Ask anyone who knows me well and they’ll tell you just how high maintenance my skin is. It didn’t used to be—and when I think of how I got away with such poor skincare habits in high school, it makes me miss the good old days. My skin rarely had any issues and was usually zit-free. When I went away to college, my skin became dry and flaky, and I just learned to deal with the rift for fear of trying something that would upset it. My skin is constantly vacillating between allergic and irritated to dry and flaky. Any quick shift between the two produces zits in unlikely places on my face (think the cheeks instead of sketchy crevices). Since I moved to Texas last summer, things have only become worse. The dry summer and the even harsher winter had my skin feeling tight and raw. I recently spent one evening applying my moisturizer six times over – to no avail. I knew I needed a skincare overhaul, but with my track record of allergies, it would be a challenge.
About a month ago I noticed that I was beginning to develop the tiniest fine lines around my eyes, berthed mostly from the puffiness and inflammation my face was enduring from the dry air. I immediately let out a distress tweet and asked for a call to arms and skincare suggestions from my followers. Aquila, my fellow blogwriter, suggested I try Mario Badescu’s Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream. As I do with anything that is unfamiliar, I googled the line, only to find that Badescu’s products are used consistently by some very famous women like Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Anniston, Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow. Badescu, a native of Romania, seeks to provide the highest quality of botanical ingredients to produce maximum results in minimum time. His products are low-chemical, low-preservative and safe for pregnant women.
Okay, I’m sold.
Now, here’s the best part. On Mario Badescu’s website, you have the opportunity to take a skincare questionnaire and have the personalized results recommended to you in an email. When you receive the email, you can then receive samples of each recommended item to be sent to you. The samples look small, but they’re such high quality, a small amount can last a long time. My samples lasted for more than two weeks, and some of them I’m still using. I was recommended the following products: Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Aloe Lotion, Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream, Strawberry Face Scrub, and the Seaweed Night Cream. I was also shipped the Oil-free moisturizer with an SPF, but I am allergic to chemical sunscreens (told you it was high maintenance), so until I purchase an SPF-free moisturizer, I will continue using my Alba Hawaiian Botanical Green Tea and Aloe moisturizer.
I’ve never had products work like this for me before. In the first week, I noticed that my blackheads had all but disappeared, my eyes were brighter and significantly less puffy. The cleanser is non-foaming and has glycerin, so it protects the skin from being stripped of the beneficial oils. The strawberry scrub is unlike any exfoliator I’ve ever used. It uses the natural alpha hydroxy acids in the berries to disintegrate the dead skin, as opposed to using harsh scrubbies that can irritate the skin and cause rashes. The Aloe lotion, which is like a toner that moisturizes, is perfect for the few places on my face that get a little greasy, like around the nostrils and between the eyes. The eye cream reduces the puffiness and therefore the tiny fine lines. The night cream has made the biggest difference. My skin feels less tight, it’s less puffy when I wake, and the whole texture of my skin is definitively softer.
As soon as I started using the products, I encouraged my husband, Drew, to take the questionnaire for himself. Drew has typical problem skin and it’s been an issue for him for most of his life. He was prescribed a completely different set of cleansers, creams and moisturizers and his skin cleared up in a week. He also received some of their men’s specialty products including the pre-shave gel and the shaving cream. It was just the other day he made the comment that when his skin feels good, he feels good. Sound’s like a commercial. This stuff is good.
They’ve got a product for every problem, and they all have rave reviews. If you take the questionnaire and find a part of the regimen isn’t working, the Mario Badescu is filled with multiple options to find the right product for you. When you receive your samples, you’ll also receive an instruction booklet and full catalog with descriptions of every product to make the search process easier. The products range between 10-40 dollars, with the creams and specialized aging products costing the most. However, like I said earlier, a little goes a long way. I use less than a dab of the eye cream, a half-a-dime’s size of the cleanser. These products have saved this Texas girl’s skin, but don’t hesitate to make it a part of your beauty routine if you’re living elsewhere. Afterall, I’m in love with my skin and I don’t care who knows it!
What skin products are you in love with? Will you be taking Badescu’s questionnaire? Should we do a Mario Badescu giveaway to our readers? Tell us what you think!
XO,
K
