Hope you're all doing well and enjoying your week so far. Today I will be reviewing the Regimen Kit by Mario Badescu for Oily/ Combination skin. Over the past few months I've realized that the most important beauty regimen is a facial care regimen. The beauty products I have been trying out, coupled with the weather conditions and the dust and what not had taken its toll on my skin. So in January I promptly placed my order for this kit on Beauty Bay. While doing a bit of research on whether to pick this kit or the one by Grown Alchemist I noticed how few the amount of reviews on skin care were in comparison to makeup. This is one of the main reasons I wanted to review this kit.
I'm not a skin care guru nor am I completely knowledgeable on all things skin care which is why I'm simply sharing with you my personal experience with the product. I've gone back and forth about doing this review because some of the products included in the kit haven't worked for me in a way that I would have liked them to. As a disclaimer, I just would like to point out that skin care products work differently on different skin conditions; so what might work on me might not necessarily work on you, and vice versa.
Mario Badescu is a skin care range first introduced in New York in 1967. The founder of this brand, Mario Badescu, is a chemist and a cosmetologist. This particular kit by Mario Badescu is specifically for oily/ combination skin. The price of this was $33.90 on BeautyBay when I bought it but the price has been further reduced to $31.70.
The contents of the kit include:
*Enzyme Cleansing Gel-2 oz
*Cucumber Cleansing Lotion- 2 oz
*Aloe Moisturizer- 1 oz
*Flower and Tonic Mask- 1/2 oz
*Seaweed Night Cream- sample
Enzyme Cleansing Gel- This is one product from this kit I really enjoyed using. It can be used for all skin types and has papaya and grapefruit extracts. It claims to 'wash away makeup and surface debris leaving skin clean and residue free, rejuvenate dull skin with Alpha Hydroxy Acid by breaking down the build up of dead skin cells that cause blackheads and pimples.' Although it is recommended to use twice daily, I used it once every two days. This really helped in removing my makeup. I had a mishap with one of my liquid lipsticks and this was my savior. I accidentally brushed off some red liquid lipstick as it was drying and it got all over my chin (don't even ask!) and I tried using makeup wipes, remover, etc. but it was difficult to take it off and that's when I remembered I had this. So if not for this product I would have had to walk around with red lipstick all over my chin, so I'm thankful for this. Not only is it effective in erasing makeup blunders but it is also true to its purpose in that, it provides gentle cleansing to remove dirt and debris on the skin surface. I particularly like how mild it is compared to some other cleansing products available on the market today. The big question is, would I repurchase? Absolutely.
*It does contain methylparaben for anyone who is concerned.
Pricing on Mario Badescu website: 8 oz-$14
16 oz- $24
Cucumber Cleansing Lotion- This would be the follow-up to the cleansing gel. I enjoyed using this product as well. This is recommended for oily/ combination skin although the back label suggests it could be used for normal skin as well. It contains cucumber extract. Mario Badescu describes this product as 'a cooling, cleansing astringent for normal to oily skin which disinfects and removes residue, oil and bacteria from skin's surface to prevent breakouts'. I really like how it cleans the entire face and has a cooling effect owing to the cucumber extract. I have loved using the cleansing gel and following up with this lotion especially at night for more thorough cleansing. It has dried some of the more oily areas of my face prone to breakouts. I think it works well as a mild toner and I wouldn't mind repurchasing this either.
Pricing on Mario Badescu website: 8 oz-$15
16 oz- $26
Aloe Moisturizer- This moisturizer is recommended after using the cleansing gel and lotion. It has SPF 15 and can be used for combination/ oily and sensitive skin types. It is paraben free and it claims to be a 'lightweight and oil free, formulated with aloe to soother and calm skin and hydrate sensitive skin while providing broad spectrum UVA/ UVB protection'. This product is one of the reasons why I went back and forth with writing this review. When it did not work for me initially I wanted to wait for some time and try it again to see if there was a change because I assumed I used it wrong or applied it on a more sensitive area of my face. I've tried to make it work especially since it works as an oil free moisturizer as well as a sunscreen (love when a product is multipurpose). Sadly, it just hasn't worked for me. I find that this product sits on my skin and isn't absorbed over time. So when it sits on the skin, particularly on the more oily regions it results in breakouts. I tried it on the dry areas and I found that my skin was somewhat sensitive to this product that when I applied it, it caused itching. Basically it was not my cup of tea.
Flower and Tonic Mask- This is a mask which contains Gardenia extract and Kaolin Clay. It claims that it will give a healthier, smoother skin in 20 minutes and is recommended to be used 2 to 3 times a week. It can be used for oily/ combination and sensitive skin types. It claims that it 'purifies congested oily skin and reduces uneven texture and Kaolin clay absorbs dirt and oil from pores to cleanse and tighten without over drying which makes it suitable for even dry skin types'. This is yet another product that my sensitive skin did not react to so well. I did find that it tightened my pores and it did start drying and working its magic quite fast, so I think that this product will work well for those of you who do not have sensitive skin. I can't completely attest to how well it works as I did not have the mask for more than 15 minutes because of the skin sensitivity.
Pricing on Mario Badescu website: 2 oz-$18
Seaweed Night Cream- This is recommended for combination/ oily and sensitive skin types. It claims to be a 'non-greasy, oil-free night cream enriched with Seaweed, Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid to soften, hydrate and nourish the skin without clogging pores, which leaves the skin feeling soft and silky'. It smells so great and it feels quite thick and heavy-duty. The problem with reviewing a product which is essentially the size of a two-rupee coin is that there is not enough product to properly experience how good/ bad it is over time. What I've tried, I liked because it did leave my skin feeling soft and silky.
Pricing on Mario Badescu website: 1 oz-$22
Final Thoughts: I really love the enzyme cleansing gel and the cucumber cleansing lotion which are both very mild but effective skin care products. I don't particularly fancy the other three as they haven't given the results that I expected. If you do want to try out some other products by Mario Badescu check out their drying lotion for acne treatment or the facial spray with aloe herbs and rose water which are among the favorites of many bloggers and celebs including Kylie Jenner.
Overall Rating of the Mario Badescu- The Regimen Kit-
❤❤❤
Mario Badescu website: https://www.mariobadescu.com/
To purchase the kit on Beauty Bay:
There is an offer for Mario Badescu Products on BeautyBay- Get the drying lotion, Acne Facial Cleanser and Special Cucumber Lotion for 30 GBP:
Thank you for reading,
Much love as always,
