Clarisonic Mia 2 Review

This legacy post has been given a facelift for clarity and readability. Updates have been marked in line. Enjoy! Unfortunately, the Clarisonic Mia 2 is generally not for sale any longer (though I did see a set at Costco recently), but I can confirm that the results I experienced tend to follow several of their other devices. :)

Disclaimer: The following Clarisonic Mia 2 review was written by me and originally published over at the now-defunct Skincare Addiction Blog.


I tend to face ultra-hyped products with a certain degree of skepticism. After all, we’ve all plunked down money for something that just couldn’t live up to the marketing and was too good to be true. That doesn’t mean I am not interested in trying them, but it does mean I take a little more than two-days-worth of convincing before I dub something, “game changing,” or, “holy grail.”

Clarisonic Mia 2 Stock Photo

I wanted to try a Clarisonic for a a while but could not bring myself to shell out for it. I had an Olay Pro-X which was a mere fraction of the price, and when it comes right down to it, how many buttons and internet* and whatnot do we really need in our skincare routine? Eventually, the motor in my Pro-X began to falter – even with fresh batteries and a fresh brush head I had to use it longer to achieve the same level of clean that I was accustomed to. I started looking into the Clarisonic Mia 2, as I tossed around the idea of replacing my 2+ year old Pro-X device. To my delight, my now-husband gave me a Clarisonic Mia 2 as a very early Christmas gift last year (so Clarisonic doesn’t know me).

My Skin

I wasn’t seeking a miracle worker in the Clarisonic Mia 2; I neither believe in miracle beauty products nor have any severe skin conditions to contend with. That said, let’s talk about my skin, about which I have few complaints (back in December 2014):

  • Normal/Oily T-Zone. Cheek dryness during winter
  • Larger pores throughout T-Zone
  • A few Hormonal (cycle-related) blemishes around, “that time”
  • Sebaceous filaments on and just to the area just below and next to my nostrils
  • Occasional flakiness around nose & odd texture (not dryness) between eyes and across the upper-bridge of my nose
  • Not sensitive

The Wait

Although I wanted to gush about it right away, I decided to be patient. I know I tire of reading/hearing how life-changing this new-fangled (and often expensive) product or gadget that the reviewer has had for oh, three days. It may be, but some things deserve a greater level of scrutiny (this isn’t drugstore lipstick, after all) before being published.

Considering that a Clarisonic is an investment item for many consumers, I decided to use it for a whole year before talking about it.

First Impressions

Clarisonic Mia 2 - UnboxedClarisonic Mia 2, unboxed

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Manicure Monday – 1/7/19 – Sensationail Nude Mood

It took me writing this post to realize that I didn’t publish any manicure details in December. After my 11/26 post with Icelanded a Bottle of OPI in the Infinite Shine formula (haaate), the following week I did a nice China Glaze Gelaze manicure in Swing Baby. It’s a nice, champagne-y gold that I’ve featured on Favorites posts before. Unfortunately, I took no pictures because I am an ass…and because I was gearing up for a business trip that week.

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December 2018 Favorites

December 2018 FavoritesDecember 2018 Favorites
1. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner in Midnight Cowboy, $20 / 2. Dove Dry Oil Moisture Body Wash, $5 /
3. St Tropez Tan Build Up Remover Mitt, $6.50 / 4. Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer, $8 /
5. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey in Double Rich Chocolate, $50

How ’bout that, we survived another trip around the sun. In spite of not feeling remotely enthused about the holidays, December was a blur; it started with a business trip, ended with a brief break from my day job and a visit from a dear friend. Today, I find myself back in the saddle of my normal routine. Details on my December 2018 Favorites after the jump.

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Worth it? BS-Mall Brushes

BS-Mall BS-Mall Brushes, $13

If you’ve ever shopped for beauty products on Amazon, you’ve probably encountered BS-Mall Brushes. Retailing for around $13 for 14 brushes, this set has over 2,700 reviews that average out to 4.5 stars. There are other sets with lower piece counts at lower prices as well.

Oh, snap.

But if you’ve shopped for brushes before, you know that even a set of inexpensive drugstore brands like Real Techniques, EcoTools, and e.l.f. will run you more than that for 10 brushes unless you get a ‘value’ set that often features lower-quality brushes. The contrast between the price/amount and the quality makes me suspicious – after all, when it seems too good to be true, you’re probably screwed.

So I bit and decided to give them a shot. For $13, I figure at least one of the brushes should be decent. Overall, for less than a dollar a brush, it won’t be a total waste of my time.

The 14 BS-Mall Brushes

The fourteen-piece set I got includes:

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Worth It? elf Small Stipple Brush

This legacy post has been given a facelift! Content and opinions remain the same, but have been edited for clarity. A 2018 Update has been added to the conclusion. Enjoy!


elf Small Stipple Brushelf Small Stipple Brush, $3

I can’t argue with the price-point of the $3 elf Small Stipple Brush, but how does it perform?

Back in the Day

I owned one of these back in 2013 and attempted to use it for foundation when I was still figuring out how to do facepaint. I ended up having some streaking and coverage issues with foundation application, though and ultimately got rid of it in favor of a flat-top buffer (I have one from Coastal Scents and from Sigma) and my beautyblender.

Interest Renewed

Now that I’m into cream blush, though, I want to explore other application methods. So far, my beautyblender has done beautifully, but exploration is fun, so I picked up another one of these at Target.

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