mario badescu Archives - Reviews and Other Stuff

Lately, I was asked about my tips for preventing makeup cakiness. While I do have a couple of pointers for that, I also make sure to have good finishing sprays close at hand just in case. But before we talk about finishing/setting sprays, let’s first talk about a few tips on how I avoid cakey makeup. For me, the first thing is really to exfoliate. Dead skin cells create a rough surface on the skin. So, establishing a good skincare routine is very important. Second, don’t overdo on the foundation, concealer, and even powder. Layering on foundations after foundations, and adding extra concealers with too much setting powders will really give a very unnatural look. A more lightweight dewy or natural coverage will most likely be good enough. A matte look is ok too, but it shouldn’t look or feel too thick, and that means finding a good mattifying foundation is very crucial. Lastly, whatever you do, make sure to always prime the skin before any foundation. Priming is a religion, lol. 🙂

Now, there are times when we really can’t avoid the cakiness. If for whatever reason (bad skin days, heavy-handed application, etc.) it happens, I have two face mists to recommend. The ABH Dewy Set Setting Spray and the MAC Prep + Prime Fix+ Spray are setting sprays or finishing mists that you spray on your face after you finish applying your makeup. Both of them will give a dewy/glowy finish or look because they’ll soften your foundation or powder, which avoids all that cakey makeup harshness. I’ve been testing them and though they’re quite very similar especially in size and effect, I still noticed a few differences.

Here are my thoughts.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set Setting Spray (3.4 oz: 26 USD) is a beautifully-packaged finishing spray and is an Allure Best of Beauty winner. The bottle may look glittery on the outside, but inside there is no shimmer or glitter at all. This gives a nice glowy set on the face after applying all your foundation and setting powder. The glow is immediate and it lasts for about two hours on my skin and on most folks as well. This has a coconut-vanilla scent and is free of parabens and mineral oil. The formula is also cruelty-free, gluten-free and vegan. I find this to be very lightweight and it really makes the skin look radiant and glowy.

On the other hand, the Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist (3.4 oz: 28 USD) is a well-loved finishing spray. It costs just a bit more than the ABH Setting Spray above yet it has the same size. This comes in different scents, finishes, and there’s a shimmery version of this too. So far, I’ve only tried this original version and I’m really satisfied with it. This finishing spray is pretty much very very similar to the ABH Setting Spray as what I’ve mentioned above. This is also very lightweight and this also evens and smooths the surface after every powder and foundation, and this really adds a wonderful glowy radiant finish. However, I find that this doesn’t give that immediate glow unlike the ABH Spray above. For me, this usually takes a few more minutes to notice the glowy effect, but once this works, then the effect lasts a couple more minutes or even an hour longer than ABH.

With that being said, I love both of these glowy finishing sprays and I highly recommend them for preventing/avoiding makeup cakiness. However, I don’t think that these are great for setting the makeup for hours though. Not even to prime it. If you want a good setting spray that will set your makeup for hours, I still recommend the Urban Decay All Nighters. But, between these two, I might have a slight preference for the Anastasia one because it’s slightly cheaper, the bottle looks eye-catching, and it gives an immediate glow.

Are you a fan of these glowy finishing sprays? What are your tips to prevent cakey makeup?

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(and the rest of my favorite face mists)

Curious about Mario Badescu Facial Sprays? I am and had been for some time. Actually, I was on the lookout for some good facial sprays and this brand caught my eye. There seem to be a lot of raves about their Green Tea, Lavender and especially their Rosewater face mists. So, I couldn’t help but try them for myself. For starters, I kinda like the ingredients of these facial sprays and they seem to be light on the skin. Since I’m actually not a fan of thick, heavy, and oil-based face sprays because they’ll just emphasize the shine on my skin, I felt like these Mario Badescu mists seem like the perfect fit.

There are a couple of things I noticed about these facial sprays. First, they’re really quite versatile to use. They’re not just simple facial sprays, they can also be used as a toner or as a complement to your favorite moisturizer since these sprays add extra moisture to the skin and soften the dry patches of the face. So, in general, these mists are perfect for layering under makeup. Second thing is that these are perfect for spraying on our favorite facial sponge of the world – the beautyblender. Speaking of that, oh my, I do that quite a lot. I like the convenience of having a facial spray nearby so I could moisten my beautyblender with it on the spot. I tend to get lazy in wetting my beautyblender especially when I may not have access to the nearest faucet and I have to apply my makeup fast. I actually like the feel of my beautyblender that way as opposed to wetting it with water, because it sorta retains a firm texture which makes it easier for me to control my makeup application. Moistening it all over could make the sponge too soft. I love to smack that beautyblender on my face so I could have a more even, natural, and less cakey foundation on the skin. Lastly, as a facial spray, these really add moisture to dry skin, and they’re great as a finishing spray since they make the foundation look less harsh and more even. Also, these provide for a nice facial refresher during the day.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater (4 oz: $7, 8 oz: $12) – This face mist is great for all skin types, but actually all Mario Badescu Face Sprays are. This one, in particular, has a nice rose scent and it’s meant to rehydrate, clarify, even the complexion, and add a glow to the skin. For me, I didn’t notice the glow part at all, but I guess because my skin is already glowing in oil anyway, LOL. This facial spray actually did quite the opposite. It did kinda control the excess oiliness of my skin even though the effect is very subtle. This spray also moisturizes the skin and it feels light, non-sticky, and it didn’t give me any breakouts. So this is really nice for those with oily-prone or with problematic acne skin. Also, there are no harsh ingredients in this, like Sulfates, SLES, Parabens, etc.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Cucumber, and Green Tea (4 oz: $7, 8 oz: $12) – Smells fresh just like Cucumber and Green Tea, I like leaving this face mist inside my refrigerator, and I use this to hydrate my skin throughout the day. Try it, you’ll love it. This spray is also great for all skin types and I believe, apart from delivering extra moisture to the skin, this pretty much adds an invigorating effect, the type that wakes up the senses.

Facial Spray with Aloe, Chamomile, and Lavender (4 oz: $7, 8 oz: $12) – Talking about relaxing and soothing face mists, well, this is the one. Just like the calming effect of Lavender, I love using this spray at night especially before going to bed. My face tends to get dry at night so this spray helps a lot. I find this to be quite comforting and surprisingly very hydrating, probably even more hydrating than the Rosewater one above. This is also great for all skin types and free of any harsh ingredients.

In general, though the effects of these face sprays are very subtle and there’s really not that much difference among them, the important thing is we hydrate our skin and these deliver. So I highly recommend these facial mists. I like that they help to invigorate our senses, they’re mild on the skin, and that they’re pretty much affordable. The bottles are large enough for daily use and they could last for some time. The spray nozzles could use some improvement, but I’m cool with that.

The Mario Badescu Facial Sprays are currently available at Sephora, Ulta, Anthropologie, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off Fifth, Urban Outfitters and Amazon

Are you a fan of these? What’s your favorite Face Mist?

Reviews and Other Stuff

mario badescu

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dewy Set vs Mac Prep + Prime Fix+ Finishing Mist

Mario Badescu Facial Spray Review

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