I was so excited to try Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Water, if for no other reason than the history and weight behind the name. As a perfume fanatic, Queen of Hungary Water is famous for being the worlds first alcohol based perfume, dating back to around the 1400s. The exact date it was created is unknown, and while it is likely Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, who commissioned it. Some say it was a monk who created it and presented it to the queen.

The internet also has theories that an alchemist created it for the Queen to restore and maintain her youthful appearance. I kind of like that romantic version. It was rumoured to be an all purpose product good for skin, shaving, mouthwash (yes!), headache remedy and even a foot bath.  The oldest surviving recipes mention herbal ingredients like rosemary and thyme, while later formulations contain lavender, mint, sage, marjoram, costus, rose, orange blossom and lemon. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

So what is the story behind the Omorovicza brand of Queen of Hungary Water Mist, and why do we love it? The base of Hungarian thermal spa water is the secret weapon of the Omorovicza family and their beautiful spa and product line.

About Omorovicza:

Over 2000 years ago the curative properties of the Hungarian thermal waters were discovered and the first baths were built in present day Budapest. Many of the Hungary’s most beautiful thermal baths were built in the 1500s by the occupying Ottoman Turks. They brought to Hungary the traditional Ottoman hammam and built hundreds of baths on the sites of healing springs.

In the 1800s the Omorovicza family (Stephen’s ancestors) commissioned one of the most famous architects in Hungarian history, Miklos Ybl, to build the beautiful Raz spa in the capital, Budapest, on the site of a medieval healing spring.

In 2006, Omorovicza Cosmetics was officially launched with a store opening in Budapest and we have been producing award-winning skincare ever since. Today the Omorovicza skincare range contains almost fifty products comprising four collections. Fast forward to the early days of this century Margaret and Stephen  met in Budapest. Stephen took his future wife on a tour of Hungary and their first stop? The thermal baths. Here, they were amazed at the transformation of their skin and so enlisted the help of a Nobel prize-winning laboratory to harness these healing waters into a pioneering new luxury skincare range, using Hydro Mineral Transference™.

And the special waters beneath the spa:

The secret to the healing Hungarian waters lies in the fact that, here, the crust of the earth is thinner than elsewhere. This allows the waters to absorb beneficial minerals more effectively on their way to the surface, meaning that certain springs contain a combination of minerals that have been shown to have a profoundly revitalising effect on the skin.

The Omorovicza Queen Of Hungary Mist is currently my number one facial mist, and among the most nourishing and healing toners I’ve used. For my skin and my soul. The fragrance can only be described as sublime. My husband spotted in on the counter in our bathroom and used it after shaving. He walked out touching his face saying he could not believe how good “that new mist thing” I had smelled! Trust me – this is high praise. He’s a bit jaded by the sheer amount of products I have testing at any given time.

I use the Queen of Hungary Mist after cleansing, after moisturizing and after applying makeup. The mist is so fine and delicate it’s almost like walking through a misty foggy moor. With barely a water droplet big enough to leave a water mark, Queen of Hungary Mist feels like it penetrates every pore. I can’t imagine being without this. Now my only wish is for Omorovicza to make a perfume and body cream or even better, an body oil, that smells like just the beautiful Queen of Hungary Water.

The Omorovicza Moor Mud Cleanser has quickly become a favourite of my oily yet ageing skin.

The Moor Cream Cleanser is a classic cream cleanser with a twist. Moor mud lends it a purifying and detoxifying quality while an aroma-therapeutic blend of essential oils adds an antiseptic and anti-microbial property. Zinc Oxide soothes the skin and regulates the production of sebum. A perfect urban detox solution.

The combination of a soothing cream cleanser that has the detoxifying properties of mud, with added zinc and essential oils. I love to use it as the second step in my double cleanse or in the morning for a lovely wakeup cleanse that refreshes without dehydrating my skin.

You can find out where to buy Oromovizca products here.