I Tested FORTA's Lock & Go Setting Spray That’s Built to Survive a WNBA Game

A few weeks ago, I met with the founders of FORTA Cosmetics, and the conversation quickly turned into a beauty gripe that felt almost universally relatable: makeup that simply can’t keep up with a real day. Not one where I'm perfectly sat at a desk—the kind that involves rushing out the door, running between obligations on a sweaty subway, maybe squeezing in a quick workout, and hoping my makeup still resembles what I applied that morning.

The brand was founded by Lexie Hull—a WNBA player for the Indiana Fever—and her former Stanford roommate, Sarah Guller. Their lives look very different on paper, but their frustration with makeup longevity proved the same. Hull, naturally, deals with sweat and constant movement as part of her job as a professional athlete, while Guller approached the issue from a more everyday perspective, as a working professional. Hull and Guller weren’t trying to reinvent beauty or sell some overly complicated routine; they just wanted something that could keep up with how people actually move through their days.

Studies have shown that women are less likely to identify as athletes compared to men who work out the same amount, Gull explained to me. "That said, a lot of women are super active—whether she’s a working mom, a pilates girl, or just someone going out for the night, she is going to face movement, heat, and maybe even some level of sweat." That idea ultimately led to the brand’s first launch, Lock & Go Setting Spray.

During development, the founders told me the testing process was anything but theoretical—Hull and her fellow professional athletes wore early versions through practices and games, pushing the setting spray formula through sweat, heat, and constant movement. “If someone’s makeup came off on their towel or jersey,” Guller said, “it was back to the lab.” After cycling through more than 20 versions of the formula, the idea was straightforward: if it could hold up on a WNBA court, it could probably survive a normal day, too.

After the Indiana Fever players had their go, it was my turn. Here's my honest review of the new FORTA Lock & Go Setting Spray.

The Formula

When I looked at the ingredient list for Lock & Go Setting Spray, it’s fairly straightforward—which, in my opinion, is great; I prefer a short list when it comes to setting sprays. For the gist: The base starts with water and alcohol, which helps the mist dry quickly and set makeup in place without feeling sticky—something that’s especially helpful if you’re sweating, since a faster-drying formula is less likely to slide around on the skin. There are also a few ingredients—like butylene glycol and propanediol—that add lightweight hydration, so the spray doesn’t leave skin feeling tight or overly matte as the day goes on.

The ingredient doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to hold is PVP, a common film-forming ingredient that creates a thin, invisible layer over your makeup to help keep it from moving around, even when heat or sweat enter the picture. Most importantly, the formula is labeled non-comedogenic, meaning it’s designed not to clog pores. That’s excellent news if you’re someone who tends to sweat while wearing makeup, since locking everything in place won’t necessarily mean trapping oil and debris against your skin.

The Application and Wear

I applied Lock & Go Setting Spray the way I normally would with any setting spray: as the final step in my routine, holding the bottle about a few inches from my face and misting it over everything. The spray itself is impressively fine—more of a cloud than a direct spritz—which helps it settle evenly without disturbing the makeup underneath.

What I noticed most once it dried down was what wasn’t happening. My skin didn’t feel sticky, and my makeup didn’t develop that slightly tight feeling some formulas can leave behind. Instead, everything just had a settled look to it. My foundation stayed smooth without patching up in dry areas, my blush remained when it hit mid-afternoon, and no makeup transferred onto my phone screen the way it often does during a call. It’s the kind of setting spray that quietly does its job; I don’t feel it's working, but I noticed my makeup still looks pretty much the same hours later.

The Takeaway

After testing Lock & Go Setting Spray for a few days, what stood out to me most was how effortless it felt. Some long-wear setting sprays make their presence very known with tight skin, a nasty smell, and a heavy mist. This one is much subtler. My makeup simply looked the same hours later, which, honestly, is exactly what you want from a product like this.

Is it going to survive a literal professional basketball game the way it was designed to? I’ll leave that to Hull. But for long workdays, commuting around the city, and the general tasks of everyday life, it held up impressively well.

Shop My Other Favorite Setting Sprays

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