So, what is the Clarisonic Mia 2? At the risk of sounding ridiculous, it is essentially a giant toothbrush for your skin. It is designed to give the skin a deep cleanse, getting rid of any impurities and dirt. One of the worries that many people have when thinking about investing in the Mia 2 is the damaging effect it may have on the skin, especially for those that have sensitive skin. Granted this may not be suited to everyone, but the brush is not at all bristly, and is soft to touch, especially when water is added to the equation.
The Mia 2 is the first Clarisonic to come with two 'speed's', which means you can choose how deeply you want your brush to cleanse. The brush moves in a circular motion, and the speeds are designed to suit sensitive skin, and normal skin. The brush head on all Clarisonic systems comes as 'sensitive', which means those who wish to can purchase different brushes to alter their cleansing experience. The other difference between the Mia and Mia 2, is the latter comes with a timer system, the clarisonic will only activate for a minute at a time, and at different points during this minute it will 'beep' to indicate you should move on to the next part of your face (nose/chin, forehead and cheeks). This means every part of your face is getting equal attention, and you don't need to faff around with timers.
Using the Clarisonic to fulfill it's potential is the next challenge. Obviously everybody is different, but I've spent some time experimenting and found the best way to suit me. I like to apply a liberal amount of cleanser to the wet brush (in a doughnut shape around the edge), wet my face and then start her up! One of the most difficult things to do when using the Mia 2 is to have a limp wrist. When you first start using it you feel you should put pressure on the brush to make sure it's getting down to the nitty gritty. But doing this only stops the brush from cleansing so thoroughly. So relaxed hands please ladies! Once the handset has shut down I wash out the brush and pop back into its handy travel case.
Okay so, it's easy to use and it's very pretty (it comes in a ridiculous amount of colours) blah blah blah but what is the point of having it? First of all it is the most effective make up remover you'll ever have. I use my Mia 2 once a day, which is usually in the evening. Because it is so deep cleansing, if I'm having a lazy moment I don't even have to take off my make up, which means i skip about three skin routine steps. More time for sleeping!
Secondly it leaves skin feeling so incredibly refreshed and recharged. After only three days of using my Clarisonic I found my skin felt 100 times smoother than before. It also looked much brighter and my pores were much less prominent. Any pesky bumps on my cheeks seemed to have disappeared and my complexion looked much fresher. There is the slight disadvantage of the 'purge' which some Clarisonic users experience. I was lucky as I only noticed a few nasty blemishes on my forehead, but some people find that their skin breaks out completely once they've been using this cleanser for a few weeks. Remember this just means all the impurities are coming to the surface, which means fresher and healthier skin in the long run. I have to say since using the clarisonic I've even been able to leave the house without make up AND feel okay about doing so, which is a little bit of a miracle.
Another huge advantage to using this product is the great effect it has had on my blemish prone skin. Unfortunately I have naturally bad skin, which means I have to take real care or I come up in nasty spots. I also find it impossible to leave spots alone when they do appear, which usually makes them much worse. The Clarisonic has not only reduced the spots I get, but it has dramatically helped with the size and redness of the ones I do get. If a spot pops up, the clarisonic helps it to become less angry and noticeable within one use. Deep cleansing is definitely the way forward.
Lastly I would like to highlight the effect using the clarisonic has had on the application of other lotions and potions! Due to the deep cleansing effect of the clarisonic, it only means that other moistursiers and serums are able to penetrate deeper, and sink more easily into the skin. This means the effect of any other products is immediately enhanced,vastly helping on the quest to a flawless complexion.
So, was it worth the money? For me, yes. It's easy to use, fuss free and has a great effect on my skin in more ways than one. It's very quickly earned it's place in my evening routine, and I don't see it budging anytime soon.
