Biore Deep Cleansing Strips VS Revitale Deeply Absorbent Strips

Until yesterday, I had never stepped foot into Semi-chem but the girl at work was raving about how much cheaper they were for several things and being as I was passing a store I thought I'd check it out.

I was pleasantly surprised at not only the prices, but the range of products – I just assumed it was a store that had a few of the products you might find in boots, but they actually had products I had never seen before (which is very exciting to me as a beauty junkie!).

One of those products was the Revitale Deeply Absorbent nose strips, and the cost? £1 for 6! Bargain time, oh yeah. Being a lover of the Biore Deep Cleansing strips, I knew I liked the concept which is basically to wet your face, smooth one of these bad boys on your nose/chin/forehead, wait 10 mins or so for it to dry, and then with a lot of satisfaction at how clean your skin now is, peel it off revealing the removal of all things nasty.

The downside of the Biore strips are the price, £7.99 for 6, so I tend to keep them for occasional use. They can be difficult to smooth onto the skin without air bubbles, and they can be painful to remove, ouch! I know pain and beauty do sometimes collide, but surely not for deep cleansing. 

I quickly got started on testing the Revitale strips out after my purchase, and although there only seems to be nose strips in the range, I did use one on my nose, and one on my chin with no problem. 

I'm a convert! They go on the skin very smoothly and easy, they are slightly less stiff when the 10 minutes is up but this means they are not painful to remove, and they have the added benefit of charcoal as a “Magnetic cleansing experience” which as far as I can tell, Biore do not.

For the price of 1 strip from Biore you get 6 from Revitale in Semi-Chem. Deep cleansing at it's budget best. I also bought some Olay facial wipes, again for £1. Semichem, I shall see you again soon :0) 

MAC Cranberry Eye Shadow Dupe

So I ordered a new eye shadow from the NYX website for £4 thinking it was a colour that I didn’t currently own but that would compliment my neutral palette just nicely. The colour I chose in the single eye shadow was “Rust”.

When it arrived I knew I loved it, but there was something familiar about it. As it was called Rust, it didn’t immediately make me think of Cranberry, and I actually thought it was a dupe for Antiqued. However, after half an hour of making a complete mess of my hand with swatches, I found the one. I’d say it is about 99% a dupe for Cranberry.

Here you can one heavy swipe on my fingers, and then 2 layers on my hand – can you guess which is which from the swatches?

Cranberry is on the right here, and on top below. 

The Rust one is ever so slightly more orange, which I guess you’d expect since its called Rust. It’s barely noticeable though, and it’s all in the application anyway isn’t it :0)

The pigmentation of both seems to be the same to me, and having tried out the NYX rust, I would say it’s just as easy to use and blend as MAC Cranberry, there really isn’t anything to tell them apart.

The only thing I’d say is that to make it cheaper than buying a MAC cranberry pro palette eye shadow for £10, you’d have to want to order more than one thing from the NYX Website otherwise the postage will mean there is barely a saving. I can certainly recommend the NYX cosmetics however, and my next post will be on that very thing, having recently discovered their goodies!

Best Moisturizers for Dry Skin

It may seem strange that I've just posted several pages on oily blemished skin, and now I’m talking about my experience with dry skin. I have a condition called Poly-cystic Ovary Syndrome, which I sometimes take medication for. I say sometimes, because it’s not the most pleasant of medication, and takes me from one extreme to the other. When I’m not on it, my skin is oily and blemished, when I am on it, my skin is crazy dry and itchy. Who knew being 40 would be this much fun he he.

So, the dry skin problem was new to me a few years ago and I went in search of a new moisturizer to suit… I experienced many bad ones, and lots of good, and I've listed here what I think are the best 5 moisturizers (in no particular order), and the different reasons you may wish to purchase them depending on what you are looking for i.e. budget, effective makeup base, pleasant smell, etc.

Dr Jart+ Most Moist Water Max Sleeping Mask

This costs £17 for 50ml, so isn't the cheapest around, but this is the one to buy if you are looking for pretty packaging that can be displayed proudly, along with efficacy of course. It feels luxurious going on, and I love the easy to use and hygienic pump bottle. You know one of those products that you instantly know you love? This was one of those for me. My skin felt instantly calmed and I woke up with less of that tight feeling you get with dry skin. To add to my confidence in the product, I went for a facial and the beautician told me my skin was in very good condition and highly moisturized, which I put down to this little cutie.

It has some lovely exotic sounding ingredients too with wonderful properties:

• Oat Extract - hydrates dry skin without irritation. Helps to reduce moisture loss and maximize moisturisation
• Cactus Flower Extract - Excellent moisture retention ability, anti-inflammatory
• Okra Extract - Skin softening and anti-ageing properties

MAC Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel

This costs £26 for 50ml, so pretty expensive for a moisturizer, but this is the one for you if you want something to give you masses of moisture, but still provide an amazing matt makeup base. I must admit, I wasn’t sure at all when I first used it, as I couldn’t figure out how my skin could feel both matt and moisturised at the same time! I knew that I loved it underneath my makeup, and I’d almost call it a primer in that respect because my makeup lasted longer and the foundation just seemed to sit better, but it took a few days for my suspicion of the lack of moisture to disappear. I noticed dry flaky patches disappearing, and I knew it did what it said on the tin.

I’m not overly keen on the jar as I believe jars like this are a little unhygienic and exposed to the air more won’t last as long. It can’t have put me off it that much though, as having restarted my medication recently, this is the one I chose to buy in preparation for the dryness. I won’t use it twice a day, or even every day, but probably twice or three times a week to top my levels up and before makeup for special occasions. Why didn’t I buy the cheaper Dr Jart one? Simply because I wanted a good makeup base, and I would feel a bit weird using an overnight mask in the daytime!

Clarins Hydra Quench Cream

This costs £34 for 50ml, and is the most expensive of the five, but oh my goodness the smell is indescribable and amazing and totally worth a treat if and when you can afford it. I bought it with some birthday vouchers, and would definitely now put this on my gift wish list.

It has Hyaluronic acid in, Katafray bark which restructures the skins protective outermost layer, and Sorbier tree bud which stimulates radiance-boosting microcirculation. Sounds good and it feels good!

It comes in jar, so a few points lost, but it’s a glass jar and I assume that’s how it manages to be ice cold and feel so cooling on your skin. My worry would be for sensitive skin though, as it’s so highly perfumed that it may irritate. This is definitely one to buy if you are looking for a luxurious smelling decadent treat, and it’s gel like texture does a fabulous job of increasing moisture levels.

Dr Organic Vitamin E Pure Oil

One from Nature, this is the choice for you if anti-ageing is your main concern, since Vitamin E is known for doing wonders for both dry skin, and wrinkles, woohoo. I find it ironic though that Dr Organic calls this “Vitamin E Pure Oil” but then you find that the ingredients also include:

“Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) seed oil, Rosa canina fruit oil, Tocopherol, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil, Calendula officinalis flower extract, Rosa damascena flower oil, Citronellol, Geraniol”.

Is it just me that would expect the only ingredient to be Vitamin E if it says “Pure”?! Ok, so maybe I’m a fusspot. This is great value at £8.49 for 50ml, and I guess the number one thing to say about this is that it works. It’s not my favourite product to use, just because it does leave you with a bit of a greasy film, but to avoid that I normally try and put it under a moisturizer, but I suppose that may well dilute the effect slightly.

Garner Skin Naturals Soft Essentials 24hr Nourishing Day Cream

This is the budget option at £5.99 for 50ml, but I had high hopes for it as I enjoy many Garnier products. As it was enriched with rose water, I imagined a lovely rose scent and this is the only area it let me down – it does say “fruity fragrance” on the pot but I think either my sense of smell is disappearing with age, or I’ve got a random pot that is missing an ingredient he he. It has no smell at all.

Along with rose water, the cream has Shea butter, and Vitamin E also, so a nice combination of ingredients and this would be great for someone with sensitive skin.

Although it’s a day cream, and did live up to it’s “non greasy” claim, I preferred to use it as a night cream. It just feels like a night cream if you know what I mean – in a jar and lovely thick cream, with no spf although it does say it has a UV filter.

So, that’s my top 5, I hope you found it useful. Any others you gals have tried and love? Here are a few honorable mentions:

• Superdrug Coconut Oil 125ml - £1.50
• No7 Beautiful Skin Night Cream for Normal / Dry Skin 50ml - £13.50
• Eucerin Dry Skin Replenishing Face Cream Night 5% Urea with Lactate 50ml - £12.50
• Johnson's Daily Essentials Nourishing 24hour Day Cream with SPF 15, for Dry Skin (50ml) £4.50
• La Roche-Posay Nutritic 5% Biolipids Ultra-Fine Emulsion Transforming Care For Very Dry Skin 40ml - £13.60

Mario Badescu Acne Treatment Products

Your Personalised Treatment Schedule

My overall experience with these products has been outstanding. I don’t say that lightly, having used practically every spot cream on the market over the past 20 years. I’ve had one of my usual horrible lumps in my chin during the time I've been testing the full range of products, which enabled me to really test its efficacy too, and together, they made an amazing difference. 

As I’ve said before, it’s not a miracle cure, but it’s a lifesaver to me as it made the difference between not wanting to be seen in public because my skin was so bad, to being able to easily cover up the offending blemish, not to mention a reduced amount of pain because of the reduced size of the cyst.

So, depending on your skin issue below, here is what I think would be the most logical programme for you, with some cheaper alternatives given where possible.

You Have:

Oily Skin

Use the drying Mask a few times a week with the Special healing powder underneath. Total cost £30.

Alternatives

- Use the Drying Mask a few times a week for £18.50 a jar.

Blackheads/Acne Prevention

Use the Silver Powder once or twice a week, and the anti acne serum nightly after cleansing. Total cost £34.

Alternatives

• Use the Anti Acne Serum for £21
• Use the silver powder a few times a week for £13
• Use the Boots Botanics Ionic Clay mask a few times a week for £5.49

General mild blemished skin

As for Blackheads.

Severe Acne

After cleansing, use a mask - Drying Mask with Buffering Lotion Under on night 1, then Healing & Soothing mask the next night & so on.

Then after washing mask off, put buffering Lotion all over troubled area, then Healing Cream, then Drying Cream, and finish with a dusting of special healing powder.

Then put the drying Lotion on any single troublesome spots. Total cost £92

Alternatives:

• Use the drying cream after cleansing, and the drying Lotion on specific troublesome spots overnight. Use the Silver powder weekly as a mask. These 3 products can be bought as a set for £25 from Harvey Nichols.
• Follow the regime for Severe Acne but replace the Special healing powder with ELF blemish powder, the buffering lotion with Freederm Gel, and the healing cream with Clearasil Adult Tinted Treatment Cream. Reduces total cost to £65

I really hope the above was useful to you guys. I’d love to hear that someone else had success with this system. Please feel free to ask any questions at all and I’ll do my best to answer them.

You can buy most of the Mario Badescu products in Harvey Nichols, or online from Beauty Bay.com, who I have found very good.

Good Luck!

Mario Badescu Healing & Soothing Mask

What it’s for: Large deep cysts - post eruption

What it claims: Reduces & evens out redness, dry & heal acne

Key Ingredients: Balsam Peru, Zinc, Seamollient, Talc

Price: £18.95 - 56ml

This is another treatment mask, like the drying mask, and the advice they give is to alternate the two, thus taking advantage of all the different ingredients.

This is a creamy product, with no real smell, and feels more like a beauty product than a blemish treatment. It’s a moisturizing mask that doesn’t really dry on the skin (only slightly) and definitely feels soothing as the name suggests.

Balsam Peru is a unique ingredient that I couldn’t find in any other products in my research, so I have no alternative, cheaper or otherwise to recommend!

I have only used this once to see how it felt, as my skin hasn’t been at the correct stage i.e. post eruption dryness, but I think I’ll be using it again soon as my skin feels slightly red and sensitive and this feels like a cream that may help.

Again, I would definitely repurchase this, because of the unique ingredients. I have always looked for a product that deals with that horrible healing stage of blemishes, where you want to soothe your skin, and this one seems to fit the bill.

Next, Mario Badescu – Your Personalised treatment schedule

Mario Badescu Drying Mask

What it’s for: Large deep cysts - pre & post eruption or Oily Skin

What it claims: Helps clear/dry acne eruptions

Key Ingredients: Sulphur, Calamine

Price: £18.5 - 59ml

This is a treatment mask, and the idea is that you alternate using it with the healing & soothing mask, so one day drying mask, one day healing & soothing mask.

The first thing I have to tell you about this mask is that it does not smell very nice at all, which I guess must be the high sulphur content. It’s not a deal breaker for me, since the strong smell comforts me that there is some strong stuff at work in the fight against my troubled skin.

For oily skin, you can use this mask with the special healing powder underneath, and for specific acne eruptions you can put the buffering lotion underneath. I have been using it for the past week, about every other night, with the buffering lotion underneath.

Other than the smell, it’s a very nice mask, lovely formula that’s easy to apply and this mask doesn’t crumble as the silver powder one did. It dries fairly quickly depending on how thick you put it on of course.

My skin is general has lots of little pimples under the skin, and the addition of a troublesome lump in the last few days, and I have to say that this mask doesn’t seem to have had much effect on the overall state of my skin i.e. the little pimples, but the lump is definitely not progressing in the way in normally would.

I could find nothing much cheaper than the Mario Badescu Drying Mask with Sulphur in it, but there is a similar product - Origins “Out of trouble” which is £20 for 100ml so you get quite a lot more. However, the Drying Mask is another one that will last a long time as you only need a small amount to cover a large area.

The Mario Badescu mask also has the addition of Calamine lotion which is calming, and I like the idea of this as with all the products I’m using, I have noticed a slight redness on my skin and it feels ever so slightly tender. My skin hasn’t dried out despite all these blemish treatments I’m throwing at it, but I suspect it’s because of the ingredients like calamine and Aloe that are included in the Mario Badescu range.

I would definitely repurchase this one, but I imagine it’ll dry out before it runs out, since it’s in a jar.

Last but by no means least, Mario Badescu Healing & Soothing Mask…………

Mario Badescu Drying Cream

What it’s for: Large deep cysts - post eruption,

What it claims: Heals & disinfects erupted pimples & prevents spreading.

Key Ingredients: Zinc, Aloe, Lemon, Powdered Sulphur

Price: £14 - 14ml

This cream is for using after moisturizer, which I actually find a bit odd because if it’s to disinfect then surely it needs to be applied directly onto the blemishes before moisturizer. Maybe it’s because it’s mostly for post eruption blemishes, and you would first use the Healing cream on them……hmmmm, I guess that makes more sense. Moisturize the probably dried out blemish, then put some drying cream on it to make sure that bad boy doesn’t come back!

This doesn’t smell nearly as bad as the Drying Mask, which is pretty strong and not pleasant at all, but you still wouldn’t want to stick your nose in this tub, or wear it for going on a first date.

As with the special healing powder, you can feel this making your skin matt immediately, and I really enjoy the feeling. It’s another product I can “feel” working. As you’ve heard me say in previous posts, I’ve been using the system for a couple of weeks now, so I’m not 100% sure exactly which products are working for me, but I do have a lot of faith in this one because of that matte feeling.

This has Zinc and Aloe in for healing purposes, and some Lemon I guess for the disinfecting part, and also Sulphur. As with the healing cream, a cheaper alternative is the Clearisil Adult Tinted Treatment Cream, but it only has Sulphur in it.

I think I probably would repurchase this, but this pot will take a long long time to use up as you only need the tiniest amount and that covers a large area.

Next, Mario Badescu Drying Mask……

Mario Badescu Healing Cream

What it’s for: Large deep cysts - post eruption

What it claims: Speeds up healing process, prevents scarring, soothes & minimizes redness, & can be used in the place of regular moisturizer

Key Ingredients: Sulphur, Balsam Peru

Price: £15.50 - 14ml

This is a pale green tinted cream that can be used either before, or instead of moisturizer. It has a very slight herbal/medical smell, not unpleasant; in fact I quite like it!

It’s much creamier than the drying cream, it certainly doesn’t leave that matt skin feeling, but neither does it feel particularly moisturising. I have used this on my chin instead of moisturizer whilst trying out the whole Mario Badescu range of products over the past few weeks, and I expected that my chin would become dry as it has with other treatments, but I was pleasantly surprised that that wasn’t the case.

I definitely think this would be a nice cream to use if your skin was feeling a bit red and raw but I haven’t been at that stage so far. I do unfortunately have a horrid lump that has appeared on my chin, so that may at some point be red and sore and if so, I will reach for this healing cream and the healing & soothing mask. I have to say though; the aforementioned lump has reduced in size dramatically overnight with the combination of products I used (explained later in “Your personal schedule” but basically drying mask, drying cream, drying lotion, & healing powder).

I won’t decide if I’ll repurchase this until I have the chance to see if it helps my skin when it is more in need of something soothing, and I think it will last a long time anyway as you don’t need much of the cream per use.

Balsam Peru is a wound healing product that I haven’t found in any other product, but this cream is £14.50 for 14ml so fairly expensive, and you could buy Clearisil Adult Tinted Treatment cream (18ml) for £6.48 for boots which has the Sulphur element in it.

Next, Mario Badescu Drying Cream……..

Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder

What’s it For: Large deep cysts - pre & post eruption

What it Claims: To absorb excess oil, reduce redness & irritation, quickly dry up open, infected pimples.

Key Ingredients: Sulphur, Talc, Kaolin

Price: £11.5 – 14g

I must confess, I haven’t been using this as directed, mostly because I luckily haven’t had an erupted blemish to put it on since I received it. I have however, been using it as a last step, as a kind of finishing powder. It does actually look like a mineral powder foundation – unfortunately it’s a bit too green to use as such! No problem at bedtime though :0)

The correct way to use it is to apply to infected or raw erupted blemishes with a cotton bud and it can be put under the Drying lotion or for oily skin it can be put under the drying mask.

There is no smell to the powder, no stinging at all, and you can feel that it immediately mattifies the skin and absorbs oil. In fact, I wish this was more in a skin colour and I would happily use it as my face powder. I might even mix a bit in with my own loose face powder!

I’m undecided as to if I would repurchase this – I think I probably would although I’d happily try the cheaper alternative first which is ELF Blemish Kit and it has Sulphur & Kaolin in it. I say cheaper, but it’s £7.50 for 3.3g so you get less than a third than with Mario Badescu for only £4 cheaper. The thing that would attract me to trying the ELF one though, is that it is more like skin colour at least!

Next, Mario Badescu Healing Cream………………

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

What’s it For: Large deep cysts - pre & post eruption

What it claims: Clears/dries up & soothes whiteheads overnight.

Key Ingredients: Sulphur, Salicylic Acid, Calamine

Price: £17.50 - 29ml

This is the most interesting of all the products I have tried for my poor skin, and the funny thing about it is that you are not supposed to shake it, but have to leave the bottle upright and let it settle! I found that very hard at first, its like telling a child to not touch sweets in front of them!

I now leave the bottle in the bathroom so it doesn’t get shaken about it my Vanity case. This is for single troublesome spots, and this is the first product I tried so have used it extensively before I purchased any of the other products.

You put a cotton wool bud into the bottle gently and pick up the pink sediment in the bottom of the bottle, and you put that thickly onto the spot, normally at night so you can leave it on overnight. The special healing powder can be put underneath this is things are looking really bad!

I have had a great experience with this lotion, and it’s the reason I went on to purchase the whole product line for blemished skin. It feels very calming and minty on application, even though it can sting a bit on open blemishes. It really feels like its instantly working and although it didn’t work a miracle and the spot was gone in the morning, it was certainly hugely reduced. So much so that it made it possible to cover up the spot whereas the day before it had been impossible, and usually it stayed that way for 3-4 days.

Sulphur is the main ingredient in this, along with calamine lotion and Salicylic Acid. Sulphur dries skin out & causes it to peel, thus unblocking pores & reducing oiliness. I could not find another product with the same combination of ingredients, and neither is there to my knowledge a cheaper product with Sulphur in it. Murad do a product with Sulphur & Salicylic Acid but it is the same price as this one but without the skin calming Calamine.

If you can only afford to buy one of these products, this is the one I would suggest and I would 100% repurchase. I will make sure I’m not without this stuff now I’ve found it.

Next, Mario Badescu Special Healing Powder…………..

Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion

What’s it For: Large deep cysts when they first appear

What it Claims: Anti inflammatory that reduces cystic acne fast

Key Ingredients: Niacinamide , Zinc

Price: £16.50 - 29ml

The first thing I’d say about this is that it smells very very strongly of alcohol. Its quite overpowering sometimes, but on the whole I don’t mind it – it even sort of makes me feel comforted that there is some stuff of substance in it that will fight the blemish fight well!

It’s extremely thin in consistency so when I put it on my chin, I had to almost tip my head up so it didn’t drip on to me. I found it best to use a tiny bit at a time to avoid this. You have to shake the bottle vigorously to mix the white & clear solutions together and then a layer of it goes on any areas with large blemishes, after cleansing.

This can also be used under the drying mask, so you just put a thin layer on before the mask, then again after you have wiped the mask off. Double attack!

It dries very quickly so there is barely any rubbing in required with this one.

The ingredients are Niacinamide which is an anti inflammatory and is in products such as Freederm, and Zinc which is used for wound healing and can be found in things like Sudocrem.

I have been using this for a few weeks now, and although my skin is still blemished, they are tiny spots under the skin, as opposed to the large cysts I usually get, so it could well be down to this product. I also found that the one lump I did have at the start of using this, reduced in size faster than usual. I am using the whole Mario Badescu system though, so they could all be working in harmony. This one certainly “feels” like its doing something, but I think that’s mostly my mind because of the smell. It doesn’t sting at all, but feels quite refreshing on the skin.

Would I repurchase? At this stage, yes, I probably would – a cheaper alternative if you want it is Freederm Gel that is sold in Boots and is £4.99 so much cheaper, but this buffering lotion, although 3 times the price, has 3 times the amount in it, and I haven’t seen anything like it before which gives me hope. I have tried Freederm and it didn’t work for me.

Next, Mario Badescu Drying Lotion…………………..

Mario Badescu Anti Acne Serum

What’s it For: All skin blemishes & eruptions

What it Claims: To prevents Acne eruptions

Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid & Thyme

Price: £21 - 29ml

This is a watery yellow coloured gel type substance, with barely any smell and the only way I can describe the feeling of it on the skin is that it is like a gel form of water! It doesn't sink in immediately but it isn't greasy at all. The directions are to apply a thin layer once a night or as needed.

As this is for prevention, and I am not yet at the lovely stage of just needing a prevention solution, I can’t comment on its effectiveness. The Salicylic Acid ingredient is an exfoliant which is a substance that encourages the shedding of dead skin, thus unblocking pores.

Salicylic acid is a pretty popular ingredient and easy to get hold of products with it in , although I couldn't find anything else with Thyme (anti bacterial) in it. Most of the spot treatments in Boots, and the famous Proactiv system, have Salicylic Acid in them, at the same percentage as the Anti Acne Serum – 2%.

Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream is available in boots at £6.39 for 25ml, and has Salicylic Acid in it at the same concentration. 

I don’t think I’d repurchase this one to be honest, as it didn't “feel” like it was doing anything if that makes sense. Even as a prevention treatment, I want to feel some tingling or that it is mattifying or maybe even a bit of a medical smell and this has nothing, and felt like nothing. Add that to the fact that it’s £21 and Clearasil is only £6 for the same amount, then I’d go for Clearasil.

Next review Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion……