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14 face mists to give your skin a hydrated, healthy sheen
A refreshing moment with a lasting glow
Often underestimated as part of a skincare regime, face mists are a real gem. What else can get your skin plump and glowy in a matter of seconds - even if you're wearing a full face of makeup? Bar an instagram filter, absolutely nothing, that's what.
Often comprising all kinds of vitamins, minerals and complexion-rescuing ingredients, there are a ton to choose from. You might opt for a hyaluronic acid based mist for juiciness, or a ginseng-laced one for its brightening powers, or a probiotic mist to keep your microbiome in check.
Most mists are hydrating, of course, but whether you are dealing with spots, oiliness, redness or ageing skin, the best face mist for your skin type will help sort it out, pronto.
What's more, the world of mists has exploded of late, with reams and reams of products, with everything from mood-boosting, aromatherapy-enhanced offerings to hybrid makeup-setting mists, blue light-fighting desk mists and beyond.
Sounds slightly boujee, but we're also partial to prepping our makeup sponge with a face mist before applying our foundation, and we're pleased to report our skin/makeup has never looked glowier.
Don't just take our word for it, try one of our personal picks below. You won't be disappointed, honest.
Disciple London Balancing Mist 50ml
Disciple London Balancing Mist 50ml
Created for complexions in a crisis, this helps restore equilibrium, fast. The powerful blend of copper peptides, botanical adaptogens, probiotics, and pure geranium water target inflammatory conditions, including eczema and acne, and put an end to excessive oil production. It's basically a magic bottle.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Hydrating Face Mist
Dr. Barbara Sturm Hydrating Face Mist
Packed with actives from prickly pear, this one's a go-to weapon for soothing sensitive skin. Of course, it's got all the other classic hallmarks of a decent face mist (hyaluronic acid and antioxidants), making it a brilliant all-rounder. But if you're on the hunt for the mist element of a sensitive-skin routine, opt for this. Spritz it after your cleanse, preferably post-shower in a steamy bathroom, before moving onto the next steps of your skincare regime.
L'Occitane Aqua Réotier Fresh Moisturising Mist
L'Occitane Aqua Réotier Fresh Moisturising Mist
Made with mineral rich Réotier spring water, this little baby smells like lounging on a river bank in the South of France, with its subtle yet transportive aroma. With hyaluronic acid to hydrate and energise, its handbag size makes it perfect to carry around during heatwaves for a quick refresh; whether sunbathing or battling the commute. A moment of escapism in a can.
Fenty Beauty What It Dew Makeup Refreshing Spray 40ml
Fenty Beauty What It Dew Makeup Refreshing Spray 40ml
Look, if you're a minimalist, you're probably looking to double up on a setting spray and general mist - and I hear ya. For that reason, Fenty's What It Dew is for you. It can be used alone as a hydrating mist as part of your skincare, or specifically before makeup to create a dewy base, or even between laters of foundation and powder. What's more, it sets your makeup, keeping it in place (yet dewy) all night long. Also, can we talk about the name? Incredible, RiRi.
Niod Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, £34
Niod Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, £34
You've heard it all before, we know, but this is just a gentle reminder that pollution is out to get your skin - period. This techy treatment mist protects and shields against external aggressors that cause oxidative stress and premature ageing. It's also packed full of powerful anti-inflammatories to help bring everything back to base level.
BYBI Beauty Mega Mist 50ml
BYBI Beauty Mega Mist 50ml
If you're good and green fingered, you'll fall for this 100% natural, vegan-friendly formula. Hero hydrator hyaluronic acid is like a pint of water for the skin, plumping and moisturising with every pump. Pomegranate extract, orange flower water, lemon balm and rose are why it smells SO good. Yum.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe Herbs And Rosewater, from £7
Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe Herbs And Rosewater, from £7
One of the best-selling face mists ever, you'd be hard pressed to find someone in the beauty industry that doesn't have this on their dressing table. Aloe and rosewater are the secret to its softening and soothing powers, which work wonders on everyone - from dry to oily faces. It's also a firm fave of makeup artists and celebs (Kim K swears by it).
Dermalogica Age Smart Antioxidant Hydramist 150ml
Dermalogica Age Smart Antioxidant Hydramist 150ml
Incredibly hydrating, instantly plumping and firming, this really is the crème de la crème for dry, dull faces. Antioxidants pea, bamboo, magnesium and peptides work together to get lacklustre bases beaming, on tap. Use as a first step in your morning and evening skincare routine and we can assure you, you'll notice a difference. We're hooked.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
The undisputed OG facial mist, Caudalíes Elixir is bursting with nourishing vitamins and fruit extracts to fortify your face no end. Some of its glorious abilities include: minimising pores, prepping skin for makeup, hydrating, and toning. Ingredients organic balm mint, rose, grape, orange blossom, rosemary, and myrrh are to thank. The best part? The bottle is only 30ml, ideal for travel and in-flight perk ups.
St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist
St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist
Tanning got a whole lot easier (and arguably cooler), ever since this hybrid formula arrived on the scene. Combining the moisturising properties of a mist with St Tropez's award winning bronze boosting tan, each spray deposits a dreamy, streak free colour that will get you glowing with little to no work. All you've gotta do is pump it, baby.
HUDA BEAUTY Glow Coco hydrating mist 100ml
HUDA BEAUTY Glow Coco hydrating mist 100ml
You can use this multi-tasker to prime skin for makeup, set and refresh throughout the day. It leaves skin looking dewy without feeling greasy or tacky. Oh and it smells incredible, close your eyes (as they should be when your spritzing) and you could be on a Caribbean beach with a gentle breeze…
Florence by Mills Zero Chill Face Mist, £10
Florence by Mills Zero Chill Face Mist, £10
Funny this is called Zero Chill because it chills us to no end. With lavender and rose water it has a beautifully calming scent and quenches dried out skin.
DR JART+ Cicapair Tiger Grass calming mist
DR JART+ Cicapair Tiger Grass calming mist
If you find your skin gets hot and bothered easily *raises hand* this is a great pick for refreshing and helping to minimise the look and feel of irritated skin.
Weleda Prickly Pear Hydrating Facial Mist 100ml
Weleda Prickly Pear Hydrating Facial Mist 100ml
This mist is harnessed on cactus pear extract which is touted as nature’s answer to hyaluronic acid. The mist is fine and doesn’t leave your face feeling wet, just less tight and more hydrated.
One Ocean Beauty Blue Light Protection and Hydration Mist
One Ocean Beauty Blue Light Protection and Hydration Mist
POSSIBLY DISCONTINUED. HIDDEN FROM FRONT END.
Work-from-home crew, you need something that's going to keep your face in ship-shape when it's being subjected to the horrors of constant blue light from laptops and screens.
This mist contains wrinkle-smoothing and moisturising niacinamide, tonnes of moisturising glycerin, soothing aloe leaf juice powder and 'radiation-resistant microorganisms obtained from Northern Spain', which prep your skin to weather the onslaught of your screen's backlight.
Stick it on your desk and use it a couple of times a day, and we bet you'll see a difference.
Gaby is the Senior Beauty Writer here at Cosmopolitan.com/UK. Her favourite hobbies include sleeping, eating cake till she can't move and uncontrollably hoarding beauty products.
Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's former beauty writer, working on everything from buzzy celeb news and trending beauty, to sincere first-person reviews and engaging video content for social media. She also creates meatier features and expert-led how-to guides, for print and online. Her passion for Black beauty, textured hair, and the ways beauty interacts with culture, society, identity and relationships, quickly took over her writing career and led her into beauty journalism. Following an MA in Magazine Journalism in 2017, she cut her teeth across various roles at Stylist Magazine, before taking on a Digital Writer role at Good Housekeeping. It was here that beauty took centre stage and she launched and ran the site's first stand-alone beauty section. Remaining at Hearst, she joined the Cosmo beauty team in 2022. Find her on LinkedIn.
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