E.L.F. Hydrating Gel Mist Review

E.L.F. Hydrating Gel Mist ($8) is currently rocking my skincare routine’s world. This new gel to liquid facial mist quite reminds me of my beloved Hadanomy Deep Moisturizing Mist (Japanese not Korean) BUT not a replacement for it. Sorry, E.L.F.! Hadanomy Deep Moisturizing Mist remains my holy grail.

Actually Hydrating Gel Mist is testimony to how Korean skincare has so heavily influenced the Western market. This is a fairly common product you’d find in from a variety of Korean brands I’ve even reviewed some of them in the past like Mizon Essence Mist Twilight. The formula is like having your favorite essence in a bottle that you can mist on your face.

E.L.F. Hydrating Gel Mist comes housed in a 2.7 oz bottle and was created to prep skin for makeup according to the brand. I actually applying it after cleansing my face or sometimes after I step out of the shower and just let it sit for a while before patting it gently into my skin.

It really is a gel-like consistency but doesn’t quite turn from gel to liquid as marketed. Once you mist it on it does have a jelly or essence-like texture (you can see what I mean in my swatch photos). It’s a lot thicker than a regular facial mist would be but I’m fine with that as I commonly use thicker essences. It has a subtle fresh floral scent with a water based formula that contains glycerin as well as fruit extracts. It’s not a terribly innovative formula but it does the job to lightly hydrate skin.

Note where I said lightly! I’ve been using Sana Hadanomy Deep Moisturizing for years and years. It’s one of my favorite facial mists and one of the most hydrating ones that not only moisturizes but plumps skin and helps it to retain moisture. E.L.F.’s formula is quite nice, I like it a lot but it won’t replace my beloved Sana as it isn’t nearly as hydrating.

The good news?

The way they market is is great because they consider it a prep for makeup. Most skin types can easily use this without creating excess oil, shine, or greasiness as the formula absorbs quickly when misted and patted into place. It sets a nice foundation for other skincare and allows other products to absorb more easily such as moisturizer. It also will allow your foundation to apply more smoothly.

If you like novel little skincare products I’d recommend checking this out. It’s a lot easier to get compared to Sana’s formula which can prove difficult to wait when purchasing from Japan but note, if you have an H-Mart they carry most of the Sana Hadanomy Skincare Collection but it is quite expensive compared to Japanese retail!

As for E.L.F. Hydrating Gel that’s way easier to get as it is available in E.L.F. stores or online at www.elfcosmetics.com.

I haven’t seen this one in Target yet but hopefully they’ll start carrying it. I do recommend trying it out. It’s a nice product!