My newest cosmetic LOVE

I have a confession. I have the skin of a 13-year-old girl. Not in the glowing, youthful glow of the young and innocent. No, I have the acne-prone, red, bumpy skin of a pubescent teenager. Not all the time. Only for about 50% of the time. Which, for me as a 30-year-old, is far too much of the time. Add that with the fact that I have sensitive skin that is also combination and my skin is really hard to take care of.

I've tried every product you can imagine. Dermatologist recommended products, Proactive, special cleaners, special moisturizers... my old dermatologist even tried putting me on the pill and an antibiotic to make things better (which is a whole different story for another time). Nothing works. It either dries me out or makes me oily or does nothing at all. It's actually quite frustrating. But I continue my search for that miracle cure.

I happened to be shopping in Ulta the other day (I've never shopped there before, but I thought it would be worth a try), and I stumbled upon the Mario Badescu line of skin care. To be completely honest, the simplicity of the label is what drew my eye. It wasn't flashy and neon and gimmicky. It is simple, clean, and minimal. I started reading labels and checking things out. I hate spending a ton of money on things only to find out that they don't work, so I decided to test out a few products before making a real commitment.

I decided to try out the Rose Hips Nourishing Oil and the Almond Honey Non-Abrasive Face Scrub. I recently read an article that discussed skin moisture content. Part of the reason people get oily skin is because they strip their skin of its moisture and then our skin overproduces moisture to compensate. I get wicked dry patches as well as oily patches, so I figured a good exfoliating scrub and a moisturizing serum. I tried the scrub as soon as I showered, and I LOVED it. It was gently, but it totally did it's job. I use it in every other shower, and I am loving how it is keeping my skin flake-free and soft. The Rose Hips oil is equally awesome. I apply it after I've cleansed and used my toner, and it keeps my skin super moist. I put my lotion on afterwards, and my makeup goes on more smoothly with fewer flaws.

I figured since these two products worked, I'd try out a few more. I also spent some time investigating the company online and discovered only good things about them.

I picked up the Aloe Vera Toner and the Moisture Magnet lotion today and, again, used them immediately. The toner is very gentle and is alcohol-free (which is essential for avoiding excessive dryness). The moisturizer is very thick and rich and a tiny drop covered my entire face and neck. I'm talking the size of a pea, people. It's only been one use, but I really like them thus far.

I also picked up the drying lotion which is an overnight spot treatment. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on trying it tonight. Everything I've read about it has been total praise, so I am looking forward to it. I'll let you know how it goes. 

The nice thing about these products is that they aren't over-the-top pricey. All of these product combined cost me about $70. While it's more than I usually spend, I've realized that I won't get good looking skin at bargain-basement costs. So far, I'm pretty ecstatic with the quality and effectiveness of this line. The main ingredients are all-natural, and the products that I have seen all have six or fewer ingredients. And I can pronounce most of them which is always reassuring. I know it is early in the game, but I've got a pretty good feeling about this line. I'm excited.

And, well, sharing the same initials with the product line doesn't hurt either.