Hey, friends! I recently found myself trawling the internet for solutions to my skin dilemmas - I've never had wonderful skin, but in the last year or so I found myself dealing with cystic acne. No thanks, face. I needed something to combat the reverse-puberty going down in my pores and - brace yourself - I think I may have found something that works! The aforementioned internet stalking led me to a multitude of blog posts firmly, yet lovingly, informing me that I need some Mario Badescu in my life. Naturally, I was coerced by the beauty bloggers at power and I placed a sneaky order on Mecca's website. After a good month of trialing, these lovely things have made themselves well and truly at home in my skincare routine, so I figured I'd walk you through the products and how they fit in!




Since I had no idea where to start - as in most instances of my life - I figured the best option was to pick up one of the sample kits Mecca offers in this range. Since oily/combo cystic acne was my concern, I picked up the Acne Starter Kit, featuring the Acne Facial Cleanser, Special Cucumber Lotion, Oil-Free Moisturiser, Drying Mask and an itty-bitty sample of Drying Cream. Not bad for $39.00, right? As well as this handy-dandy pack, I had to pick up the Drying Lotion - every skincare post I read featured this stuff. Every. Single. One. I was super stoked for these promising little things to arrive and they certainly didn't disappoint! Let's have a product breakdown, shall we?

Given how many people claimed miraculous results after using the Acne Facial Cleanser, I expected it be a harsh formula - it was with great delight that I was proven wrong! This thin, naturally scented cleanser feels so lovely on the skin. It lathers lightly and gets right down into your pores to remove all the nastiness hiding away in there. I use this twice a day after removing my makeup with Garnier's Micellar water.

The morning after trying this I thought I saw a difference in my skin's clarity, but put it down to the placebo effect; this was until my friend made a comment on it herself, resulting in an athlete-style happy dance, minus the athleticism.
The active ingredient in this baby is Salicylic acid which will swiftly evacuate any acne, while the Aloe Vera and Chamomile will soothe the inflamed bumps - a winning combo, if you ask me. If you have super sensi skin like me, give this a go!

Next up I use the Special Cucumber Lotion. The name threw me a bit, because it sounds like something a dodgy naturopath brews in their bathtub, but I have discovered that this is in fact just a fancy name for an astringent! I use this on a cotton pad after cleansing and it tightens my pores wonderfully, as well as satisfying my need to remove any remaining bacteria on my face. I love this stuff, but if you're budgeting, I'd say it isn't 100% necessary in the routine!


Re-hydration comes next, and if I'm honest, I'm always mildly terrified to try a new moisturiser. My skin is a fusspot at the best of times, but when it comes to any kind of lotion, this face brings out some thirteen-year-old girl level angst. Major tantrums. Even if the moisturiser claims to be made in the most oil-free premises on the least skin-irritating planet in our solar system, my skin probably hates it.  The only three creams I can use without breaking out are the Clean & Clear Essentials Daily Moisturiser, and the two that I am about to mention.


The MB Oil Free Moisturiser I mentioned above is my current day cream; it's light, yet super hydrating, creating a supple (how's that for an uncomfortable adjective?) base for makeup application. I've had zero issues with this stuff, and would highly recommend it if your skin is as picky as mine!


I like to use a richer formula at night so my face can soak up all the goodness it needs, however, I was never able to find one I felt was really working. This was until I was sent a sample of some Burts Bees products, in which I found a lovely little jar of their Radiance Night Cream. Complete with Royal Jelly, this stuff has the same natural smell I find in the MB products, and has caused zero breakouts! This is another big rec for me, if you're in Australia you can pick this baby up from selected Priceline stores - get amongst it.

Two or three times a week - or whenever I have twenty minutes to spare, really - I like to use a good face mask to deep cleanse, and to do my best imitation of a swamp monster. Most of the one's I like come from the Formula 10.0.6 Range, and therefore smell/look pretty appealing - the MB Drying Mask does not. To be honest, I was mildly terrified of this one also; it looks like grey sludge, smells like a chemical plant, and given that this Collodial Sulfur based stuff is suitable for body acne, I figured it would be industrial-strength-irritating. The good news is, it works really well at soothing breakouts, the bad news is, the smell doesnt go away. You do get to do the always-satisfying face-crack once it sets though, so there's that. Jury's still out on this one, maybe try a sample first!


On to spot treatments! The sample of MB Drying Cream included in the kit intrigued me, as you are able to use it under makeup to both conceal and treat acne, but I have found that it leaves a weird texture on my skin, no matter if i use it before or after primer - sad face.


This isn't a big loss to me, however, as I have found my holy grail spot treatment. Holy Grail. Holy! Grail! I need to stress how much I love this stuff. If you have a zit, it'll clear up overnight. If you have a blind pimple, it'll disappear. The Drying Lotion that everyone brags about works, guys. All you have do to is dip a cotton tip into the solid at the bottom of the solution, dab it on the area and BAM. Clear skin.It's $22.00 of pure, sweet, angel tears. I have nothing more to say, just get it.


So, that's all the stuff I put on my face! What are your HG skin products? Let me know!

(Also, buy the drying lotion).

Enjoy!
Sophia ♡