Review: Mario Badescu Facial Spray

Item Reviewed: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater

Price/pack size: US$7/4 oz. bottle

Available at: Onlyaesthetics, 5 locations including Delfi Orchard & Holland Village (I ordered mine online though)

Ingredients: Deionized Water,Aloe Extract, Bladderwrack Extract,Herbal Extract, Rose Extract,Gardenia Extract,Propylene Glycol

Description: A refreshing, hydrating mist to use anywhere anytime. Simply formulated with fragrant Herbal Extracts and Rosewater for a pleasant, pick me up for dehydrated, tight and uncomfortable skin. Spray your day and night creams for a boost of hydration or use it to set make-up or spray on dry hair throughout the day. Safe for all skin types. Gentle, non-irritating.

Review: I usually use it as a daytime toner (I use the AHA toner, also by MB, at night) – spray 5 times into the heart of my palm and pat it gently all over face. I’ve been using it for a while now and haven’t got a breakout, so that’s pretty good news to those acne-prone I suppose.

This is great if you are looking for a boost of moisture without heavy creams/gels/lotions. The aloe content really helps to hydrate skin. I also love the short and simple ingredient list.

Rating: 4/5

Would I buy again: Maybe

 

Review: Mario Badescu Strawberry Tonic Mask

Item Reviewed: Mario Badescu Strawberry Tonic Mask

Price/pack size: USD$18/60ml tub

Available at: Onlyaesthetics, 5 locations including Delfi Orchard & Holland Village (I ordered mine online though)

Ingredients:
Deionized Water, Kaolin, Seamollient, Wheat Starch, PVP, Sclerotium Gum, Balsam Peru, Zinc Oxide, Strawberry Extract

Description:
This Alpha Hydroxy rich clay mask absorbs surface oils and debris to keep normal, combination and slightly oily skin clear and healthy. Soothing botanical Balsam Peru helps reduce minor irritation and redness on sensitive skin. Also great for minimizing old acne scarring.

Review:
The strawberry scent comes through really strong in this mask, not that it’s a bad thing cos it just reminds me of yummy strawberry milkshake! The colour and texture of the mask further enforces my thought – light pink and creamy. I was very tempted to taste it!

There’s kaolin in the mask so it dries on my face, absorbing all the sebum and nasties. Seamollient moisturizes the skin, balancing it nicely. Zinc oxide has antibacterial properties so if you have acne-prone skin, feel safe to use it. I have never broken out using it, so if that’s a testimony to you… =) I use this mask alternatively with my DHC Mineral Mask as a deep cleansing treat. My skin is always soft and smooth, slightly brightened up when I rinse STM off.

Strawberry extract contains AHA which is great for oily, acne-prone skin as it helps to get rid of the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing fresher skin.

Some people may be allergic to Balsam Peru, an ingredient widely used in MB’s products (eg: Control Cream, Healing Cream, Whitening Mask & Azulene Mask). According to Dermnet NZ, Balsam Peru may be antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic, but it also contains essential oils similar to those in citrus fruit peel. These are all potential allergens. Thus, you may want to try out a sample of these products before committing to a full size tub.

Rating: 4.5/5

Would I buy again: Yes

 

Review: Mario Badescu Whitening Mask

Item Reviewed: Mario Badescu Whitening Mask

Price/pack size: 60ml tub

Available at: Onlyaesthetics, 5 locations including Delfi Orchard & Holland Village (I ordered mine online though)

Ingredients:
Deionized Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Balsam (Myroxylon Pereirae Resin) Peru, Wheat (Triticum Vulgare) Starch, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Sorbitol, Kojic Acid, Mulberry Extract, Licorice Extract, Grape Extract, Scullcap (Scutellaria Galericulate) Extract

Description:
This hydrating mask will help brighten uneven skin tones and gently minimize the look of old acne scars and discolorations from the sun. Skin lightening, natural ingredients like Kojic Acid, Licorice and Mulberry make this mask gentle for all skin types. Contains no Alpha Hydroxy Acids making it safe and gentle for acne erupted or very sensitive skin.

Review:
Due to the grape extract as one of the ingredients, the mask smells absolutely yummy – quite like a grape sweet. Consistency of the mask is good, liquid but yet not runny. You won’t need a lot to spread evenly on your face, making the mask pretty economical (USD$24 for 60ml – I reckon it can be used for at least 4 months with twice weekly usage).

I cleansed my face with a exfoliating wash before applying the mask, and surprisingly it stings for a couple of moments when first applied. None of the MB masks have ever stung me so I was taken aback and quite worried that I’ll get some kind of reaction to the mask.

Luckily, nothing bad happened, and in fact, my skin was brightened up after one use! It can be a little difficult to wash off due to the titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (they’re not water soluble). I prefer to follow up with a mild cleanser to make sure I got it all off.

Some people may be allergic to Balsam Peru, an ingredient widely used in MB’s products (Control Cream, Healing Cream, Whitening Mask & Azulene Mask). According to Dermnet NZ, Balsam Peru may be antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic, but it also contains essential oils similar to those in citrus fruit peel. These are all potential allergens. Thus, you may want to try out a sample of these products before committing to a full size tub.

Rating: 3/5

Would I buy again: Yes

 

Sample sale!

I have too many skincare products on rotation right now, so I’m offering samples to those interested to try.

Samples of the following products available (5ml decant samples jars – additional cost or mail me your own).
- Toc Toc BB Cream $3
- Kiehl’s Centella Recovery Skin-Salve $9
- Mario Badescu Azulene Calming Mask $7.50
- Mario Badescu Silver Powder $12
- Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel $2.60 (10ml)
- Niks Gold Nuggets $2.50 for 1

Item: Everyday Minerals – Medium Beige Matte
Qty: 1 sample jar
Price: $2.20 (including postage)

Item: Everyday Minerals – Light O/Glo
Qty: 1 sample jar
Price: $2.20 (including postage)

Item: Everyday Minerals – Soft bronzer sample
Qty: 1 sample jar
Price: $2.20 (including postage)

 

Coming my way!

I have these coming soon!

x2

Garden of Wisdom package

Everyday Minerals package

 

MB azulene calming mask

Azulene calming mask
2 oz – USD$18

Ingredients: PVP, seamollient, methylparaben, protol, castor oil, balsam peru, kaolin, wheat starch, zinc oxide, quaternium-60, titanium dioxide, talc, boric acid, polysorbate-80, propylene glycol, azulene

Review: This is the mask version of the control cream. This is the ‘go-to’ mask when my skin is irritated, red, and with a few pimples. The mask helps to reduce redness and balance my skin. It is very gentle and therefore would be suitable for everyday use. However, I’m a lazy person lately so I haven’t been using the mask as frequently as I should.

Overall rating:

 

MB cleansing milk w/ carnation & rice oil

Cleansing milk with carnation and rice oil
6 oz – USD$10
16 oz – USD$20

Ingredients: Deionized water, rice oil, carnation oil, stearic acid, isopropyl myristate, cetyl alcohol, triethanolamine, methylparaben, sodium benzoate

Review: I was desperate for a calming and moisturizing cleanser last June when winter was wrecking my skin. I headed right to Kit Cosmetics and consulted Chin, who then introduced me to this luxurious cleansing milk. I wasn’t a stranger to cleansing milk, having used one from Niks previously. But this is nothing like the Niks’ version. The 2 oils were absolutely soothing and calming, moisturizing my skin and removing the flakies within a week of using the cleanser.

It has a very light texture, turning into water upon touching the skin, spreading easily so there is minimal tugging on the skin. However, I figured out that it wouldn’t be that suitable for use in humid Singapore. The humid weather made my skin better instantaneously, so I’ve been using the Enzyme Cleansing Gel when I’m in Singapore.

Overall rating:

 

Coming up, I promise!

I apologise for the lack of updates recently. I’ve been lazy busy with I-Don’t-Know-What lately and couldn’t find time to do updates. Besides, my skincare regime is extremely simple these days because I’m too busy to deal with anything else. Here’s what I’m using now.

Morning:
Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Pharmacy brand rosewater toner
Mario Badescu Control Cream
Christian Dior DiorSnow sunblock
Everyday Minerals foundation MMU (Olive Light in o/glo formulation
Lumiere blusher MMU (True Radiance)

Night:
Simple Cleansing Wipes
Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel
Pharmacy generic brand rosewater toner
Clindagel &/ Helichrysum hydrosol (if skin is congested)
Mario Badescu Control Cream

I’ve just ran out of Simple Cleansing Wipes, and my Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is finishing soon, so I’ll be trying out new products, do expect new reviews in the pipeline!

 

the use-it-up challenge yr 2008!

Following up from my previous blog entry in 2006, I’m pleased to announce that I’ve finished most of my skincare products then. Current list is now:

cleansers
Simple cleansing wipes
Mario Badescu enzyme cleansing gel
Juice Beauty cleansing gel
Simple cleansing scrub
Clean & Clear Daily Soft cleanser
moisturzers
Mario Badescu control cream
Mario Badescu glycolic cream
Clear Skincare 2% cream
ZA True White essence
sunscreen
IPL Clinic sunscreen
The Cancer Council Australia Clear Zinc sunscreen
Cover Girl tinted moisturizer
Christian Dior DiorSnow SPF50 sunscreen (sharing with mum)
pimple gel
Mentholatum acne gel
Stieva-A (sharing with sis)
masks
ZA True White essence mask x7
Mario Badescu azulene calming mask
MD Formulations hydrating mask
Juice Beauty sensitive green apple peel sample
Mario Badescu silver powder
Biore pore packs x16

foundations
Too Faced Magic Illuminating foundation
MAD Minerals foundation sample
Everyday Minerals foundation sample kit
powders
Origins translucent loose powder
Anna Sui pressed powder *finishing soon!*
Bourjois pressed powder
blushers
MAC Petticoat MSF
Jane Blushing Glow
Shu Uemura m peach 44
lipglosses
Anna Sui lipgloss #305
Majolica Majorca lipgloss X3
Victoria Secret lipgloss
body moisturizers
NIL!

 

top picks!

It’s the 2nd last day of 2007, and I thought it would be nice to round up my favourites of the year!

Skincare
Makeup remover: Simple cleansing wipes
Eye makeup remover: Lancome Bi-facil
Cleanser: Mario Badescu enzyme cleansing gel (for oily days)/ cleansing milk with carnation & rice oil (for dry days)
Scrub: -
Toner: Rosewater toner
Moisturizer: Mario Badescu control cream
Pimple treatment: Mentholatum acne gel
Mask: ZA True White whitening mask sheet
Sunscreen: Christian Dior DiorSnow SPF50 Sunblock
Lipbalm: Nivea essential lip balm

Cosmetics
Foundation: MAD Minerals Olive Light foundation
Powder:
Blush: Jane Blushing Glow
Eyeliner: Shiseido Accentuating Gel Liner
Mascara: Clinique High Impact mascara
Makeup brush: Too Faced retractable kabuki brush/ Sonia Kashuk blush brush/ Jemma Cosmetics flat top blush brush
Fragrance: Chanel No. 5

========

Reviews of top picks (those yet to be reviewed) coming soon!