Facial sprays, if used correctly, can drastically improve your makeup application from start to finish.  Refresher sprays, finishing sprays, and setting sprays are all must-haves in their own ways and are great additions to your makeup routine.  I rely on facial sprays to keep my skin hydrated, avoid the dreaded cake-face, and ensure that my makeup lasts all day without budging.  Here’s what separates them…

Refresher Spray

My Choice: Evian Facial Spray

A refresher spray is a water-based, mineral balanced, PH neutral facial spray meant to hydrate and freshen the skin.  My mother always carried a travel size Evian Spray in her purse while I was growing up.  It’s great to mist as a little skin pick-me-up while I’m on the go, and it’s TSA approved which makes it perfect to prevent mile high dry skin.

Many refresher sprays get bad reps because people try to use them as finishing sprays and setting sprays, while they are truly a category of their own.  They do not have ingredients that interact with makeup and are just meant to provide hydration, although they will make your face look less cakey by oxidizing the makeup.  This is what Evian says…

A delightful cool mist to rehydrate skin and revive makeup. This powerful cleansing mist removes perspiration, harmful salt, or chlorine. It instantly soothes and rehydrates sun-burned or wind-chapped skin, leaving you with a beautiful, radiant complexion. Spray your desired amount to keep makeup fresh and replenish much needed moisture.

Finishing Spray

My Choice: MAC Fix+ Skin Refresher/Finishing Mist

Finishing sprays are highly hydrating tonics; very similar to refresher sprays but with the addition of all natural ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, and caffeine.  MAC Fix+ has a light, refreshing fragrance and is widely considered to be a “holy grail” product because of how multi-purpose it is.  It provides a natural, dewy glow to skin while helping makeup mesh together, all the while preventing cake-face.

Fix+ helps to tone down overdone makeup without having to start over.  It can be sprayed all over your face before moisturizing, before applying foundation, before applying powder, and after applying powder.  I like to spray it on my buffing brush before blending liquids, creams, and powders alike.  Fix+ is also my go to if I need to dilute a foundation, revive a cream, make shadows more vibrant, or turn a pigment into a shadow.  Unlike a refresher spray, the added ingredients in a finishing spray allows for interaction with makeup.  This is what MAC says…

An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, and cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!

Setting Spray

My Choice: Urban Decay “All Nighter” Makeup Setting Spray

Setting sprays seal your makeup and should be the final step in your special events makeup routine.  While refresher sprays and finishing sprays are all natural and can be used on a daily basis, setting sprays contain synthetic ingredients such as very gentle versions of vinyl copolymers which are also found in hairspray.  While this sounds a little bit scary, it enables the setting spray to defend makeup against humidity and sebum.

Urban Decay “All Nighter” Spray is made in collaboration with Skindinavia, the makers of the original setting spray.  Both sprays contain the same 17 ingredients, though in different concentrations.  “All Nighter” is weightless and keeps makeup looking fresh for up to 16 hours.  There are versions for both oily and dry skin, however, the original formula is the only I’ve tried and it is said to be the most powerful.  Makeup really won’t melt, crack, or fade with this setting spray which makes it essential for a night out or extra long days on the job.  This is what Urban Decay says…

Is makeup meltdown ruining your midnight mojo? Mist on this weightless spray to give your makeup serious staying power. Developed in an exclusive partnership with SKINDINÄVIA, this groundbreaking, clinically tested formula is suitable for all skin types and features patented Temperature Control Technology. It actually lowers the temperature of your makeup to keep foundation, eyeshadow, blush, and concealer in place—even in hot and humid or cold and windy conditions. The result? Smoother-looking skin and vibrant makeup that lasts all day (or night) without melting, cracking, fading, or settling into fine lines.

xxLK

(Some of these items may have been sent to me for review, however, all opinions and words are my own)