Battle of the Face Brushes: Clarisonic vs. Olay Pro-X

Clarisonic $119 + 20% off  | Olay Pro-X, $25

I've had the Olay Pro-X face brush for going on two and a half years. I'd typically use it 3-4 times a week when my skin felt disgusting or I wanted to a bit of a deeper clean than just face wash alone. I had wanted the Clarisonic for years but was hesitant to pay the price for one when numerous blogs said that the two were pretty close.

Earlier this year I found a Clarisonic on Sephora's clearance shelf and broke down and got it. You can read my story on that experience here.

I've been using the Clarisonic for a little over a month now, and it's fantastic. It's amazing. I wish I had bought it sooner.

The Olay Pro-X has a head that rotates quickly and has a hint of vibration. It has two speeds.
The Clarisonic head doesn't move, but the unit vibrates with sonic waves. You rotate the brush manually to get the exfoliating action. My model, the Plus, has three speeds and a timer for the recommended 20 seconds each on nose, chin, and forehead, and 10 seconds each for the cheeks. I think the timer is pretty pointless.

The results I have gotten from the Clarisonic in the past month have been amazing. It's been really helpful on helping to shrink the appearance of my pores and keeping my oily skin in check. I don't have to use as much skin care products, which I hope will save me some coin in the long run. A lot of people have said it also helps with aging and wrinkles but since I don't have either of those I can't say.

Even if you can't afford the Clarisonic, the Olay Pro-X is a solid must-have for your bathroom. It does help with exfoliation and makeup removal.

Either way, you can't go wrong. However, if you're in serious need of some skin help, the Clarisonic is the way to go.

The Cystic Acne Toolkit

I've mentioned having to deal with cystic acne before. However, I'm dealing with it much more effectively after much trial and error. My medicine cabinet looks like graveyard for Sephora products before I finally starting honing in on products that work. Finding products that work for adult acne is somewhat difficult. While pursuing the skincare section at Ulta not too long ago, I had the following conversation with an employee:

Uber-Chipper Ulta Employee: Have you tried salicylic acid acne products? They're really effective for treating hormonal acne.
Me: I've been dealing with acne for 18 years. Salicylic acid has never worked for me.
UCUE: Are you sure? It's the most popular treatment for acne.
Me: If that crap worked for me, I wouldn't be standing here looking for something else.

After probably three years worth of research, I've put together the following toolkit to help keep my giant red inflamed pimples at bay:

1. Mario Basescu Buffering lotion, $18 | 2. St. Ives Blemish Control scrub, $4
3. Sephora Lance/blemish extractor, $18 | 4. Sephora Three-in-One Blemish extractor, $22
5. Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask, $4 | 6. Olay Pro-X Facial Brush, $28

1. Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion is the best pimple drying lotion I've ever used. The first time I used it, I had an enormous pimple that was the size of a pencil eraser under my left eye. I could look down and see it. I tried to pop it a few times with no luck. In desperation, I went to Ulta and just wandered around for probably two hours researching before I ended up in front of the Mario Badescu display. After reading the label, I squirted some out of the tester bottle onto a cotton ball, held it said giant pimple for about 15 minutes and left. The next morning, the pimple had gone down probably 75 percent. It was gone by three days later and didn't scar. I went back to Ulta and bought a bottle. If you're at wit's end trying to treat stubborn pimples, try this lotion.


2. For me, exfoliation is key to helping control acne. My cystic acne is hormonal, but I get smaller pimples when I'm not staying on top of exfoliating. This St. Ives scrub does have salicylic acid in it, but I like the texture of the scrub when I really need a deep clean.


3. When my pimples hit a certain size, they get a giant white head and I get antsy by trying to be a good girl and not pop them with my fingers. With this lance, I can gently touch the pustule, let it start to drain, and then use the extractor end to press most of the gunk out.


4. I don't have this particular model of extractor, but I have a similar one. This model has a flattened wire extractor at one end, with a sturdy wire loop at the other end. I use this model on my smaller pimples and blackheads.


5. In the summer when my skin gets super oily and congested, I use this Mint Julep mask to help control oil and help battle sweat-induced pimples. Sometimes it helps with the cystic pimples, sometimes it doesn't.


6. The Olay Pro-X brush, next to the Mario Badescu lotion, has been the most effective in helping to keep any acne at bay. Again, most cystic acne is hormonal, but exfoliation can help keep them from getting any bigger or worse, double-decking. A double-decker pimple is what I call a pimple with two heads, or two pimples touching. This is gross, but I noticed with my double-deckers that if you popped one head, pus and liquid would gush out, but the other head would pop out dirt and debris. I'm guessing when the one pimple forms, it becomes much easier for nearby pores to get clogged quickly.

If you have any helpful tips, products, etc., please feel free to share in the comments!

 

Sephora Skincare

Sephora Skincare by wvfashionologist featuring sephora collection

I just spent the past five weeks in Charlotte, NC, for corporate training.  Before I left, I picked up a travel set containing some of the Sephora brand skincare.  About three weeks in, I ran into Sephora and purchased full sizes of everything and then some. My skin has been super dry this fall and I've been needing moisturization and Sephora's skincare doesn't skimp on it.  Most of the line contains an ingredient called HydroSenn+, which is derived from plants to help aid moisture.  I'm not sure which plant Sephora gets HydroSenn+ from and any additional information I've found is very vague.  To me, it's not worrisome but for those are really like to know the products in their skincare may be wary of trying this line.

The standout products in this line are the now-discontinued exfolient (bottom lefthand corner), the Instant Moisturizer, and the Super Nourishing Lip Balm.  While buying the rest of the line, I found the exfolient in the clearance section and decided to give it a try.  There are two exfolient in this jar, a white gentle exfolient with a texture similar to cream cheese meant for cheeks and a green exfolient meant the T-zone (forehead, nose, and chin).  I wasn't impressed with either exfolient the first time I used it, thinking it too gentle.  I then tried it in combination with my Olay Pro-X cleaning brush and third time was the charm. The Instant Moisturizer is wonderful because it sinks in super quick which is important to me.  It also has "light boosting particles" in it which actually is just super finely milled glitter.  I started noticed that when I kept wondering why my fingers were so sparkly.  Lastly, the Super Nourishing Lip Balm is a must.  It's the most moisturizing balm I have found for under $10.

The price on this line is pretty decent. The most expensive thing I bought was a kit that had full sizes of both the serum and moisturizer and that was at the great price of $34.  They also have more products if you need something else for your skin type.

Best of 2011 to Start 2012

I'm mildly obessessed with those end of the year lists that you've probably seen in the past few weeks.  I was starting to make my mental list as soon as I reached consciouness yesterday when I had another thought.  Would something declared the best of 2011 still be relevent in 2012?  Obviously there's stuff like events I can't do anything about, but what if I found an amazing product, say a face wash, does the calendar turning to 2012 make that item any less great because I discovered it last year?  Am I supposed to promote the latest and the greatest even if it's a crap item?  I cried for a bit, because that was just way too much thinking at that moment.  Then, I took some Aleve, drank a Gatorade, and prepared my list for you to enjoy:


1.  Say Yes To Blueberries Age Defying Wipes.  These wipes remove all your makeup, smell great, and really do brighten your face.  My skin looked amazing after just two days of using these.  What's not to love?
2. L'Oreal's Youth Code line.  I bought the sampler set, and while all the products worked well, the Day to Night lotion was amazing.  It moisturized and brightened my skin. 
3. Olay's Pro-X Cleaning Brush.  My skin has never looked better, nor have my large pores looked smaller than after I started using this spinning brush. 
4. Nivea Happy Sensation Body Lotion.  I hate thick and smelly lotions--Bath and Body Works I'm looking at you--but this has a light, clean, citrusy scent.  It's also super light on the skin, sinks in quickly, and is non-greasy. 
5. Rare Minerals Blemish Remover.  This is a sulphur-based powder you apply with the included brush on acne, and is the best pimple zapper I have used in years.  It does smell strongly, but when you see visible results in mere hours, you'll get over it quickly.
6. Dove Winter Care Body Wash.  My skin always dries out in the winter, and the Olay body wash which was supposedly moisturizing was actually making my skin worse.  The Dove body wash is almost like a lotion and really doesn't lather but it moisutrizes so well I sometimes don't have to put on lotion afterwards. 



Having gone on a makeup shopping spree back in '10, I really didn't have the need to buy a lot of makeup this past year, but I did have a good record for buying some great products.

1. Milly with Clinque Pretty Prints Pallette.  Unfortunatly, this was a limited edition, but this set has the perfect blush and eyeshadow shades that look wonderful on everyone.  I use this set if I'm in a hurry or want to look extra pretty. 
2. Tarte's Airbrush Effects brush.  This came in the QVC set I originally wasn't thrilled with back in March, but since then I've come to embrace the brush.  In combination with the next product, it's phenomenal.  As long as this brush holds up, I'll never use a sponge or any other brush to apply foundation.
3.  Make Up For Ever HD Foundation.  After dealing with some meh foundations this past year, I bought this on impulse and have been delirousily happy with it ever since.  It evens out my skin tone, and covers acne scars.  Perfect!
4. Tarte's Amazonian Clay Blush in Glisten.  This came in the QVC set that I got the above brush in, and I wasn't fond of it at first.  However, I was too lazy to go out and get something else and I came to really love the color.  Unfortunately this was a limited edition, but thankfully, Nars Orgasm blush is very similar. 



Nail Polish, oh nail polish.  What colors didn't I buy this year?

1. Deborah Lippman's Happy Birthday.  Colorful!  Sparkly!
2. Chanel Black Pearl.  My first Chanel polish, which quickly led to an addiction of $25 nail polish.  I love this color for it's elegance and sophistication.
3. Chanel Morning Rose.  This has been the polish I have worn ever since I got it in July. I've used up a quarter of the bottle, which is rare for me.  This was a limited edition and I'm kicking myself for not buying another bottle.
4. Nars Jungle Red.  The perfect deep red as it doesn't border on the maroon/brownish border that a lot of deeper reds do.
5. Nars Purple Rain.  This was one of the hot colors for 2010, but I continued to wear it all of 2011.  Just a great shade.
6. L'Oreal Limited Edition Project Runway in Owl's Night.  I had originally bought this trying to dupe Chanel's Peridot, but I didn't even come close (I did buy Peridot later).  This has a black base with a burnished gold with a hint of green sparkle in it.  Very pretty.

Anybody have any bests they want to share?  Just because it's 2012 doesn't mean it's too late to try a great product.

First Impressions #1

Sunday afternoon, I went on my usual post-payday shopping errands, and while in Target, I picked up the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleaning System.  The picture is pretty much self-explanatory, it's a rotating facial brush.  This is not a new idea, rotating face brushes have been around for years.  The idea behind them is to help exfoliate, remove makeup more throughly than a regular washing,  and help face products penetrate the skin more easily. 

A couple of years ago, a facial brush called the Clarisonic hit the market and became huge.  What really set it apart from the previous models was the fact it was able to rotate over 300 times a minute.  Most of the other brands couldn't do half that.  All sorts of folks declared it a miracle product, and no other company has been able to replicate that sort of success.

Olay has entered the rotating facial brush market with their Pro-X Advanced Cleaning System.  They claim on their commercials that it performs as well as that "$200 brand brush," which is a reference to the Clarisonic, whose most popular model retails for around that price.  I've never used a Clarisonic, so I really can't do a comparison.  However, I've only used the Olay Pro-X once, and I'm very impressed.

The brush face is about the size of a half-dollar coin.  You're supposed to wet your face, and use either the enclosed exfoliating polish sample, or your own face wash.  You then glide it all over your face, and follow-up with a moisturizer.  The brush has two speeds, high and low.  I can see people with very sensitive skin having irritation problems with the high speed, but I had none.  My skin feels amazing, very clean and beyond soft.  All of my makeup was removed, verified by the lack of residue on the cotton rounds I use with my toner after I cleanse. Some reviewers of the Pro-X on various websites mentioned having trouble using it around the nose, but I didn't have any.  The brush seems to have a bit of give to it, and I was able to rotate it around with ease. 

At $29, this brush is very affordable and a good idea no matter your skin type.  If you're like me and are starting to worry about aging (despite the fact i'm 26), the Pro-X can make your anti-aging products work better.  I'm not sure about the "miracle" results the Clarisonic has provided will happen with the Pro-x, but if it keeps my skin exfoliated and cleaner I'm satisfied.