Clarisonic Mia 2 - Product Review & My Story

I had been looking at buying a Clarisonic Mia 2 for over a year before I actually went ahead and took the plunge…. Am I glad I did? Keep reading to find out!

What is a Clarisonic Mia 2?

The Clarisonic Mia 2 is a hand held Sonic Skin Cleansing System which uses a sonic frequency to clean the skin.  The Mia 2 has two speeds and only takes one minute to cleanse your face!  The minute is split up in to two 20 second bursts, which are used on the jawline, nose and forehead, followed by two 10 second bursts, one for each cheek.  The Clarisonic will pulse when its time to move to a different part of your face.  You can read more about Clarisonic and the Mia 2 on their website.

Research

Before purchasing the Clarisonic, I think it’s fair to say I did a lot of research.  I would spend hours reading blog posts, googling reviews and watching Youtubers give their opinions on the nifty little machine.  I asked friends if they had ever heard of them, had they used one? I found myself looking at before and after photos - was it really as good as people were making out?  If I was going to spend £125 on a cleansing brush, I wanted to make sure it was worth the splurge!

The last person I asked was a girl at work.  To be fair, she was the only person I actually knew who had not only heard of the Mia 2, but she owned one.  After speaking to her, my mind was made up.  With not a bad word to be said, and speaking from experience, I was sold. 

The fact she has amazing skin might have also helped the cause, but surely she got there with her Clarisonic?

Ten minutes later, the purchase had been made. 

Initial Cleansing Routing

Cleansing wise, up until now, I was following Clinique’s Three Step System.  It was working quite well so I didn’t feel the need to switch up my products when my Clarisonic arrived, so I decided to give it a bash with step one – Liquid Facial Soap. 

First, I took my make up off, then used the liquid facial soap along with the Clarisonic.  I was actually amazed with the results. My skin had never looked or felt so clean! 

I would probably say I had oily / combination skin and I was currently using the Liquid Facial Soap for this skin type.  After a few days of using Step 1, I felt that my skin was quite dry & that the product, although great on its own, was maybe a bit harsh to use along with Clarisonic.  This is when I discovered Philosophy’s cleanser….

Finding Purity

I wanted a cleanser that would foam up when I used it with the Clarisonic.  After some research I decided to try the Philosophy cleanser, Purity. I don’t have a bad word to say about this product.  It’s absolutely amazing – especially with the Clarisonic.  I find using the Philosophy cleanser gentle enough to use twice a day, although I only use it with my Clarisonic at night.  The product leaves my skin looking and feeling clean, without leaving it feeling dry.

For the past 6 months I have been taking my make up off, then cleansing using Philosophy’s cleanser along with my Mia 2.  I absolutely love my new skin routine.  My skin looks and feels amazing, my moisturiser (Clinique Step 3 – Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion) seems to soak in to my skin better, my skin is more even, breakouts are few and far between and my make up even looks better!  I could not be happier with my new routine – or my new skin!

The Nitty Gritty

Would I recommend the Clarisonic Mia 2?

YES!

Benefits:

-  Cleaner, clearer skin.

-  Skin appears brighter.

-  Removes more make up than manual cleansing.

-  Moisturiser absorbs into my skin better.

-  My skin looks more even.

-  Pores appear to be less visible.

-  Make up goes on well & looks better, I would even go as far as saying my make up      doesn’t need touched up as much!

How long did the “purging phase” last?

So when you start using the Clarisonic you are cleaning your skin up to six times deeper than you ever have before.  There’s going to be a lot of dirt / grime / bacteria etc deep down in your pores which has never been disturbed before.  When you first use your Mia 2, your going to be cleaning deeper, disturbing the gunk and drawing it out.  Some people experience break outs – some people don’t.  I was one of the unlucky ones. What you have to remember during this time is that this is just the purging phase and it will be over soon.  It wasn’t too bad, I had a few break out on my cheeks and jawline, I think it lasted about 10 – 14 days. 

Do you still get breakouts?

I still have the odd breakout from time to time, but using the Clarisonic, it clears up pretty quickly.

Is it worth £125?

I believe you get what you pay for.  It does seem like a lot of money, but the product is of a high quality and works well.  Cost per use is also minimal.  I have had mine for 6 months and I have used it every single day…. It’s one of those items that, if for some reason it stopped working, I would replace it straight away.

The Product: 

The Mia 2 is really nice, its small enough to take away with you for the weekend, its not too heavy and it fits perfectly in your hand.  My Clarisonic also came with a plastic case which is really handy for travelling. The machine itself feels quite robust and I can’t really see anything that could go wrong with it.  The brush is easily removed, cleaned and replaced and there is a plastic cover for the brush which is good to ensure it is kept clean.

Battery Life: 

The Mia 2 is charged for 24 hours before its first use.  Being impatient, I wanted to use mine as soon as it arrived, having to wait an extra 24 hours was slightly annoying! The charger is magnetic and just “pops” onto the handle, which is quite cool.  I’ve had to charge mine maybe 4 times since I’ve had it.  Obviously if you decide to use yours more than once a day, you may need to charge it more often.

So there you have it!  In my opinion, this is a great product that has definitely improved the appearance of my skin.  I think I would struggle to go back to Cliniques Three Step System as I don’t think my skin would feel as clean as it does using the Mia 2.  If you have any questions on the Clarisonic, my routine or the changes in my skin since I started using it – please leave a comment below and I will get back to you!