All About Setting Spray Part Three: The Best Setting Sprays for SFX

Whether you're a beginner or a long-time SFX artist, you know each transformation can take hours, so a proper setting spray can help prevent your hard work from smearing, fading, and sweating away.

In this installment of "All About Setting Spray", we're outlining the best sealers for special effects makeup and sharing a few tips to get the most mileage out of your makeup!

When it comes to SFX makeup, alcohol-based setting sprays are often the top choice. They dry faster, form the strongest seal for your makeup, and are the best option to seal in alcohol-activated paints. Our most popular alcohol-based setting sprays are Ben Nye Final Seal and PPI Green Marble Selr Spray, and both are available in a range of sizes to suit your sealing needs. f you are you working on set for a bigger production requiring a large amount of sealer, we offer larger 16 oz. bottles of Ben Nye Final Seal and a gallon jug of Euopean Body Art Pro Seal Spray.

If you have sensitive or extremely dry skin, a water-based sealer like PPI Blue Marble SeLr may be a better option. Blue Marble was designed by award winning makeup artists Richard Snell (How the Grinch Stole Christmas [2000], Star Trek) & Kenny Myers (Lincoln, The Last Samurai), as an alternative for those with sensitive skin or artists seeking a water-based alternative to the best selling alcohol-based Green Marble SeLr spray. Along with being safe enough for everyday use on sensitive skin, Blue Marble is durable enough for street makeup and heavy theatrical greasepaint looks and strong enough for special effects just short of underwater work. It's also a favorite for face painters, especially those work with children and clients with sensitive skin. Talk about a versatile sealer!

PRO TIP: Applying a thin layer of moisturizer can go a long way when using a richly pigmented product like Ben Nye Clown White. This step will aide in creating an even application, as it will prevent it from clinging to dry patches on your skin.

The steps you take before applying makeup can be just as important as applying sealer. Start with freshly cleansed skin, and apply a thin layer of moisturizer before getting started. If you're applying any prosthetics, you can skip moisturizer as it can prevent the adhesive from being as effective.

If you're prone to sweating, you may also want to consider a product that's intended to slow down or stop perspiration like Alcone Stop the Sweat, Ben Nye Final Seal, or Mehron Skin Prep Pro.

Setting makeup around the eye area can be tricky for SFX artists that need it to stay in place all day. Our Beauty Advisors recommend taking a damp makeup sponge that has been spritzed with Blue Marble SeLr and pressing the sealer onto the skin around your eye. This technique not only prevents any product from accidentally getting into your eye but also concentrates the sealer application on a very delicate area. The skin around your eyes also moves each time you make an expression, look around or even blink, so don't forget to set it well!

For best results, use a clean sponge each time you use this method. If you want to re-use the sponge, be sure to give it a good wash with a good brush cleaner like Crazy Merman Brush Soap to remove all of the setting spray.

SFX makeup that has been set with sealer can be harder to remove than regular makeup, but a good oil-based remover like Ben Nye Remove It All or Cinema Secrets Break It Down Waterproof Makeup Remover will do the trick! Be extra careful removing the makeup around your eyes, and consider using a purifying scrub, mask, or a moisturizing cleanser to leave your skin both clean and hydrated.

If your SFX look included prosthetics, remove them gently and try to avoid the urge to peel them off too swiftly. Doing so can damage your skin. A calming sheet mask like the FITISH Beauty Sheet Mask can soothe your skin after a long day of wearing heavy makeup.

Have a question that we haven't answered? We are here to help! Email one of our Beauty Advisors by clicking here.

Want to read our other blog posts in our All About Setting Sprays series? Click here to learn more about the best setting sprays for every day, or here to learn more about Ben Nye Final Seal, one of the most popular setting sprays in the professional makeup industry.

Camera Ready Cosmetics was founded in 2003 by Makeup Artist Mary Erickson. She dreamed of having a pro makeup showroom where artists could play with professional products without the typical makeup store attitude.

Today, our team of beauty industry veterans work together to curate the best quality products on the market. We partner with brands who respect the industry and formulate products for true working artists. You won’t find CRC in high-end malls, and we don't wear matching brush belts.

If you want to play with products for a few hours and buy nothing, that's okay ... come in and play! Our store is your playground.