Wednesday 23 June 2010

Clarisonic Mia

The Clarisonic Mia brush (US$149) is the most expensive beauty product I've ever purchased but after reading countless positive reviews about it, I decided it was time to take the plunge and invest in it. I got the pink version (for which Clarisonic makes a donation to breast cancer research with every purchase). The set includes an international charger for worldwide use, a sensitive brush head and Clarisonic's Gentle Hydro Cleanser (1 oz.). Sephora.com currently has two other Mia sets listed, one with a GoClear Clarifying Cleanser and another with a Murad Active Radiance Serum which are also priced at US$149 but the Murad set has the highest retail value.

While in Sephora, I decided that there was not much point shelling out an additional US$46 for the 'normal'-sized Clarisonic Brush as the difference in the diameter of the brush is not that significant, compared to the Mia. It seemed even more pointless to pay another US$76 for the Clarisonic Plus which comes with three different speeds. The Mia vibrates at over 300 times per second, which I think is effective enough for most skintypes. You have to charge the Mia for 24 hours before the first use. Each charge is supposed to give you 20 uses of one minute each. The brush stops vibrating automatically after one minute, which is a good feature to prevent over-brushing. The brush is waterproof so you can use it in the shower.

After close to two weeks of using the Mia once daily (usually after removing my makeup in the evening), I have to say I love it! It hasn't been a miraculous acne-banishing product but it does leave my skin soft, smooth and thoroughly clean after each use. The massaging motion is also vigorous enough without being abrasive. I like to use it with a highly foaming cleanser such as RMK Creamy Soap N or Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Foam as both whip up a good lather with the Mia. The only drawback is that they do sting my eyes if some of the cleanser gets in accidentally.

The Clarisonic Mia is very pricey, so it's worthwhile to do your research on it before deciding whether to shell out for it by checking out reviews on Makeupalley.com, Sephora.com or other blogs. You can also wait for one of Sephora's sales (like their annual Friends & Family 20% sale or occasional 10% discount codes) to save a pretty penny on the Clarisonic.

19 comments:

galpal.hi said...

I put off buying the Clarisonic despite my friend Mai trying desperately to convince me to buy it. She said that it was well worth the price. Well, I finally did buy it and while I didn't think that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread, I liked it. Now, I find that I can't go without using the brush. I bought the Clarisonic Plus. I don't use it often but I will on occasion use it on my body, especially the decollette area. It really does help to smooth it out a bit.

I am seriously considering getting the Mia too since it's a bit smaller with the international charger. I'm hoping to go to Japan next spring so will definitely need to have the international charger then.

*Kat*

Anonymous said...

i have this same mia for more than half a year now and i use it 1x every single weekday, totally love it! my skin is so much cleaner and smoother now! since i don't use it all that often, i charge it just 1x a month... it's a little tricky not pressing the brush too much into your skin, that's the only thing that daunts me sometimes. enjoy! -stella

Yumeko said...

i have been curious abt this
definetely i will check out when i get the chance

have u tried the massage tool for the face sold in japan..its like 12800yen so i dont know if i want to spend that sorta money but my secretary swears by it!

Haru said...

hey Yumeko,
Which massage tool for the face are you referring to? The Clarisonic Mia's price in Japan is so ridiculously jacked up, 19800yen... sheesh.

hi stella,
Glad to hear that you had a good experience with the Mia!

hi Kat,
For me, the international charger is a must as the Mia is not sold in Singapore, so I had to buy it in the US. Plus I also travel quite frequently. For my current trip, I didn't bother to bring along the charger as I'm hoping that the Mia will last my whole two-week trip.

Jenna said...

Im just a couple more dollars away from buying it. Im from aus so i have to purchase it on ebay which cost abt 200 aud. Hopefully it will help my skin and worth every penny =)

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this! I'm headed for the US next wk and have been in two minds about getting the clarisonic, so I've really been waiting to hear what you think of it. :)

Susan said...

hi do u know where can i buy the Universal Charger alone?

Haru said...

Nope, I don't.

Jacintha said...

Hello i'm planning to get the Clarisonic Mia from overseas website such as drugstore.com or skinstore.com.. However I've heard that the warranty does not apply in that case...
So I'm wondering if I should pay more to get the Clarisonic from local Singapore Sephora so that I will be entitled to the warranty? (it's really ex though)
What would you advise? Does yours have warranty?

Haru said...

I haven't done any research into the warranty but I would assume that the warranty for my Mia does not apply outside of the US. If you are worried about the device spoiling, then it's better to spend a bit more to purchase it locally where you can bring it back to Sephora (although you should confirm with them about the warranty). Sephora Singapore does not sell the Mia though. You also get points with your purchase that allows you to redeem a $40 voucher for every $240 spent in Sephora Singapore.

Anonymous said...

Hi Iris

Can I know where did you get your Mia from? Understand that sephora.com doesn't do international shipping. skinstore.com is having a 20% discount. wonder if you've bought from them and if it's reliable. thanks much in advance!

xoxo
em

Haru said...

hi,
I bought my Mia at Sephora when I was in the US. I haven't purchased from skinstore.com before so I can't say if it's reliable.

Anonymous said...

I just bought mine from skincarerx.com which ship by fedex to spore at us$15. There is some discount code of 20% if u can google and find it..

strawbit @ Beauty Beaucoup said...

Hello Iris, may I know if the Clarisonic Mia is already sold in Singapore? Thank you.

Haru said...

Nope, Sephora in Singapore does not carry Mia. You can try ordering it online.

strawbit @ Beauty Beaucoup said...

Ok, thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hello Haru, may i know where did you buy the clarisonic mia?

Haru said...

Hi,
I purchased it at Sephora in the US. It is also available at Sephora in Singapore and several online retailers.

Unknown said...

Hello girls,may i know where did you get the clarisonic in japan? i mean which store (+the city) ? I really want to buy that stuff. I'm going to japan on 26th dec. please tell me. Because indonesia doesn't carry clarisonic thank you for the help