Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush Review

These were the exact thoughts that went through my mind as I glanced upon a sonic cleansing brush on display.

Question 1: 

What is a sonic cleansing brush?

Question 2 (and the most important question of all): 

Do I need to spend MYR368 on a brush to wash my face when I can use my hands for free?

Those thoughts lingered on my mind for a few months, until I saw a promotional pack for Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush. It cost me MYR378 (Original price: MYR564). What a steal!

The promotional pack consists of the following: 

- Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush with Head (MYR368)

- Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush Head (MYR97)

- Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap (MYR99)

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush is an addition to their well-known 3 step skin care regime. Unlike circular motion brushes, its sonic movement allows for gentle and deep cleansing even for sensitive skin types.

The brush head consists of two types of bristles. The white bristles are gentle and soft, suitable for cheeks. The green bristles on the other hand, are slightly firmer, targeted for hard to reach areas such as blackheads on the nose and oily T zone areas.

You can't really go wrong with this device, as there is only one button. Press once for it to start. It automatically goes off after 30 seconds so you won't overdo it. I usually spend 1 minute on my face twice a day- 30 seconds on my cheeks and chin area, and the other 30 seconds on my T-zone area (forehead and nose).

This waterproof device comes with a charging dock which charges up to 180 minutes. That's 90 days worth of battery life if you use this twice a day! I would love to bring this along in my travels but I'm afraid my 40L Deuter will not permit.

Clinique recommends the brush head to be changed every 3 months.

Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap is a creamy foaming facial soap created especially for sonic cleansing and goes hand in hand with the sonic cleansing brush. This cleanser does the usual thing a good cleanser should do: remove dirt, excess oil and impurities. A pea sized amount is sufficient for me to create enough foam to cover my entire face.

Feel free to use other cleansers as long it is able to create sufficient foam. Be sure to avoid milk cleansers because they don’t create as much foam. Scrubs should be avoided as well because the combination effect of the sonic motion and scrub beads might be too harsh on the skin.

The Verdict:

My skin feels smoother and looks more radiant compared to regular hand washing. I used to have random oil seeds popping out every now and then. So far no oil seeds! Those with sensitive combination skin with an oily T zone similar to mine would be happy to hear that this product doesn't irritate or dry out the skin.

However, I was hoping that perhaps the brush could eliminate my blackheads problem for good. Though there has been a significant reduction in build ups from using this product, those stubborn blackheads require more heavy duty work  - I still require my trusty Oxy Nose Pore Strips and Laneige Blackhead Melting Gel in order to achieve better results.

Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush range caters to men and acne-prone skin too.

Word of caution: Just make sure you don't get carried away and apply too much pressure when brushing your face! It is not necessary as the sonic action will do all the work for you.

Happy brushing!

Origins Make A Difference Plus+ Christmas Set Review

In this season of advent, many beauty brand counters are offering Christmas gift sets at a discounted price.

It's also my favourite time of the year to stock up on my beauty essentials which will last me for a year. 

Origins never fail to impress me with their attractive year end deals. Not only was I smitten by their Christmas themed boxes and free beauty bags/pouches, I managed to save up to ~MYR80 on each gift set. 

I've tested A Perfect World and Dr Weil Mega-Mushroon ranges but Make A Difference is hands down, my all time favourite. 

The original set comes with:

Make A Difference Rejuvenating Cleansing Milk 50ml

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Serum 15ml

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion 50ml

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment 50ml

You might want to consider trading off the cleansing milk for Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask if you have combination skin. Cleansing milk is best suited for dry skin but it isn't strong enough for oil control. Origins counter was nice enough to amend the gift set to suit my skin needs.

Make A Difference Rejuvenating Treatment is the first product I've used from Origins. It's also my favourite moisturiser at the moment. Unfortunately, they discontinued the range but it was replace by the Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment, which works just as well for me. 

It's gel crème texture makes it suitable for combination skin. Although the official website states that it's recommended for oily combination skin, I found many good reviews for dry and acne-prone skin. 

Don't be deceived by this little pot, as it can last me up to 6 months. A small amount is needed to apply throughout the entire face. No spamming required.

There is a night version of this product called Make A Difference Night. Compared to the original, it's slightly oilier and claims to have additional key ingredients to help replenish moisture lost after dark. Unless you have an extra MYR200+ lying around for a splurge, the original works just fine when applied twice a day. Results are fairly the same.  

I'm never a fan of toners that instructs one to "Drop a small amount on your palms and apply onto your face, pat dry". A cotton pad is a must for me so that I can remove any existing dirt and oil that was missed during cleansing.

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion is ultra hydrating yet able to sweep away dirt and oil to prepare skin for treatments to follow. Skin feels hydrated and light after every application.

Make A Difference Plus+ Rejuvenating Serum is my optional bit. Two reasons:

(1) Serum are generally more pricier.

(2) Adds a step to my already long enough daily regime (Cleanse, tone, moisturize, sunblock)

This product does wonders for problematic skin (e.g. dehydrated, red and rough skin). Although it is not on my must haves list, I would recommend this if you want to take that extra care and step in your daily skin care regime.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is a mask that you can apply before you go to bed.

If you're guilty of falling asleep with a disposable sheet mask on, this would be the perfect solution for you. Leaving on a disposable sheet mask longer than the recommended time might dry up the skin due to lack of oxygen. Unless the product clearly states that it should be left overnight, always follow the recommended time.

This concentrated creamy product will linger on your skin for the whole 8 hours during your sleep. As a result, you get to wake up to soft and supple skin to conquer your day. It smells heavenly due to its key ingredients: apricot, avocado and japanese seaweed.

Works best for dry, rough or normal skin.

Personally, I like to bring this to cold climate countries as my skin tends to get really dry during winter season.

The Verdict:

I absolutely love this gift set. It comes once in a year so quickly get them while stocks last.

In any case, Origins still have plenty of other gift sets to choose from even if you don't find this suiting your skin needs.

Merry Christmas everybody!