I think I’m finally going to do it (purchase a Clarisonic skincare brush.) I seriously cannot deal with my skin anymore. Today, after a LONG day of work that started with a 5 a.m. wake-up call, I glanced into my rear-view mirror as I was driving home and was horrified to see that my makeup somehow just looked awful, uneven, poorly blended, etc. I don’t remember it looking so gnarly this morning, so I thought it must be because my skin is uneven and I haven’t exfoliated in weeks, and over time the oils and other grossness just made it seep into my pores and smudge all over the place.
I’ve heard great things about the Clarisonic including its ability to even out skin, make products work better and reduce pore size. 
It’s a pricey investment, but after pondering the importance of healthy skin for awhile (prompted, no doubt, by my SPF-70 obsession while sunning myself) I think the investment is worth it to have great skin, since glowing, healthy skin is among one of the most desired beauty traits for most women.
My skin has just been feeling rough, uneven, red and blotchy etc. Of course, I can cover all of this up and make it look nearly flawless…but I don’t want to have to do that, I’d rather just have skin that is as awesome as possible on its own. This isn’t to say I don’t want to wear makeup/a base, but I’d like to be able to not always wear a base and feel good about how my skin looks sans coverage.
Some girls have mentioned there are websites that sell the Clarisonic at a discount price…if you know what these are, please let me know. I might purchase from Sephora anyways, for the return policy and the points, but I’d love to know how they are priced elsewhere online or if you got a great deal somewhere. Feel free to let me know how you liked it in the comments as well!
In other news, I am seeing my lovely David on Saturday morning for a trim. Yep. I have re-evaluated the situation and I don’t think it’s that bad. I think I was just being a bit dramatic. I do want to have the layers reshaped and the ends trimmed up and possibly bring some of the layers up a bit, but I’d still like to keep the length, because I just love having long hair.
Please share your awesome-skin secrets, products and advice in the comments below!
xoxo,
Veronika.
My skin has never looked better since I began gently exfoliating every morning (very gently) and began taking daily zinc supplements. I've never been able to just dab on a little foundation on a couple of spots and go. The zinc keeps acne at bay (particularly the hormonal acne around the cheeks and chin) as well as giving a nice glow. Before I was just oily, haha! I hope the Clarisonic goes well! I haven't been able to pull the trigger on that yet.
I bought the Clarisonic brush back in October and absolutely love it. Overall, my skin has never been clearer, and when the random zit happens, it's only a surface blemish (long gone are those gnarly underground zits). I was hesitant about the price tag, but now I couldn't imagine not using it. It removes makeup like it's nothing and my face feels so fresh and clean when I'm finished washing it.
Hope that helps!
xoxo!
stephie- could you please tell me the brand of the zinc vitamins you take…and also which product you are using to exfoliate?
domestic goddess- thanks so much for your personal review- I really look foward to trying the brush- DH is going to try it as well.
I actually don't have any idea what brand it is… I just grab the cheapest one at WalMart (is that bad?? haha!). It's been working wonders, though. I even stopped using my LRP treatment, and my skin kept getting better and better. The exfoliator I'm using is the old fashioned St Ives. I stopped using it for a while, but I ended up going back to it. The main thing to keep in mind with this scrub is to be very gentle. My skin is finally ready for the makeup-less days at the beach and pool 🙂
I've got bad skin, and I've tried almost everything (although not this device). Glycolic acid is good for reducing pore size. I use a product called AHA Souffle from Alpha Hydrox that I like, but I've used other glycolic acid products that also worked well.
Witch hazel is something I've also seen recommended, but I'm only starting to use it now so I don't have an opinion on it yet.
stephie- you give me amazing hope, I'm very happy for you and your awesome skin and now i'm pretty much going to drive my butt over to walgreens tomorrow to buy zinc pills. thanks so much for sharing this- you should definitely blog about it.
lady- please do update me on your skin routine once you've done it for awhile!
Oh, and I almost forgot! Only take the zinc with a meal. It can make you seriously sick if you take it without eating… not fun. I hope it works for you! I started seeing results after a week or so.
stephie- if it works for me, I'm buying you dinner (we can take our zinc pills when the order gets to the table!) thanks again 🙂
Haha! Definitely! BTW, at my last trim David rec'd Spray de Mode hairspray for curling my ends, and it's AHmazing. I usually don't use hairspray because I try not to wash often, but this stuff doesn't give you that funky sticky feeling. It was $15 for the tiny can, but it's well worth a try if you curl.
hmmm is it bumble and bumble brand? I might have to try it when I go on saturday 🙂 I am glad you love David! he's great!
It is B&b. I love him! I never realized that my cut was so blah.
did you post pics after he cut it? i'd love to see it for inspiration 🙂
I didn't get any pics. It was the day that it 'snowed', so I got to enjoy my fab salon hair for the 2 minutes it took me to pay before walking out into the blizzard 🙂 I definitely will next time, though! He just did lots of long and mid lenght layers with long bangs to frame.
I bought my Clarisonic for 20% off at http://www.skinstore.com in December. Love it. My hubby even uses it =)
I've been getting monthly facials and it's made my skin so soft! I love the clarisonic that they use. I also just purchased a new moisturizer from Sephora- I've been using it for two weeks and I'm a huge fan already- https://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P110506&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=5650
5am wakeup call, yuck! I hope tomorrow goes better!
Awesome tips Stephie, can you post your Zinc routine in your blog. I am interested too!
V, I think the Clarisonic is a great investment, especially to fight signs of aging (IMO). My skin has never looked better. I would recommend going through Sephora though because of the return policy. Also if you get it, be sure to register it online at clarisonic.com for the warranty.
I can't wait to see how the Clarisonic works for you! My skin has been really "blah" lately and I'm fighting oil, breakouts, winter dryness, all at once. Boo! It's bad enough that I don't really even feel comfortable going to the gym without makeup on, which is annoying.
Definitely going to try the zinc, Stephie!
I LOVE my Clarisonic! I've been using it religiously twice a day since I got it a few weeks ago and my skin is much more glowy. I didn't have bad skin before, but I didn't have amazing skin either. The Clarisonic is seriously making a difference. I wish I had recs for where I bought it….I got mine from my co-worker's esthetician daughter, so I didn't pay much at all. 🙂
V- right now Ulta has a 20% coupon '20680' and you can use the discount on the Clarisonic, otherwise I'd wait for a 20% deal at Sephora… (which is what I think I'm going to do since like you, I want the points and generous return policy)… GL!
the ulta coupon is actually not valid for the Clarisonic 🙁 Boo! i will probably go to sephora. I think I might get the Mia for the smaller size as long as the brush head is the same size…we shall see!
My skin feels different when I use my Clarisonic. It feels much softer, smoother, and fully clean. I know the treatments I'm putting on my face afterwards are able to penetrate better. I've had my Clarisonic for a few years, but only recently started using it every night, and I can see the difference in my skin.
I can also recommend a great facewash – DDF 5% Glycolic Face Wash. It's expensive ($35), but you only need to use a dime-sized amount and it also helps to exfoliate and keep skin clear. I ONLY use this is the morning. I use a mild facewash, like Cetaphil, when using the Clarisonic.
housewife- that is a great rec- i've heard great things about the DDF line. thank you 🙂
I have been using the clarisonic now for about 3 weeks! My skin is pretty sensitive, so I only use it once for 1 minute in my morning shower. I am not completely sold on it yet. I think it will take a few months for me to notice a solid difference in my complexion. I bought mine on ebay from seller 'bluskylar' for $169 and was happy with the quick shipping.
I totally had that same 'moment' yesterday on my way home from work as well – except I was on my way to class so I had to look that way for an additional 4 hours – I never thought it was from a lack of exfoliation so thank you – I will try to do better with that :::confession – I never exfoliate:::
I'm dying for the Clarisonic as well! I think I might wait for my bday though. I have pretty good skin, no blemishes and I don't wear foundation often, but I think that the Clarisonic would definitely step up my skin. I'll let you know if I hear about any specials!
I bought the clarisonic and it's knock off version, the pretika. I tested both of them and ended up keeping the pretika and returning the clarisonic.
I am using obagi nu-derm now and the pretika a couple of times a week. This combination seems to be working for me as one of my clients asked me if I had a facial yesterday. She said that my skin was so much brighter looking. This was a huge compliment since my skin has been crazy out of control since going off the pill almost a year ago!!!
I bought the Pretika a few weeks ago because I wanted to see if I liked a face brush first before committing to the Clarisonic price tag. It took me a while to get used to it and I have just figured out the best usage routine for me. I was only using it once a day on the gentle setting, but now I use it twice a day on the normal setting and my skin just keeps getting better. I did have an initial breakout that was actually REALLY bad, but a few days after I kicked it up to the twice a day usage it cleared up. I had a few red scars in my cheeks that have been there for months and it's faded SO much now. I would have to say my favorite part though is just how much LESS oily my skin is. I used to have oily skin all over and now it's more normal, with it being a tiny bit oily around my nose at the end of the day. I definitely plan to post a review soon because I am really loving this product. I hope you have good luck with your Clarisonic, too. Let us know how it goes!
I, too , am excited to see if it works for you. Your product reviews are super helpful. I bought the Mac concealer you reccomended awhile back and I don't know how I managed this long without it! Thanks!
niomi- the MAC concealer is the best I've ever used. I seriously cannot fathom my skin without it. love love love! I am so glad it worked for you 🙂
I concur that I love the Clarisonic Brush- So glad I got it fro Christmas. I don't use ti everyday because I find that my skin only needs a good cleansing maybe once or twice a week.
I love the feeling of my skin after using it. BUY IT
Little bit off topic, but I saw it mentioned above…what MAC concealer do you use?
Thanks!
anon it's the MAC studio finish that comes in the pot (i think mine is NC 20). It looks like the same pots the eyeshadows come in.