Clarisonic Mia vs. Foreo Luna

Hey all! I’m gonna get straight to the point because I’m sure going on a long tangent about how I haven’t been on in months doesn’t interest you. Because same.

One of the most common questions I get in my inbox is “what’s the difference between a Clarisonic and a Foreo?” or just “what skincare cleansing tool should I buy?” Well, lucky for you, I am a hoarder of skincare products and I tried both so I could let you know what would work best for you, and why.

As with all of my comparisons, I’m going to rate them in different categories. They are as follows: cleansing power, aesthetic (looks in general), ease of cleaning, cost, *~*bells and whistles*~*, and (my) overall opinion.

To give you a background of my experience with these products, I have used a Clarisonic Mia 2 since 2013. I started using the Luna Foreo (for sensitive skin) earlier this year because I wanted to change it up and be able to compare the two. I never review skincare products until I’ve used them for more than 4 weeks due to the turnover rate of the skin. Okay now I’ll start.

Cleansing Power:

***Now, with each of these cleansing systems it’s imperative to know that you need to either wipe off your makeup entirely or do a pre-cleanse beforehand. So many times people have told me they hated their cleansing tool and claimed it “made things worse,” only to find out through questioning that they were just using it on a face full of makeup. No matter how well each of these systems work, if you do that you’re just smearing your makeup around and not actually cleansing. Hence why it’s not working. Anyway, moving on.

Clarisonic-

There is no doubt in the cleansing ability of the Clarisonic. There’s a reason it’s been such a popular product for such a long time. The results obviously lie in if you use it properly, i.e. if you’re washing your face beforehand/you’re using the right brush head for your face. Personally I have pretty sensitive skin, so I found myself sticking to the sensitive brush heads, which is what they come with. I would swap it out for the deep pore cleansing brush heads if I felt I had a lot of congestion or breakouts. I’m going to go into brush heads more in the bells and whistles section, but a large portion of the cleansing power of the clarisonic is due to whatever brush head you choose to use. To cleanse your skin, you wet the brush and your face, and apply cleanser directly to the brush head. 60 seconds later, you’re done!

One problem I have with clients using clarisonics is that so many of them (them as in people) are WAY too rough on their skin. The brush head is specifically designed to move on it’s own accord, yet people push it onto their face almost violently because they think it’s going to cleanse better. All you have to do is move it around your face in the sections that require cleansing. Obviously this is a user issue, but it factors into the results you get.

Clarisonic Cleansing Grade: A

Foreo-

This cleansing system is ~relatively~ new on the market, especially compared to the clarisonic, which was why I wanted to try it out. (I obsessively buy new skincare items and since it’s my job I justify it, but it doesn’t take away the fact that if my bank account could talk it would ask “what the HELL are you doing woman?! Stop for the love of god!”) Anyway, It has the same concept as the clarisonic, but it’s entirely different in it’s execution. First of all, there are no brush heads. You choose your Foreo Luna based on the type of skin you have (Dry, Oily, Normal, Sensitive, or Combo.) There’s also one for men, and I’m almost positive it’s the exact same as the oily skin version but it’s in black. Because god forbid if men had to use a blue skincare tool. But honestly whatever floats your boat. If you’re unsure of the one you should use, the foreo website has a handy “consultation” tool here. Each of them have a different pattern of silicone “touch points” that cushion the skin when you cleanse and work for each different skin type.

love the cleansing power of the Foreo. You apply your chosen cleanser to your face instead of the brush, wet the brush, and get jiggy with it. This system is also 60 seconds, so either way you can’t escape at least spending a minute on your skin morning and night. I will say I feel as if the Foreo is much more gentle on the skin when it comes to cleansing, yet it still cleanses just as well as the clarisonic. So if you’re a bit more sensitive, this might be your better option.

Foreo Cleansing Grade: A

Aesthetic:

A lot of people care a great deal about the way their products look for one reason or another. I love the option of being able to choose my color, because I feel like it adds a pop of personality to an otherwise basic tool.

Clarisonic-

The clarisonics have a million color options. Sometimes they even release special edition patterns for random reasons, so it gives users the ability to pick whatever color or pattern their heart desires. The design is simple, easy to hold, and looks like this:

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Clarisonic Mia 2 in Lavender

It fits into the contour of the hand and it’s buttons are easy to decipher and use. The only downfall is that it’s a bit large, and the carrying cases only make it larger to travel with. So if you’re someone who travels a lot or just likes things to be compact, there is a size option that works the exact same but is much smaller. Check out the Mia Fit if you’re a gal (or dude) on the go.

Clarisonic Aesthetic Grade: A

 

Foreo-

Here resides the downfall of the foreo IF you’re big on choosing the color of whatever you’re purchasing. The colors are assigned to each skin type so you don’t have the option of a different color. They are pictured here:

luna2-skincare-0
From left to right: Normal, Combo, Oily, and Sensitive

As I said before I have sensitive skin so I have the lavender color, which I love so it doesn’t bother me. I do wish they would release color options just to give it that personal aspect but at the end of the day if it works it’s not a huge deal.

The foreo is also smaller than the clarisonic. It fits in the palm of the hand and it’s really easy to travel with. It comes with a luxe drawstring holder to carry it in to protect the device. I don’t find issues holding it even though it’s more of a flat design, and the buttons are easy to work. They do have smaller options as well, three to be exact. The mini, the play plus, and the luna go. The mini and play plus are only based on color, the touch points all look the same, and they also come with a smaller price tag which I’ll touch on later. Personally I like having the regular size, but you do you boo.

Foreo Aesthetic Grade: B (for lack of color options)

Ease of Cleaning:

Clarisonic-

This, for me, is the clarisonic’s biggest downfall. I’m huge on sanitation, which is necessary in my industry, and keeping a clarisonic clean is hard even when you know what to do. First of all, you need to clean your clarisonic brush heads. Not just with soap and water, with an actual sanitizer. They do not recommend you share brush heads so you should only be using it on your own skin, but even then you run the risk of spreading bacteria especially during times where you have breakouts. Most people don’t do even this, which is the bare minimum. You also need to clean underneath the brush head. Since these tools are waterproof, people don’t worry about drying them off so water stays under the brush head. I don’t even want to imagine the amount of bacteria that starts growing there. I would venture to guess an obscene amount of people could prevent breakouts if they would just clean their tools and belongings (makeup brushes, pillow cases, phones, etc.) While I realize that this is a user issue and depends on the consumer being proactive in cleaning, I wish there was an easier way for people to keep these devices clean so they didn’t even have to think about it.

Clarisonic Ease of Cleaning Grade: C

Foreo-

On the opposite end of the spectrum, this is one of my favorite parts about the luna! Foreo uses nonporous medical grade silicone that is 35x more hygienic than nylon bristles. So you don’t have to worry about setting aside time to clean your device after you use it and the chance of it harboring bacteria is extremely low, if at all. I just rinse mine afterward (with a cleansing soap) and it stands up so any leftover water isn’t able to stay in the device to sit and grow more bacteria. So easy and user friendly!

Foreo Ease of Cleaning Grade: A+

Cost:

*Both units are the “2nd generation” and I also included their travel size companions

Clarisonic-

Cost is $169 which includes the device, one brush head, the charger, and a sample size cleanser (1 oz.) The downfall of the cost when it comes to the clarisonic is that the cost doesn’t stop there. They recommend you replace the brush heads every 3 months, to the tune of $27. Adding up to $108 a year. They do offer a box option which allows you to get the 4th brush head for free, so it’s $81 at once. However some people can’t afford to drop the $81 at once, and you are left with spending the extra $214 in a two year span. Ouch. I don’t like the idea of constantly having to replace something, and that was another reason why I wanted to try something that didn’t have the extra cost associated with it.

In addition to that, somehow the travel size is a whopping $50 more? How is something smaller more expensive? Like I’m already shelling out what would require someone making minimum wage 24 hours of work to afford, and that’s before taxes. Not my favorite thing ever.

*Comes with a 2 year warranty

Clarisonic Cost Grade: C

Foreo-

The price point is set a bit higher at $199, but the huge upside is that you don’t have to buy any brush heads! So while you’re spending $30 more up front, you save $108 a year. Yes please!

The travel size options are also at a lower price point which is how I believe it should be. The technology of the device doesn’t change, with the exception of the speeds on the two smallest models. The mini luna 2 is set at $139, the luna go at $99, and the play plus at $49. The play plus ONLY has the cleansing option, not the anti aging option, which is included in the next section.

*Comes with a 2 year warranty and a 10 year quality guarantee

Foreo Cost Grade: A

*~*Bells and Whistles*~*:

Clarisonic-

The clarisonic (Mia 2 and FIT) has 2 speeds to switch between, referred to as “Delicate” and “Universal”. So if your skin is more on the sensitive side you’re obviously going to use the lower speed, and less sensitive skin can use the universal speed. It’s waterproof which is necessary for these types of products due to people using them in the shower, bath, and at the sink. It’s also rechargeable, and using mine the charge would last about a month at a time or less.

However I believe the biggest bells and whistles of the clarisonic are within the brush heads. Obviously you have the option of brush heads for your certain skin type, but there are now also brushes that go even beyond that. One of the brushes is a foundation head that you can use to apply your makeup. Now I haven’t used this brush head personally, but I’m old school when it comes to makeup application and I prefer a dense synthetic brush for foundation application. This brush appears a lot less dense than what I’m used to, and by reading reviews I’ve heard it also tends to shed. But again, I haven’t used this personally and it might work great for other people! It retails for $35.

BrushheadSpectrum_US_v2 copy
Various options for Clarisonic brush heads
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Clarisonic Sonic Foundation Brush Head

Clarisonic also sells pedi brushes as well as body brushes. The downside is that these are not compatible with the original Mia, Mia 2, or the Mia FIT. You have to purchase a separate clarisonic for these to be able to be used. Another costly addition. The last face tool is a “massage head” that is meant to be used as an anti aging device. It claims to help with signs of aging including wrinkles, firmness, and sagging. They have studies with pictures on the clarisonic website if this is something that intrigues you! You can find them here. This brush comes in at a hefty $55 and again is only compatible with the separate device (the Smart Profile) that costs a whopping $349.

pedi_heads
Clarisonic Pedi Brushes
SPU_MassageHead_1000x1000
Clarisonic Firming Massage Head

Clarisonic Bells and Whistles Grade: B (lots of options, but a bit too costly)

Foreo-

The luna also has speed options, however this device has the option of 12 different speeds. I only ever use two, but I like that it gives a ton of options to really cater to your specific skin type and how you feel. Also waterproof and it has a flat bottom so it can stand freely which I love. The luna 2 also only requires one full charge EVERY. SEVEN. MONTHS. What?! That’s insane to me! If only iPhones had that capability!

Another big selling point of the Luna to me was that it already comes with an anti aging aspect. It’s on the back side of the device and looks like this:

FOR-7350071075951-alt
Foreo Luna 2 Anti Aging side

This also claims to improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. It helps with the absorption of products into the skin which is a great benefit especially if you spend money on serums since this will maximize their benefits. It’s a 60 second cycle as well, uses a low frequency pulse, and the manual tells you exactly where to use it on the face. The best part is that this is included on the device already and doesn’t require you to spend more money (because let’s be real, skincare is ALREADY expensive AF.)

Foreo Bells and Whistles Grade: A

 

Overall Opinion?

Having used both devices for a substantial period of time, my preferred tool is….

The Foreo Luna 2!

I just love this device and although clarisonic was my first cleansing love, it was time to grow up, move on, and save money. The foreo works so well with my sensitive skin and I truly believe every one of my clients could benefit from using this device. The price point is worth it and saves you money in the long run, and the additional features really add to the value of this product. I can’t say enough great things about it and since using the Luna 2, my skin has never looked better!

 

I hope you found what you were looking for within this post and that I answered any lingering questions you had about these two skincare devices. I challenge you to see your skin as an investment and not as another expense you’re wasting money on! You only have one face and while you can always get the botox and laser treatments and what have you, but an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.

If you have any other questions feel free to leave them below and I will do my best to help answer them! Happy cleansing my loves!

 

xoxo Shelby

 

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Irresistible Me vs. Bellami Extensions

Hello my loves! Sorry I have been on hiatus for a minute or two… Life has been a little crazy with work lately and throw in some sleep deprivation and barely enough time to wing my eyeliner and you’ve got an anxiety-ridden borderline psychopath. Totally kidding. Kind of. Anyways moving right along to why you’re here…. EXTENSIONS! I’m talking about my two favorite brands today and the differences between the two. I’ll be going into weight, coloring, length, and overall wear. So who should you purchase from? Hopefully you’ll be able to decide by the end of this post!

Now I know there are many other brands of extensions out there to review but A. I’m not made of money and B. I did my own research long before purchasing either of these and I found the most information on these two brands… and ultimately liked what I found. It’s not to say there aren’t ones that are just as good but I’m not a walking Wells Fargo (tragically). I first looked into extensions when I chemically damaged the ever-loving hell out of my natural (very thick) hair. If I could give you any advice it would be to not bleach your hair, color it pink, then blue, and then back to blonde in the span of like, three months. I am now living with my mistakes, but you can prevent these horrible things from happening. I had to cut a lot of my dead hair off and was left with short hair that I HATED. (shoulder length is short to me)…. but luckily we live in a day and age where I can fix this problem pretty easily. Anyways lets move right along into what you actually care about….

First lets start off with the Bellami Bellissima Extensions ($209.99)

Coloring:

The set that I have are the Bellissima 22″ 220g in Ash Blonde. When I originally bought these extensions they weren’t as “ashy” as described, so I washed them once (I didn’t condition them because I hadn’t even touched them with heat yet) with Aveda’s Blue Malva shampoo and that gave me enough of the blue undertone I was looking for instead of a more golden shade. If you can avoid toning them I would. Other than that I haven’t had an issue with the coloring, it looks very natural. They’re also not just one color. They claim to use a “multi-tone adapt coloring system” and as far as I can tell, it works. I have since colored my hair dark so I’m not wearing these extensions currently but when I decide to go back blonde I’ll use them again. Bellami has a wide range of other colors as well, ranging anywhere from jet black to bleach blonde to vibrant red. They also have partnered with Kylie Jenner, Guy Tang, Samantha, and Eva Marie to bring you even more brilliant, fun shades to play with. Teal, lavender, fire engine red, and even grey are the colors you have access to through Bellami. Too fun.

PS word to the wise, if you’re ever buying extensions and they’re not light enough…. return them and get a new shade. It’s not worth bleaching them. Most, if not all, hair extension sets that you buy online will have many hair swatches (and even videos) that you can look through on their website. Also when you order them there will be one big package with the bulk of the hair that is sealed off, and a smaller package that you can open and compare your real hair to. IF YOU OPEN THE LARGE SIDE AND BREAK THE SEAL, YOU CANNOT RETURN THE EXTENSIONS. That’s why they include a tester weft so if it doesn’t match, no harm no foul. You just package it all back up and ship it and you’re golden.

Length:

Obviously when I say 22″ referring to the length of the extensions. Let me just tell you, this is a LOT OF HAIR. Like, a ton. Like I have to adjust it when I put on my seatbelt, throw my purse over my shoulder, change my clothes…. It’s really fun to have all of that length and feel like Rapunzel, but unless you’re willing to deal with the high maintenance of them, I would stick to something shorter. Bellami offers extensions in 18″, 20″, 22″, and 24″. You can also cut them if you so choose (please go to a professional if you do this) but if you’re going to pay around $200 for extensions you probably don’t want to waste a ton of the hair. Just my opinion, but I also don’t have money to just throw away. They also offer braided headbands, pony tail clips, and bang extensions if those are something you’re interested in.

Weight:

When referring to the weight of a set of extensions, it’s usually measured in grams. My Bellami set is 220g. Once again, this is a LOT OF HAIR. I don’t/can’t even wear all of it because 1. I don’t need it and 2. If I wear all of it I legitimately get a migraine because my head is trying to hold up a pound of hair in addition to my huge brain. It’s a tough life, I know. But seriously there are 10 wefts total, and I wear seven of them. Two of them are four clips, another two are three clips, two smaller two clip wefts, and then four of them are one clip wefts. (I wear one 3 clip, 2 four clips, 2 two clips, and 2 one clips, if you care.) Another great thing about Bellami is that their extensions are the same thickness throughout the entire weft, so you don’t have gross thin straggly hair at the bottom. There is nothing worse than wearing extensions and everyone is like, “Ew. Look at her extensions.”

Overall Wear:

These hair extensions are made with 100% human hair and can be used with heat tools! When I wear mine I almost always curl them with my hot tools 1″ curling wand. I feel like if you curl your hair/extensions when wearing them it makes them blend 1000x better. As far as having them clipped into my hair they stay very well. I don’t ever find myself having to adjust them or cover a weft (if I clip them in properly). Jaclyn hill has an awesome tutorial on clipping in/curling her Bellami extensions so you should check that out if you want a visual at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P4Ron3pc18 🙂

The only downside I see to the Bellami extensions are the options of lengths and the options of weights to buy. 18″ might still be too long for some people, and they cut the weight size almost in half when they go down in length. Not a huge deal for myself who already doesn’t wear all of the wefts, but if you really want that thick voluminous look without the length down your back, then you should look elsewhere. The cost is also a factor for most, these babies are 209.99 and the most I’ve ever seen them discount anything is about $5. Doesn’t even cover the tax, but okay. I’m willing to spend the money, because there are some things you just can’t skimp on. (They do sometimes offer a free gift with purchase, like a carrier or a brush. They’ve also recently partnered with NailHur, which offers long lasting temporary manis, so sometimes they’ll throw a free set of those in with your order.) Other than that these are amazing extensions, top quality, and I get compliments on them wherever I go. Legitimately I have had people tell me I look like a mermaid, and who doesn’t love that?! I’m thinking about investing in the Lavender ombre ones…. Stay tuned to see if my bank account or my heart wins that challenge.

Irresistible Me Royal Remy Extensions ($189)

Coloring:

I purchased the Irresistible Me Royal Remy extensions 14″ 140g in the color medium brown. Let me just tell you, it is 7 million times easier to color match your hair when you’re dark compared to light. I also feel like dark hair you can hide your wefts better because of the depth that dark hair usually has. I definitely feel that way with my mine anyway. The medium brown color was absolutely perfect and exactly what I was looking for. I took them into my stylist and told her that I wanted my hair to match them exactly and she did an amazing job. It’s always easier to buy them and take them to your stylist than trying to do it the other way around, so if you can buy them beforehand I definitely recommend it.

Before I decided to go dark I purchased the Irresistible Me extensions in Platinum Blonde, just to have a shorter length when I didn’t feel like wearing my 22″ Bellami’s. Uuuuuum, when I think platinum the first thing that comes to mind is like Barbie, right? Wrong. This color was almost yellow… honey, golden blonde. NOTHING like platinum. I was really annoyed at first, but the return process was super simple and I got my money back within the week so I didn’t worry too much. When I went back to look at the reviews online about the platinum color it seemed as everyone else gave the exact same feedback about them being too yellow/golden. However, I could not be happier with the medium brown. They also have depth woven into them so they’re not all one uniform color (this allows them to blend easier). Just make sure that you look online at real people wearing the extensions without any filters, and they have a nice video comparison as well. The same process with having one extension in a small bag to color match with applies to Irresistible Me extensions as well. So if they don’t match, return them! I know it’s a hassle for some people but it’s better than wasting almost $200.

The only downside to the colors in comparison to Bellami is that they don’t offer the funky colors such as lavender or teal. However, if you like to stick to the natural colors then you needn’t worry.

Length:

What I absolutely love about the Irresistible Me extensions is the options they have for length. I purchased the 14″ ones because it’s going into summer and I didn’t want to have to deal with the hassle of the super long hair. They offer 14″, 16″, 18″, 20″, 22″, and 24″. The shorter lengths are especially good for people who just want that extra volume within their hair. Longer lengths are obviously going to be for those who want that length and want to be able to style it a certain way (think Elsa braids). I am in love with the length I chose and it’s perfect for what I was looking for. It doesn’t take me forever to style them in the morning (and for the most part they just hold the curl until I decide to wash them) and I am allllllll about speed and efficiency when it comes to doing my hair. My little sister is the cosmetologist in the family, I stick to what I know with makeup.

Weight:

Another awesome option that Irresistible me offers is you get to choose the weight for your length. The weights they offer are 100g, 140g, and 200g. I knew from past experience that the 220g Bellami’s were a LOT of hair, so I opted for the 140g weight and I’m so glad I did. It has 8 wefts instead of 10, and I even leave out a three clip weft for the most part, and I still have so much volume. The price is obviously going to increase with the longer/heavier you go so just make sure you’re aware of that. What’s also different about the IM extensions is that they offer three different kinds of extensions all together. The Silky Touch, the Royal Remy, and the Volume Vixen. The silky touch extensions thin out at the ends like our normal hair would. The royal remy are the same volume all throughout, and the volume vixen ONLY comes in 20″ and 260g. I like how the royals are the same thickness from top to bottom, so I personally recommend those. The only weird thing about the wefts is that one of them (the four clip weft) has a thick woven part attached to the clips, I don’t know if it’s to make it so it stays in your hair better or what… but none of the other clips have it. It doesn’t bother me, I just thought it was out of the ordinary.

Overall Wear:

Same with the Bellami, you can use the IM with heat tools. I wear these ones curled as well, but even straight they blend incredibly well. I’m never having to cover my wefts, ever. I even went to my own mother’s house and she was feeling my hair and had no idea I had them in. If your own mother can’t tell, they’re damn good. Another really awesome thing about the Irresistible Me brand is that they ALWAYS offer a 20% off deal! The extensions I got would normally be $189, and I got them for $150. $40 makes a huge difference in the long run, and it’s obviously way better than a $5 deal from Bellami. The 20% off is site wide, so you can buy multiple sets if your bank account is into that sort of thing.

And that’s a wrap! 

I hope I helped and could answer some of the questions you had about extensions and these two brands in particular. I always recommend doing your own research and reading as many reviews as you possibly can before you make any beauty investments. Especially with hair extensions, because they’re not cheap (the good ones anyway) and they’re going to last you a long time. Something that works for one person won’t always work for someone else. If you have any questions or comments leave them below! Or any other posts you would like to see 🙂 have a wonderful weekend my loves, stay beautiful!

XOXO

Shelby