REVIEW: Clarasonic Mia 2

Heya peeps! It's Twinnie #2 here - sorry I've been MIA - work has been absolutely hectic lately. But I'm back now!  So for my birthday this year my amazing husband remembered that I mentioned that I wanted to get a Clarasonic as Twinnie #1 had the Clarasonic Mia and when I had used hers (with a different brush head of course!) I found it absolutely life changing! So what was my first experience with the Clarasonic Mia like? It was bye bye dry skin patches and HELLO smooth, exfoliated skin without having to use any harsh scrubs! I think I wanted it even more when I found out that both Twinnie #1 and her boyfriend were avid fans of their Clarasonic (FYI - they have one each). 

Anyway, when I opened up one of my birthday presents (yes, I am a very spoilt girl but my husband does follow the general rule of 'happy wife happy life'!) I was absolutely thrilled when I unwrapped my Clarasonic Mia 2! It came with a cleanser, brush head, bristle head protector, charger and a case which I find so handy for travelling as my precious Clarasonic won't get damaged when my luggage bag is being tossed around.

(Above: Clarasonic Mia 2 - super portable and easy to pack)

I should note that I have normal-dry skin and luckily enough, I don't suffer from acne/blemishes.  Most times I can get away with  not powdering my face when applying makeup. However having said that, getting dry patches on the face is one of my biggest skin concerns (#firstworldproblems = when makeup clings to dry patches!). I find that in the colder months especially I often get dry patches on my forehead, a little bit on my cheeks and occasionally around my nose. 

A feature of the Clarasonic Mia 2 is that it buzzes every 20 seconds to let you know it's time to rotate to another area of the face. It buzzes 3 times (so only 1 minute in total is required with this baby!) and wah-lah, you are left with baby smooth skin. I think the only difference between the Clarasonic Mia 2 and the original Clarasonic Mia (the Twin#1 has), is that the original Mia doesn't beep and doesn't come with a case for the Clarasonic. Other than that, they appear to be about the same size, both being small and handy to travel with. 

I adore, no... I LOVE this product SO much! I use it every second day or so (in the morning) with a gentle cleanser if I've got dry patches or if I feel that my skin needs some exfoliating action.  I now use the Clarasonic Mia 2 almost exclusively as my exfoliating product as I haven't felt the need to use other exfoliating scrubs. The bristles on the brush heads are soft, yet they are able to get deep down into the pores to really lift the dead skin cells and increase skin cell turnover rate. I've read some reviews out there which indicate that some Clarasonic users go through some sort of "purging" stage - where the skin breaks out for about 1-3 weeks and then calms right down. I'll admit, reading about that did scare me a little but thank goodness I never experienced a purging stage with my Clarasonic Mia 2. 

This is such a quick, easy and fool-proof product to use. You really can't mess it up! It is a bit pricey at ~$200AUS but in our opinion, it is worth every dollar. It is such a good investment and let's face it, who doesn't want soft, smooth and clear skin? There are plenty of dupes out on the market but in to me, nothing beats getting the real deal! If your skin is sensitive and reacts to various scrubs that are out there on the market, then the Clarasonic Mia 2 (or any Clarasonic for that matter) would be worthwhile to try as you can simply use your usual cleanser with the Clarasonic to exfoliate your skin. Think about never having to waste money and time trying out those harsh scrubs again! Or you can switch up your skin routine like Twin #1 who likes to alternate between using her Clarasonic Mia and her at home sugar scrubs. Click on the link if you haven't already read her post on sugar scrubs!

I would definitely give the Clarasonic Mia 2 a 9/10 because there's nothing to complain about except that it needs to be charged for 18 hours for 24 minutes of use! This Clarasonic has revolutionised my skin and has been effective enough to keep those dry patches at bay. My husband also uses and loves this exfoliating product as much as I do so I guess it was a win-win purchase! I hope this review has been helpful!

Love, Twin #2

                                                              

AT HOME: make your own facial/body scrub!

The key ingredient to this scrub is *drumroll* sugar! Yep, you read that correctly, it's sugar! I have indeed significantly reduced my sugar intake however I have been using white sugar (the regular kind you all most likely already have in your kitchen cupboards) as my exfoliator. 

I have always been weary about over-exfoliating (those moments when your skin just looks bright red for days...urgh!) so I'll be honest, I went for months and months without using any exfoliator at all. At first, I didn't realise the importance of exfoliating and felt as though I could get away without doing it. My skin wasn't going red and I wasn't getting any spots. However, I did find that the longer I went without exfoliating my skin, the more "rougher" it would feel, meaning that although the surface of my skin wasn't majorly bumpy, it wasn't exactly smooth either. I have a Clarasonic Mia that I like to use every now and then however I prefer not to use it too much as my skin is a bit more sensitive. 

Of course our skin isn't entirely the same all year round. It may be more oily/ combination during the warmer months and much drier during the colder months. I for one, don't often experience dry patches on my face, but it does get "rough" during the winter season. As we age, our cell turnover rate decelerates, thus potentially giving our skin a dull/ lifeless complexion. Exfoliating the skin lifts away old dead skin cells and stimulates the newer skin cells to reveal brighter, radiant looking skin. In addition to that, when you exfoliate your skin, your moisterisers and serums will absorb and penetrate into the skin much more effectively. 

So when is the best time to exfoliate? According to experts, the best time to exfoliate your skin is actually in the mornings as the skin goes into "repair" mode whilst you sleep at night. By the time morning comes, you will wake up with lots of dead skin cells which are simply sitting on the surface of your skin. It has also been recommended that we exfoliate our skin approximately 2-3 times a week. You simply don't want to over-do it. 

Okay let's get down to business. There are three (3) sugar scrub variations that I like to alternate with:

1. Sugar + your facial cleanser 

I find that gel cleansers and sugar work really well together. So I essentially wash my face using my ordinary Avene  Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser and leave the cleanser on my face. Then I take about 1-2 tablespoons of white sugar and apply it in circular motions to my face whilst avoiding the eye area. Work it into a nice lather but don't be too rough on your skin.  I like give my face a bit of a massage for about 3-4 minutes to really lift and remove those dead skin cells. Then simply rinse your face and remove all traces of sugar on your face. It is super important to remove ALL traces of sugar to avoid any left over residue/stickiness. Then complete your routine with your usual moisteriser(s)/ serum(s).

2. Sugar + honey

This is one of the simplest sugar scrub recipes that I like doing which also doubles up as a facial mask too. The sugar granules are rough enough to lift and remove the dead skin cells whilst the honey moisterises and soothes the skin without stripping your skin of its natural oils. I mix about 2x tablespoons of sugar along with 2x tablespoons of organic/ manuka honey into a small bowl. After cleansing the face with your usual cleanser, proceed to apply the sugar and honey scrub to your face as you would when exfoliating. As honey has antibacterial properties, I like to keep it on as a mask after really working it on my skin. I let it sit for approximately 10-15 minutes before I rinse it off and pat the skin dry. Again, complete your routine with usual moisteriser(s)/ serum(s). This sugar and honey combo also works really well as a lip scrub and you can only need to mix 1x teaspoon of sugar with 1x teaspoon of honey for this. In my opinion, exfoliating the lips prior to lipstick application is one of the key steps in ensuring that the lipstick lasts longer!

3. Sugar + honey + olive oil

This is pretty much the same as the scrub recipe as listed above (sugar + honey) however, we're adding some extra virgin olive oil into the mix. I only like to do this scrub when my skin is feeling super duper dry. In my opinion, the olive oil works as a moisterising booster. So in a small bowl, mix together 2x tablespoon sugar, 2x tablespoon honey, 1x tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and massage it into your face after cleansing (I say after cleansing because you wouldn't want to jump right into exfoliating if you have a face full of makeup). Work it all over the face for a few minutes and again, this recipe can double up as a face mask. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes if you're looking to to give your skin that extra "umph of hydration" if it needs it. Then rinse off, pat your skin dry and proceed to apply your moisteriser(s)/ serum(s). This recipe is also excellent as an all over body scrub to really exfoliate other areas of your body which may become dry such as legs, knees and elbows. 

I hope this post has been helpful! Give it a try and see for yourself how awesome using sugar as a scrub really is! Sugar is such an inexpensive yet effective exfoliating product to use on the face!

Love, Twin #1 x

makeups and expiration dates?!

OK guys, I can't stress the importance of makeup expiration dates enough. Too often I hear people saying "I've kept this at the back of my drawer just in case I decide to use it one day, I've had it for years and years though"...*cringe*

I'm sorry I'm not sorry but - my best advice would be to check out when those products were manufactured and to see whether or not the products are still okay to be used.

You can check the manufacture date by using looking up the batch code via this link. So check up on your makeup stash today! You might even be surprised at how long ago some products were made! I did a very thorough check up on all of my cosmetics items about a month ago and I'm glad to say most of them were still in the "safe" zone - although some only have another 6 months or so until it's time to be tossed out.

Case in point, when you buy cosmetic items (especially the expensive sort), then use them, don't save them up because eventually saving them up might mean that they won't be as good as from the time you first purchased them! Exposure to air or even the bacteria from your fingers (for foundation packages that don't have a pump) can significantly reduce the lifespan of a cosmetic item. I have definitely been my NARS sheer glow foundation much more these days. It's such a beautiful foundation - why save it? I paid lots of money for it so I might as well enjoy it whilst it's still good right?!

Of course, if you are unable to locate a batch code on your cosmetic item, then I suggest you simply use some common sense. Does it look different? Does it smell different? Has the texture changed? All those questions need to be asked. If for any reason, something does appear off, then you know what to do...toss it!

I remember watching an interview with Caroline Hirons (one of my skin heroes of all time) and she said something to the effect of "we only have one face - so why mess with it?" We can cover up parts of our bodies but our face is constantly exposed. So take care of it and be mindful of what you put on to it. Amen sista!

Love, Twin#1