Sephora with Iyah and Clarisonic Mia Review

Super duper late on posting this, but a few months ago I met up with Iyah at South Coast Plaza. I always love meeting up with her, she is a true sweetheart and cutie pie, if you don't read her blog already, run there now!! (But...please come back to mine, hehe.)

us in front of the then-new Henri Bendel store

Yes, yes, I'm holding a Sephora bag in the picture. She was so sweet to meet up with me and printed out Sephora emails for us to use. One was for a free metallic clutch since it was just before the holidays.


Inside, it was filled with samples! I still haven't used any of them though, I'm not really a sample kind of girl but it's still nice to have for when I do decide to try them out.


And the real baby of that day was this:


Both Iyah and Mona convinced me I needed the Clarisonic Mia in my life! At the time, Iyah had a 20% off email for being a Sephora VIB member (which I am not) and she made the purchase for me. She got the Sephora Beauty Insider points and I got $30 off! =)

I'm sure you've heard about the Clarisonic Mia (I think we were all wishing for it on Twitter with the SephoraClaus daily giveaway, heehee) so I won't post the whole spiel (you can read about it on their website) and just post what's on the back of the box.

Clarisonic Mia™ Sonic Skin Cleansing System

Description
Developed by the lead inventor of the Sonicare toothbrush, Clarisonic Mia™ is professional-caliber sonic skin care for cleansing wherever your lifestyle takes you. Mia cleanses so well that products absorb better, pores appear smaller, and fine lines and wrinkles appear reduced. As little as one minute a day, for the best skin of your life.

While cleansing is the first step in any skin care ritual, it is often overlooked and undervalued. Clarisonic Mia gently yet effectively loosens dirt and oil to clear your pores.*

♥ Helps reduce oily areas, dry patches and blemishes
♥ Leavs skin feeling foter and smoother
♥ Remarkably gentle for cleansing all skin types, even with sensitive conditions such as rosacea and acne**

*Data on file
**Ask your dermatologist why gentle cleansing is so important for people with rosacea and acne

Includes:
♥ Clarisonic Mia™ (pink) with one speed
♥ International pLunk Charger™ for worldwide use
♥ Sensitive Brush Head
♥ Trial Size Cleanser (Gentle Hydro Cleanser)

Price: $149

My Thoughts
First I must admit, I never thought I'd pay so much just to clean my face! But if any of you remember, I said in the beginning of the year that I'll focus more on skincare and so this is part of that investment. I'll tell you right now that while I don't believe this is a MUST HAVE item, it is really nice to have. Usually my skin gets very dry in winter, and yet if I use products that are too heavy or leave a greasy film, I'll not only have dry patches but also breakouts which then lead to scars. =( BUT this year, that has not happened! While my skin has still been dry and sometimes extra thirsty, I haven't experienced dry patches like I have in the past, and practically no breakouts (a tiny occasional pimple but significantly few).

I can't credit it all to the Clarisonic Mia as I've also made other changes in my winter skincare routine, but I would definitely say that this and Vitacreme B12 (review coming soon!) have made a very noticeable and positive improvement on my skin.

Even though I don't use it every night (my face gets cold from the water and bathroom air), it is a treat to use and since it's waterproof, I also sometimes use it in the shower. Also, when you purchase a pink Clarisonic, a portion is donated to support breast cancer research.

Other colors available are white and as of this spring, yellow!!


Aww...the yellow one is just darling...it kind of makes me wish I'd waited.


Overall though, I am very happy with my Clarisonic Mia. Now that I've finished the trial size cleanser, I'm debating over whether to buy the full size or use the Mia with another cleanser. If you have a Clarisonic, what cleanser do you use with yours? And even if you're not using a Clarisonic, is there a non-drying cleanser you love and would recommend?