If you follow us on Twitter or Instagram, you may have seen me get over excited about the fact that Collection have a makeup setting spray for around £5. I believe it was launched towards the end of last year, but the first time I saw it in-store was about a month or two ago – I’m not sure if this was me being horribly unobservant or if it hadn’t been stocked in Birmingham until then! I got it from Boots, if anyone is at all interested.

I think Claire and I have garnered ourselves a bit of a reputation for being bargain hunters (though I think in reality, we are just cheap and driven by poverty paha), so I’m always on the hunt for cheap-yet-quality makeup products. As far as setting sprays go, I’m a bit of a novice (hairspray on the face, anyone?). After doing a bit of research, I gather that there aren’t a huge number of fixing sprays on the market. Urban Decay do one called ‘All Nighter’ for £19, which generally has rave reviews – as does the Clarins Fix’ Makeup spray, which will set you back £18.50. I’ve heard conflicting things about the Mac Fix+ (£11) product, which teeter between rave reviews and confusion as to whether it actually is a setting spray or not (some say it’s more of a brightener?). Armed with this information, I still decided to invest in the Collection ‘Fix Me Up’ setting mist because it was one of the cheaper versions, and I’m generally a fan of their makeup products.

Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite deliver. Claire and I have this strange compulsion to like products and feel extremely disappointed if they aren’t really what we wanted. This is mainly why I was so sad that the Collection setting spray wasn’t great – and there are quite a few reasons why it just is a bit crap. I thought I’d set them out in list form because who doesn’t love a list, quite frankly?! (probably people with list phobias).

1. IT’S FALSE ECONOMY. For £5.99, you only get 18ml. I’m sure there’s a way of working out the maths but I am genuinely useless at that sort of behavior. Let’s just say that you may as well get the 118ml Urban Decay spray for £19.

2. It’s a bit damp. The packaging describes it as being a “weightless mist” but to the packaging I say “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT, have you gone mad.” I think the problem is the spray nozzle – it kind of comes out in squirts and doesn’t cover your whole face brilliantly (I’m sorry for how wrong this sounds). It just leaves you feeling a bit soggy and rained on.

3. The product doesn’t actually do very much. This probably should be at the top of the list but hey ho, I’m a maverick. I wouldn’t say I noticed a huge difference in my makeup staying on. For a girl who is genuinely a disco ball without powder, I was really disappointed. The setting spray didn’t deliver really and to that I say GOOD DAY SIR.

So, not a great review of Collection 2000’s ‘Fix Me Up’ makeup fixer. I would say that I don’t hate the fragrance as much as other bloggers seem to – it does smell a bit cheap but I quite like it! Other than that, I don’t really have anything good to say. Sorry Collection, but you have let me down on this occasion. The hunt for a good setting spray continues – I think I’m going to give the Ubran Decay ‘All Nighter’ setting spray a go after pay day and see how that treats my sheeny shiny face. After that…WHO KNOWS?!

Any of you lovely ladies have any other recommendations?