Mario Badascu Sample Parcel

I really liked the results I'd been seeing using Mario Badescu's products that I thought I'd check out more of their products online. Did I mention Mario Badescu totally rocks? Look at the samples they sent me just for filling out an online questionnaire to determine my skincare concerns.

Yep, these were all free and didn't cost a penny. All the samples they sent are part of the skincare regimen they recommend for my skin type.

Light Reading
Included with the sample parcel was a MB Product Guide booklet that categorizes and explains all of the skincare products they offer and a Product Application Guide for the samples they sent me.

Below are some pics of the Product Application Guide. Click to expand any of the pictures for a closer look.

The front cover.

The pages inside. The left page lists all the products they recommend and which ones were included in the sample parcel. The right page has directions on when and how to apply each product.

And the back with a picture reference on how to properly apply skincare products.

Shipping Experience: A+
They shipped these goodies uber fast in a bubble-wrap lined plastic envelope. So all the samples were well-cushioned and shielded from moisture damage.

Mario Badescu Drying Cream $12 Review & Swatches

This Drying Cream is another item from the Acne Repair Kit.

I feel like this is the daytime alternative to the Drying Lotion and the Buffering Lotion since it supposedly can be used under makeup.

Here's a pic of the stuff in it's plastic tub. I know - it's not very pretty to look at.

The Verdict: B
I can't say that I've used this a lot. There is a really strong chemically smell to the Drying Cream so I just don't find myself reaching for this.

Aside from the smell, it's not spreadable or absorbed easily by the skin. This makes it difficult for me to use with makeup. The cream has a beigy-tan color to it and I find it doesn't work well with foundation.

Also, when I try to blend this in, it goes all over and onto areas of skin that don't have breakouts. The cream will dry out the unneeded areas and make the skin peely.

But does it work? Yes - it definitely helps to dry out pimples even faster when used together with either the Drying Lotion or the Buffering Lotion.

Swatches

Here's some of the Drying Cream before blending.

Here it is after blending. It's still sitting on the surface of the skin and leaves a white film over the skin.

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion $17 Review & Swatches

This item is part of the Acne Repair Kit that I purchased.

The Drying Lotion is to be used on pimples that have formed into whiteheads. The product has 2 components to it: a clear watery liquid that takes up the top 2/3 of the container and a pink powdery sediment that is on the bottom 1/3 of the contents.

Just as the directions say, you dip a Q-tip vertically into the product until you reach the pink part. Then you dab it directly onto the pimple.

Here's a shot of the Q-tip with the product on the end and ready for application.

The Verdict: A
This product really does work! No wonder it has a cult following. As soon as it's applied, I can feel the pimple drying and tighten up.

This is to be applied in the evening and allowed to work overnight. In the morning, the pimple is pretty much gone. Depending on how BIG the pimple is, the whitehead is usually gone and the pimple itself is shrunken.

The best part is this product doesn't dry out the skin surrounding the pimple so you don't end up with that peely look.

Swatches

See how chalky it is? I wouldn't recommend applying this during the day since it can't be blended or covered up very well.

Product Packaging
The container for this product is a glass bottle with a screw top cap. Since the Q-tip is dipped straight down into the bottle, after a couple of dips there's a pretty noticeable dent in the middle of the pink sediment. I would have liked if the opening of the bottle wasn't a narrow neck. It would've made it easier to get around the edges to all of the product.

Mario Basdescu Acne Repair Kit $46

I picked up this kit over at ULTA when they had their 20%off coupon deal going on. I was looking for something that would calm down my skin. I dunno why but every fall when the weather starts to turn my skin goes haywire. O yea - Did I mention in Dallas, November is when fall really begins?

The kit includes 3 acne fighting champions: Drying Lotion, Drying Cream, and Buffering Lotion.

I'd already been using the Buffering Lotion for a while now and I've seen good results from it. You can read the full review by clicking the link above.

Product Packaging

The packaging of the kit reminds of phramaceuticals. Regardless I think it's very clean, neat and showcases the 3 products beautifully.

Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Concentrate $39 Review

This concentrate comes highly recommended by my local SA. She swore that her boyfriend had been using it and it worked wonders. So I decided to give it a go.


I've been playing around with a lot of Caudalie products lately. Some have been a miss but the ones that are a hit have become some of my most favorite skincare products.

"This quick-penetrating, 100% plant-derived concentrate acts deep down to balance combination skin: excess oil is reduced and complexion is purified and cleansed.

Caudalie concentrates are inspired by professional Vinotherapie Spa treaments. Created to reveal unmatched radiance in one treatment, they are highly concentrated in plant ingredients and grape-seed oil for exceptional effectiveness.

Use in th evening, alone or under your moisturizer. Warm 3-4 drops in the palm of your hand, then massage onto face and neck." ~From the product package.


Product Packaging
I expected to find extra instructions on the inside of the packaging as is typical of Caudalie product boxes. But the inside of this box was suprisingly blank.


The container holding this concentrate is an opaque glass so it's hard to tell how much product in the vial. Boooo. However I do like the dropper applicator for this concentrate. The dropper is made of glass too and I feel like an alchemist when I'm using it - teehee! I think it was a smart to incorporate the dropper since the concentrate is really runny and it gives a lot more control when dispensing the product.

The Verdict: A
I've been using this product for a couple of weeks and my skin has become so radiant. I dunno what's in it, but it definitely reduces discoloration from acne scarring. The concentrate is applied easily over all the face and just a couple of drops is enough for me. It oily but at the same time it doesn't feel like grease is sitting on my skin. At first I thought this would make my face an oil slick in the morning, but when morning did come my skin was normal. I think the concentrate gets absorbed into the skin overnight.

There is a strong smell to this product. I can't really describe it but it basically smells like a lighter version of Asian white flower oil (yeah that's a direct translation).

I'm pretty accustomed to this smell because white flower oil is for Taiwanese people what Windex was to the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Got a headache? Dab some white flower oil on your temples. Stuffy nose? Dab some white flower oil right above your lip. Bug bite? Dab some white flower oil on it. I personally don't mind the smell, but everytime I put this concentrate on my bf always asks "What's that smell?"

I know $39 is pretty steep for this tiny vial but the results really are amazing. And since only a few drops are needed, I can see this lasting a couple of months.

Mary Kay Clarifying Mask 3 $14 Review

For some reason I always go back to this particular clarifying mask. I first tried this in high school and it was something my mom wanted me to try (mostly because her boss was a Mary Kay representative at the time and she had to suck up and buy something from her - LOL).


This mask is part of the Mary Kay classic skincare regimen for blemish-prone skin.

"Clarifying Mask, a velvety clay-based formula, gentle exfoliates and clears excess surface oils, leaving skin with a soft matte finish. Refines skin's texture and deep cleans to help control surface sebum. Recommended for blemish prone skin because Clarifying Mask does not contain scrubbing grains which can irritate blemishes. Avoid use in eye and mouth areas." ~from the project package.

Directions
I usually apply the mask after cleansing, focusing mainly on my T-zone. The official directions say to leave it on for 10 minutes but I leave it on for as long as it takes the mask to dry (probably closer to 15 minutes). As it dries, the mask will start to harden so be careful not to make any facial expressions less you covet a face full of wrinkles. After is dries, it rinses off easily with warm water and then I follow with a toner and moisturizer.

Product Packaging
The mask is housed your average plastic tube which is perfect for squeezing out every last bit of product. It also stands on it's head so there's the advantage of gravity pulling all the product to the opening of the tube.


Here's a blob of the mask. The consistency is pretty thick and it's got a light lavender tinge.

The Verdict: A
The result from the mask are wonderful. My skin is soft, matte and feels clean. But what I really love is that I can see the mask working. As the mask dries, it pulls out sebum from pores. I can actually see little oily spots on top of the mask where it's extracted all the excess sebum and this visual confirmation gives me a sense of victory over my acne issues.

Kinerase Clear Skin Treatment Serum $79 Review

This elegant, lightweight therapeutic serum contains a proprietary blend of plant based extracts to reduce blemishes and control oil while visibly calming and smoothing the skin. A professional-strength dose of kinetin also treats and prevents signs of aging.

Regular use can help prevent blemishes without the redness, irritation and peeling commonly associated with acne treatment regimens. -per Kinerase website

The Verdict: D
I wanted this serum to work - I really did especially since the Kinerase Clear Skin Regulating Mask worked so well. The thing is the serum did work. It has a runny consistency, is fast-absorbing and is non-oily but I did feel some slight stinging on areas of broken skin. Saw a pimple trying to set up camp on my cheek. I dabbed some of this serum right on the spot and the next morning - gone. Not even a trace of a blemish and my skin wasn't dry or peely.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get over the funky cheesy foot smell. It's just horrible. My nostrils felt violated. If you value fresh oxygen and object to obtrusive malicious odors (cue siren and red light alarm) stay away! For the love of God stay away!

Another issue I had was the how the serum is dispensed. The best way to do it is to pump the product into the palm of your hand. I tried to pump a small drop onto the tip of my index and middle finger - big mistake! Stinky smelling goop squirted in all directions.

Kinerase Clear Skin Regulating Mask $56 Review

I got to try a sample of this a while back but never got around to posting a review. So here it is!

The Kinerase Clear Skin Regulating Mask ($56 for 2.8 oz) is a clay mask that treats acne-prone skin. It contains botanical extracts that draw out extra sebum and soothe the skin to minimize break outs. The mask is applied for only 5 minutes once a week and regular use will improve blemishes and conditions of acne-prone skin.

The Verdict: A-
The sample size I had only allowed me to use the mask once but I could feel immediate changes. All traces of oil and sebum were absorbed by the mask and some of my older acne scars were diminished and less discolored.

Even though I loved the results of the mask, it's meant for oilier skin than mine. I had to slather on moisturizer in order to rehydrate the skin on my cheeks/temples but for my T-zone this mask worked wonderfully.

I really am not doing justice to how impressed I was by this mask. Just go try a sample from Nordstrom and you'll see what I mean :)

Mentholatum Acnes Creamy Facewash $15

Sorry to be MIA the past couple of weeks. Work's been crazy and I've been baking like a mad woman. May is my most demanding month when it comes to baking. I've got my little cousin's birthday, Mother's Day, boyfriend's birthday and granny's birthday. And for this year only, I'm hosting/catering a bridal shower this weekend!

My aunt got back from a trip to Taiwan last week and this was one of the goodies she brought back for me. It's a Japanese drugstore facewash repackaged for Taiwan in Chinese characters. Mentholatum has a full product line to address acne prone skin.


According to my aunt, this medicated facewash prevents acne, helps heal acne scars, minimizes pores, and has bonus whitening thanks to a dose of Vitamin C. I don't know what the cartoonish little green guy is supposed to be but it made me laugh (those crazy asian marketing peeps)! It looks like the Green Giant's sidekick.

I normally don't stray from my Shiseido Pureness facewash but lately I've been getting small annoying breakouts on my cheeks and jawline. So I gave this a shot and have been using it for a week. There is a scent that smells like a combo of grapefruit + Lysol. It's not strong but it is noticeable. What surprised me was the tingling feeling when I applied this. The tingly feeling is especially noticeable where I had breakouts - I really hope it's because they were being annihilated! I've really liked it so far as I tend to like foaming facewashes. This comes out of the tube creamy but foams when water is added to it.

The Verdict: B+
I have to warn that it is quite strong! If I use it both morning and night it makes my skin peely around the pimples. Once a day seems to work the best for me. So far I'm liking the results and am interested in trying out the other products from this line. You can purchase some of the products online but of course it's much more expensive online than in Taiwan (my aunt said she got it for around $7 US).

Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion $17

Everyone's probably pretty familiar with Mario Badescu's pink Drying Lotion. This is the same version of the pink one except it's for cyctic acne. I'm one of the unlucky few who developes cystic acne and they always show up around that time of month.

The Verdict
So this really does work - It's not a miracle worker but you do get results. I applied the lotion to a pimple and overnight the pimple was reduced and no longer red. I was impressed because even though the lotion dried out the pimple, it didn't dry out my surrounding skin. Again the downside is it reduced the pimple but did not eliminate it. It just made it less inflamed.

Freebies

These little sample bottles are so cute! The SA included 2 pairs of these with my purchase - I thought that was nice of her. I haven't tried these out yet cause I'm really happy with my Shiseido stuff that I use daily. I'll do a full review later on these.