My Experience with the Clarisonic Mia 1

I'm back after being very MIA with my blog! In this post, I will be sharing my experience with the Clarisonic. One reason I decided to write about my experience is because upon looking up reviews before buying the Clarisonic, I only read reviews that urged me to invest in a hundred dollar facial cleanser--none that provided me with another aspect. 

Upon purchasing the Clarisonic, I was in a hurry to try it out because as the reviews stated, in a few weeks I believed I would have  flawless skin. Amidst the excitement, I was a bit worried because I read numerous reviews about the "purging" stage, where my skin would break out because the Clarisonic would bring all the dirt in my skin to the surface before giving me my flawless skin. Despite my fear of the purging phase, I used the Clarisonic (sensitive brush head) every night, and for the first week or two, I noticed that my face would get "squeaky" clean--little did I know, my face was not supposed to be that clean (I needed to get rid of the bad oil but keep the good/natural oil in my skin). During the first and second weeks, I started to get pimples on areas of my face I never broke out in prior to using the Clarisonic (chin, philtrum). I let it pass because I thought I was experiencing the purging phase to a lesser degree. I was actually glad I wasn't getting a crazy breakout as others mentioned. 

About the third to fourth week of using the Clarisonic daily, I continued to get random pimples all over my face that would NOT go away. And to make it worse, I began to get small little bumps all over my forehead--something I like to refer to as sebum balls. These sebum balls were literally scattered all over my forehead (near the center and T-zone area). Despite stressing over the sudden appearance of these nasty sebum balls, I continued to use the Clarisonic. After about seven weeks, my face was not improving at all--I still continued to get pimples - quite a lot - and the sebum balls on my forehead continued to increase. My mom, who bought the Clarisonic around the time I did, constantly complained about how she got random pimples and sebum balls over her face after using the Clarisonic. Finally, around the eighth week I decided to stop using the Clarisonic and see how my skin would react. 

One reason I kept using the Clarisonic, despite knowing that it might not actually be working for me, was because I thought it was the most effective way to really clean my face well. I didn't think cleansing oils or face washes would be able to get rid of all my makeup, dirt, and bad oil. By this time, my skin was at its worst point and these sebum balls were not going away. I was in Korea during this time for a family vacation and had the chance to visit a dermatologist. Upon hearing what the dermatologist said and doing further research, the Clarisonic was cleaning my face all too much --it was taking out the bad and good (natural) oils in my face. Therefore, my skin produced more oil to make up for the natural oil I was constantly washing away--producing the sebum balls. She suggested that I do a skin laser treatment becauase the sebum balls were not going to go away even with time. Although I really wanted to do the skin laser treatment, I was leaving Korean in two days (the laser treatment required several sessions). Because I was unable to do the treatment, the nurse recommended an enzyme soap to use after cleansing my face. The enzyme soap was pretty much a powder wash form that foamed up as soon as you added water and lathered it up.

So upon coming back home to LA and changing up my skin care routine, my skin improved a lot. The sebum balls on my forehead have shrunk significantly and my skin improved from when I was using the Clarisonic.

This is not to say the Clarisonic is a horrible product. There are just specific skin types that work well with the Clarisonic and some that do not. According to the dermatologist, her explanation was that many electronic facial washes makes "your skin thin and very sensitive." People who had amazing experiences with the Clarisonic had tough enough skin but apparently my skin was thin and too sensitive for the Clarisonic. 

This pretty much wraps up my experience with the Clarisonic. Despite being very sensitive about my skin, I got the courage to share my experience just to provide light onto a possible side effect that may occur to someone with a similar skin type as me. 

Thanks so much for reading! 

August Favorites: Bobbi Brown, Dr. Jart, Maybelline, Neutrogena, YSL

HELLO ALL! I'm finally updating with my August favorites. I'm not planning to do these every month, but I've been using these products everyday since the moment I've bought them. There aren't a lot, but I hope you enjoy!  ❤ ❤ ❤

Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick 

As I mentioned in my previous post, a makeup artist at Bobbi Brown recommended the Creamy Concealer for the under-eye area and this Face Touch Up Stick for the face. After falling in love with the Creamy Concealer, I wanted to try out this product. The formula of this concealer is definitely not as creamy. However, this allows for the concealer to last longer on the face. This concealer definitely lasts throughout the whole day, and it is super easy to apply when you are on the go. Unfortunately, the makeup artist who helped me choose my color gave me a darker shade so I will have to exchange it. Other than the color, I love the formula and staying power. It does not make you look cakey at all and a small amount gives you medium coverage (I wouldn't say it has the greatest/fullest coverage). Also, I would not recommend applying this all over the face - just on small spots. The product has 0.08 OZ of product and retails for $28. 

Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm

I think this is the perfect BB cream for people with pale skin like me. My mom gave this to me after realizing that it was way too light for her skin tone. I love how this BB cream applies, and I don't find it to oxidize at all. It evens out my complexion without making my face look cakey. It comes in one universal shade, but it fits my skin PERFECTLY-- maybe because it's a Korean company. It claims to "combat" dark spots, but I haven't used it enough to notice any difference. The tube is very convenient to use because it has a pump applicator. The BB cream has 1.5 OZ of product and retails for ~$36.

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer 

I've heard a lot of great things about this product, and I understand what the hype is all about. It's super inexpensive, and has awesome coverage. It's a liquid type concealer with a doe-foot applicator. The one reason I do not like drug store makeup is because it is difficult to find the right shade. Luckily, I picked shade 10 (light), which fits PERFECTLY for my skin tone.  It stays on the whole day without making me look cakey and it does not accentuate dry spots. This concealer has 0.23 OZ of product and retails for ~$6. With complete honesty, this concealer works as well as or even better than the Bobbi Brown Face Touch Up Stick. However, nothing beats the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer for the under-eye area. 

Neutrogena Pure and Free Liquid Sunscreen 

I really recommend this sunscreen for anyone looking for an every-day face sunscreen. It's a liquid formula, so you have to shake it before use. It works just like the Clarins UP Plus Broad Spectrum Sunscreen, but it's about one-fourth the price. It is "designed to layer invisible under makeup and moisturizers." It definitely does what it say it will do. The sunscreen has 1.4 Fl OZ of product and retails for ~$11. 

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine (#4 Rouge in Danger)

After experimenting with some vibrant lipstick colors, I wanted a standard red lipstick. My Nars lip pencil in Dragon Girl has shades of red, but I find it to be more pink. This YSL lipstick was the perfect one! I first fell in love with it because of the packaging... I mean c'mon...! If anyone is looking for a red lipstick with a blue undertone.... THIS IS THE ONE. However, because this is a super creamy formula, the red color is not as vibrant as the YSL Glossy Stains. I was debating between the Glossy Stains #9, but chose this one because it was SO creamy. If you're looking for a vibrant red, I really recommend the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in #9. I was a bit concerned about the staying power for this lipstick, but it has a slight staining effect. I find that it settles on my lips without transferring onto my cups. It does require reapplication throughout the day, but the faded shade still lasts on your lips. This lipstick has 0.15 OZ of product and retails for ~$35.

Thanks for reading!

Product MUST HAVES: Benefit, Bobbi Brown, MAC

The products that I will be discussing in today's post are some of my makeup MUST HAVES!

Benefit POREfessional

       My first MUST HAVE item is the POREfessional by Benefit. I've been very negligent about applying face primers for quite some time now. I don't understand why because it does wonders! This specific primer doesn't really need much explanation because it's already known to be AMAZING. After application, my face looks a lot smoothers and my face makeup lasts double the time. It's super lightweight and silky! It leaves a SUPER thin silicone-like layer on your face that makes applying concealer easier -- it blends better and looks smoother... My nose also tends to peel  a lot but after applying the porefessional, my nose looks a lot smoother so it doesn't make the makeup on my nose look cakey. It's around $31-- not cheap but DEFINITELY worth it.  It comes with 0.75 fl. oz of product but a little goes a long way. You don't really need to apply it all over your face. I apply it in the center of my face(nose, t-zone, and inner cheeks). I really recommend you guys buy it! I will be repurchasing.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer (in Beige) 

After doing some research on concealers, I decided to purchase the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. It was recommended for people with dry skin. Because there is a wide color selection, a Bobbi Brown makeup artist helped me choose my shade. This color is seriously PERFECT for my skin color-- especially my under-eye. Before purchasing this, I used the well-known Maybelline Instant Age Rewind, but I did not like it. It just made my under-eye area look dry with no coverage. However after the makeup artist applied this shade on my under-eye, my eyes looked so much brighter. Even my mom commented on how bright my eyes looked.The concealer does transfer so I recommend applying a setting powder over it. When I first bought this product, it looked a lot smaller than it did in pictures-- my mom thought it was a sample they gave me. Because it is a creamy concealer, a small amount goes a long way. For 0.05 fl. oz, it is ~$27. I will be repurchasing this again. Bobbi Brown also has a stick type concealer. The makeup artist recommended the Creamy Concealer for the under-eye and the stick concealer for the face!

MAC Lipsticks

Sheen Supreme Lipstick _Zen Rose (second picture, first swatch) 

This is my favorite lipstick among the four I have swatched above. It's a beautiful mid-toned orchid color (in my opinion). :) Because it is a Sheen Supreme, it requires a bit of layering if you want the whole color payoff. It is not as opaque as the other lipsticks I will be discussing. It applies like a lip butter, so I don't need to moisturize my lip before application. One downfall to this is that the lipstick requires quite a lot of reapplication. It does not stain the lips at all, but the color is beautiful. The Sheen Supreme collection cost a few more dollars than the regular ones-- maybe because the packaging is a bit different from the regular mac lipstick tubes (first picture, fourth tube)? Not sure. It costs $18. I find this color to be perfect even for the fall and winter. 

Amplified_ Impassioned (second picture, second swatch)

I bought this lipstick after seeing several Korean celebrities sporting this lipstick. It's a very bright/ vibrant fuchsia- pink. It's a very different formula from the Sheen Supreme lipsticks, and one layer is enough to get the color payoff--SUPER OPAQUE. I was very impressed with this lipstick because one layer lasted me about 7-8 hours, even after eating and drinking. It has a staining effect and after an hour or so, there is no transfer. It costs $16. For people who are scared of trying bright colors, try doing gradient lips with this lipstick.

Amplified_ Vegas Volt (second picture, third swatch)

Vegas Volt is a orange-pink toned (coral) lipstick. Because it is an amplified formula, it's super vibrant and pigmented. I was looking for an orange lipstick, but didn't want one that was super ORANGE like Mac's Morange. If you're looking for an orange/coral color because straight out orange is too much...   this is the one! However, unlike Impassioned, this color requires reapplication throughout the day. It costs $16.

Cremesheen _Sunny Seoul (second picture, fourth swatch)

Because I've been buying very vibrant and bright lip colors, I wanted something light/ subtle. The name of this lipstick first caught my attention! This lipstick is a beautiful pink lipstick. Because it is Cremesheen formula, it doesn't last that long. Although it gives off a slight glossy finish, I recommend you exfoliate your lips before applying this color but it accentuates dryness/ peeling/ lines. To get the full color payoff, it does require a few layers. If you want a color that's 'your lip but better," one layer will give you a good pinky/sheer color. If you want the full color, apply more layers. It costs $16.

I definitely recommend all four of these lipsticks. I tried my best to portray the lipstick true to color (on the picture), but it's not quite right. Drop by a MAC store and see the colors for yourself! They are beautiful!!

                                                     Thanks for dropping by! <3