When you become someone who is obsessed with skincare as I am – or we are, here at Team KULALA – you start to realise just how many things you can put on a single face. Needs start mixing in with wants and as the years progress, your skincare routine goes from zilch to a complicated ritual of precise proportions. Do I need every single one of the products I use? Probably not. Do they make me and my skin feel better? For sure. Then again, do we really need anything?

Facial mists are like that. They’re not as important as cleansers or primers or setting sprays or smudgeproof mascaras. Unlike, say, moisturisers or toners, you can do without them, but you also can do with them, because when you find the right one, the experience of that spritz-spritz is so rewarding. So, if you’re going to spend money on something that is on the fence of need and want, you have to make sure it’s good. Here is where I come in.

In this month’s Beauty Wars, I put a grand total of seven facial mists to the test over the course of seven weeks. They’re all different, just to make sure our hands were in all the baskets. That’s the saying, right? On the table, we have two insanely popular cult favourites (our verdict will surprise you, just saying), one inspired by a best-seller, three from rising indie brands and one that could possibly be the most expensive mist we’ll ever try. Let the spray games begin.

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Caudalie Eau De Raisin Grape Water

The one good thing about this is that because it really is just grape extract with water, you can use it for everything without worrying that it’ll bungle things up. You can use it to freshen up, moisten the air around you on the plane or even use it to clean your face on the go. But that is really all there is to it. Sure, it hydrates, but it also dries off so quickly, like water. The sprays are also heavy and uneven, and the smell isn’t the most pleasant. If I were to be blunt, I would say this is overpriced water in a can. You are much, much, much better off with Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, though that costs twice as much for a small bottle.

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Etude House Moistfull Collagen Facial Mist

A derivative of Etude House’s wildly popular Moistfull Collagen series, this mist comes out so fine, light and even. The nozzle is…amazing. Skin is instantly moisturised and dewy and it stays that way. If you literally have five seconds to do your skincare, this is the kind of mist that will help. It does, however, contain alcohol, but strangely enough, I don’t find this drying in the slightest. (Though if you’re allergic or have extremely, extremely sensitive skin, best to skip this one.)

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Skin Inc Pure Serum Mist

More serums, more serums! For starters, this contains hyaluronic acid, which you know is going to do great things for your skin in the way of lasting hydration. You feel it with just one spray. Furthermore, this mist doesn’t just use any water – it uses onsen water from Japanese hot springs. It is a little la-dee-dah, but it also means you get those natural minerals. Finally, even though it is fragrance-free, it smells so good! The only downside? Its price. The big bottle of 100ml will set you back almost S$100.

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Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater

Okay, this one is no joke. First of, it smells absolutely amazing. Thanks, rosewater! Which also so happens to be excellent for irritated skin! With aloe, you are promised that cooling, soothing sensation. Lastly, it is so cheap at S$17 a bottle. This isn’t like the mists from Skin Inc or Etude House for sure, but it definitely is much more than just water repackaged in a spray bottle. It is almost 100 percent natural, too, so that is a huge plus point.

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Verso Anti-Pollution Mist

Ah, I so did want to love this one. While it is true that you get antioxidants, it is ultimately a sub-par mist. It sprays on unevenly, it dries too quickly to leave lasting hydration and there isn’t any fragrance of sorts to lift thine spirits. Anti-pollution is great, but that, you can get in other products.

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Herbivore Botanicals Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Face Mist

Rose, rose, rose! Just slap the word “rose” on the label and I’m down. Among the latest mists to land at Sephora from the indie Herbivore Botanicals, this one smells refreshing if you’re into florals, gives a glowing finish and works surprisingly well over makeup. It is also almost fully natural (read: vegan) with all kinds of extracts from coconut and witch hazel – which means this can double as a toner – to hibiscus and aloe. It is pretty pricey though, so unless you’re in for a splurge, Mario Badescu’s would make more sense, wallet-wise.

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Pixi Glow Mist

Have I met a Pixi product that I didn’t love? Well no, not yet. With 13 natural oils from jojoba to rose to orange to avocado, Pixi’s Glow Mist is different from the others on our lists. It is far more than just a refreshing mist, because this will hydrate your skin well and good. But, all those oils also mean that you get a slightly heavier finish, which isn’t too great if you’re having an oily day, or if you intend to wear this over makeup and you have an oily skin type. It is still an excellent mist, but I wouldn’t recommend it over makeup. (That’s what a setting spray is for, anyway.)

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