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I’m a beauty writer and I’m fully on board with the Rhode glazing mist hype

Just in time for our summer of sun

The new spray formula leaves skin looking glowy and lit-from-within (Rhode/iStock/The Independent)

Rhode’s glazing mist (£30, Rhodeskin.com) means a summer of dewy, quenched skin is upon us. It’s not the first glazing formula from the brand. Hailey Bieber – Rhode’s founder – saw huge success with the brand’s glazing milk (£32, Rhodeskin.com) in 2023 and peptide glazing fluid (£32, Rhodeskin.com) in 2022.

The idea of glazing formulas is to introduce and maintain moisture, giving your complexion a Korean beauty glass skin glow. The tricky part comes with layering product after product without leaving your skin feeling weighed down.

Face mists – glazing formulas included – are a versatile skincare addition, and can usually be used anywhere in your routine after cleansing. While some opt for AHAs and BHAs to help exfoliate, others tackle scaling and dryness with ingredients like amino acids and ceramides. If you have dehydrated skin, a face mist will be an instant tonic, with most formulas using glycerin to draw moisture onto the skin from the air around us.

Enter Rhode’s glazing mist, which aims to combine all of this into one product. It applies in a fine spray and claims to hydrate, moisturise, soothe and balance. It’s even approved by the American National Eczema Association because of its fragrance-free, dermatologist-tested formula. However, is that really worth £30? I put it to the test to see if it lives up to the social media hype.

How I tested

I tested the new mist over and under make-up (Lucy Smith)

Rhode advises that the glazing mist can be used post-cleansing, post-moisturising and after make-up application, so I put the formula to the test in all three settings over 24 hours, making sure to douse my skin from forehead to neck. When spraying I considered the following criteria:

Consistency and feel: No one wants a face mist that leaves a greasy film and, equally, you don’t want one that leaves the skin feeling tight. With this in mind, I paid attention to how the formula absorbed into my skin.
Finish: Considering the glazing mist can be used on top of make-up, I wanted to see if it had any glowy or smoothing effects on my complexion – much like a setting spray.
Wear: As I usually wear the same make-up day to day, I know how my products perform and when they usually need a touch-up. Adding the glazing mist into the mix, I then recorded any differences in the staying power of my foundation, setting powder. Specifically, I looked out for any patchiness or separation.
Application: With most sprays, the quality of the nozzle varies between different price points, so I noted whether or not the Rhode formula had a fine mist, plus how far a single pump travelled across the face.

Why you can trust IndyBest reviews

Lucy Smith has been IndyBest’s beauty writer since July 2024, covering everything from hydrating skincare to make-up trends. When it came to testing Rhode’s new glazing mist, she was well placed to put the product through its paces, having tried The Inkey List’s dewy face mist and spoken with Hailey Bieber’s facialist, Joanne Evans. She’s frequently in contact with dermatologists to discuss the latest trends in skincare.

Rhode glazing mist

Key ingredients Glycerin, ectoin, ceramides, magnolia to soothe, provitamin B5, cholesterol
Skin type All
Cruelty-free and vegan Yes, both
Why we love it
- Fine mist that disperses evenly across skin
- Imparts the skin with a youthful glow
- Doesn't effect make-up staying powder
- Layers well with other make-up and skincare products without separation or pilling
Take note
- Quite expensive for a mist

Face mists cover the full spectrum of skincare affordability and, while brands like La Prairie will market a patented cellular complex mist for £150 (Cultbeauty.co.uk), a simple glycerin and rose water spray will set you back less than £5 (Thayers rose petal facial mist: £4.33, Boots.com). Rhode’s glazing mist sits somewhere in the middle, neither cheap nor luxury, though it’s certainly marketed as a premium brand.

The formula, too, mimics that of a more high-end brand and tackles skin health from a few different angles. While glycerin works to quench, ceramides set out to nourish. Then comes a trio of antioxidant-rich skin barrier boosters to balance, soothe and protect against free radicals (a byproduct of UV and pollution).

The result, much like a K-beauty formula, is a delightful spritz that leaves skin looking and feeling restored. It distributes like a delicate vapour and, given the fairly high price, it was refreshing to find that one spritz saturates a large portion of the face.

I will qualify that the mist isn’t a miracle worker. This mist should be thought of as a final step in a glazing routine, not an instant solution to long-term dryness. If you have severe sensitivity, you’ll need to pair the glazing formula with some more targeted anti-inflammatory components.

I loved that the spray was an instant reprieve from the tightness I sometimes encounter after using my cleanser, and my face felt soft and relaxed, even before I moisturised. The mist diffused the sticky feeling from mineral sunscreens, and, as a last step in my make-up routine, I felt that the formula helped to meld together my layers of cream blush and bronzer. With the make-up industry moving away from highlighters, the glazing mist was a welcome alternative, giving my complexion a subtle radiance without the strobe effect of traditional shimmers.

Even after seven hours on my skin, my face base remained intact without patchiness or additional oxidation. This was particularly impressive given I’m more prone to these aftereffects than most given my oily complexion.

The verdict: Rhode glazing mist

While face sprays are arguably an optional addition to your skincare routine, I can’t deny the glazing mist appeal. Not only did I enjoy benefits at three different stages of product application – post-cleanse, post-SPF and after applying make-up – but I found the formula to work well with all my serums, moisturisers and beauty heroes, in keeping with the draw of a layered glazing approach. The mist wears well throughout the day and has a high-quality atomiser pump, which makes application a real delight. £30 is a lot for a ‘take it or leave it’ step in your regimen, but if it’s the glazing mist, I think I’m on board.

Need more skincare advice? Check out our tests of vitamin C serums