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You spray it on… your skin feels great. But here’s the real question: Does it actually change anything long term — or just feel nice in the moment? The Inkey List says their Hydro-Surge Dewy Mist boosts hydration instantly and improves skin over time.

 

 

But can a mist really do more than just refresh? And just how dewy will it leave your skin? In this post, I’ll take you through what’s in it, how it performs, and whether those long-term claims hold up to closer inspection.

 

 

What The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist claims

A soothing, ultra-light face mist that delivers instant hydration and locks in moisture for 12 hours. Leaves skin dewy and fresh, without messing with your makeup or SPF.

 

Facts about The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist

Prize and size

The bottle was smaller than I expected. It contains 75 ml and is available for 12 € on the website here. Doing the maths that comes down to 0,16 € per ml.

Compared to a very affordable face mist like the Geek and Gorgeous Liquid Hydration (full review here) that is quite a bit more – that one is at 8,50 € for 110 ml or 0,07 € per ml.

But compared to other popular ones on the market like the Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Face Mist (full review here), it is very affordable – that one is 76 € for 100 ml or 1,3 € per ml.

Not the most affordable but still among the more reasonably priced ones, I’d say. I have used mine for around a month multiple times a day and have probably used up a third of the product so far.

 

Texture and smell

The way the mist hits the face is usually what makes or breaks a product for me, so how does this one feel?

Amazing – if used the right way!

The mist is wide and fine, covering a large area of your face evenly – if you press the mister down the whole way. Watching reviews online, you will see people doing the quick pft-pft-pft commonly used for makeup setting sprays, which will give you short, somewhat forceful bursts. If you press it down completely, you are able to cover one side of your face in one go and the mist hits your face much gentler.

I don’t smell anything when applying it, but some people report a slight cucumber scent, possible as it contains cucumber fruit extract.

 

 

How to use The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist

Now I know that has been labeled as Makeup Setting Spray by some, but I would disagree. While you can use it over makeup either for taking away an overly matte finish or just to freshen up during the day, I would firmly place it in the skincare category, like a spray on toner. We will discuss why when we come to the ingredients in a bit.

To use it, hold it with a slightly bend arm in font of your face and then slowly press down the mister fully while moving it across your face. Again, no short bursts, to get the fine mist you’ll need to press it down completely. It goes on longer than you’d expect. I do two spritzes to cover my whole face, sometimes three with an additional one in the middle if I am feeling generous. Despite the mist being so fine, the product itself feels substantial, it isn’t one of those that evaporate once they hit your face. On the contrary, after using it more than once you can get the feeling of it leaving a slight film on your face. Not uncomfortable or tacky, but you’ll feel it is there.

I admit I was initially a little hesitant to use it during the day, the “Dewy” part of the name put me off. I know I am showing my age here, but I really can’t deal with the highlighter-you-can-see-from-space aesthetic. I prefer my base slightly matte with at max a grown up glow to make me appear less shrivelled. Luckily despite the name, the glow you’ll get from using the spray is very subtle. It is strongest right after application – no surprise, as the skin is still a little moist then – but dries down to skin that just looks hydrated, something I can totally get on board with.

In the end, I used it morning and night right after cleansing and before my serum as well as during the day when my skin felt like it could use a little pick me up. It didn’t drench the skin in moisture, but felt refreshing like a good sip from a water bottle during the day.

 

Ingredients of The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
On their website, the highlighted ingredients are called 3% Hydroviton® Insta, 3% Aquaxyl and 2% Earth Marine Water, none of which really meant something to me, so let’s look at these first:

Hydroviton® Insta is what the manufacturer calls a multi-level moisturizer, made from cucumber extract and designed to support filaggrin production and boost the skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factors (More info: What are Natural Mositurizing Factors). Its aim is twofold: provide immediate hydration and improve the skin’s long-term water retention ability. In the ingredient list, it is the following: Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract (and) Pentylene Glycol (and) Sodium Benzoate (and) Lactic Acid.

Aquaxyl is – again according to the manufacturer – a sugar complex that binds water in the skin, strengthening the skin barrier through this process. 3% is the recommended concentration and in the ingredients it shows up as Xylitylglucoside (and) Anhydroxylitol (and) Xylitol.

Earth Marine Water is, in essence, a form of thermal water—though marketed as something uniquely potent. It’s described as seawater filtered through the earth before resurfacing with a blend of minerals from both sources. And while that sounds exclusive, it’s technically true for most groundwater sources. Still, this particular one, sourced from Noirmoutier Island in France, is said to remineralize, reduce oxidative stress, and calm inflammation—claims worth noting, even if we take them with a healthy dose of scepticism.

Other than that, the formula contains Glycerin, tried and tested for hydration and coming second in the ingredient list and low concentrations of Lactic and Citric Acid, the Lactic being a part of Hydroviton® Insta. I don’t think they have any exfoliating properties in the concentration and pH they are used, but probably buffer the formula.

More info: How to read the ingredient list in your skincare products

 

Does it live up to its claims?

Yes.

It leaves the skin refreshed without disturbing makeup and contains hydrating ingredients that leave my skin feeling good for longer than others. If it is exactly 12 hours or if there are any long-term skin barrier benefits I obviously can’t say.

 

How does it compare to…

 

 

Geek and Gorgeous Liquid Hydration

Now I know that technically Liquid Hydration is a toner, not a face mist, but Geek and Gorgeous do a spray on version as well that I especially love in summer. This version contains Natural Moisturizing Factors as well as 5% Panthenol (More info: The benefits of Panthenol in skincare explained). When compared directly, both feel very similar on the skin, but while Liquid Hydration is a little more soothing, the Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist has more of that layer forming that might influence transepidermal water loss. Which one is better for you depends on your skin type and issues as well as on the rest of your routine.

Read my full review of Geek and Gorgeous Liquid Hydration here.

 

 

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Face Mist

It has been a few years (9, to be precise) since I published my review of the Queen of Hungary Face Mist, so please excuse the different layout if you decide to click the link below. I still have it in my stash though and use it, but rarely as a skincare step in my routine. It is a beautiful fine mist that delivers a deliciously scented and lightweight product, but other than that I don’t think it does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of skin concerns. It is apparently inspired by a perfume and I use it exclusively as pick me up during the day – aromatherapy rather than skincare. It is also quite expensive, so get it if you want to indulge, not for skincare purposes.

Read my full review of the Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Face Mist here.

 

Would I repurchase and which skin types do I recommend it to?

The Inkey List Hydro-Surge Dewy Face Mist is not a must have for your skincare routine if you prefer to go minimal. It offers an extra hydration step either in your regular lineup morning or night or as pick me up during the day and can easily be used on top of makeup without disrupting it, but on its own won’t be enough to combat dryness. If, like the manufacturers of the highlighted ingredients Hydroviton® Insta, Aquaxyl and Earth Marine Water claim, there are long-term beneficial effects on skin hydration on top of the short term boost it gives is something I can’t say. Hydration is essential at every age—not just for skin comfort, but for maintaining long-term skin health. So if your routine feels like it’s missing that extra hit of lightweight moisture, this could be a simple, satisfying way to fill the gap.

 

 

Shop The Inkey List products here

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