Last month I answered the consulting questionnaire at MarioBadescu.com to see which of their products would suit me. It was a pretty thorough survey. It also had me state my address and contact details, so I was expecting a bit of spam snail mail, maybe fliers. At the end they recommended a full skin care regimen and I filed it away for later reference. A few days later I received an email listing the recommended products and an offer for "some free samples so that you can try our products before you decide to purchase them." I said yes, that was about three weeks ago, there were no confirmation emails or tracking numbers, there wasn't even a shipping fee, and I completely forgot about it. But then, a bubble mailer arrived chockfull of cute tiny goodies.


They ended up giving me all but 2 of the recommended products. I understand why samples of the dual-layer Drying Lotion would be difficult to package, and I already use it and think it's great. Within the personalized curation card was the recommended regimen.

Mario Badescu doesn't have the best track record with honesty in declaring their ingredients, but I figured I'd give this a whirl. I've been testing out everything for the past 2 days, and so far no breakouts or irritations. There seems to be enough product for 2-3 weeks, so expect reviews of these after that time:










I love that Mario Badescu lets potential customers try their products before committing to a full size. This is the rare case of a truly free sample -- I didn't even leave my chair to get it. I am wary of their formulation practices, but that won't stop me from deciding for myself if their stuff works.