new skincare routine

For the past week I have been using two new skincare products. I've always found it difficult so stick to skincare routines because I found them to be too much effort. But since I spend most of my time complaining about my skin, I thought it was about time I did something about it. 

I have heard lots of good things about Mario Badescu's skincare range online. I previously bought the Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater from BeautyBay and thought it was quite hydrating, but I kept waking up with a really greasy t-zone after using it before bed. Since it's not an oily product, I put it down to my moisturiser and viola, here's how we ended up with the MB Special Cucumber Lotion and Acne Facial Cleanser.

MB Acne Facial Cleanser and Special Cucumber Lotion

The reviews online were very positive for both, with the cucumber lotion nice and hydrating for dry skin, and the acne gel effective for breakouts without drying it out - perfect. I use both product twice a day, right when I wake up and right before I go to bed. In the morning I find them very refreshing, helping me wake up and feel alert, and at night my face feels extra clean and soft, and I can sleep knowing there's no left over makeup on my face. On a side note, I finish up with the Simple Light Moisturiser, because despite the word "lotion", it is actually more like a toner, so ya girl needs some moisture on her face.

The cleanser surprised me as I expected it to lather up like most facial washes do, however it didn't but it's no biggie (maybe this is a cleanser thing, who knows, not me because I've never even used a cleanser before). It has a light smell and occasionally creates a light tingle depending on how much I use. I have noticed that I haven't had any deep under the surface breakouts whilst using this, and any breakouts I have had have been very small, and a lot more sparse than before. Although obviously I would hope this would get rid of breakouts all together, I have definitely noticed that they've cleared up even use after a week and that my skin is in an overall better condition. 

The toner has been wonderful, it has a light cucumber-y smell and feels fresh and cooling on my face. I use a cotton pad to apply it and try my best to do it in upward motions as it instructs, although this is surprisingly difficult. Nevertheless, my cheeks feel so soft and firm and I have no texture on them at all.  It takes me less than two minute to use these two products but leaves me feeling so good afterwards so they're definitely worth it. So far I've managed to keep up my routine pretty well, missing only one night where I completely crashed and fell asleep with my makeup on (shhhh). I've noticed that the dry areas on my nose have cleared up a lot which I'm really happy about as my concealer doesn't seep into all the cracks (gross). 

Overall, I think these products have done great so far and I'm really excited to see how the hold up in the long haul. I have high hopes for them. These results may have been affected by the fact that I haven't worn a full face of make up at all in July, so it'll be interesting to see if the results are still as good when I'm wearing makeup more frequently. I'm also curious to see if my dryness has visibly improved when I have foundation, concealer and powder on. I'll give another review after a month or so to see whether or not they reach my expectations.


Till next time,

Nicole
xoxo