From wedding planning to the hustle and bustle of the wedding day itself, getting married is a major stressor albeit the best time of a woman’s life. However, amid the nostalgic moments of stamping invitation envelopes to laughter at the rehearsal dinner, the commotion of it all can wreak havoc on your skin. For instance, I’ll admit- I got a cold sore the day before my wedding! I know, I know- frightening. But fear not: I’ve highlighted our best skin savers that will keep that precious skin of yours in check so you can be the beautiful bride you really are!

Oh no! A pimple emerged on my face…what should I do?
First of all, relax. It’s just a zit. Secondly, we have what you may as well call a magic-potion-in-a-bottle… our world famous Drying Lotion. That stuff will zap a whitehead overnight, but if you wake up with a zit on the day of the wedding (bummer), apply an ice cube on the blemish for a few minutes to help reduce inflammation. Or try our Drying Cream- it’s a dual-purpose formula that will not only help dry up small pimples, but will also help conceal the blemish. On the other hand, if you have a large, cystic blemish (think red and inflamed), then apply our Buffering Lotion on the affected area.

Are you wearing a strapless or spaghetti-strap dress and you have body acne? You can also use the Buffering Lotion on your back or anywhere on your body that has a nasty pimple. And resist the urge to pick your face. That will only make matters worse, so hands off! Remember, good ol’ foundation and concealer will help mask that pimple, so it’s all good! If you can, hire a good makeup artist and she (or he) will work their magic.

Wedding jitters kept me up all night and now I have puffy, tired eyes!
It happens to the best of us, but it’s especially not cool on your own wedding day. The first thing you should do upon waking is to splash cold water on your face. This will help give you a quick jolt of energy, plus the cold sensation on your eye area will help constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling. Then, gently press cold tea bags underneath your eyes for about 15 minutes- this will also help reduce the puffiness. Lastly, apply our Ceramide Eye Gel to soothe the eye area and further alleviate puffy, tired eyes. If possible, refrigerate the eye gel the night before so the coolness will perk up those eyes even more.

I have cold feet…er, a red, flushed face! Help!
Although ‘cold feet’ is not exactly our area of expertise, we do have amazing products to help calm the redness. Try our Azulene Calming Mask or Calma Mask followed by our Control Cream pre-makeup application.

Last but not least, the BRIDE must BREATHE and RELAX!

Originally published as Wedding Day Last Minute Skin Savers from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

Stop fretting.

Back and chest acne happens.

It’s real. It’s normal. It’s perfectly O-kay (literally). Too often is chest and back acne forgotten or not talked about enough: while you could continue using whatever body products you’re using now and hope for the best, or try using anti-acne facial products, there are solutions available specifically for this area of skin. Don’t give up.

Try our Special Cleansing Lotion “O”. Formulated especially for healing and preventing back and chest acne (never use it on your face; your skin there is much too delicate and will dry easily), it’s MB’s strongest astringent available. With daily use, the chest and back will be thoroughly cleansed and most importantly, soothed throughout the healing process. It helps to dry up current blemishes while preventing future breakouts for beautiful skin throughout.

No need to shy away from those backless dresses or summery, boatneck tops.

Here’s our little skin secret: for faster results, wash gently with our AHA Botanical Body Soap first. After your shower, follow with the Special Cleansing Lotion O on affected areas. Apply the Drying Mask 2-3 times a week, and if needed, use additional anti-acne products like our Buffering Lotion and Drying Lotion.

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Tell us – do you or have you suffered from back and chest acne?

What were your go-to products?

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Originally published as TONE IT TUESDAY: BACK IT UP from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

Mario Badescu once said: “Every man or woman over the age of twenty-one should apply an eye cream in the morning and in the evening, as part of the daily routine. There are no exceptions.”

The eye area has the thinnest skin on your face; worse, it also has the fewest oil glands. This dry, thin skin tends to age quicker and many of us see the first sign of aging around the eyes. And while those lines might be a blueprint to your character—your warmth and humor—you don’t necessarily want them there!

Fortunately, there’s a lot that you can do to treat and prevent aging around the eyes. It starts with finding the very best anti aging eye cream for your specific needs.

Starting early is the best defense against crow’s feet and other signs of aging near the eyes. Young women should look for a light, gel-based eye treatment. It’s important to start young with smoothing fine lines and keeping the area as hydrated as possible. Even better, a gel can be refrigerated to counteract puffiness after a long night out!

Your skin gets drier with age. At some point, it’s important to switch to an eye cream with ingredients that pack a little more punch (like Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, or Glycolic Acid).

For seriously dry skin, you may want to try a super-moisturizing eye cream at night and switch to a lighter product during the day. Our Olive Eye Cream, for example, is super-rich for seriously dry skin. Try using this at night and switching it up in the a.m.

Our recommendations?

• Ceramide Eye Gel for women in their twenties and thirties.
• For a whipped, moisturizing eye cream with Hyaluronic Acid, try our Hyaluronic Eye Cream
• Those of you who are interested in using a Vitamin C eye cream should give our Ceramide Herbal Eye Cream a try (It’s a bit balmier than the Hyaluronic Eye Cream).
• Glycolic Eye Cream is a serious product for those with very mature skin that is already showing obvious signs of aging. Use this at night for repair and switch to a different eye cream in the morning (glycolic acid can cause sensitivity to the sun!).
• Is extreme dryness your problem? Again, check out the Olive Eye Cream.

Tell us, how do you decide which is the best anti-aging eye cream for your skin?  Which is your favorite eye cream from Mario Badescu?

Originally published as The Best Anti-Aging Eye Cream for Your Skin from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

Our Control Cream is just perfect for those with red, angry, rashy, flaky, and irritated skin. We’re thrilled to see that it’s worked so well for so many of you—and that you let us know!

As usual on Fridays, we’re running out the door (hopefully to the beach this weekend!), and we thought we’d let you—Mario Badescu users—do our talking for us!

Maria L. from Missouri tells us: “I have rosacea and very sensitive skin, nothing the doctor has ever given me has helped with the redness. The cream seemed thick and I was afraid it would make me break out, it did not. I put in on under my moisturizer. I cannot say enough how wonderful this product is.”

And…

Debra T. or North Carolina says, “This cream works wonders! I love this product. No matter what is making your skin red, the Control Cream tones it down and makes the red disappear. I am using it with five other products I purchased from Mario Badescu which all together have totally cleared up my red, itchy, flaky, dry skin in less than a week something that did NOT happen from using products prescribed by my dermatologist. How great is THAT?????”

Granted, we always thought this product was a miracle of sorts; we’re so happy to see you agree!

Have you tried the Control Cream? How did it work for you?

Originally published as WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: CONTROL CREAM from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

It’s lovely for red, irritated skin; it is, after all, what the Calma Mask was formulated for. Balsam Peru and soothing Calamine in this Kaolin Clay mask-based mask is the magic combination that makes this so ideal for acne-inflamed, sensitive, and Rosacea skin types. Ahhh. A sigh of relief; your skin will thank you.

Which makes it perfect for calming aggravated skin post-waxing or shaving.

But here’s a little MB secret: you don’t have to be a sensitive skin type (or any of the aforementioned) to benefit from this mask. Keep it in your skincare arsenal for those long days;  let the Calma do the calming for you.

A stressful day is hard on the mind, and it’ll show first in your skin. Breathe. Remember: keep calm and carry on and take 20 to yourself. Apply a thin layer of the Calma Mask on clean skin and almost instantly, you’ll feel your skin relaxing. It’s breathing a sigh of relief. It’s saying thank you.

Rinse well after 20 minutes and follow with a moisturizer. Never underestimate the power of a clean complexion; you’ll feel that much better, and that much more refreshed.

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 Which masks do you turn to for a moment of de-stressing?

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Originally published as KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

I’ll admit it- I’m 20-something years old and obsessed with anti-aging. I mean it, obsessed- it’s not an understatement by any stretch of the imagination. I even abandoned my career in the psychology field and delved into the world of beauty (my true passion), becoming a Licensed Esthetician. I scrutinize every line on my forehead or even the smallest trace of crow’s feet on my face. With this fixation comes an addiction for anti-aging skin care products. Let’s get one thing straight: there is no miracle in a jar or any magical pill that will prevent the inevitable from happening- aging. However, SPF is your first line of defense from premature aging and sun damage.

When I was first introduced to the Mario Badescu Skin Care line, you can imagine my heart skipped a beat when I got our Vitamin C Serum. But that wasn’t enough for me. I had to have the Cellufirm Drops coupled with the Cellufirm Moisturizer. Oh, and don’t forget the Glycolic Eye Cream, Hyaluronic Eye Cream and the Herbal Hydrating Serum. That’s just half of it. You think I’m kidding? No ma’am or sir. I was piling all the products on my face like it was nobody’s business. Amid the product overload frenzy, something happened…my skin broke out. But being the vain lady that I am, it was as if the world was coming to an end. But I knew better and came to my senses. I had a chat with a fellow skin care expert here at Mario Badescu and she gave me some tough love and agreed that I had overdone it with the products.

You’ve heard it before- too much of a good thing can be bad. You’ve heard the old adage before- less is more. So I cut back on some of the products that my skin type didn’t really need anyway. Sure enough, within a few days my skin cleared up. Hallelujah. Lesson learned. Am I still consumed with hanging onto my youth for my dear life? Absolutely- so much so that I might shed a tear or two while lying in a fetal position when I turn the big 3-0. But as we speak my skin is looking pretty good thanks to using Mario Badescu Skin Care and fewer products.

Originally published as LESS IS MORE from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

If we’re being technical here, I don’t have a medicine cabinet; college students are hardly given the luxury of real estate. Therefore optimizing what little space given has become an art, where one must purge the luxuries and keep only the essentials.

It’s minimalism at it’s finest.

These are the indispensible and favorites which occupy my dresser top. I won’t hesitate to call them my Holy Grail products – they’re things tried, tested and true, and have gotten me through the trials and tribulations of college life. From stressful weekdays and late-night weekends to final exam periods, these are the beauty products I cannot live without:

WHO: Kim. MB Intern, blogger, full-time business school and journalism student, and then some.

WHERE: Her dresser top, because college students don’t get things like medicine cabinets. Here’s to communal bathrooms.

WHAT: Seaweed Bubble Bath & Shower Gel, Glycolic Foaming Cleanser, Cucumber Cleansing Lotion, Ceramide Eye Gel, Enzyme Revitalizing Mask, eye drops for contacts, shimmery nude eye shadow, blush/bronzer, eyelash curlers, mascara.

WHY: 

• Seaweed Bubble Bath & Shower Gel: It makes both morning and evening showers that much more relaxing. Plus, blue is just calming to look at.

• Glycolic Foaming Cleanser: I think I can quote our PR girl when I say this is a “game changer.” People seem perplexed that a stressed out college girl could have such a healthy complexion; it’s valid. I’ll be the first to admit it’s this cleanser (used 2x a week!) has worked magic.

• Cucumber Cleansing Lotion: Love this, so refreshing.

• Ceramide Eye Gel: I keep mine in the mini fridge; I’ve become obsessive about eye creams since I’ve gotten it, it truly de-puffs and wakes up the eye after late-nights or all-nighters.

• Enzyme Revitalizing Mask: Another secret to a healthy and brighter complexion. If I don’t have the time I just apply it to the center of my face, get some last minute work done, and voila, done in 20 minutes.

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We want to know what gets you by when you’re always in a rush, on-the-go, or feeling stressed. Tell us in the comments below!

What are your go-to products?

Originally published as WHAT’S IN HER MEDICINE CABINET: MB’S KIM from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

That’s right, we’re on Instagram now! We’re dying to see how everybody is using their products!

So here’s what we’re going to do:  Post a picture of any kind related to our products and tag it with #ilovemariobadescu. We’ll be giving away special prizes (each one will be a surprise!) every few days. Check in at Mario Badescu Skin Care’s Instagram account to see if you’ve won!

(Even better: increase your chances of winning by Tweeting your picture [don’t forget that hashtag!] or pinning it on Pinterest [again, hashtag it!]. We’ll be looking for this hashtag everywhere!)

Show us some love!*

*Mario Badescu Skin Care reserves the right to post your video or tagged image on any other site, including (but not limited to) the Mario Badescu Skin Care blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

Originally published as Do You LOVE Mario Badescu Skin Care? Win MB Products On INSTAGRAM! from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

All of us here at Mario Badescu are passionately devoted to our Skin Care products. I have to admit to an almost unhealthy love for the Herbal Hydrating Serum, an oil-free gel that provides the most amazing level of hydration (whether used alone or with a moisturizer).

It’s the type of moisture that people with oily or acne-prone skin thought they could never achieve—and yet it works beautifully for all skin types. What could be better?

Seriously, though, don’t take my word for it. See what others have to say about the Herbal Hydrating Serum!

“I love this product!” says Katie C., “It’s amazing! My skin was dry from using so many harsh acne products, but this serum helped my skin regain its moisture back. It goes on smoothly and my skin has never felt better.”

Nakia S. agrees: “The moment you put this on your skin it feels like cool water. It actually seems to feel even more hydrating after its been on your skin a minute or two. This really does what is says. This is great as a refreshing pick-me-up or as a moisturizer when you are oily.”

Check out more reviews for the Herbal Hydrating Serum here, and don’t hesitate to let us know what you think of it!

Originally published as WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING: HERBAL HYDRATING SERUM from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

Skincare secrets are no fun unless we share!

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Glowing, dewy, radiant skin is always an option. But it’s not just about the right products or the right combinations; a large part of it comes from within, too. If you feel good about yourself, it shows. If you are genuinely happy with who you are, it shows. It’s a relationship based on synergy: your skin reciprocates exactly how you treat it, and vice versa.

Beautiful skin starts with good skincare. And that’s just the start.

Ingredients:*

• Kiwi Face Scrub
• Your favorite eye cream
• Orange Tonic Mask
• Cucumber Cleansing Lotion
• AHA & Ceramide Moisturizer
• Vitamin C Serum

*As always – substitute and experiment with products you know your skin loves!

.   .   .

Radiance, here we come! It’s just a step away…

1. Exfoliation is key to a glowing complexion. Start with freshly cleansed skin. Massage the Kiwi Face Scrub gently onto wet skin, letting the Kiwi seeds and soft bits of seaweed buff away dead skin cells. Let it sit on your skin for 2-3 minutes to allow AHAs to breakdown any other dulling buildup, and massage again before thoroughly rinsing. Pat dry.
2. Apply an eye cream before your mask. It’s one of our secrets – as the mask dries, it can pull the delicate eye area and cause dryness; let the eye cream act as a much-needed treatment.
3. Cleanse, tighten, and brighten. Apply a thin layer of the Orange Tonic Mask, a Kaolin clay-based mask that helps purify and tighten pores. Orange extracts gently exfoliate and refine the skin’s texture while Balsam Peru soothes.
4. Let the waiting games, begin! Read magazine. Start a book. Look up recipes to try. Relax. You earned those 20-30 minutes to spend on you and yourself.
5. Cleanse and tone. Wash the mask off thoroughly and pat dry. In outward wiping motions, use a cotton pad soaked with your favorite toner for a final and thorough cleanse. We love the Cucumber Cleansing Lotion because it calms and refreshes while tightening pores.
6. Dewy skin is skin that’s been well moisturized. The AHA & Ceramide Moisturizer instantly boosts skin’s radiance, leaving skin looking and feeling refreshed. It gently exfoliates overnight, sloughing away dulling buildup to make way for new, healthy skin to the surface. (It’s also the perfect moisturizer for warm weather!)
7. The best, saved for last. The Vitamin C Serum. A few drops go a long way – it’s the secret to radiance, packed full of antioxidants to help reduce discoloration and brighten skin.

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What skincare secrets are you hoarding? Share them in the comments below! 

And if you’re looking for more recipes, try this and this.

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Originally published as MB SECRETS: RECIPE FOR RADIANCE from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.