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I’ve been experimenting more with skincare this year and wanted to share some of my favorite items along with a few new discoveries. I have sensitive acne prone skin that is mostly normal. Most of my life I’ve maintained a clear complexion with a simple gentle foaming cleanser + toner and weekly mask. The past couple of months my skin has been going through a mess with seasonal weather changes, a change in my workout routine along with some added stress. My holy grail go-to foaming cleansers from SK-II and Dior simply were not enough to cleanse my face completely at the end of the day causing clogged pores and break outs. Over the past few months I’ve added a few more steps to my skincare cleansing routine and my skin has finally started to clear up and improve in texture and clarity.

Added Step 1 came from a recommendation from one of my favorite Nordstrom Chanel artists. I’ve added a step to remove long-wear makeup by using a gentle but effective cleansing oil or cleansing water to break down every trace of makeup on the face. Cosmetic companies have developed amazing innovations in makeup to make it long wearing and last all day through the night. Some of these long-wear formulas don’t come off completely with a regular cleanser and remnants will clog pores. They need extra work to remove where a cleansing oil or water will help break down makeup. My current favorites are MAC Cleanse Off Oil and Caudalie Cleansing Water. I alternate depending on what kind of makeup I’m wearing. On full makeup days, cleansing oil is needed. On tinted moisturizer days I use the cleansing waters.

Step 2 has been the addition of the Clarisonic Aria Sonic Skin Cleansing System from Nordstrom which has made a huge difference in clearing up my skin and getting it back to normal. My friends and family have been telling me for years that I should invest in a Clarisonic device because according to them “it really works.” I’ve always been intrigued by the concept but was overwhelmed by all the options. Also since I have had pretty good skin I didn’t see the need to spend money fixing something that was perfectly fine. Given my recent skin flare ups, I needed a change and this has been a really good solution to return my skin to it’s normal state by using it 2 to 3 times per week.

If you’re new to Clarisonic, here’s a quick rundown of each device they have for facial cleansers. You can read more about Clarisonic Technology here. These Clarisonic tools are designed with a patented oscillating sonic technology creating more than 300 movements per second to help loosen oil and dirt in your pores with the motion the outer and inner brushes create. It’s designed to exfoliate the skin and clear and tighten the pores.

There are currently four different devices for the face, each device comes in a wide variety of color options ranging from white, to colorful pink, lavender blues and classic black. All the options come with the Sensitive Brush but have different brush head replacement options depending on your needs. The kits also come with a sample size of one of their cleansers. You may want to consult a product specialist to find out which one will suit your specific skin needs. I like using the Live Chat with Beauty Stylists on Nordstrom. They’ve been super helpful in the past (they’ve even helped me locate discontinued items in stores).

After hours of online researching, it was a tie between the Mia2 and Aria. I liked the compact size of the Mia 2 and the fact that it came with a super cute protective case and so many color options,. I also found the price point reasonable. However I also liked the sleek look of the Aria along with the drying stand and charger options. I ended up purchasing the Aria since it had more options for brush speed and the convenient stand.

All Clarisonics come with some kind of sample-size cleanser. I’ve tested three (two have been from Nordstrom GWPs). My favorite is the Deep Pore Daily Cleanser and I’ve been working my way through 2 mini tubes. A little goes a long way and it’s gentle enough for my sensitive skin but really deep cleans without drying out the skin. After using this your skin won’t feel tight, nor will it feel like there is a film left over. I’ve also used the Clarisonic with my go-to foaming cleansers SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser and Dior Purifying Foam Cleanser. Both are thicker in texture than most Clarisonic options, but they are still flexible enough to use with the device.

The Sensitive Brush that the Clarisonics come with shown below. I find it gentle and soft, on the face it almost tickles because it’s so soft. On the nails currently is Chanel Tutti Frutti Le Vernis.

I’m still a newbie with the Clarisonic Aria. I’m nearing the end of Week Three of testing it out. I’ve been using the Sensitive Brush it came with and find it very gentle on the skin, my preference is for the Delicate Speed (the softest one) and after reading some rather scary reviews, I decided to ease into it. My first week I used it twice, the second week I upped usage to three times. Even though I find the Aria to be very gentle I’ve read one needs to be careful not to overdo the exfoliating. The first two weeks I didn’t see much of a difference in the skin although I found it made the skin feel really soft and clean. At the end of the second week and into the third my skin has started to make its way back to normal. (Let me know if you want updates in the future at the 2 month or 3 month mark.) The drying stand is super convenient for storage. Overall I’m really happy with my purchase and am already looking into the other brush options now.

Have you used a Clarisonic or any of the different brush heads or cleansers? I have read so many different reviews, I would love to hear about your thoughts and experiences. The Pedi Sonic Foot looks incredible, but I usually prefer to have my toes manicured at a salon.

Many thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. For more information, please refer to my Disclosures page.