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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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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Shiseido Facial Cotton vs Swisspers

Enjoy this legacy post from the archives! These days, I use reuseable makeup cloths, but if I was going to use cotton, I’d use the products mentioned in this post.


Previously, I wrote about the cotton pads from Swisspers that I use with my micellar water to remove makeup. In that post, I exclaimed that nearly $10 for the Shiseido Facial Cotton was ludicrous. As it happens, a smaller pack was available at Sephora for $5 – and I’ll digest that in order to compare them for you.

Packaging

I was surprised to see that the packaging of my $4 or $5 Swisspers product is remarkably similar! Both products come in a pouch made of this translucent, velvety, satin-finish plastic.

Shiseido Facial Cotton
Resealable? Swisspers is, Shiseido Facial Cotton (in the small size I purchased or the full size pack) is, unfortunately, not. It does not appear that the full-sized package is, either.

Size

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Ole Henriksen Truth Serum

Ole Henriksen Truth SerumOle Henriksen Truth Serum, $20-128

If you write, do you ever have so much to say that you find it overwhelming to decide where to start? In spite of using Ole Henriksen Truth Serum for ages and promising reviews, that’s where I was on this. I’ve finally found some clarity and pared down my thoughts to a concise (enough) format, so here we go.

It Begins

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Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant

Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant

I make no bones about the fact that I primarily wear men’s deodorant (still loving and repurchasing Old Spice Bearglove). I don’t care for antiperspirants (and generally don’t, “need,” them); surprisingly, there are few products marketed to women that aren’t. A few years ago, I purchased a stick of Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant to test the waters of so-called natural deodorants. I have since realized that, apart from alluding to it in this favorites post from May 2016, I never talked about it. Whoops.

Why You (Theoretically) Want It

If you’re looking to get away from traditional antiperspirant deodorant products, Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant is free of:

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