ELF Make up Mist & Set vs. Mac Fix+

Here's the word-for-word account on ELF's website on the Studio Makeup Mist & Set:

Keep your makeup in place all day with a radiance boosting invisible hold.

The invigorating mist moisturizes and soothes the skin with key ingredients Aloe, Green Tea, Cucumber and Vitamins A, C & E.

The lightweight, comfortable and alcohol free formula improves makeup wearability and prevents color from running or fading.

Does this work? Well maybe just a little. All the times I used this spray it did feel like my makeup went a tiny bit longer before it started getting oily. But really, just a tad bit longer. Like a half hour or something (I timed it!) This product smells AWFUL and I know a lot reviewers think the same thing. It also just felt so cheap and plastic-ey (packaging AND scent - if a scent could be plastic-ey that is) that I wouldn't repurchase. The half hour extra shine-free t-zone doesn't justify buying this bottle of chemicals.

And here's what Mac claims about their product:

An aqua-spritz of vitamin and minerals, infused with a calm-the-skin blend of green tea, chamomile, cucumber, topped off with the fresh, natural, energizing scent of Sugi. Adds radiance, finishes makeup. Spray it on. Skin drinks it up!

Okay, so let's look at the claims. Adds radiance? Erm, doesn't add any radiance to my skin (though I can't admit wanting extra radiance most of the time, since I have oily skin). Finishes makeup? Not sure what that actually means. Every time I've used Fix+ straight after having completed my makeup I don't see any difference whatsoever. It makes my skin feel "spritzed" for a minute and that's it. Halfway through the day I tend to use oil blotting sheets and then re-powder with Blot Powder. That's when I prefer to use Fix+ as it's meant to make skin feel less powdery and "cakey". Okay, perhaps it prevents my skin from looking a powdery mess. But if I use more than two sprays I find that my foundation and powder can start to "congeal" almost. So for me I haven't had too much success using this as a setting spray but I'm sure some people with dryer skin might have better results.

I do like using Fix+ to wet my brush when working with pigments or loose shadows. The ELF spray wasn't so good at picking up loose shadow, it made the pigment "ball up" a little. So in that respect I prefer Fix+.

Overall I don't feel either are must have products. But if you work with pigments you'd prefer Fix+.