I am a makeup minimalist. Mainly because I'd rather get that extra twenty minutes of sleep in before I start my day. Most mornings I wake up, wash my face, apply my vitamin C serum, put on a little-tinted moisturizer, and I'm out the door in twenty minutes flat.
But, on days when I have auditions, I take a little more time with my makeup routine, adding concealer, powder, a slight contour, and bright lip color (MAC Lady Danger) to the mix. As a person with combination skin, I am blotting by the time I walk into work. Thus, I thought it was time to find a setting spray to help keep my makeup and t-zone shine free.
I hit up Google to find the best setting spray with a reasonable price point (y'all know I'm on a budget), and I found Milani Make It Last Setting Spray.
It had between a 4.4 and 4.8 rating on Ulta and Target, and and it was about $10. Now, I've never used a setting spray because I've been nervous that it might irritate my skin, but hey, I'm willing to try anything once to see if it works. I decided to give it a try on one of my audition days.
Here's how it went:
9 AM
I called my Uber and ran out the door. I over-powdered my face, and the spray helped my makeup look more natural.
11 AM
My face was still pretty matte, well, at least as far as my skin goes.
2 PM
By 2:00 pm on any given day, I'd be an oil slick and would need to blot and touch up my face with powder, but no extra powder was necessary. I was really happy with how my makeup looked before I headed out to my audition. I was still a little oily in the usual spots, but I wasn't glistening. The only thing I added was my lipstick.
5 PM
Okay, so by 5:00, I was oily. That shine on my cheek is not highlight. It is pure oil from my pores, but I am still happy with how my makeup wore throughout the day.
Overall, I think this setting spray is one that I will continue to use. It is now a part of what I call my audition makeup kit. I take it with me everywhere I go.
Do you have any go-to setting sprays or tricks to make your makeup look last all day? Share them with us in the comments!
Want more stories like this? Check out more articles from our "I Tried It" section down below:
I Tried 9 Budget-Friendly Drugstore Mascaras And Here's My Review
I Tried It: 5 Longwear Lipsticks That Are Actually Worth The Coin
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To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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