Even though I do my makeup in five minutes flat, one of my biggest beauty pet peeves is having my mascara/blush/eyeshadow/foundation fade into oblivion after a few hours of wear. I know I may be part of the problem — but it’s for a reason.
If you want your glam to last, you’ve got a few options. You can apply a primer before your makeup so it has more grip on your face (not my thing). You can swipe on a setting powder (also not my thing). Or you can spritz a setting spray, which has traditionally meant covering your skin with a hairspray-like formula that feels suffocating on your pores.
Saie, the beloved clean beauty brand, has decided to break tradition in the latter category. On Dec. 26, it introduced CitySet, a lightweight setting spray with skin-friendly ingredients and actually comfortable wear. Read on for everything to know about the launch — including whether it delivers on its promise of keeping your makeup in place all day.
Fast Facts
- Price: $34 for 3.21 oz, $18 for 1 oz bottle.
- Best for: Light-as-air skin and makeup protection that lasts.
- Rating: 4.8/5
- What I like: The superfine mist feels like nothing on the skin, helps makeup stay put, and leaves behind a soft, dewy finish.
Saie’s CitySet Setting Spray
Saie founder Laney Crowell avoided setting sprays for the same reasons many people do: They can irritate the skin, and their tacky formulas often lead to breakouts. That’s because, to do their job of setting makeup in place, most sprays rely on synthetic polymers. These are large molecules that give products durability and flexibility, and are used to create things like plastic. The result? A finish that’s effective, but heavy, uncomfortable, and far from nourishing.
After five years of development, Crowell and Saie finally perfected a setting mist that does the same job without the uncomfortable side effects. In place of synthetic polymers, CitySet uses hydrolyzed corn starch — a plant-based, biodegradable alternative that performs the same function, but with a more flexible, lightweight feel. It’s also aerosol-free, another feature that sets it apart from other options on the shelves, making it a more environmentally considerate option than many setting sprays on the market.
The mist contains glycogen and propanediol, two humectants that help draw moisture into the skin while enhancing radiance. Mandarin orange extract rounds out the formula, acting as a barrier-supporting ingredient that helps protect the complexion from environmental stressors.
My Review
As a longtime Saie fan, I had high hopes for its newest launch — and it did not disappoint. First of all, the misting function is impressive in itself. It disperses product evenly in a cloud-like veil, making application nearly foolproof. Really, it feels more like a refreshing face mist than a setting spray, which I’ve never experienced before in this product category.
After spritzing it on over my makeup, my face still looked glowy, not matte or caked-on (typical with many setting sprays). And I didn’t have to wait for it to dry down — it instantly settled in, sealing the pigmented layers beneath without disrupting them.
The real test, though, is whether a clean formula can battle it out with the heavy duty players that have come before it. After over a month of testing, I’ve found that it 100% holds its own. Each morning, I’d finish my routine with a few sprays, and my makeup was still intact by the time I returned to the sink to wash it off at night. I was especially impressed that it kept my cream blush and concealer in place — products that typically start to fade by mid-afternoon.
Perhaps most notably is that it did its setting job without feeling like an extra layer on top of my skin. In fact, it’s completely incognito — an invisible layer that ensures all the effort you put into your beat doesn’t go to waste.
The Verdict
As I said, I’ve never been into setting mists. Saie’s CitySet, however, is a unicorn in its category. It’s a joy to apply since it feels like a hydrating face mist, and taking this one extra step truly keeps your makeup on lock — without feeling like a sticky nuisance.
Whether it protects your glam for a full 16 hours, I’ll never know. I don’t stay awake long enough to test that claim. But for everyday wear, CitySet more than delivers. If your skin has historically hated setting sprays — or you’ve written them off altogether — this one is worth reconsidering.
