Mario Badescu: My Skin Care Secret Weapon

 What's inside? Mario's brand new exfoliator!!

Botanical Exfoliating Scrub (c/o)

I remember exactly when my obsession with Mario Badescu Skin Care began. I was 19 and had just moved downtown. As you may have expected, even then I was fashion obsessed, so I read every fashion magazine I could get my hands on. I remember the add for Mario's Drying Lotion which was advertised every month in the back as this magic potion that could erase pimples overnight!! Naturally, I went over to Marshall Fields (that's right, it was still Marshall Fields and not Macy's back then. RIP) and bought a bottle with my hard earned money from working at Rock Bottom while in college!

The Drying Lotion was truly a magic potion. You dip a q-tip into this 2 layered liquid and apply it directly to a pimple, and sure enough the next day, it's GONE! Magic. 

Since then, I've never been without Mario Badescu Skin Care products in my house. I started using their Acne Face wash along with their Glycolic Foaming Cleanser alternating morning and night and haven't stopped since. This is still the same combination I use to this day. 

Since then I have incorpotated so many Mario Badescu products into my skin care collection. Their Cucumber Tonic Mask is a life saver that delivers instant results after every use and their Cucumber Cleansing Lotion is my saving grace when all I can handle at night is to put some on a cotton ball and call that a face-washing. I also keep this Rosewater Facial Spray right on my vanity where I blow dry my hair so when I feel like I've just blown all the moisture right out of my face, I can instantly rehydrate. 

There are so many amazing products that I have tried over the last 14 years, that I am convinced everyone can find their perfect skin care products from Mario Badescu's amazing line of products. Not only do I love that I can pick them up at my local Nordstrom but I LOVE their prices! They are by far the most affordable skin care products you will ever find in a department store. most products are even below $20! 

Last week, Mario Badescu came out with a new exfoliator that was seriously exactly what I was looking for. Not harsh on the skin but has that smooth-yet-gritty thing going that makes your face feel all squeaky clean. Of course I was super pumped to try it out and it works great. I use it once a week in the shower with my Clarisonic Mia!

I can't recommend you try Mario Badescu enough for yourself. So go ahead and check it out. Your face and wallet will thank you.

Skin Care: My Top 10

This past Saturday morning I got to attend one of my favorite bi-yearly events: Trend Show at Nordstrom Michigan Avenue. The whole event focuses on what's new and hot in makeup and skin care.

*Pictures of the event will be coming soon - lots of camera drama so I had to use my phone camera. Something is better than nothing I suppose.

The whole experience got me thinking about what my favorites are and why.

Mainly when something works, I stick with it. I have been using all these products for years, some longer than others, but each a vital part of my skin care routine. I think they are great and maybe you do too!

1. Almay oil-free eye makeup removing wipes - I'd say these super-strength disks and I are going on a 7-year run by now and they still are by far the best and easiest way to remove eye makeup quickly!

2. Clarisonic Mia (in pink of course) - My baby, my love, she makes me feel pretty in exactly one minute. I got her as a gift from my husband two Christmases ago and not a day or trip goes by that she is not there, fully charged and ready to make my skin feel great!

3. Mario Badescu Acne Cleanser - No I do not have bad acne, but I can and do easily break out. This is super gentle and I feel it protects me from the grime my face accumulates during the day. This one is used in the shower every morning on the Clarisonic.

4. Pevonia Exfoliating Treatment - I have been using this this product for about 3 years now and i mean "this product," same bottle! I put a small dab on the Clarisonic one or twice a week, which is why I guess it lasts so long.

5. Mario Badescu Glycolic Foaming Cleanser - My nighttime face wash. Nothing like a good soapy lather to make your face feel squeaky clean before bed. I use this on the Clarisonic as well, yep twice a day, why not?

6. Dickinson's Witch Hazel - I used to buy fancy toners, and don't get me wrong, they were great, but this vat of witch hazel is just as good but for a sliver of the price. I can feel free to spend that money I saved on other pretty things.

7. Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream - It took a long time for me to find a face cream for nighttime that i felt was actually doing something. This moisturizer feels so rich without feeling greasy or heavy.

8. Bliss: The Youth as We Know It - Day cream, this is my big-bucks cream. I always wait to get the 20% off your whole purchase at Ulta coupon in the mail and buy this cream. It take the kick out of the $70 price tag. Worth every penny though, in my book. And if you need a to-go version for travel, pop into a Sephora and they will make you a sample, but don't tell them I told you so!

9. Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye Cream - Every girl needs a good eye cream and this is mine.

10. Mario Badescu: Drying Lotion - Not really a lotion at all. It's more of a super smelly, ugly pink dot of stinging liquid you dab on a pimple with a cotton swab, then go to sleep with it on the spot all night, and when you wake up it's like a magic zit fairy made it go away! I save this for the days when I develop one of those monster zits out of nowhere.

As you can tell, there is a trend here, I love me some Mario products, I've been using them for so long now, I don't even remember how I found them. I do know this, they are super cheap ($15 for a bottle of cleanser that will last you 8 months!) compared to the big=name department store cosmetic brand skin care products and THEY WORK! At least in my opinion they do!

Any other top ten requests? Makeup? Nail colors? Clothing items? You name it, I'll list it!