HIT OR MISS Product Review: Clarisonic and New Face Cleansers

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a restful weekend. A few weeks ago, I went to Sephora to spend a gift card that I've had for about a year now. Side note: The one thing I can't stand about gift cards is that I always feel like I have one chance to use that money, so I want to spend it wisely--which ends in me holding onto it forever!! Does anyone else get like that? Lol

Anyway, I used it to FINALLY buy myself a Clarisonic!! I've been wanting one for about ohhh maybe 2 years now? Haha but I have been going back and forth about getting one because I wanted to make sure I was going to use it and love it. And I do :)

While I was there, I decided to get a few samples. Okay, I actually went a little sample crazy! I'm sure the lady that helped me was sick of me by the time I got out of there (an hour later), but she was really helpful! (Thanks, Rachel!)

Product Reviews

CLARISONIC Mia 2: This is a HIT! I went with the Mia 2 because it came with deluxe samples for the same price as the Mia 2 by itself ($149). It also came with a travel case. I've been using the Clarisonic for about 2-3 weeks now, once a day, 3 days a week. So far I love it! My skin is very sensitive, so I was afraid that the Clarisonic was going to be too rough for my face. The brush came with the "Sensitive Brush Head," so I felt better about it. I don't use the brush everyday because I don't want it to irritate my skin. I definitely consider it a "deep cleaning" as opposed to a daily cleaning.

• Pros:
• My skin feels very clean and smooth. My face feels refreshed after!
• My skin looks brighter.
• It doesn't dry out my skin, which is surprising, because my face gets really dry and tight in the winter.
• It opens my pores, and therefore my face absorbs serums and moisturizers a whole lot better after I use the Clarisonic.

• Cons:
• The sensitive brush is not as soft and gentle and I thought it was going to be. I would advise that you don't use so much pressure while using it. For me, simply holding it to my face with very little pressure does the job.
• The low speed is definitely fast enough for me! I wish there was one more speed that was lower than that.
• The Clarisonic beeps when you've spent enough time working on each part of your face, then shuts off completely when the entire minute is up. It took a while to get used to this because you have to move it around your face quick enough before time is up! (It's supposed to be 20 seconds on your forehead, 20 sec on nose and chin, and 10 sec on each cheek.)

REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk: This is a MISS. I liked this product, but wasn't crazy about it. It is what you think it is: Milky. It's thicker than most facial cleansers that I've tried--kind of creamy. It also has a scent that's hard to describe--it's not bad, but it's not good either. It did do the job, and left my skin feeling clean and moisturized. I say that because some cleansers leave your skin feeling dry right after you use them. With this one, I felt like I didn't even have to put moisturizer on afterwards. It was luxurious and smooth, and worked well with the Clarisonic, but I liked it better just using my hands. However, I wasn't fan of the after-smell and didn't want to use it again after that.

Fresh - Soy Face Cleanser: This is a HIT! It smells and feels amazing. It's pretty light (it's a gel), so I would prefer using it with the Clarisonic as opposed to my hands. It instantly left my skin feeling very refreshed and dewey. One time I used it without using makeup remover first and it removed my makeup pretty well. The soy proteins in it is meant to support moisture retention, which is especially important for me during the winter months! The smell is probably the best part. It smells like cucumber!

First Aid Face Cleanser: This is a MISS. The texture is like a silky foam. It's very light and airy, and I feel it didn't spread well across my face, especially with the Clarisonic. I felt like I kept having to put on more and more to fully cover my face. It also wasn't as moisturizing. I sampled this because it got great reviews, but I wasn't impressed.

Philosophy 'Purity Made Simple': This is a HIT! This is one of the deluxe sample products that came with the Clarisonic. It works VERY well with the Clarisonic or even just with your hands. It has somewhat of a thicker, milky texture, and it goes on very smooth and lathers very well. It didn't dry out my skin. My face actually felt very clean and moisturized afterwards. It has a soothing smell, similar to that of the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, which is nice. Since I got such a large sample of it, I've been using it everyday! It's made to hydrate and tone your face. I didn't realize that you can also clean your makeup brushes with it as well. That's a nice bonus! :)

So that's my scoop. :) What are products that you recommend? I'll be playing guinea pig again with a few more products soon. Gotta visit my new friend Rachel at Sephora and bug her for more samples. ;)