Energise your skin with a facial spritzer

Humidity is at its peak and if you haven't started carrying that bottle of facial spritzer, then it's time you did.

Although the market is teeming with various kinds of water spritzers with benefits ranging from sealing make-up to SPF protection, many women consider them an unnecessary investment. But, as celebs and make-up artists will tell you, facial spritzers are life-savers - they keep you looking fresh at all times.

A spritzer generally works by hydrating the skin and energising the complexion to hold its own against the external attacks of pollution and temperature variations. But owing to a lack of awareness about how to use it, a lot of women don't include it in their daily beauty regime. Once you've used a spritzer, however, you'll never leave home without one.

How to shop for facial spritzers

Spritzers are totally different from toners, which cleanse the skin and tighten the pores. A spritzer contains only hydrating ingredients that suffuse the skin's cells with water, also the reason why you spray it on the skin and not apply with cotton wool.

There are two types of spritzers: refreshing facial mists and make-up fixing mists. While facial mists are energising and refreshing waters that quench the skin and give a hydrated dewy finish, make-up fixing mists serve a dual purpose. "These have moisture agents plus special ingredients to form a thin protective layer to fix the make-up," says Sam Boutros, Make Up For Ever's training manager and make-up artist.

How to use facial mists and make-up fixers

In addition to refreshing make-up or bare skin at midday, facial mists are also great to prepare the skin before applying make-up, says Boutros. The right technique to using a facial mist to prep skin: spray directly on the skin from a distance of about 15cm.

The second kind, i.e. the make-up fixers, call for a more gentle and distant spritz. Spray on as the last step to set your make-up from at least 20cm away and allow it to dry. It's only when the mist dries that it creates a protective film around the make-up, which shields it against the elements.

Other rules to follow to set make-up:

• Don't spray mist from a close range.
• Don't overspray. Two pushes of the spray are usually enough.
• Don't dab your face with your fingers or blotting paper. Leave the film of moisture to dry by itself.
   

How to refresh your face with a spritzer and reapply make-up at midday:

Pat dry the T-zone of your face with a tissue to blot the grease, then spray the mist. Pat dry again, gently, and then reapply foundation and follow it with loose powder.

The other way to touch up is to spritz a thick wad of tissue and pat your face with it. Now allow your skin to dry and then apply compact powder to refresh your complexion.