Tools

Bi-Weekly WTF :: Vol 5 – Simplehuman Wide-Angle Mirror

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Tiny apartment life means no room for a vanity. It also means that the sink and bathroom counter are very small and that the mirror sucks. So I, like many other women, have a foldable lighted makeup mirror. I own the older version of this one from Jerdon that rotates to a magnifying mirror. It has an AC Adapter in the front so you plug in any powered skincare tools or hair tools you’d like to use in front of a mirror. Instagram fodder? Not really – but it gets the job done and that’s what I need.

 

A Little Chic, A Lot of Cash

Simplehuman, however, makes mirrors for folks who want their makeup mirror to double as a photo prop. This eight-inch lighted mirror of theirs costs $180 and is already enough to make my eyes bulge out of my head like a Looney Toons character. It’s prettier than what I use, for sure – but it is smaller, single-paned, etc. Similar models with a few other bells and whistles (including WiFi – WTF?) run up to $250. A mirror does not need to be network connected!

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Worth it? Shiseido Lash Curler

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Curled my Lashes, Bent my No Buy - Shiseido Lash CurlerShiseido Lash Curler, $20

Eyelashes are serious business. Often if I’m not wearing any other makeup, I’ve probably at least curled my lashes and thrown on a coat of mascara. My lashes are light brown and tend to point straight out from my eyelid so I tend to look a little worse-for-wear than I am. It’s silly, but that 30 seconds of effort makes me look a bit more awake and alive. I’d seen magazines and blogs praising both the Shu Uemera and the Shiseido Lash Curler but I initially dismissed it as hype because, back then, the idea of prestige cosmetics was comedy to me.

On the Cheap

For the longest time I used the Sonia Kashuk lash curler from Target. It was passable; I’d used better (cheaper) ones in the past. I hadn’t put much stock in an eyelash curler as an, “investment,” tool. A lash curler is a lash curler, right? After all, they’re fairly simple and straightforward. Is there that much difference between the $5 option and the $20?

Upgrade

Last year, in spite of my misgivings about spending $20 on something so simple, I splurged on my first prestige eyelash curler. I decided I was going to go with a cult favorite and selected the Shiseido Lash Curler over the Shu Uemura for, initially, accessibility’s sake.

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January 2018 Favorites

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January 2018 FavoritesJanuary 2018 Favorites
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly, $22 / Jergens In Shower Sunless Tanning Lotion, $7 /
Tresemme Heat Protectant, $4 / MiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

Unsurprisingly, when I wrote the title of this post, I wrote 2017 instead of 2018. My January 2018 Favorites are short and sweet.

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Worth it? MiroPure Straightening Brush

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MiroPure Straightening Brush // straightening brushesMiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

No matter what I seem to do, I can’t seem to bring myself to stick with consistently styling my hair. I’m not particularly good at it. I like sleep more than I like fiddling with my hair first thing in the morning, and that often means my hair isn’t as smooth and visually tidy as I’d like. Late last year I became aware of thermal straightening brushes and shared my initial thoughts in November. Since, the MiroPure Straightening Brush arrived and I’ve used it more times than I can count.

First, we’ll get into how straightening brushes work, then to my review.

How do Straightening Brushes Work?

All brushes are designed a little differently (here’s a Dafni, for instance), but the core concept is the same. The back plate of the brush (analogous to the cushion area) is heated just like the plates of a flat iron. Likewise most or all of the, “bristles,” or, “teeth,” are constructed of or surrounded by that same plate material and are heated.

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Worth it? Clarisonic Smart Profile

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Clarisonic Smart Profile

Several years ago, I purchased my first Clarisonic (a Mia 2). After an entire year of use, I wrote a comprehensive review. Following that, I created a bunch of other Clarisonic–related content. As time went on, my Mia 2 suffered normal wear and tear. I noticed that it’s battery was waning. It still charges, it still operates, but the longevity of a charge isn’t as robust as it once was. I suspected that it might be on its last legs soon, and I had resigned myself to replacing it. The Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift had just come out and I scoffed at its ridiculous $350 pricetag. I had decided a long time ago that I’d go with a Mia next; the dual-speed feature of the Mia 2 wasn’t worth the extra money to me (I never use the slower speed).

Then, I was in Costco one day late last Autumn and they had a Clarisonic Smart Profile clearanced for $150 (insane!). The Smart Profile replaces the Aria line of years’ past and is compatible with the body brush heads. Considering the regular price of the Mia has increased to $129 in the last year or two, I was sold on the Clarisonic Smart Profile.

I’ve had it for about three months now and I’m ready to open up on its features, flaws, and other fun stuff.

Clarisonic Smart Profile Features

To be clear, this is not the Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift. The original Clarisonic Smart Profile seems to have been discontinued, but the Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift retails for the same price point and includes some different skin tools.

Multiple Modes & Notifications

The Smart Profile features four facial speeds, a body mode, and a turbo option for an extra, quick burst of cleansing power. If you’re using the Smart Profile brush heads, the device can tell identify them (vs all the classic heads) and supposedly adjusts the cleansing mode(s) accordingly.

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That Time Again – 2017 Favorites

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I sat down to write about my 2017 Favorites and ended up laughing at myself. I went back and checked the previous year’s favorites to make sure I wasn’t inadvertently writing the same post and … wow, I definitely almost did! I still love and use everything from that list a year later. I even still use the now-discontinued Gimme Brow; I’m on my last tube, sadly. Maybe next year will feature a new brow product. Maybe I’m set in my ways.

Rather than repeating myself, check out what I had to say on these items last time:

2017 Favorites

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day SerumDrunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, $80

Buying an $80 consumable skincare item even at 20% off was a huge risk for me. I enjoy prestige makeup, but I was worried that I was:

  • losing my mind
  • buying into hype
  • going to hate it or be unimpressed and have wasted money
  • going to love it WAY too much but not find it a sustainable purchase
  • losing my mind

Although I was obviously hoping I’d like it, I was shocked by how much good it has done for my skin. It is my single largest beauty expense, but I am gladly forking over the money twice a year.

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