My new favourite thing - Clarisonic Mia!

Okay so my latest favourite thing appears to be many people's favourite thing.  Some of you who read this blog will have heard many reviews of this product, yet some of you will not have heard much about it at all.  


Either way this is my two cents on my new favourite thing......my Clarisonic Mia!!!

I'm going to try & do this quickly because I could go on and on all day about it.  What I have to say is, the hype is all true about this product.  I feel like it's the key ingredient that was missing in my skin care all these years.  It wouldn't have mattered how much money I spent on serums, lotions, etc. if I didn't have this product.  It is just that good.  I got this for my birthday, which is just before Christmas, and have been using it faithfully every day since.  It HAS CHANGED MY SKIN.  Seriously.  

My skin looks and feels so different now that I've been using the Clarisonic.  I have always had some redness on my chin and some milia (those little white protein bumps) around my eyes. In less than a month, both are almost completely gone.  I also typically get hormonal breakouts on my chin, between the Mia and some other products I have started using (other posts to come) I had NONE at all this past month.  I had a few breakouts that threatened, but none appeared fully....none.  


This was a gift, but I believe it costs about $189.00CAD at Sephora.  I know that is expensive, but this is truly an investment that is worth making.  You can also shop around online to see if you can find it a bit cheaper.  It came with one brush head (sensitive) and the Clarisonic facial cleanser.  I won't go into all the different heads you can choose for replacements (every 90-120 days), but for more detailed information check out www.clarisonic.com.  


I have also heard that there are some less expensive dupes to the Clarisonic, which I can't speak to because I haven't tried them.  If you google Clarisonic dupes you will see all the reviews you ever wanted & more.


What I can tell you is that this is possibly the best thing I've ever done for my skin.  It's just that good and has made that much difference.  I use it with both my Kibio (see my skincare review here) and with the Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser.  


I have some upcoming posts that will detail my skincare routine & how I incorporate the Clarisonic.  As well I have found another favourite thing for my skin, but I'll just tease that for now and tell you that you have to stay tuned.  


Huge raves all around for this product.  Do yourself a favour, save your money & treat yourself to this because it is absolutely, without question, worth it!  

Do you want healthy glowing skin for Christmas? – Kibio skin care

Don’t we all want healthy glowing youthful looking skin?  And aren’t we all just a little overwhelmed and intimidated by the amount of skin care information out there.  I know I am.  Anti-oxidants, anti-aging, collagen, elastin, vitamin C, toners, exfoliants, creams, serums…aahhh.  It’s enough to make your head spin.  Despite the overload of information I am on a quest to find a new skin care routine. 

Over the last few years I was using products I had used in the past, even though they really were no longer working for my skin.  Why I lived in denial for so long I don’t know.  Probably just laziness to go out and find something better, if I’m being perfectly honest.

I have done a lot of reading on-line about what I should be looking for in skin care, and I am more confused than ever.  There is just way too much information about this topic, some of it conflicting.  Everyone professes to have the best skin care line or the secret ingredient that is going to give you that perfect skin.  I have no idea what is right and what is not, but what I do know is that a lot of it is very expensive and making the wrong choice could prove costly.  Not only for my skin, but also for the wallet. 

Keeping this in mind I thought I’d try and simplify the process by simplifying my skin care, so to speak.  I went looking for a more natural, organic approach to my skin.

Before I start, my skin is ‘aging’…sob.  I have what I would consider combination.  If I break out its usually hormonal and 95% of the time it’s on my chin.  I have some broken capillaries & redness on my cheeks, as well as some sunspots and hyper pigmentation from sun damage. 

What I bought

Kibio is a certified natural organic line of skin care products, which claims that they use no silicones, mineral oils, synthetic colorants or perfumes, no animal raw materials, no parabens, no GMO (genetically modified organisms) and do not do any animal testing. Kibio products are meant to help your skin regain its natural balance. The lady that was helping me told me that these products have the highest possible level of organic certification (not really sure what that means but I nodded knowingly). 

The Gentle Cleansing lotion, is a 3 in 1 product that removes make-up, cleanses and tones the skin. It contains rose and verbena floral water which appeases and softens the epidermis.  Argan vegetal oil, which claims to slow down the aging process and improve hydration, and essential oil of lemongrass that is, know for its toning and stimulating qualities. 

After removing my make-up, I put some of the cleansing lotion on a cotton ball and gently rub in a circular motion over my face, as per their directions.  I was shocked at how much dirt & excess make-up this picked up, after using my choice of make-up removers.  One of the problems I’ve had with my skin is milia, those little white protein bumps that build up on your skin if the dead skin is not properly shed.  No wonder, after seeing all that dirt! This cleanser is said to have a slight citrus fragrance, but I don’t really notice the scent.  It’s very light & smells ‘natural’ to me. 

I follow this with the Kibio Radiance moisturizing cream, which has jojoba vegetal oil, shea butter & essential oils of almond & sweet orange.

According to Kibio, this fine delicious cream, that the skin soaks up greedily, provides it with suppleness, radiance and comfort. Moisturized and protected, the skin glows with beauty.

This can be used morning and night and claims to be an excellent make-up primer, when applied in the morning.  It should be noted that it doesn’t have any added SPF so you will need to use a sunscreen or other primer or foundation with sunscreen in it. 

I recently also bought the eye make-up remover, which I apply on to a round cotton pad to remove my eye make-up.  According to Kibio's website 'this soft, melting, non oily gel gently removes make-up from lashes and eyelids, without stinging or irritating the eyes, and treating the extremely fragile eye area with great care.  The eyes look rested, with a pleasant feeling of freshness & comfort'.

What I like:

I have received several compliments on how great my skin looks (sounds so vain but I promise it's true)

I need far less face cream now to feel like my skin is hydrated, it’s not as red & irritated as it used to be, even in the harsh cold weather we’ve already experienced

When I wake up in the morning I think my skin tone appears more even & any milia is slowly disappearing

I had slight redness on my chin from a recent breakout & this seems to be helping with the discolouration

After the lotion absorbs into my skin it feels incredibly soft & smooth

The other day I caught my reflection and my skin appeared to be glowing (again a little obnoxious)
The eye make up remover does not irritate my eyes whatsoever, and I am a contact lens wearer so this is particularly important.  
It is also quite moisturizing so I find the skin around my eyes doesn't feel as dry as when I use my usual eye make-up removers (typically Neutrogena oil free, which I still like as well) 
I don't use a lot of waterproof mascara but I do use waterproof liners & this seems to remove these just as well as other eye make-up removers that I've used. 

What I don’t:

The cleanser is in a squeeze bottle of sorts & if I were using it without any other make-up remover I think it would take a lot of product & time to get everything off my skin & get it clean

The cleanser is a bit yellow in color & sometimes it’s difficult to tell if I’m removing dirt or if it’s just the color of the product

The bottles are white so it is hard to tell how much product you have left in the container

The verdict

I really want to love this line...and I’m starting to believe that I do.  According to everything I’ve heard & read, you should give a new skin care product about 3-6 months use before you can truly decide if it’s working.  This is the end of month 4 and I have to say I think they have a new fan, given all the changes I've seen in my skin.  They have several other products in their line, which I am eyeing up as well.  See their website for further details and ingredient information. 

Purchase information

Kibio is owned by Clarins and is sold exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart.  

The Gentle cleansing lotion is 200ml and retails for $29CAD (I'm already half way thru my second bottle in 4 months), the moisturizing cream is 50ml and costs $23CAD and the eye make-up remover is 50ml and costs approximately $20CAD.  

There is very little information/reviews on these products so if you've tried them, please let me know.  I'm so curious to hear your thoughts.