Ladies and gents, I have grand news.

 

*drum roll*

 

 

I bought a Clarisonic!  I finally plunkered down the cash to get my own Clarisonic.

Clarisonic Clarisonic® Plus Skin Care System e; Spot Therapy Kit

$225.00 by clarisonic at Sephora

Was it worth it?  OH YES!  Every single cent!  I've only started using it on Monday, and already, I'm in love.  My skin just feels cleaner, there are no makeup residue left on my face, and it's also just fun to use.  It really does make washing your face exciting!

Since it's only been 3 days, I won't say whether or not it actually "works."  The idea behind using a Clarisonic is that it removes more dirt and makeup from your pores by gently coaxing them out.  It's gentle enough to use twice a day, and unlike a manual exfoliating scrub, it doesn't irritate your face.  It's also suppose to allow your products to actually go into your skin/pores so your facial treatment products can work better.  In the long run, you'll use less products to get the same results.  It's suppose to be great for all skin types and skin concerns, as it's an addenum to your skincare routine.  It's just a more efficient way to cleanse your skin.

Again, it's only been 3 days so I can't say whether or not the claims made by Clarisonic are true.  What I can say is that I love it for how it feels!

Since I had mentioned Kiehl's Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque in my previous post, how about a proper review on it?

There's something fun and girly about using green colored masks.  I remember my sister having a green mask that she would use when I was really young.  Is it because the color reminds us of nature, tricking us into thinking that we're using nature to draw our impurities from our skin?  Or is it simply because we grew up watching our moms or older sisters/cousins using green masks, that when we grow up, we end up with green masks as well?

For me, it's a little bit of both.  I know that you can't draw our impurities and toxins from your body through your skin, but I can't help but be a victim of great marketing.  It's what spas tell us when they wrap us up and throw in into mud - we're detoxifying through our skin!  Even though that's not true, there is something soothing and mentally cleansing about masks, especially green masks.

I first came upon Kiehl's Rare Earth Facial Cleansing Masque on my sister's bathroom counter.  She's practically OCD about her skin, so every other day she's using this mask or that mask.  She happily told me that this mask from Kiehl's was "cheap!"  Knowing her and the great lengths she goes about to take care for her skin, I thought by cheap, she meant under $100.  Little did I know that this was only about $20!  You can barely pay for a decent dinner in LA for $20, so yes, I can skip a dinner and purchase a 5.0 oz jar of cleansing mask.

According to the label, this mask is "a thorough cleansing masque that may be used on oily, blemish-prone, or enlarged pore areas... (it) cleanses the skin by eliminating daily debris and dead surface skin-cell accumulation that can clog pores and leave the skin dull-looking."  The website says that it's "a non-stripping, pore-cleansing clay masque to absorb excess surface oil. Leaves skin soft, clean and smooth."  In other words, it's a clay exfoliant!  Their key ingredients are Kaolin and Bentonite, both clays that absorb oil well.

Does this cleansing mask do what it says it will?  Well, yes!  Kiehl's do not make outrageous claims with this product, which to me is always surprising, and guess what?  My skin does feel cleaner and less oily.  It also feels quite smooth!  It however, does dry out your skin a bit, so don't leave this on for too long, especially if you already have dry skin.  Us oily-skin gals would definitely benefit from this more than dry-skin gals.

It's also quite easy and not-messy to use.  Simply use your fingers to spread a thin layer (for me, it was about a quarter size) onto your damp skin, being careful to smooth it out as best as you can.  Be really really careful not to get this in or around your eye!  The area below your eyes are probably dry as it is, so you don't want to dry it out any more!  Wait about 5 minutes (it dries really fast), and rinse it off with warm water.  You can use your bare hands, a small facial towel, or one of those new towel mittens for more exfoliation.  It washes off really easily and quickly, and your skin just feels clean afterwards!  I immediately applied my moisturizer on so my skin won't dry out!  Also, try not to talk or smile when you have the mask on, as it dries and tightens, making it quite painful to well, smile or talk.  My dad once called while I had the mask on and he thought something was wrong.  =P

Bottom line, it's a relatively inexpensive mask that does what it claims to do.  It does imply that it will help with acne and large pores, but in all honesty, that's hard to prove when I'm also using salicylic acid, isn't it?

Rare-Earth Facial Cleansing Masque

$20.00 at Kiehl's

While I do not object to alcohol, my face certainly does.  It's one of those feelings where you know that in 12-24 hours, you will have big red pimples erupting on your face.

My husband somehow bought a bottle of Clean and Clear Deep Clean Astringent, thinking it was facial cleanser.  I haven't used toners or astringents in the normal sense for a while now*, so I thought, well, let's see how well this works!  My thought process was like this:

This astringent contains 2% salicylic acid.  My current moisturizer does not (Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel), and neither does my current facial wash (DHC Mild Soap), so I could use this astringent for my dose of pimple fighting salicylic acid power!  Woohoo!

I soaked my cotton pad with the Clean and Clear Deep Clean Astringent, applied it liberally all over my face, and within seconds, I felt the burn.  It wasn't as painful as my previous experience with the MISSHA peel-off mask, but it was close.  It also started itching like nobody's business!  I looked in the mirror, and yup, my face was bright red.  Can you say uh oh??  I looked at the ingredient list (should have done this first huh?), and yep, the first ingredient is alcohol.  I then remembered why I stopped using toners/astringents, because it felt bad!  Since I have stopped, my skin has become even more sensitive to alcohol.  GR!

The next morning, my face was still sensitive, but no big angry pimples yet.  I was on the look out though!  The night after (so 2 days afterwards), I spotted about 6 big angry pimples on my forehead, and a bunch all around my face.  Dammit, I knew this would happen!

So while this product did not work for me, it's not saying that it wouldn't work for you.  Some people aren't sensitive to alcohol, so if you aren't, this product might be your solution to acne-hell.  Me on the other hand?  I'm gone after 2 drinks.  Oh wait, I'm talking about alcohol in skincare products.  Yea, one application and I end up breaking out.  Alcohol just does not like me!

 

Products Mentioned In This Post:

Clean & Clear Deep Cleaning Astringent

$4.99 by Clean & Clear at Walgreens

 

Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel with Pump

$24.00 at Clinique

 

 

 

The Clarisonic is for my 4th sister, who is a skincare fanatic.  She's the girl that no matter what or how tired she is, will spend at least 20 minutes washing her face and applying various potions to keep her skin smooth and clear.

For my 3rd sister, she'll love a make up brush set.  I can't decide which one she likes more though.  I personally love the Kat Von D set, but the anti-bacterial set is pretty cool too.

My 2nd sister would appreciate a nice black bag.  I think this bag is just too cute.

As for my oldest sister?  She's the girl that has everything and anything.  I want to get something really different and unique for her because I want it to be something she'll appreciate.  Hmmmm.. Anyone has any ideas?