Milani says it was founded in 2001 by an art teacher in Los Angeles, according to its own press release. She fell for the culture of the community and was frustrated by how little range the drugstore makeup aisle offered. Other sources I found date the launch to 2002, so I will stay with "around 2001." The brand's craft story is the baked powders. Milani says its baked blushes are slow baked on Italian terracotta tile, starting as a cream dough that dries down into a silky powder.

A milani setting spray is the other thing most people know it for. The Make It Last Original page says up to 24 hours of wear, waterproof and sweatproof, with 2% niacinamide and glycerin. It also calls it America's number one setting spray, based on Nielsen data for the 52 weeks ending July 15, 2023, a claim the brand footnotes itself. Milani adds that if you get a bottle marked 16HR, the formula inside is the same.

The first grid is all Milani, with two sprays, three powders and three primers. The second grid is eight setting sprays and mists from other brands to compare, from matte to glowy. My tip: prime first, powder only where you shine, and spray last from arm's length.

Milani Make It Last Original is the natural-finish spray, and the one I would start with. It carries the claim of up to 24 hours, waterproof and sweatproof. It hydrates and sets, and it is the shortest route from a rushed morning to makeup that holds. Make It Last Dewy primes, sets and hydrates with a brightness boost, up to 16 hours, which makes it the one for drier skin.

The primers are the step underneath. Conceal + Perfect Blur Out Smoothing Primer grips makeup, blurs pores and fine lines, and moisturizes with nourishing actives. Skin Quench Hydrating Face Primer preps dry skin, and No Pore Zone Mattifying Face Primer is aimed at oily skin and the look of pores. Choose the one that matches your skin, not the one with the nicest packaging.

The powders cover three finishes. Baked Blurring Finishing Powder gives an airbrushed finish with up to 12 hours of buildable wear, and it ties back to the baked story above. Conceal + Perfect Blur Out Powder is finely milled, talc-free and silky, for a filtered finish. Make It Last Mattifying Setting Powder is a micro-fine pressed powder that absorbs excess oil, and it is the compact I would tuck in a bag for midday.

What I would skip: No Pore Zone if your skin runs dry. Matte primer on dry patches only makes them louder, and no powder will fix that.

For matte skin, ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr On 'Til Dawn is a waterproof matte spray with green tea and witch hazel, and MILK MAKEUP Pore Eclipse is an alcohol-free matte spray with niacinamide that helps blur pores. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Matte is waterproof and absorbs oil, with a soft-focus finish.

For natural wear, Urban Decay All Nighter Natural Finish is the 24 hour waterproof one, with an ultrafine mist and a cooling effect on skin. DIOR Backstage Airflash Mist is a natural-finish spray, waterproof and smudgeproof, with up to 24 hours of hydration.

For glow and dry skin, MAC Cosmetics Fix+ is alcohol-free and hydrating, with green tea, chamomile and cucumber, and it primes, sets and refreshes. MAKE UP FOR EVER Mist & Fix has hyaluronic acid and aloe vera for hydration and a radiant finish. NARS Light Reflecting Hydrating Makeup Setting Mist sets, hydrates and leaves skin feeling supple, and the brand says it is alcohol-free.

To see how these stack up, set the same face with each one on different days. Look at your T-zone at lunch and your cheeks at night, and keep the one that still feels like skin. A spray should never feel like a mask.

What I would skip: the matte sprays on dry or flaky skin. A hydrating mist will treat you better.

I think a setting spray does its best work when the rest of the face is ready for it. Milani makes that easy, because the primers and powders in the first grid sit next to the spray. Oily skin can run matte, dry skin can run dewy, and everyone benefits from a little powder only where they need it. Try the Original first and give it a full day. If the finish is not what you want, the second grid has a spray for every skin type, and the matte ones are the ones I would hand to anyone who shines. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together OUAI Wave Spray, the Salt-Free Mist Jen Atkin Launched in 2016 and L'Oréal Setting Spray and the Mists and Primers That Hold Makeup.