When I was 10 years old, my mom gave me the most ridiculous gift. My dad, in response to years of pleading, finally bought her that beautiful pearl necklace she had always wanted. And what did my mom do, you ask!? She gave the darn necklace to me. I think she slightly misunderstood the tradition many mothers follow in passing down their most precious jewelry to their daughters, since that usually happens after decades of wear and when their daughters are grown, mature adults. NOT, when the gift is brand new and the daughter is still at an irresponsible and immature age of 10 years! Needless to say, I lost that gorgeous necklace within the week – maybe it fell off at the playground, or our adorable dog Woodrow Wilson gobbled it up. Who knows, but what I do know is that my dad hasn’t allowed me to live it down since (and my mom never received another piece of nice jewelry!)!
Why do I tell you this story, you ask? Because every morning and evening when I wash my face with Mario Badescu’s Orange Cleansing Soap, it reminds me of that ridiculous occasion and makes me chuckle. This Cleansing Soap is like no other I’ve ever used and its appearance is a beautiful pearly, iridescent color. So while I’m removing my make-up, cleansing, and exfoliating, I am constantly reminded of that sad little row of pearls lost somewhere on my middle school playground.
I’m going to wager that the majority of you, like me, have gone through 10, 20, perhaps 100s of skin care products trying to find the one that’s just right for you. Well, I think I’ve found the answer for us all! The folks at Mario Badescu sent me some of their products to try and I’ve fallen in love with ALL. OF. THEM.
Mario Badescu has been offering personalized skin care and acne treatments for over 40 years, and even have an impressive list of celebrity clients who swear by their products (yet, their affordable for us average joes!). Mario Badescu recognizes that skin types vary considerably from person to person, as do other factors that influence our skin such as age, gender, skin care history, and lifestyle. As a result, they do not offer a one-size-fits-all skin care regime but rather offer customized skin care recommendations based on skin care consulting questionnaires we easily fill out online! Products range from cleansers, astringents, moisturizers, exfoliates, eye creams, and sun screen/self tanners.
I told my skin care consultant that I have relatively dry skin and that I suffer from acne whose primary location is smack dab in the middle of my chin. Ok, ok, the left, right, and center of my chin! I am especially prone to cystic acne (those under-the-skin, hard-ish, red, painful bumps that often never make it to a whitehead). I received an outstanding package, tailored to my individual needs, which I have no intentions of EVER again going without!
Some of my favorite Mario Badescu Skin Care:
Orange Cleansing Soap: Like I said, this is a great one stop shop facial cleanser, which lets me remove make-up and clean my skin at once. It took a day of getting used to, since their product does not foam up like many of the cleansers I am used to, but it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the feel of massaging this pearl-like substance into my skin!
Buffering Lotion: Specifically designed for cystic acne, this lotion is applied to the infected areas at night and deeply penetrates the area overnight. I can’t begin to describe the change I saw after just one use. These stubborn spots can often stick around for a full week, yet with this lotion, they were gone within a day or two!
Drying Lotion: When that whitehead appears, this is your guy! This is the most effective acne treatment I’ve ever used. Acne can disappear virtually overnight. I must warn you, there is calamine lotion in this product, and that’s just what it looks like when you put it on – pretty in pink! My husband made fun of me the first time I came to bed with little pink spots all over my face – but boy was it worth it!
Note: This is one of their most popular products, having been featured in In Style, In Touch, Women’s Health, Women’s Day, and Time Out New York.
Flower and Tonic Mask: I’ve used this mask 3 times a week and it has left my skin feeling fresh and renewed. It prevents pores from clogging and absorbs dirt and oil from them. Just awesome!
Aloe Moisturizer (SPF-15): I love this! I have such a hard time finding a good, high-quality daily face lotion that’s not too heavy, too greasy, or non-protective. The aloe makes this moisturizer ultra-soothing. It feels incredibly lightweight, oil-free (!), and also provides sun protection.