Clarisonic Mia 1 Facial Sonic Cleansing Brush - First Impression & Review

I have been checking out the facial brush market for quite some time now and finally made a purchase! I picked up the Clarisonic Mia at Dillard's about a week ago so I wanted to give my first impressions (since I haven't owned it very long) and a review of what I think about it so far. Since this is my first experience in the world of facial brushes, I chose the Mia 1 because it's the simplest and most inexpensive of the Clarisonic products. I thought this would be a good brush to start with. I chose the shade "pink" - they have several colors including purple, electric pink, grey, & white - and I love the color, I think it's really pretty. 

The Mia 1 comes with the "sensitive brush head" and only has one speed, speed 2 (universal) for use with all skin types. This speed is safe to be used daily, or even twice daily if you'd like. The brush heads are interchangeable, so you can purchase new brush heads after a few months to replace the existing head, or you can buy alternative heads for different skin types and uses. The brush heads typically cost around $27 each, so it's pretty affordable to change your brush head every 3 months (as recommended). 

The Mia is also waterproof, so you could use it in the shower and you don't have to worry about keeping any parts of it dry. The charger is actually magnetic so there's no plug or holes for the charger to plug into on the actual brush. You just touch the charger to the bottom of the handle and it sticks magnetically to the handle pretty firmly. It also comes with a cover for the brush head with holes so the bristles can dry while still protected. The power button is a grey rubber button and once you power on the Clarisonic, it is on a 60-second timer. 60 seconds is the recommended daily use time. 

Since I purchased mine at Dillard's, I also received a free gift with purchase. The Mia 1 comes with a sample size of the Clarisonic cleanser, but the gift with purchase from Dillard's provides 2 more sample cleansers and a small travel bag for the Mia. The travel bag is the size of a toiletry kit or rectangular makeup bag. It's purple with yellow trim, so it's not the cutest bag, but it fits all the cleanser samples, the charger, and the Mia itself, so it's handy for storage and/or traveling. It has a zipper shaped like a mini silver Clarisonic brush.

I read quite a few reviews before using this. It's recommended that you charge the brush for a full 24 hours before using, so I had plenty of time to read up on the brush. I read some really scary reviews of users that broke out really badly after starting to use the Mia. I was expecting a few blemishes or spots to pop up as is pretty standard with any new product, especially one that's exfoliating. However, I was hoping it didn't ruin my skin or give me any serious issues.

I'm happy to say, I have had a really good experience with the Mia so far. I did get a few very small spots after the first few days of use, but they went away very quickly and didn't leave any redness or marks on my skin. I had very very minimal "purging" with this, so I was really happy about that. It has definitely helped with my dryness. After about a week of use, I no longer have any major dry patches or peeling. My skin is never irritated by it and I have been using it both at night and in the morning. Most noticeably, I can tell a huge difference in the occurrence of blackheads on my nose and the size of my pores. The pores, especially on my nose, seem much cleaner, which makes them less visible. This is the best result I've experienced and it's what motivated me most to buy the brush. I'm happy with the Mia 1, I'm not sure that I need fancy brush heads or multiple speeds. For $99, I'm very satisfied with this brush and I don't think I would spend more to get a brush that has different speeds. Especially if you're new to facial brushes, I think this is the perfect brush for daily use. They also have a 1-year warranty, so you're covered if you experience any troubles in the first year. 

You can find the Clarisonic at most department stores, online at Clarisonic.com, and Sephora.

Let me know what you think of Clarisonic's products. If you've used any of their cleansers, please let me know! I think I will give my skin plenty of time to adjust to daily Clarisonic use before I try out any new cleansers or skincare products. One step at a time!

Until next time... xoxo

The Body Shop: Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter - Review

I recently made an online order at The Body Shop. I have several of their products that I love but I don't have a store very close to me. I can find some of their products at Ulta but I had quite a few things that I wanted to try so I decided to go ahead and place an order online. If you read my blog, you may know that I love The Body Shop face masks. I typically buy them in single-use sachets, but I wanted to order the full sizes and the Chamomile cleansing oil based on an Amelia Liana recommendation (review coming soon). Just before check out, I added the Vanilla Brûlée Body Butter. Unfortunately, I had to add this to my list of disappointing products.

I don't hate this product, but it wasn't as impressive as I had hoped it would be. The smell is amazing - I definitely wasn't disappointed by the that. It smells so rich and creamy and the tub is a good size. I got this on offer for $10 (half price) and I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the tub - I think that's a fair amount of product, especially if it's half-off. It's been cold here lately and my skin is definitely suffering, I've been exceptionally dry and have been trying out various products to see what works best. I was hoping this new body butter would be my new best friend. When I first dabbed into the lotion, I liked the consistency - it's thick and creamy, just as you'd expect a body butter to be. As soon as I began to rub it in, however, I noticed that it doesn't seem to spread very well. It's so thick that it doesn't work into a larger area of skin. I end up needing a huge amount of product for a small area of skin just because the lotion doesn't spread out. It does leave you feeling a bit greasy, but I expected that since it's considered a "butter." I felt like at least that sticky feeling would mean that I would be nicely moisturized by the morning.

The problem was that I didn't feel all that moisturized the next morning. It seems as if all the lotion disappeared and my skin wasn't able to drink up any of the moisture. Especially since it's called a "body butter" I expected this to be an intense hydrator and something to use when I'm feeling exceptionally dry - to perk up my skin overnight even though it may be thick and a little greasy. Those are all things I can deal with if the moisture payoff is worth it. I just didn't feel like my skin had made seen any major improvements overnight, and for the amount that I had to apply, I don't see the tub lasting very long. I may just use this for hands and feet before bed and forget trying to use it as a body lotion. 

In the future, I may opt for a smaller size to throw into my handbag as a hand lotion, but I probably won't purchase this particular product again. I love the smell and the formulation is nice, but I just wasn't that impressed, overall. That being said, I LOVE all the other products that I have tried from The Body Shop and this definitely won't deter me from continuing to try out their products. Everyone's skin is different and just because it didn't moisture my skin as I had hoped, doesn't mean it couldn't work for a different skin type. 

Have you tried a body butter? If so, what did you think? What are your favorite The Body Shop products?

October Obsession: Boots No 7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask

I have been using No 7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask from Boots everyday this month. I have always loved this product, but for some reason I've been obsessed with it throughout the month of October. I have the formula for dry/very dry skin and it hydrates my skin so much. I struggle with extremely dry skin especially on my face, and this mask solves my dry skin problems every time. It's meant to be a mask that you apply and then later remove, but it can also be used as a deep moisturizer. I apply a thin (actually, not so thin because I love it) layer to my skin and let it sink in overnight. When I wake up I never have any residue or a greasy feeling - my skin always drinks this stuff right up. Even if I use a cleanser for dry skin, I always feel much dryer at the end of the day after a shower or after washing my face. I apply this directly after cleansing or right before bed and it seems to cure my dry skin overnight.

I was reading through the reviews when I first purchased this product, and I noticed some people complained about the smell and about it tingling sensitive skin. I love the smell, I think it smells new and clean and it doesn't bother me at all; I don't ever find it offensive. I also haven't had any irritation problems with this. It's so silky and soothing that I can't imagine it would ever bother my skin. I would say I have sensitive skin, and I often find that certain products burn or irritate my skin, but this isn't one of them. I love the packing as well - you can dispense the desired amount of product, it stays clean, you can see how much you have left, and the pump works seamlessly. An all-around love for me!

I get mine at Target but you can also find it at Ulta and online at Boots. Your local drugstore like Walgreens or CVS may carry it as well.

The Body Shop Face Masks

The Body Shop makes 3 face masks that I absolutely love! I do a lot of masks at home so I'm always buying little sachets of different face masks to try out. Unfortunately, I don't have a Body Shop close to home, but I can find these particular face masks in sachet form at Ulta for $2.50. These 3 are my favorites that I use on a regular basis:

Tea Tree Face Mask - I love tea tree oil and it's gentle yet effective when used on breakouts. I have a tiny bottle of tea tree oil from The Body Shop but I love this mask when I'm having trouble with my skin. If my skin is suffering from a breakout or I've used a new product that's made my skin break out, I use this mask and it clears my skin right up. I do have dry skin, so I have to be sure to follow this up with a really hydrating moisturizer. Since it's meant to clear up problem skin, it can be a tad drying, so I follow it up with something really soothing and hydrating so I don't have any dryness problems. This mask is fun, too, because its super green!

Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask - This mask is amazing for dry skin. It's super hydrating and so soothing on the skin. I love to have a pamper night with this mask because it really feels luxurious and silky on your skin. This gets rid of any dry patches and makes my skin younger & plump. I like to apply the mask and then rather than washing it off, I just towel off the excess and rub the lotion into my skin for the night. I wake up with different skin - so silky and soft. You can definitely feel the effects of the Vitamin E. 

Vitamin C Microdermabrasion Mask - This was the most recent Body Shop mask that I tried. I've never had a proper microdermabrasion but I'm always looking for products that claim to "slough off dead skin" because the skin on my face can get very dry. This definitely adds radiance to your skin. It seems to turn over your old skin cells and revitalize your face. Vitamin C is really good for your skin in terms of looking more youthful, so that's always a plus. The exfoliating particles are very fine so it isn't too harsh but removes all the dead skin. It definitely improves my skin's texture and tone.

What are your favorite face masks? Please share your favorite Body Shop products so I can check them out!