The other day I went online to make a purchase from Mario Badescu and it hit me that I had finally got a handle on my skincare routine. I know that I've talked about it in the past, but before I was always trying to find a routine that really worked for an extended period of time on my skin. I have used this set of products in both Summer and Winter and have found it to work wonders in both climates. So of course I have to share my thoughts.
I have to say I was blessed with pretty good skin. When I was a teenager I did have a bit of acne which eventually cleared up, but for the most part I've been pretty pleased. About a year ago, I noticed that my skin was having issues. It was extremely oily in some places and extremely dry in others. It was driving me crazy and I didn't know what to do. I tried a multitude of products and even went to a dermatologist, who didn't help at all by the way. Eventually I landed on this set of products below and I could not be happier!
Mario Badescu
I had heard about this brand for years and am kicking myself for not trying it sooner. These are salon quality products that work wonders and don't break the bank. They also last for a long time without re-purchase. I have purchased them at Ulta with a 20% of coupon, but if you buy from their online store you get free samples and there is almost always a 10% off coupon code available.
Botanical Facial Gel- This is my face-wash. It is formulated for oily skin and smells delicious. I use this both in the morning and at night.
Glycolic Grapefruit Cleansing Lotion- This is my toner. Again, it is formulated for oily skin but it's gentle and not drying at all. I also use this in the morning and at night.
Oil Free Moisturizer SPF 30- This is my morning face moisturizer. All of their oil free moisturizers come in different SPF and this is the highest. It is made for oily skin. The plus is that I don't have to worry about sunscreen unless I am going to be outside for a long time.
Silver Powder- This is a blackhead product. It works similar to a Biore strip but all you do is wet a cotton ball, dip it into the product, and dab it where you have blackheads. You wait for it to dry and then rinse with water and your blackheads have disappeared. I typically use this every one or two weeks.
Clarisonic
Mia- I have the basic, one speed Clarisonic and I use it with the deep pore cleansing brush. I know a lot of people use theirs every time they wash their face, but I found that to be too much for my skin and it was causing breakouts. I now use mine every 3rd or 4th wash.
Lush
Ocean Salt- I am a huge fan of Lush all together, but this is hands down my favorite product. It is not technically a face product as it can be used all over the body as a scrub, but it's a bit expensive so I only use it on my face. Keep in mind that it is a strong scrub so it may not be good for all skin types, especially if you have delicate skin. When I use this product, I take a small amount and apply it to my face, followed by my face wash, and then I use my Clarisonic for one cycle. This gives me an amazing deep clean and exfoliation, which is why I only do it once a week.
Kate Somerville
EradiKate- I use this product strictly for blemishes. When I have a new blemish, I cleanse my face and use a q-tip to apply this product before I go to bed. It significantly shrinks the size of a blemish and cuts down the redness. Most times the blemish simply disappears and I don't find myself picking at it.
I can't even begin to explain how great it is to have my skin under control and know that I have an arsenal of products that work. If you have oily/combination skin then I would recommend any or all of these, especially the Mario Badescu!
Do you have tried and true skincare favorites?
25 comments:
I LOVE Lush! The Ocean Salt Scrub is one of my all time favorites too!
I LOVE Lush! The Ocean Salt Scrub is one of my all time favorites too!
I LOVE the Lush Ocean Salt. Its one of my HG products.
I have heard AMAZING things about the Clarisonic...I think I'm going to need to get one! Thanks for sharing. :)
I love love love LUSH's Grease Lightning Acne Spot Treatment. A bunch of the beauty girls on youtube rave about it so I went and picked it up and OMGOSH it is the best spot treatment I've used. (I have very oily/acne prone skin in case anyone is wondering.) I also love using Bioderma at night to cleanse my face instead of a traditional soap cleanser to give my skin a break and I use Embryolisse Lait-Creme as my nighttime moisturizer.
--Laura
I've been wanting to try the Mia for so long now! I've heard good & bad reviews though. I guess it's not for all skin types. I mainly use Body Shop products which work great. The EradiKate looks awesome so I think I'll test it out. I need a good blemish treatment.
I will be forever indebted to you for introducing me to Mario Badescu last fall. I'm absolutely a devotee now and cannot imagine going back.
Also adore my Mia. I use it every morning in the shower and love it.
I need to try new stuff...maybe I need to add this to my next-to-buy list?! :)
Every time I see the Clarisonic, I get closer to realizing I might need to invest in one. In general I have a good complexion, but I don't have a set routine. I do, however, get some stray blemishes that drive me nuts and I have yet to find a spot treatment that actually does anything. Might need to look into some of these products.
I love LUSH'S Ocean Salt Scrub too!
I've been looking for a new system because my face is starting to react to the olay stuff! I may have to give this a try!
Hmm... I use cetaphil in the shower and sometimes a proactiv spot treatment in new blemishes. I'm thinking that i need to adopt a more regular skin routine like yours haha!
Love the Clarisonic! It is part of my routine too! You can read about it here: http://www.lightandsweetblog.com/2013/01/favorite-clarisonic-mia.html
x
My skin is crazy. I discovered the Mario Badescu line earlier this year. They have a glycolic foaming cleanser that I use a few times a week and Ceramide herbal eye cream everyday. Amazing. Lush Ocean Salt scrub just discovered that two. Flippin' awesome. On your dry skin problem. I had some serious dry skin problems...like red,flaky,itchy, just down right anger in one area on my face. Started using Lush's Full of Grace and Jose Maron Argon oil just on the problem area. That area is now doing a happy dance. Finding the perfect products and making our skin happy is such a challenge. Amazeballs achievement though when we figure it out.
Dawn @ life in the sack
thanks for sharing this! I have dry/oily skin, too!
OK thats it, you have convinced me. I am trying the Mario face products!!
I am going to haVE TO TRY THESE OUT! MY SKIN HAS BEEN BAZERKKKKK LATELY AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY! THANKS FOR THE NEW PRODUCTS TO TRY! SORRY FOR THAT ALL CAPS MY COMPUTER IS BEING CRAZY!
I'm almost out of my Proactive and am looking to change up my skincare regimen a little bit. I've heard of the Mario brand and everybody has great things to say. The prices are pretty affordable too. I love using my Mia. I need brush head replacements- bad! This post reminded me. Thanks girl!
I would totally go to a conference with you next year! Ponder it and let me know. We should do a canvas and corkscrews soon!
i love my Mia - mine is a 2 speeder - watch out!
I tend to only use it every other day.
seems to me that i need to pick up some of this lush schtuff!
I am intrigued by the EradiKate. I am terrible at picking at blemishes so this may be the ticket for me!
I think I really, really need a clarisonic!
I'm excited to try some of these products! I have really oily skin. I have been interesting in trying the Mia but I just can't pull the trigger!
I'm so lazy on my skincare. I really need to take some of your advice. I go to sleep with my makeup on half the time. Terrible, I know.
I also breakout if I use my Clarisonic too much. I have to use the sensitive head just once a week. I'm dying to try that Lush stuff!
The Grass Skirt
YES! i'm a skincare fanatic and i swear by organic argan oil (amazing for dry skin and it literally erased the fine lines around my eyes!), 2 hydrating all-natural serums (stone crop serum by emenince organics and collagen elastiin by Pure + Simple) and a hydrating lotion by Pure + Simple.
-kathy @ Vodka and Soda