May 23, 2023, 8:54 PM UTC

When I go on vacation to a tropical place, I usually leave most of my makeup at home. My skin falls more on the oily side of combination-oily skin, so wearing makeup in hot and humid weather, only to have it immediately melt off, is something I’d rather avoid.

However, on my most recent trip to Aruba, I brought some makeup with me just in case I decided to jazz things up for dinner one night. But unlike all the other times I’ve opted to leave my beauty bag at home, this time, I had a secret weapon with me: the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray.

I’d seen the setting spray on TikTok a few times — the hashtag #milanisettingspray has garnered 10 million views on the app to date — and between the low price tag and rave reviews, I was easily influenced to try it. Luckily, I came across the very last one in my local Target the day before leaving for vacation. Little did I know, that was a sign of great makeup days to come.

Milani Make It Last Setting Spray

Milani Make It Last Prime + Correct + Set Makeup Setting Spray - 2.03oz

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Make It Last Setting Spray

$11.99

$9.84

$10.99

Since my skin is so oily, I’m always on the hunt for a setting spray that will keep my makeup in place for as long as possible without needing many touchups from a blotting powder. The Milk Makeup HydroGrip was my go-to for a while, but TikTok is always introducing me to new things to try, and I’m not as committed to one setting spray as I am to, say, a foundation or concealer. I had high expectations for this Milani spray, especially after reading that it's formulated for 16-hour wear without makeup smudges or creasing. As an added bonus, it can also be used for priming and correcting.

While on vacation, both me and my sister used this setting spray four out of the five nights we were there, and we were both surprised at how well it held our makeup in place throughout the intense heat and humidity. I still had to use blotting powder on my oily T-zone throughout the night, but everything else (primer, foundation, concealer, eyebrow gel, mascara, setting powder and blush) remained unmoved. The way I measure how well my setting spray works is purely based on whether or not my mascara starts to give me "raccoon eyes" after a few hours. This one passed the test.

It lasts during the busiest of days ...

My nights on vacation were enough to sell me on this setting spray, so I kept it in my everyday routine. I continued to use blotting powder to manage oiliness, but to really see how this spray holds up, I decided to wear it during a regular day in New York City, without touching it up at all.

After a very generous, full-coverage application, I made sure the setting spray was dry to the touch before heading out the door. The first thing I did was spend about an hour and a half walking outside to run some errands. True to my New York roots, I speed walk everywhere (whether I’m in a rush or not) and tend to work up a sweat by the time I reach my destination. When I returned home, my makeup hadn't budged despite the line of sweat that had formed around my hairline.

.. even through a nap!

After sitting in front of the air conditioner to get rid of that post-walk sweat, I decided to take a catnap (I know sleeping in your makeup is skin care no-no, but when sleep calls, I always answer). I woke up after an hour-and-a-half snooze and found my all-white pillowcase completely clean. Even though I already believed in the spray, I was pleasantly surprised (and grateful for the state of my sheets).

By the time I was ready to take my makeup off, about 11 hours had elapsed and everything — including my mascara — was still in place. My oiliness was definitely showing and could stand to use some blotting powder, but my makeup was still intact! I even wiped a tissue across my cheek to see if anything would come off, but I only saw a very small amount of transfer that came from my nose area.

This setting spray has become my new go-to and will definitely be a beauty staple for summer. Gone are the days of foregoing makeup because of the heat!