It always seemed kind of odd for me to see skincare and makeup companies marketing what I had thought to be just fancy water in a spray bottle. I never really took the time to investigate what exact purpose these concoctions served, and really just let the idea of them serving any purpose go altogether. Even after reading some of the ingredients on most of the these "mists" of the past, I was still turned off by the idea of spending $20-$40 on something that I thought moisturizer could fix; in my mind, moisturizer fixed everything!
Recently my skin has started to feel tight and often dry, even though it is the middle of summer and I have slathered super-rich "tan extender" on every square inch of my body including my face
multiple a few times. Day time moisturizer just does not seem like the best option for hot + humid weather - I know my makeup would surely slide off my face by mid day. So, after a little bit of research, I was right back where I had once strayed away from: debunking the myth of the facial mists.
In the past I had tried Evian's mineral water spray, and I felt like it really did nothing except for drain my pockets and confuse my boyfriend as to why Evian was in a spray bottle hanging out in our bathroom ("Isn't that stuff like, for drinking?"). This was my first tango with a facial mist, and it didn't exactly go as smoothly as planned- and ultimately was probably what turned me off from learning about any other brands or types of mists as well. It was just recently brought to my attention that I was NOT using it right. Thermal water or mineral water sprays are slightly different than some of the newer mists on the market. These sprays actually need to be blotted off after initial application due to the fact that they are indeed just WATER, nothing else. SO, after you spray yourself down and the water dries, it will actually leave your face feeling even more dry than before. Mineral and Thermal water sprays have no ingredients to "bond" the water to your face and deliver moisture-so these are sadly just for "refreshment" and really deliver no added benefits.
However, some of the newer products on the market are still in fact just water; but they've been pumped up with exceptional bonus ingredients like essential oils and botanical extracts. Some of them deliver enough moisture to forgo lotions and creams during the day in warmer and more humid months-just what I needed!
How to Use
Apply under moisturizer. It's always recommended to apply body moisturizer on damp skin for the best result, so why are we not doing this with our faces? By spritzing your mist on damp skin you will actually trap moisture left from cleansing, especially when applying your moisturizer on top.
For Dewy Skin: Plump & Hydrate. Start with your skin fully saturated in your mist of choice, apply your foundation. For every layer, mist in between! By repeating in each layer, skin will appear more plump and hydrated than normal-YES!
Set Makeup & Remove powdery finish. If the "dewy" look is a little too much for you, try simply setting your makeup by misting before foundation, and once again after applying a finishing powder. By applying after your final layer this will remove some of the "cakey" or "powdery" finish you may often see.
A few we love:
Laura Mercier
Flawless Skin Perfecting Water Moisture Mist, $38, dermatologist tested, Ave42 approved; M.A.C.
Fix +, $21, use to perfect a "dewy skin" look.
Josie Maran,
Lavender Calming Mist, $24 lavender scent helps lull you to sleep while your skin is hydrated-pair with a moisturizer at bedtime for ultimate results.
Have you tried a facial mist you love and can't live without? Tell us about it!
XO,
AVE 42
