute it for my usual powder and primer. The travel size was just perfect and even though it's had a fair bit of use, I still have plenty left. It was the perfect suitcase companion.
Overall, it was a fabulous buy. I'll definitely be taking it away on holiday with me again and I've been enjoying using it through the warmer weather. Don't expect miracles from it - but it definitely does do what it claims to do and I noticed a good bit of difference in the longevity of my makeup. It's not cheap, and I'm still unsure if I'd actually buy the full version - I haven't tried any cheaper alternatives on the market so I'm undecided as to whether or not the price-tag is completely justified. However, this being said, I'd definitely consider buying another bottle next summer - it came in so handy on my recent holiday and I was suitably impressed at how well it performed. You can't find the travel sizes everywhere, so if you fancy giving the smaller bottle a go before you part with the cash for the full-size, you can buy the £9.00 version from Debenhams website here and also on Feel Unique here.
Have you tried Urban Decay's setting sprays?
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