Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System ($149.00) is the latest launch from Clarisonic. It is a miniature-sized version of the original Clarisonic, and it is also $45 cheaper. It’s also available in pink.
You may wonder how this possibly can be part of Money Saving Mondays… because I know the Clarisonic can be a hefty investment for some who really want it, this does offer you a way to get it for less. It is also just as effective as the original, more expensive Clarisonic, so it represents true savings.
First, Clarisonic has a really useful comparison chart for the four models: Mia, Classic, PLUS, and PRO. The Clarisonic Mia is about an inch and a half to two inches smaller the the original,and it doesn’t feel as bulky. The Mia comes with a pLink charger whereas the Classic used a cradle charger, which makes it a lot more compact. The Mia brush head is the same size as the Classic, so you don’t lose anything in how well it cleans or the area it cleans.
Surprisingly, the Mia feels heavier compared to the Classic, but not by much (note that neither are, by any means, heavy). When you opt for the Mia, you have only a single speed setting, whereas the Classic provided you with two. Since I’ve used the Classic forever now, I can say that it’s not a big deal, and it wouldn’t surprise me if you didn’t even know you had two speeds on yours! The Mia also only lasts twenty minutes on a full charge compared to the Classic which lasts thirty minutes. Again, this is not really an essential difference to me; twenty minutes is still ten or so uses, which is plenty on a single charge.
I recommend you read my original review for the Clarisonic to get a more in-depth look at why I really love the cleansing system and recommended it even at $195. In brief, it is an easy, efficient way of cleansing the skin. It helps with skin turnover and keeps my skin clearer and smoother looking overall. I’m not often sold on advertising claims, but the Clarisonic is one beauty gadget I can’t live without!
Product: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Packaging: 9/10
Recommendation: If you want to get your skin its best shape, the Clarisonic can help. It gives skin a softer, smoother appearance while deep cleansing every time you use it without irritating even sensitive skin. If $145 is still out of your budget, consider looking out for F&F sales at Sephora where you can save another 10-15%. Or put it on your wish list!
Just four months ago, I wrote about what my seven must-have eye brushes were.. and they’ve already changed a bit! In this video, I talk about six brushes I think are really excellent for building up your eye makeup brush stash, plus a little talk on two extra brushes that you might want to consider as well (or in place of one of the six).
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 195 Concealer Brush
MAC 195 Concealer Brush ($22.00) is a small, flat brush with synthetic fibers. It’s shaped like a severe, tapered dome. It was launched with Studio Sculpt, so it is designed to work with concealer products, but it can be used with any emollient product as well. I’m not a huge fan of this brush, just because I don’t feel it does a stellar job of applying or blending concealer. It’s flat and firm, though the bristles have give so they can bend easily. It picks up product and places it well, I just find that it can leave some streaks behind if you’re not careful. The best way to use this brush when applying concealer is using a tapping method rather than a pulling/blending method. I know some have complained about this brush being scratchy, though I have not personally found mine is like that. If anything, I prefer this brush for applying eyeshadow bases (paints, paint pots, what-have-you) over concealer.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 194 Concealer Brush
MAC 194 Concealer Brush ($19.00) is a small, flat brush with a paddle-shape that’s slightly tapered. It’s a good brush for initially applying product. I use this to dab on foundation from pumps/bottles, concealers that squeeze out or come in liquid form, etc. I find it makes it easy to simply get the product onto my face without too much getting caught in fluffier brushes’ bristles. After I’ve used the 194 to dab on the product, then I’ll go to whatever brush is actually going to blend it in/apply it fully. I prefer fluffier brushes like the 217 or 275 for blending out concealer personally. This brush, however, is good for applying concealer if you need a bit more precision — say around your brows — but if you don’t need strong lines, then it’s not as necessary.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 192 Cheek/Face Brush
MAC 192 Cheek/Face Brush ($32.00) is a flat, paddle-shaped brush with a more tapered edge than the typical paddle-shape. It’s made out of synthetic fibers, and it is designed to be used with creamy/emollient face and cheek products, like blushcremes, moisturizer, Strobe, etc. For application of blushcremes (or cream blushes–same thing), I like to use the tip to just gently apply a few dots of color on the cheek. Then I use the entire brush to blend it outwards and get a soft, smooth look. I’ve also found that the size of this brush (smaller than the 190) makes it a good brush for blending concealer in, too. It’s large enough that it only takes a few brush strokes to blend your concealer into place, but it isn’t so large that you can’t get into the nooks and crannies. This is a solid brush, and actually sometimes prefer this one to the 188 for blushcremes.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 191 Square Foundation Brush
MAC 191 Square Foundation Brush ($32.00) is a flat, square-shaped brush made out of synthetic fibres. It’s fairly firm, and the edge of the brush is fine and firm. Although it’s touted as a foundation brush, I prefer using this to apply creamy products like face primers, moisturizers, etc. I just don’t find it works nearly as well for foundation as brushes like the 109, 187, or 182. I do like the edge, though, because it can give you crisper lines when you want them, and it also lets you get into hard-to-reach areas like the nose. This is probably one of my least loved face brushes, just because I prefer so many others over it.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 190 Foundation Brush
MAC 190 Foundation Brush ($32.00) is a flat, paddle-shaped brush with very rounded edges and almost comes to a soft, rounded point. It’s fairly small, and it is thin. It’s a firm, densely-packed brush with fibres that make it easy to use with liquid and cream products, particularly foundations. I like it more for initially applying liquid/cream products onto the face rather than as a tool to blend or actually give me full coverage. I find fluffy brushes like the 109 are much more to my taste for application of foundations, but they can get a bit gummed up if you simply get the foundation on it from the get-go. Often using the 190 to dab on the product to my face, and then using the 109 to blend it out, works best for me. While a quality brush, I rarely reach for it, so I wouldn’t consider it a must-have.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 189 Face Brush
MAC 189 Face Brush ($40.00) is a flat, paddle-shaped brush with rounded edges. It is made out of synthetic fibres, which makes it good for both powder and more emollient products. This was originally launched with Mineralize Skinfinish Natural, and I will say I do like it with it. I really like this brush for applying pressed powders to the face, and I also like it when applying creamy products like a moisturizer or a cream blush as more of a highlighter or if I want more precision. Typically, though, I use it mostly for pressed powders. It’s a very soft, dense brush. It feels heavier than some of MAC’s other face brushes, and it feels fairly firm. There’s definitely no fluffiness to it, but the softness makes for easy blending as necessary.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush
MAC 188 Small Duo Fibre Brush ($34.00) is a flat-topped, circula brush with a blend of goat and synthetic fibres. This is a smaller version of the larger and pricier 187. Both brushes are ideal for softer, more controlled application that allows you to build-up color and intensity through layers rather than diffusing color from the get-go. I actually prefer the 188 for creamy blushes and highlighters, because the small size allows me to apply it exactly where I want it and nowhere else. I can then use the blush to blend it outwards if necessary, but I never apply or have too much when I use this brush.
If you’re on a budget, I’d probably recommend the 188 over the 187, just because it is about eight dollars cheaper, and I think they’re both incredibly useful. However, the 188 is smaller, so it allows you to do things the 187 can’t. You can do many (if not all) the things the 187 can do with the 188–just some things might take you a minute or two longer (e.g. foundation), because it is a bit smaller.
Beauty Basics is a series covering basic products and tools that help to make applying your makeup easier. To view the entire series to date, be sure to visit the beauty basics, or you can view posts within the series about MAC Face Brushes.
Focus On: MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush
MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush ($42.00) is a brush made famous by mineralize skinfinish fans everywhere. It is a large, densely bristled brush packed with a blend of both goat and synthetic fibers. It also better known as a stippling brush. I originally used this brush primarily for applying liquid foundation (Studio Fix Fluid), and I loved the results! It was really soft, light coverage spread everywhere and gave a soft finish. I personally found the 182 to give me even better results, so the 187 is no longer my go-to for foundation. One of the reasons I preferred the 182 is sometimes the 187 would give me a few streaks that I’d have to work a bit more at blending out; the 182 doesn’t give me any streaks at all. Though for a cream-based foundation, I much prefer the 187 over the 182 — the 182 is a bit too dense for that purpose.
I do like the 187 for sheerer application of blush and highlighters. If you’ve ever owned an ultra pigmented blush, you might struggle, as I do, with applying just the right amount. The 187 is amazing at picking up just that right amount of blush and lightly depositing it on your cheeks. For using them with mineralize skinfinishes, I’ve found the result is a softer look; kind of like a subtle glow rather than a super shiny or glittery cheeks. I do often use other brushes for my mineralize skinfinishes, often treating them as I would a regular blush. It definitely depends on the mineralize skinfinish and preference, though.
The 187 does shed a bit, particularly in the beginning, but after a few washes, it seems to stop shedding. It is a pricey brush, but it’s one of my favorite brushes. I also like its smaller twin, the 188, and if I had to buy only one, I’d probably go for the 188, just because the smaller size lets you do everything the 188 can do, but also the 187 (it’ll just take longer). Though if you’re in the market for a brush to use for your liquid foundation, you’ll likely want the 187 for the time-savings from the larger size.
