Friday 18 July 2014

Mist/Spray Review - 11 Brands - My Experience with Them!





Hello everyone!  I've been on the misting/spraying band-wagon for a few years now. 
 Luckily I jumped on quite early.  The mess of it all appealed to me.  Prior to using
 mists, I found it stressful being confined to everything on my pages having to be
 perfect & that's not the way I believe that scrapbooking is meant to be. 

It think it is meant to be fun, therapeutic & freeing, so I was happy to see there
 was a way for me to achieve my dream of scrapbooking purely for art's sake, 
when mists came into being.  Don't get me wrong, I also love photography
 & I'm a great believer in memory keeping.  I just don't agree, for me, 
that every photo needs to be scrapped, or even kept. 

 I am a ruthless photo editor now, although it has taken me years to manage
 to keep just a few good shots & also not to take so many unnecessary photos
 in the first place.  I also love photo-albums & mini-albums so the layouts
 I make are certainly not a representation of my entire memory keeping.  
They are just the photos I WANT to scrap.

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This is a completely personal review & from mostly my own findings.

I don't work for any of these companies & am not being paid {sadly LOL}
by any of these companies.  I think with mists that there is a place for almost
all companies that produce them as some cater mainly for specific regions,
some offer shiny, others matt, some both, & some are strongly pigmented
& others are not.  So at the end of the day you need to choose according
to your brand loyalty, your budget & your personal requirements.

So here we go in no particular order :)

1.  Color Bloom Sprays {Prima}

I've used almost every brand of mist on the market...I think!

Sadly my new Prima Color Bloom Sprays have not yet arrived so I cannot review them
but have heard great things about them & can't wait to try them for a few reasons.



1.  They're PRIMA!  Prima has a reputation for making great products so if they
 are Prima made & endorsed then I am virtually guaranteed to love them!

2.  They have an unusual nozzle head that apparently does a couple of different
things - a light spray & more of a splatter {I think} so that sounds like fun.

3.  I hear they are very pigmented = strong.  I don't like watery, very pale 
mists at all so these new Color Bloom Sprays sound just so me!!

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2.  Glimmer Mist.  {Tattered Angels/Canvas Corp}


Apparently these mists are the "original mists" - honestly for me I was disappointed, 
although I still see many people using them.  They are certainly nice & shimmery but 
the colours are very transluscent so to achieve depth of colour is not easy or economical.

I have seen several You-Tube reviews that have agreed with my thinking.  I do like
 their packaging {the bottles are a lovely shape & nice & "thin" though & did not experience too much nozzle clogging  myself although they do have a bad reputation 
for that from others.  If you like pale & shimmery these would be for you :) - 
less colour, more shine....

----------------------------

3.  Perfect Pearls Mists {Ranger}


I adore the actual "Perfect Pearl" colour - which is more like a shimmer than
 an actual tone, but the other colours I tried were very wishy-washy & again 
I've heard others echo the same sentiments on You Tube.  So if you like shine
without a lot of colour these would be for you :)

------------------------------

4.  Dylusions Ink Sprays {Ranger}


I only own ONE bottle of this & it is so hectically strong I am still diluting it!
I guess that if you are after REALLY strong colours then these are for you!!

---------------------------------

5.  Lindy's Stamp Gang


These mists will not disappoint you IF you know what you are looking for.  
There is SUCH a huge selection that it can be overwhelming for a newbie. 

 What you need to know is that FLAT FABIOS are matt, STARBURSTS are glittery 
& MOON SHADOWS have a walnut ink undertone so are more vintage/grungy.  

They are the only mists I've ever come across that you mix yourself {they come in powder form}
 which I found quite fun, & of course they are lighter for shipping if you are buying online.
They are famous for their 2-tone effect which is hard to imagine but really does work.  
Held at different angles they show off a different coloured under tone which is very pretty.  

My verdict is that there is something for everyone here but without experience
knowing what to look for I'd say their wide selection makes it difficult.

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6.  Mister Huey's {Studio Calico}


This is another can't live without colour!  I love the matt white of it & find Studio Calico mists EXCELLENT.  I love the little bottles as they are easier to store than the big ones,
 but these mists are matt {which is something I like at times but others may not}.  

They are also a bit pricey considering they have only HALF the amount of most
 standard 2oz (60ml) mist bottles.  Nonetheless I think Studio Calico is an excellent 
brand overall, although I don't buy a lot from them because their style is modern
 & not grungy/shabby enough for me.

------------------------------------

7.  October Afternoon Sprinklers



I don't know if these are even in existence any longer.  I bought a set of 3 to start
 & mine were awful.  The nozzles all clogged & the colours were muddy.  Didn't work for me.

---------------------------------

8.  Maya Road Mists


I've always LOVED their bottles!  So nice & slim to store!!
And I have loved every mist - well pigmented & their black
is the strongest, mattest black I've ever come across.  Thumbs up!

--------------------------

9.  Smooch Spritz {Donna Salazar}


These mists come in small glass bottles, making them impractical & expensive.
 My first bottle shattered all over my studio floor whilst I was unpacking my parcel. 
 Deep red it was & not a good look on my white fitted drawers!
My 2nd bottle nozzle clogged & there was no opening it, despite
rinsing etc so sadly I can't recommend these sprays.

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10.  Shimmerz


I have only tried a couple of these mists in the past & they were barely visible. I've heard 
it said that these mists are great for people who like that effect.  In other words if all 
your creations are very pale & you're a bit nervous to mist away with gay abandon.

------------------------------------

11.  13arts Mists {Poland}


A relatively new player in the mist market, these are impressive & the range is ever 
expanding without being overwhelming.  I also love that they come in 30ml {1fl. oz}
 bottles, which is half the normal size of the standard mist bottles, as this means you 
spend less while having an opportunity to try more colours.  For someone like me I
don't balk at buying 2oz {60mls} but I think that for people not as mixed media
obsessed as I am - these are an excellent choice.

---------------------------

I haven't reviewed Art Anthology mists or Heidi Swapp Colour Shine because I've never 
had any.  Art Anthology looks nice but without a clear bottle I'd find it a bit difficult to
 know how my stock levels were doing & the Colour Shine by Heidi Swapp has good 
reports, although the colour range is a bit too clean & modern for me, but they do look 
very shimmery & quite pigmented too.  

My final verdict?  Something for everyone!
Hopefully though you are now a little more empowered to make YOUR choice




23 comments:

Julie Tucker-Wolek said...

My faves are Studio Calico's and Shimmerz!!!!!!

Paula Calvanico said...

Great reviews Helen! I personally love Lindy's, Tattered Angels clogged on me constantly and became a lesson in patience. I very much want to try Prima's :)

Paula

Dale Tiernan said...

An excellent review. I would also be keen to try Prima. I like the look of the bottle although it will take up more space to store.
My favourite is Mr Huey's. I haven't tried all on your list but the ones I have I do agree with what you have said.

Unknown said...

Thwnks for the comparison. I was lucky enough to use some Prima mists in a friends studio and they are amazing. Look forward to getting my LSG mists from you and to start my messy journey.

Svjetlana said...

Excellent review! I'm a lucky owner of few Prima bottles and I love them, I also love colours and shimmer of my Tattered Angels collection, for me they are perfectly balanced when comes to colour-shimmer ratio, but agree about clogging, you temping me to try out LSG :)!

Lynette Jacobs said...

Thank you for taking the time to review these for us...very informative.

zenevak said...

This was really interesting. Thank you for taking the time to do such a review, makes my future buying purchase decisions a little easier! I'm looking forward to trying out the new Prima mists!

Helen Wallace said...

A comprehensive review Helen. I didn't know half these products existed. I agree with you about the Glimmer mists clogging. I have one Prima which was labelled white, but in fact sprays a pale pink Not impressed, as they are twice the price of most others :D

Lynnda said...

My fave at the moment is Studio Calico mists .. Great post Helen!! Hugs x

dstandard said...

Great comprehensive review! I have several of these and have to agree with you on them!

Wilma Voermans said...

I am with you about most of what you experience! Thanks for sharing

Few more on the list:
Tattered angels chalkboard: great colors, but always the clogging....I know they say I have to push hard , but still...

Cosmic: it takes ages of shaking to get the glimmer through the bottle and they clog easy.

Color wash: strong color, wear gloves! as for the dylusions : good to delute with water and still have strong color.

Art Anthology, A lot of spray (3oz) , good pigment, but...the spray comes out in a half circle. I use them with a brush.

I love Lindys, but one thing should be better. you always have to keep Lindys straight(vertical). If I have them horizantal they stop spraying

langeatheart said...

Wow thanks for the feedback! I have some of Prima's new mists and I love them! If you pull the nozzle just a bit you get splatters and blotches and if you give it the full pull you get a nice steady spray that comes out evenly! The colors are gorgeous. I also use Lindy's Stamp gang mists I love their sheen! Just got the Prairie Wind set! All the best!

Sandi Clarkson said...

This is wonderful, Helen! I am loving my new Color Bloom sprays, so easy to use and pretty! I've always been a LSG girl but also like Heidi Swapp's Color Shine. Usually it comes down to what color I want to use … and I go from there!

Evelyn Walter said...

Thank you for your interesting and informational post!
I agree with you, Glimmer mist cloggs, Dylusions are very strong pigmented and I really LOVE Lindy´s - so beautiful shimmer and the new chalky colors are beautiful too. All the others I don´t know (would need another room for them and a money press *lol*)
xx Evelyn

Denise van Deventer said...

Ah so love this post and this is exactly what I would love to see on so many products....because so many of us don't get see or use them all! I have had experience of some of these mists and agree totally with the Smooch one...I have never had one that did not clog or splatter everywhere! I love the Mister Hueys white spray, it was the best white I have ever had, even though it was a tad expensive! Lindy's Stamp gang sprays are awesome and I love the different colours. Perfect Pearls are great too....but they are also a bit washed out for me and I love the stronger colours. I have quite a few Enmarc Dazzles and they have some really super colours...and they certainly did work beautifully, but 2 or 3 of them have clogged up and I was never able to get them working again.

Giorgia Rossini said...

thank you so much for the review: I have Tattered Angels - I like them but one of the bottles never worked and I had to change it so all the glitters stayed on the original bottle :(
I have Pssschht and I like them, very strong color.
I have some 13 Arts and I LOVE them! I have chalk and pastel range too and they are spectacular

Val-Belle said...

That is good to know :) I have loads of mists and I have to say I have used hardly any of them... :/ I don't really like getting dirty :) thanks for the reviews.

Cassandra aka Scrap Savvy said...

Wonderful reviews Helen! First I have to say, we we share the exact same philosophy about scrapbooking. I always say to people, before they see my work IRL for the first time that I scrap for the art of it I have learned to do this for two reasons: 1.around my area most people's thinking about scrapbooking is more linear multi-photo-chronological-event oriented-album making (which there is nothing wrong with, just not my thing) and 2. seeing my work can be slightly intimidating for someone starting out (I want people to feel good about scrapping, there is no right or wrong way there is just different preferences).

Man you have a lot of mists. LOL! I have several that you mention though so I guess someone might say that I have a lot too. Spot on about the ones that I have. That Maya Road black is the blackest which is why I got it. Covers chipboard sooo easily. I agree with the Glimmer Mists section. The one thing I would add is that I have found them to be actually really good for altering/dying fabric, ribbon, or lace. Do not know what it is about their formulation but it saturates and holds the colour. I have taken to just using the OA ones by opening them and using their nozzle hose to splat paint or with a paintbrush as splotches. I would like to try the Prima ones and the Dylusion ones.

I like how you say there is something for everyone. I agree, it all depends on what you want each medium to do. Wonderful post and you got lots of people talking and sharing. Way to go.:)

Margaret Mifsud said...

A great review Helen. I don't have a lot of sprays because I don't use them a lot but I do have some Glimmer Mists which work quite well. I also have some Lindy's Starburst Sprays but, although I love the colours, that always seems to disappear and I'm just left with the shimmer. I have a black Heidi Swapp Colour shine which is very good. I don't have much success at the moment with spraying so I mainly use Distress Inks in my Art Journals, but I will continue to keep trying with the sprays and, hopefully, one day I will get the result I'm looking for. Thanks for this post, it gives me a much better idea of what to look for next time. ox

Marjie Kemper said...

Very interesting! Love the reviews. I have most but not all of these brands and really appreciate your perspective.

yyam said...

Well, you've certainly tried a lot of them! Tempted to try the Prima sprays but am a little put off by the space the bottle takes. My all-time fave is Maya because the colours are so strong and vibrant...I have yet to finish any bottles. A lot of people rave about Lindy's...but I find them very light. And I have to pour most of my mists into my own spray bottles because they always clog up.

Linda Eggleton said...

Loved reading your experiences & expertise on this topic...especially the bit for Lindy's STamp gang. I have looked at them a couple of times, but found it a little confusing & overwhelming. Now I am informed...thanks to YOU :))

The Scrapbooker's Confetti Box said...

Great review and I must agree with your verdict on some of the ones that I have also used. I have just received my first lot of Color Blooms. So excited, I made up a colour chart on individual white cardstock tags and labeled them on the back so I can see what the actual colour is like.(easy to put next to your layout) I must say from what I've played with already I think Im going to use these little babies heaps. The colours are beautiful and the shimmer is WOW.