There are a few royal protocols every true Pilates Princess seems to follow. One, they arrive at class in their brightest, stretchiest matching sets (usually by Alo Yoga or FP Movement). Two, they reserve a reformer at the front of the room, the better for cashing in their first-name basis perks with the instructor. And three, they hit every spicy advanced move with a full face beat. Hailey Bieber, Lori Harvey, Kaia Gerber, and their everyday counterparts (of which there are many) aren't intimidated by the possibilities of sweat clogging their pores or streaking through their foundation. They wear makeup to class with pride; that's how they get their power.
For all I know, those women use some sort of witchcraft to end a 45-minute torture session with the same smooth, glowy makeup they started with. But I don't need magic to be coronated Pilates royalty; Rihanna has a more readily available solution. Today, Fenty Beauty is unveiling You Mist, a $32 setting spray that promises 12-hour makeup wear, and a shield against transfer, humidity, and sweat.
The mogul announced You Mists's impending debut last week with a fresh pixie cut—and an invitation for editors to put the formula to the test. Rihanna's team sent me to sweat at Forma Pilates, the hyper-exclusive studio frequented by the aforementioned fitness monarchs, in a full face of Fenty Beauty. There, I'd find out if I too could develop a workout beauty stack worthy of a crown.
You Mist wasn't engineered just for people who try to squeeze squats, lunges, and bridges in before work. Its lightweight mix of wild thyme extract (for hydration) and proprietary anti-pollution and longwear ingredients purports to keep up with anyone on the go: in high-stress work situations, in every genre of exercise, in paparazzi photos and Super Bowl performances (if you're Rihanna).
"I wanted to make a setting spray that really locks in your makeup but moves with you, not against you," Rihanna said in a brand statement. "We spend the time putting on our makeup, we deserve to have it last."
I wasn't sure that promise could be kept when I sat down in the Fenty Beauty chair before class. A Fenty Beauty makeup artist doused me in You Mist both before and after going in with Fenty Beauty's Soft'lit foundation and Cheeks Out blush. The spray landed on my skin light and cool. It dried within seconds. The finish sat somewhere between matte and dewy—my skin, but better.
When class began, I still expected a current of sweaty makeup to stream down my face anyway. Set one of tabletop crunches and leg extensions made my entire core shake and my warm-up sweater feel like a down parka. By the following lower body segment, I started believing in a higher power again—if only for somewhere to direct my pleas for the burning in my inner thighs to stop.
Post-Forma selfies showed me that I only felt like a melted candle. True to Rihanna's word, all those reps didn't affect my makeup in the slightest. My foundation hadn't caked around my hairline or congealed at my neck; it was still, somehow, perfectly smooth.
Cut to a few hours later, back at Marie Claire's offices for a busy afternoon of fashion week planning and It-shoe trend spotting. My hair needed reviving with a dry shampoo puff and I'd changed out of leggings into work-appropriate trousers. My makeup, however, passed the no-touch-up test. It was still smooth, even, and just a little bit glowy, like I'd gone straight from the MUA's chair to my desk chair without a crunch-filled detour in between. Time ticked on until I logged off without an oily shine developing on my nose or hints of redness popping up on my cheeks. When Rihanna said this setting spray's formula locked in, she clearly meant it.
A week after my first Fenty Beauty setting spray test-drive, I feel a step closer to becoming reformer Pilates royalty. I still need to work on my form (and my wardrobe). But I have shown up to class with my full face on—with a spray guaranteeing I'll be all set.
My Rihanna-Approved Workout Makeup Routine
These are the products I tested beneath Fenty Beauty's debut setting spray. Three of four are headed into my gym bag with You Mist.
Rihanna's favorite product for evening out her skin's tone and texture is now mine, too. A few pumps on the zones where I'm most prone to redness and oil—my forehead, cheeks, and chin—went a long way after they were smoothed out with a foundation brush. Before the setting spray, it was light and luminous; hours after class, I didn't need any touch-ups or re-applications.
Presenting the second-most impressive innovation I encountered on my way into class. This tool fits every working definition of a foundation brush, but the bristles are so soft and compact, it feels like a makeup sponge. My foundation looked more like a second, oil-free skin by the time this brush blended it out.
I thought my natural flush from cranking out fire hydrant reps would be enough color for me. Then the Fenty team dusted my cheeks with this peach-meets-terracotta blush ahead of class, and I was proven incorrect. While I more often stick to light pink (like Rhode's "Piggy" blush) or none at all, this shade convinced me to give orange a try—it glowed like a sunset before and after my sweat session.
By the time I reached the class's second ab-focused section, my lips weren't as shiny as they were 45 minutes before. (When you're chugging water out of a Hydroflask, you're bound to leave some lip gloss behind.) They were, however, moisturized and smooth. I trust the new setting mist for skincare—but anything beyond a lip balm is better saved for outside the Pilates studio.
