When is a facial mist not a facial mist, but something a whole lot more useful? I throw no shade on conventional mists: on a sizzling or tiring day, they’re just the ticket. When giving birth, emerging from the gym, or flashing hot in the menopausal sense, a liberal spritz of something hydrating, cooling and reviving can feel like iced tea in a Turkish bath. I’m all for them.
But I’m even more in favour of quick, easy, more multitasking skincare, and the new generation of facial mists promises more than mere hydration. I didn’t expect to love Isle of Paradise’s Day Dew Face Mist (£15.95, 100ml), but the fall has been hard. This does everything a good mist does in hydrating, reviving and plumping, but also contains vitamin C for instant glow, and self-tanning agents for a delayed one (expect a golden veil in four to six hours). It’s brilliant if you like facial self-tanners, but find it hard to slot another layer into an already full skincare routine. This just mists over makeup, maybe midmorning when the skincare grunt work is long since done and when you’re most likely to need a pick-me-up. The colour is noticeable yet subtle, so use it as a top-up every other day throughout the week, rather than as your base self-tanner. It smells uplifting, too. It contains no sun protection – but if that’s what you’re after, I have an extraordinarily good bargain to share.
Garnier’s Ambre Solaire Sensitive Hydrating Face Sun Cream Mist SPF50 (just £6 for 75ml), now lives in not one, but three of my handbags and a kitchen drawer. It’s fantastically convenient for following the normally impractical medical advice to top up one’s sun protection throughout the day, since it does so in only a few thoughtless seconds, without compromising carefully applied makeup. The extremely fine lotion coats thoroughly, but with no visible trace, and feels refreshing and enlivening, not sticky or greasy – making it suitable for all skin types, including oily.
Increasingly sophisticated formulae mean facial mists can impart serious moisture where needed. I’m especially impressed with Dr Jart’s Ceramidin Cream Mist (£13, 50ml), which somehow brings creamy, moisturising precipitation to all skin types (even very dry) with a dewy, yet greaseless glow. Spritz as often as you like, whenever skin feels parched, or if makeup has become cakey and dry. It immediately makes my skin look, and feel, downright juicy.
