Face Mist Comparison

As I've aged and my face has gotten dryer and more dehydrated, I've realized that ingredients like alcohol denat do not like my skin. This has made it a little difficult to find facial mists and skincare sprays I like, since alcohol denat is a popular ingredient in these products. I'm also sensitive to a few very odd things, like large amounts of niacinamide, which cuts out a lot of the nicer moisturizing mists. But I've managed to find a few mists that center on a very basic moisturizing ingredient, glycerin, and are free from alcohol denat or added perfumes. I've got three bottles hanging out in my collection right now.

First up, the social media darling: Glossier's Soothing Face Mist. Available at Glossier's website, a 4oz bottle will cost you $18; at $4.50 an ounce, it's the most expensive option on this list. But it does have a chic factor that the other two lack. This is partially due to the cute packaging (which you can cover with stickers, if you feel so inclined, courtesy of Glossier), but this spray also has the lightest feel. Two or three sprays will soak in to the skin rather quickly with no stickiness or residue. The Soothing Face Mist makes my skin feel a little softer and look a bit less flushed, but I didn't notice any major benefits to using it over makeup. I'd have expected a finer mist from this product, too, given the price. Weirdly enough, this stuff can burn if you get it in your eyes, so keep your lids shut for a good 10-15 seconds after you spray!

Next, we have the underrated contender: Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray. I'm on my second bottle of this stuff, and I paid about $10 for 4oz ($2.50/oz) on Amazon.com for both bottles. (You can also obtain this product from stores like Camera Ready Cosmetics.) Though it's not packaged very prettily, it is decently effective. I like to spritz this over my makeup to soften up my  base products and make them look less powdery. You can use this product under makeup as a sort of primer, or add a few spritzes to your skincare routine, but I prefer one of the rosewater mists on my bare skin, since they also have a comforting effect. Also, if you dislike the smell of roses, you'll definitely prefer this bottle.

Last, but not least, the weird cult classic: Heritage Rosewater and Glycerin Spray. Housed in a hot pink bottle complete with pseudo-scientific claims, it's the definition of tacky, which is probably why I was drawn to it. An 8oz bottle costs $10 ($1.25/oz) on Urban Outfitters. The formula is simple and dirt cheap, but I don't find it to be as soothing on the skin as the Glossier or as smoothing over makeup as the Cinema Secrets. Actually, it kind of makes my skin feel...sticky. That feeling goes away after about 30 minutes and I'm left with the desired softness, but the initial texture makes me less likely to spray it on my face. I prefer to spray it on my body when I feel a tad dry.

In the end, I think which spray you pick is going to depend on what you want from a glycerin spray. In a nutshell:

Glossier wins if you want something a little more luxe and don't mind a price hike.

Heritage wins if you're willing to tolerate temporary stickiness for a lower price.

Cinema Secrets wins if you want a spray that's more about softening your makeup than fitting in your skincare routine.

REVIEW: Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray

If you've been here for a while, you probably know that I used to love the Skindinavia Setting Sprays. I used those things almost every time I wore makeup: they made it last longer and they added a glow to my face. But as I've aged, my skin has gotten dryer and I've developed a stronger sensitivity to certain ingredients, particularly alcohol denat. Because Skindinavia is loaded with that ingredient, I had to find an alternative for every day wear. The Cinema Secrets spray was the most-recommended option.

The packaging for this product is very bland and unassuming, which isn't surprising, considering Cinema Secrets isn't really a mainstream brand. It's just a plastic spray bottle with a cap and some text printed on it. The spray nozzle on this bottle is just okay: it doesn't give me the finest mist, but it gets the job done. That being said, the bottle is easy to open, so you can easily transfer your product to a different container or refill your bottle. It's also clear so you can see how much you've used. Not pretty, but decently functional.

This is cheap stuff, too: I paid $10 for a 4oz bottle. Compare that to the $29 I used to pay for a 4oz bottle of Skindinavia. No contest!

The main ingredients in this product are water and glycerin, a gentle moisturizing ingredient. When spritzed on your face, the Cinema Secrets Moisture spray is supposed to rejuvenate dry skin, reduce the powdery look of makeup, and give your base a more "natural" effect.

To demonstrate this spray's effect, I decided to make my face more matte than usual. In the photo above, I am wearing MAC Face & Body foundation (one thin layer all over, plus a second thin layer on my nose and the apples of my cheeks), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Maybelline Dream Lumi pen concealer where needed, and a full layer of Dolce & Gabbana powder foundation. This is more powder than I would normally wear, but again, I wanted to demonstrate how this stuff works.

With that said, I don't think my before and after photos dramatically showcase the spray's impact. It is visible, though: my face goes from being relatively matte to slightly more glowy. There's a soft finish effect in the second set of photos that you can hopefully see; it's definitely obvious in real life that this spray softens it all up. When I posted these photos on Makeup Alley to get opinions (without saying what, exactly, was different between the two sets of photos), a lot of people mentioned that there appears to be more coverage in the second set. There isn't--it's the same base--but I think it looks like better coverage because the spray evens things out so much.

Also, note that I'm not wearing mascara in these photos. I do that last because I use a spray; no matter how good a spray is, it's still water, and it can make your mascara a runny mess.

Hopefully, this macro shot demonstrates things a little better. As you can see, my skin looks like skin, despite the fact that I'm wearing several layers of base makeup. I also look relatively smooth and hydrated, even though I'm wearing a matte powder.

You can spritz the Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray on your face before you apply your makeup as well, and I have tested that out. It does work well--my makeup slid over my skin very easily, and it added the same glow and softness--but I just find it more comfortable to spray this on top of my makeup. It's also good for touch-ups throughout the day if I start to look dehydrated.

The one problem I have with this product is that it doesn't dry quickly on its own. After spritzing my face with 5-6 sprays, I have to fan myself with a book for about 15 seconds to get it to dry down. If I spray a little too heavily, I may have to pat the liquid in to my skin. It's only a minor inconvenience, especially given how much I like the finished effect, but it's still worth mentioning.

As a final note, you may have heard that this product is a dupe for MAC Fix +. It isn't an exact dupe: the MAC version has more ingredients, like caffeine and some extra moisturizers. That being said, I find that they give the same effect. Neither product "holds" makeup in place, but neither product is supposed to--and if you don't believe me, you can check the products' claim pages.

Overall, I absolutely love this product. I'm considering buying a different bottle that produces a finer mist, but given how cheap the refill bottles of this spray are, it's worth it. If your skin is dry or dehydrated, give this a shot!

RATING: 5 out of 5

NOTE: I buy my Cinema Secrets Moisture Spray from Amazon.com.