Live from New York, it's . . . the Clarisonic Mia! Thanks to my 三姐 who helped pick this up for me at Sephora last Christmas during her to trip to NYC (the last yellow Mia left at that time, she said). After almost a year of observing reviews and going it over my head, I finally decided it worth the hefty price tag. The original Clarisonic, which can be used for both face and body is a larger version of the Mia. The Mia is marketed as a face-only cleanser and also as travel-friendlier option. It comes in a wide variety of colors and other graphic designs. *There is actually a Clarisonic Mia 2 now, which has two speed controls.* The reception of this brush cleanser has been phenomenally successful, and as I believe achieving healthy skin begins in step one of skin care -- cleansing, that is -- I thought it would considerably improve my skin care routine.
First opening.
The cover page.
The above description says it all.
The promises.
Yet sleeping in the box.
Hello, sunshine. The brush is compact and is a visual pleasure elegant curves and all. This small thing is barely six inches long, yet is the ultimate cleansing powerhouse. The grey power button activates the brush and keeps it moving for 60 seconds.
The back of it.
User manual and pLink charger.
The Clarisonic Mia has no port for insertion of the end of a charger, unusual for gadgets that require charging. It has a magnet on the slightly recessed portion on
the lower part of the handle (below the power button) where the head of the charger (with a magnet also) is magnetically attached. This one-of-a-kind feature makes it a treat to set up.
The Clarisonic Mia is very easy to use. The above diagram shows each part of the face requires 10 seconds of brushing totaling 1 minute, which is enough for the Clarisonic Mia to clean the entire face properly. Beware of abrasion when cleansing over the recommended time.
Observations
Usage: close to six months
Frequency: once a week with the delicate brush
Result: cleaner feeling than manual cleansing done with hands; softer epidermis; fewer breakouts, clearer skin; no reduction in pore size, however fewer clogged pores
Product pair-up: I follow up with Clarins HydraQuench Cream-Mask
Charging: once every two months (my personal usage)
Other Clarisonic products.
The Gentle Hydro Cleanser came as a free sample. It is meant for all normal to sensitive skin.
It is a soft cream type of cleanser that smells of carrot juice. I didn't find this any helpful in cleaning the face. It left the skin unclean and dirty. Definitely not recommended.
The Delicate Brush Head is recommended for extra-sensitive skin, such as people suffering from rosacea, eczema, etc.
Each box contains two pieces of the brush.
An introduction.
Pale blue duo comes with a plastic protective cover. These are sturdily made and clasp on to the Mia securely and are also easy to remove.
The back.
There really is a difference among the brush heads. The sensitive brush head was too harsh for my skin, leaving it somewhat feeling raw and sore, while the delicate brush cleaned with no uncomfortable feeling.
Some description.
Recommend the Clarisonic Mia: yes.
It was in Changi Airport on the way back to Manila when I saw this Hand Cream Collection. I had been sniffing along L'Occitane's shelves, one of which was dedicated to hand creams. The selection was mostly travel exclusives in boxes of 3 or 4 of the same scent, and I finally settled on this one because of the variety and beautiful tin.
The colorful swirls and the see-through pane of plastic are doubly appealing.
There are four 1oz (appx. 30ml) tube-type hand creams, each featuring a different scent and texture.
Shea Butter, Rose, Lavande, and Pivoine Flora. A real sampling treat for my nighttime hand treatment!
The Shea Butter Hand Cream is one of L'Occitane's classic hand creams. It contains 20% pure shea butter and is intended for dry skin. Its texture is thick and while moisturizing, oddly did not moisturize my hands as well as the others. Each time I applied the Rose Velvet Hand Cream, it instantly filled the air with the divine smell of roses -- this one's a concoction of Grasse, Bulgarian, Moroccan, and Turkish species. The cream has a light pink texture and made my hands soft and smooth in the morning.
The ingredients list above for Shea Butter and Rose.
Lavande has the lightest texture among the four choices, and surprisingly it offers better moisturization for me than Shea Butter. The scent is pure lavender that I am not so attached to, however it can be quite addicting because I truly felt more relaxed the more I breathed in the lavender scent on my hands. Among the four variants, I would choose a full-sized Lavande for purpose and practicality. Pivoine Flora (Peony) is another floral concoction enriched with grape seed oil and shea butter. I am not so fond of the scent. Its hydration properties is just about the same as Lavande's.
Above: Lavande; below: Pivoine Flora.
Overall, L'Occitane's Hand Cream Collection didn't just provide a visual delight, but also a sensory experience with real results.
