I Tested 9 Setting Sprays To See If They Actually Do Anything

Until a few months ago, I had never even owned a setting spray. I'd seen them around and they looked nice and all, but I never gave them much thought. Now, setting sprays are as ubiquitous as fidget spinners. You can't get through a YouTube tutorial without a vlogger mentioning them, Kim Kardashian won't shut up about them, and they seem to be the first thing performers recommend across the board.

But do these fancy-looking face mists actually do anything? Reviews on Sephora and Reddit seem to suggest so, but I wasn't totally convinced. So, I decided to put some of the most hyped-up sprays through the wringer (a.k.a. a humid August day in New York City) and document my experience for the world.

Throughout my testing period, I made sure to take my progress photos at the same times (before work, at noon, and at the end of the day), and use the same base makeup as a control. Check out my results, ahead.