one of hubbo’s pasalubong from his trip was a clarisonic mia – in pink! ok, this was one of my requests and i’m really really grateful that he was able to get it. anyways the clarisonic is a skin cleansing system with a lot of good reviews/raves from several beauty bloggers – which got me interested in the first place (ah the powers of advertising). here’s some product info:
product description (from box):
Developed by the lead inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush, Clarisonic “Mia” is professional-caliber sonic skin care for cleansing wherever your lifestyle takes you. Mia cleanses so well that products absorb better, pores appear smaller, and fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced. As little as one minute a day, for the best skin of your life.
product claims (from box):
While cleansing is the first step in any skin care ritual, it is often overlooked and undervalued. Clarisonic Mia gently yet effectively loosens dirt and oil to clear your pores.
- Helps reduce oily areas, dry patches and blemishes
- Leaves skin feeling softer and smoother
- Remarkably gentle for cleansing all skin types, even with sensitive conditions such as rosacea and acne
the mia comes with the clarisonic handle, a mesh travel bag, 2 brush heads (sensitive skin and normal skin), a 30ml clarisonic gentle hydro cleanser, and the charger – which i must say, i find really cool! the mia is waterproof and thus safe to use in the shower, so the handle does not have any holes or plugs or anything. so how do you charge it? the plink charger automatically “sticks” to the handle like a magnet (dunno if it really uses a magnet or something).
product details for the clarisonic gentle hydro cleanser:
A pH-balanced non-foaming cleanser enriched with antioxidants Japanese Green Tea and Vitamin E. Scientifically developed by Robb Akridge, PhD to leave skin feeling and looking smoother when used with the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing Brush. Paraben free.
Directions: Apply directly to moistened skin or to a damp Clarisonic Skin Cleansing Brush. Massage in a circular motion. Rinse thoroughly.
likes:
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i’ve been using it for three weeks now, and so far, no breakouts! it really does leave skin smoother and i dunno if its my imagination or placebo, but i think it also lessens discolorations and scars
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safe to use in the shower
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easy to bring even when traveling. i brought it with me to guimaras and puerto galera! love the mesh bag that comes with it.
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buying the pink clarisonic supports breast cancer research – it makes us beautiful and also supports a good cause =D
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you can use it with any skin care cleanser (as long as its non-exfoliating, and i think they recommend cream cleansers – kaawaan naman if you use the brush with cleansers with scrubs!)
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automatically stops after a minute – which is the recommended use. this is really helpful so you don’t overuse it – you don’t want to look like fresh tomatoes or rub your skin raw
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the charger can be used here (110v – 220v), so you don’t need an adaptor
dislikes:
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expensive! the clarisonic is available in mia ($149), classic ($195) and plus ($225) models. yes, those prices are in u.s. dollars. the differences in the models from what i can understand are:
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mia: recommended for travel, has only 1 speed setting, comes with a plink charger
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classic: the original model, has 2 speed settings, comes with a charging cradle (which looks really bulky in the product pictures), and i think this pauses every 20 seconds or so so that you’ll know when to transfer to another face location (ie 20 secs for forehead, 20 secs for cheeks, etc.)
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plus: almost same specs with classic, but i think this can be used for face and body (some recommend just switching brush heads for face and body)
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not readily available in the philippines. so add international shipping to the prices above, and you have a really really expensive product in your hands
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for the first 2 weeks i used it 2x a day (morning and evening) and it dried out my skin (i have normal to dry skin), so now i use it every evening. the logic behind this is since i wear some make-up during the day, my face is dirtier at night than in the morning, and if it does help skin absorb products, then my skin will benefit from my night moisturizers
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the gentle hydro cleanser it comes with also left my skin feeling a bit tight
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you have to replace the brush every three months. before i asked for this, i researched a bit on how to get my hands on the replacement brush heads and there are some in ebay that goes for around PhP 600. i’ll update you on this once i purchase, but since hubbo included 2 extra brush heads, + the other 1 included in the package, that will be a long way off. and if you do know any sellers out there, kindly do let me know =D
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it takes a long time to charge! initial charging takes 24 hours, while succeeding ones take 18 hours – not really a good thing if you’re addicted to it
that’s it. i do think that this is a nice product to have and my main irk about it is its unavailability and price.
if you’re interested and live in the philippines, i think you can get it through ebay or amazon, i’m just not sure about the shipping prices. but if you have a relative/address in the u.s., suggest have it delivered there and then johnny air it to here.
The Maldita Mom 