Mario Badescu Skincare Review

After months of agonising, I finally purchased few items from the Mario Badescu skincare line. I'm quite resistant to trying new products on my skin as it is quite temperamental at times - oily/combination with dry and (what I consider to be horrendous) hormonal breakouts. I rarely stray from the old faithful routine that I've set up, but I had heard wonderful things about this range and decided to jump in headfirst.

I purchased the Rolling Cream Peel, Special Mask for Oily Skin and of course, the highly coveted Drying Lotion. When I ordered, I also received deluxe samples of the Whitening Mask, Strawberry Face Mask and Buttermilk Moisturizer which I will review later, as this would be quite lengthy and boring otherwise!

Top - Rolling Cream Peel; Middle - Special Mask for Oily Skin; Bottom - Drying Lotion.

The Rolling Cream Peel is one of the gentlest, most effective exfoliators I have ever used. While I neglected to buy the Mario Badescu toner/astringent (like I said, I'm quite particular) I did remove this with my Lush Tea Tree Water and I felt that the lack of water applied both before and after made a noticeable difference to my skin when it came to getting rid of any unwanted dead skin cells, or just any dirt and oil that lay deep in the pores. This mask would also be ideal to travel with, as the lack of water needed means that it could be applied on a long haul flight with minimal mess. Just be careful to catch any of those icky peels with a towel or wipe on your lap, they can look a bit gross! This will set you back AUS$28 which I can absolutely justify repurchasing.

On to the Special Mask for Oily Skin. I feel as though I haven't had enough time to use this mask and give an effective review, but from what I can tell it has made very little difference to the overall quality of my skin. This product feels quite luxurious on the skin compared to other clay masks I have tried, which often leave my skin feeling dry and tight. I enjoy any product with calamine in it as this has always just helped leave my skin looking and feeling better, however any improvements I may see coming from this product are unfortunately short-lived and well-forgotten by the time I tone and moisturise my skin. My one absolute positive with this product, and the Badescu masks in general, is that a little goes a very long way so if you do find these work for you, they're worth the AUS$28 price tag.

To end part one of this review, here is a heart-wrenching spiel about the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, perhaps the most famous product in the line. It actually pains me to type these words, as I was so excited to receive this after seeing such positive reviews. But I must say, the only thing it did was knock me out with it's unbearable scent (if you can call the overpoweringly sterile leak of Salicylic Acid a scent) and bring my bumps forward a day or two early, which was the last thing in the world I wanted. I was promised immediate relief of all pimples, notably whiteheads, and all this product managed to accomplish was create more whiteheads than I regularly get. One "cosmetic" fault I find with the product is it requires that you use a cotton/Q-tip to dip down to the calamine sediment, but the bottle is deeper than any standard cotton tips I can find which makes reaching this quite difficult. I may go back to this product if my skin becomes increasingly problematic, as it did manage to reduce the healing time (like I said earlier, my acne is hormonal) but until then I probably won't be reaching for it every night. At AUS$25.60, I won't be repurchasing this product.

**EDIT: I spilt this product on my vanity while giving it a second chance, and almost half the clear liquid poured out to my dismay. Ever since, this product has worked a charm on my skin so I think it may have just been the ratios. If I do ever purchase this again (still on the fence), I will most likely pour it out first haha.

I apologise for such a long-winded blog post but I really wanted to give an in-depth review of these products, especially the Drying Lotion as it is such a holy grail item for so many people. I have mixed feelings about Mario Badescu products however there are one or two that have wormed their way into my staple skincare routine, which is all I could have asked for. I'll post my next review soon and try to make it shorter, until then have a great week!

-Kate.

*Mario Badescu products can all be purchased on their website, or at BeautyBay, who offer free worldwide shipping to most countries.