I Spent the Weekend Dancing to Charli XCX—But this Setting Spray Ensured My Make-Up Survived the Heat, Dust and Sweat

Perfect for festival season

Kate Moss
(Image credit: Getty Images)

We are fully in the throes of festival season, and although I didn't manage to secure a ticket to Glastonbury this year (the less we say on that, the better), I have made it my mission this summer to see as much live music as possible. This began last weekend at Charli XCX's headline day at Victoria Park's LIDO festival, and I'm looking forward to All Points East and Hyde Park's British Summertime over the coming months. It isn't quite five whole days at Worthy Farm... But it certainly takes the sting out of Glasto, especially considering how great the lineups are.

One thing I've never managed to perfect, though is festival beauty. Oftentimes, I won't wear anything for fear of it sweating off and streaming down my face. After all, getting mucky and in the midst of things is part and parcel of being at a festival—but I am a beauty editor by trade and if I have bothered to apply make-up, I don't want it to slip and slide. So, when I attended LIDO festival this past saturday, I thought I would try something new: setting spray.

I know. I know. Everyone and their mother uses setting spray, but I've tried the gamut of "long-wearing" mists, and honestly never noticed a difference. That was, until, I spied a bottle of the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray sitting on my countertop.

The instructions told me to spray a generous amount both before and after application. I did as I was told, and was shocked to find that even despite the heat, sweat, dancing, and general shenanigans that my base and dark smoky eye stayed put right up until 1 AM.

Sure, it didn't look as fresh as it did 12 hours prior, but it survived the dust, grit, and nothing on my face streamed or looked patchy or dry. My only complaint? I don't own the mini version for my upcoming holiday.

Nessa Humayun
Beauty Editor

Nessa Humayun is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire UK. With over eight years of editorial experience across lifestyle sectors, Nessa was previously the Editorial Lead of HUNGER Magazine, and has bylines in British Vogue, Dazed, and Cosmopolitan. A self-confessed human guinea pig, Nessa covers everything from product must-haves to long-reads about the industry writ large. Her beauty ethos is all about using products that work hard, so you don't have to.