Does Clarisonic work? How do I choose the right model?

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Clarisonic, clarisonic aria, clarisonic aria pro, clarisonic body, Clarisonic mia, clarisonic mia 2, clarisonic plus, clarisonic plus pro, clarisonic pro, clarisonic sonic cleansing, clarisonic vs olay brush, how do I choose the right clarisonic, rotary brush, skin brush, sonic cleansing, what's the difference between the clarisonics?, whats the difference between mia and mia 2, whats the difference between the clarisoncis, which clarisonic is better, which clarisonic is right for me?

Why should I use a clarisonic?

THEY SAY: It cleanses skin 6x better than hands alone, removing makeup and oil that can be left behind otherwise. By removing this, pores are clearer and can absorb other treatments more readily. For example, those who use a clarisonic enjoy 61% greater absorption of topical vitamin C vs. those who manually cleanse.

WE SAY: We ❤ makeup, but we know how important it is to take care of our skin and remove it thoroughly. We are sure when we use our clarisonics it is ALL OFF and it provides a light exfoliation that helps keep us feeling smooth. You really can FEEL the difference in the smoothness of your skin right away. (psst, one of our makeup artists’ husbands borrows hers!…)

What’s the difference between that and the one by Olay?
Oscillation vs. rotation. Olay’s cheap knock-off ROTATES which is more aggressive and can tug on delicate skin. Clarisonic’s oscillating technology makes rapid micro-movements back and forth so that it doesn’t tug or tear the skin, and mimics the movement an esthetician makes when extracting blemishes/blackheads from pores.

Can’t I just run to Nordstrom and pick one up?
Yes and no. You CAN get Clarisonic from Nordstrom or other fine retailers, HOWEVER we are able to sell more advanced models than they are FOR THE SAME PRICE. Because we have two licensed estheticians on staff that can answer your questions and ensure you get the best Clarisonic cleansing system for you! YOU CAN’T EVEN BUY THEM ON WWW.CLARISONIC.COM!

The difference between a “regular” and a PRO model Aria is this: The PRO has an additional DEEP PORE CLEANSING brush head, an ADDITIONAL year on the warranty (3 year vs 2) and a FREE year subscription to a popular health/beauty magazine.

The difference between a “regular” and a PRO Clarisonic PLUS is this: The PRO has an additional (faster) SPEED SETTING, a great handle brush that the Clarisonic can fit into to get difficult-to reach areas likes back and buttocks when using your BODY brush. an ADDITIONAL YEAR on the warranty (3 year vs 2 year) and the FREE year subscription for a popular health/beauty magazine.

So who WOULDN’T want to get the PRO models over the regular? Especially when it’s THE SAME PRICE!!! 🙂

What’s the difference between these and the Mia?
The Mia does NOT have a special PRO model. The difference between the two is very simple…the Mia has 1 speed, and the Mia 2 has two speeds. The Mia 2 also has a 2 year warranty (as opposed to a 1 year) and comes with a free travel case. Mias are great for travel as they are smaller and lighter than the PLUS and ARIA and are usually available in a wider range of colors. 

So, be honest, which is the better model? Honestly, we would always go with the PLUS PRO every time. Over time, you may like to adjust your Clarisonic to a higher speed. Instead of having to buy a new product altogether, get the extra speeds the first time! Additionally, the Pro is the ONLY Clarisonic machine that can be used with the BODY brush for exfoliating the backs of the arms, legs, butt—pretty much anywhere! Great for eliminating shaving bumps from the legs or bikini line, or chicken bumps (keratosis pilaris) from the backs of the arms.

That being said…the Aria is great for college students as it has a unique USB compatible charging cable (like an iPhone) and does have multiple speeds. The smaller size makes it easier to travel.

For those on a tighter budget, the Mia or Mia 2 are nothing to sneeze at. Easily portable, a wide range of colors, and easy to travel with–you just may “outgrow” it after a few years and want to graduate to the Aria or Pro!…

Facade Holiday Gift Guide 2012

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bardot, bardot waterproof eyeliner, Beauty For Real Light Up Lip Gloss, Beauty For Real Light Up Lip Gloss Trios, Beauty Gift ideas, Belle Fleur Candles, BFR Lipgloss, Christmas at Facade, Clarisonic mia, Facade Beauty, Facade Christmas Gifts, Facade Holiday Gift Guide 2012, Facade Vanity Organizer, Facade Waterproof Eyeliner, gift ideas, Glam Glow Mud Mask, hello lashes, holiday gift ideas 2012, IT Hello Lashes mascara, Kevyn Aucoin Lash Curler, lido, Lido Waterproof Eyeliner, LIPSMART, makeup store houston, Natura Bisse Spa Silk, Paul & Joe Eye Shadow & Lip Balm Set, rubis tweezers, Slimsonic Toothbrush, Tassi, Tassi Headband, V beaute IT Kit

Stumped on what to get your finicky friends this Christmas? We have LOADS of fun trinkets and toys for any fashionable woman!

Worried about getting her the right color? The following list of items would be flattering on any coloring, suitable for any skin type, and if it’s available in a variety of colors and you choose one she doesn’t like–it is easily exchangable!

Upon request, we are more than happy to wrap any gift with gorgeous paper and a silk bow free of charge, OR to create goodie bags with a printed cellophane bag, sparkly filling, and topped with a silk bow. Absolutely free of charge to our valuable customers!

Still nervous?
We have gorgeous gift certificates available in any denomination! Does your friend already shop here? Have us look up her favorite lip stick, eyeliner, or mascara for a little tangible treat to go along with it!

Facade Waterproof eyeliners in best-selling colors BARDOT (black) or LIDO (deep teal) $22 each

Everyone’s lashes could use a little lift! $20 gets a trust worthy lash curler AND one replacement pad.

IT Cosmetics “Hello lashes” Mascara, $20. Has a lash growth serum, a primer, and a semi-permanant tint all in one! Plus the revolutionary shaped wand helps you seperate your lashes as you apply! (A Cute goodie bag could contain this, and one of each the above lash curler and waterproof eye pencil for a nice little theme!)

V Beaute IT KIT, $165, houses 5 skin essentials in a convenient travel kit. The formula is great for all skin types including the most sensitive. Every product is gluten free, paraben free, artificial color and fragrance free. 

The SlimSonic Toothbrush, $16, is great for travel and is available in a variety of prints and colors.  

Our Vanity Organizer, $75, conveniently stores all her beauty essentials. From Brushes, to compacts, to concealers and balms. The interior zip-up pouch is removable and can be carried seperately. 

A Clarisonic Mia,  $129, is available in a variety of colors and has a great oscillating brush to clean the skin removing built up oils, accumulated dead skin cells, daily pollutants, and makeup for a deep clean. Great for travel, comes with a charger!

The Glam Glow Mud Mask helps tighten and tone the skin, with purifying kaolin clay and major antioxidant power, it is great for every skin type to give that gorgeous glow revered by Hollywood elite! A Full-size is $69, or stash a mini in her stocking or gift bag for just $24!

The Tassi, $15, keeps your hair contained and out of the way while you wash your face, use a mask, or put on your makeup! It’s unique design prevents you from accidentally creasing your hair by putting it up with bands or clips. Also great to use when getting massages or facials! Try pairing this with a Glam Glow Mini as a fabulous “facial in a bag” gift! Sweeten the pot for close friends with a Clarisonic!

Paul & Joe Eye Shadow and Lip Balm Set, $60 contains essentials for sexy shimmering holiday eyes, and barely there pretty pink lips. The seemingly bright balm is actually quite sheer, and the eyeshadows can be used either dry or damp to create any look. 

A Beauty For Real Light Up Lip Gloss Trio, $49 can be given to one friend, or broken up and given to a few! $17 cheaper than buying three of these glosses individually. Available in four different sets of trios.

Rubis tweezers are THE greatest tweezer made. With a classic slant tip and amazing precision you can get even the shortest most stubborn hairs with ease, $45. Lipsmart, $30, provides moist plumpness for your lips. Our clients buy 2 and 3 at a time because their friends, sisters, etc “borrow” them and never give them back! It doesn’t tingle to plump–I like to think of it as taking your skin cells from raisins back to grapes–basically it fills each skin cell with more water molecules for natural plumpness. Great for anyone! 

Belle Fleur candles have gorgeous presentation in a beautiful gift box with their own box of matches. They have fabulous holiday scents including Kyara Clove, Neroli Pine, and Bergamot Cedar ($48 each) or you can get a mini of each scent in a trio set for $75.

Natura Bisse Spa HAND SILK, $35. This Long-wearing hand cream will really last. It absorbs well, but also leaves a great moist feeling behind–so you don’t feel like you constantly have to reapply. SPF15 and a nice light scent make this a great gift for men and women. The tube is small enough to fit in a purse, or fit in a bed-side drawer. Pair in a gift bag with a nail file and a cute polish for a sweet little “manicure in a bag!” gift.

Travel Easy this Holiday Season…

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Clarisonic, Clarisonic mia, Denblan Toothpaste, Facade Beauty, Facade makeup, it kit, Makeup Bag, Makeup Organizer, portable toothbrush, skin products for travel, Slimsonic Toothbrush, Tassi, Tassi Headband, travel cleanser, travel friendly beauty finds, travel friendly beauty products, Travel Makeup Bag, travel size skincare, travel sizes of luxury skin care, travel skincare, travel toothbrush, v beaute, V beaute IT Kit, Vanity Organizer

Give yourself a few gifts and get this holiday season off to a good start! Be thankful for products from some of our favorite brands that make packing for your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years’ trips a breeze!

Stash your V Beaute IT KIT, $165, even in your carry-on bag! The hard case is TSA-approved, and contains your 5 essential skin products (Get it? V is the Roman Numberal for 5…)! You’ll have with you at LEAST a week’s supply of cleanser, exfoliant, serum, moisturizer, and eye cream. You can buy each product individually to re-fill. AND get this: You can even still pack a quart-sized clear plastic bag to stash your other liquids/creams other 3 oz and have it go through security safely too. (I was skeptical at first, but tried it to/from a trip to Seattle over labor day weekend and later to/from Baltimore airport. Nobody gave me any problems either way)

Also pack your Clarisonic Mia, $119, to supercharge your cleansing routine! It’s small and portable, and the oscillating bristles help really scrub away makeup, oil, and pollutants trapped on the skin. Everyone will wonder how your skin is still glowing despite change in climate and travel!

 

 

Keep your hair out of your face to wash your face or put on your makeup at home or away with a Tassi, $20. Last year, we gave these as Christmas gifts to all our friends and they LOVED them! Available in several colors and patterns (you might even find one to coordinate with your Clarisonic!) This stretchy headband not only keeps your hair back without clips or bands that will leave dents in your hairstyle. Simply put it on like a regular soft headband and tuck your strands in in the back. When your done, remove the headband and gently fluff your hair back into place!

 

 

 

 

Denblan toothpaste, $25,  is a MUST at home or away. This toothpaste comes in an old-fashioned metal tube that you puncture with the back end of the cap. It uses gentle enzymes to scrub away surface stains on your teeth to whiten without stripping nail enamel. The flavor is vanilla-mint so it’s not an over-whelming flavor, while still leaving your breath fresh.

Get the most out of your Denblan toothpaste with a NEW SlimSonic toothbrush, $15! According to the manufacturer, it provides 22,000 brush strokes per minute. It also comes in a variety of colors and patterns INCLUDING a vented cover so you can keep it clean without trapping in moisture causing odor to develop. Great for your gym bag, purse, or for travel!

Our Facade Vanity Organizer, $75, has convenient pockets and sleeves to stash all your makeup essentials. It was specially designed to hold our own compacts, brushes, and foundation, but works well with other major beauty brands. Our customers love to keep their fave products organized in it at home on a daily basis–but whenever they need to get up and go it’s easy to zip and put in their luggage! The interior zip pocket is removable with snaps, so if it gets too full for your organizer to close, you can just take it out, zip the organizer, and pack the interior pocket seperately!.

Any of these products will make your (or anyone elses!) beauty routine home or away a little bit prettier, a little bit easier, and maybe just a little more organized!

All of the above products are sold in our Facade Store in Houston, TX. Call 713-552-1545 or email kate@facadebeauty.com with any questions about products or to order.

Also, he Facade Vanity Organizer can be ordered through our webstore.

Make your skincare work harder!

Tags

acne, AHA, alpha hydroxy acid, anti-aging, beta hydroxy acid, BHA, chemical exfoliation, Clarisonic, Clarisonic mia, Darphin, Darphin Age-Defying Dermabrasion, enzymatic exfoliation, enzyme, enzyme exfoliation, enzyme peel, exfoliate, exfoliation, Facade, Glyco Extreme Peel, glycolic peel, Ilona, Ilona Soft Polish, mechanical exfoliation, Natura Bisse, Tolerance Enzyme Peel

There is so much conflicting information about skincare out there, and SO many kinds of products to choose from. But this piece of information is RARELY disputed: by exfoliating your skin, you can BOOST the effects of your other skincare.

So you’ve made an investment in a fabulous serum and/or moisturizer–GET YOUR MONEY’S WORTH!

What is exfoliating? Essentially, it is removing excess cells from the surface of your skin, or cells that have not been expelled within your pores, to allow the oil in your skin to be wicked to the surface properly. This boosts the radiance of your skin, prevents oil blockages resulting in breakouts, and allows your own natural oils to lubricate the skin on the surface as it should. Not only that, but exfoliation increases the circulation of your skin, and smooths the texture of the skin, giving that always-sought-after “glow”.

How does it help other products work better? One of the main things that separates great skin care from mediocre is it’s ability to penetrate the skin. If it only penetrates the very surface levels of the skin, it cannot incite much change. The deeper it goes, the better it can work. By exfoliating to make sure that pores are not blocked by excess skin cells, you will allow your products to push deeper–affecting the newest skin cells as they are being made. The lower levels of the skin are where collagen and elastin are produced, and also where the skin’s color (melanin) is produced. These affect the elasticity, smoothness, and color of the skin–which are our primary aging concerns! The powerful (and costly!) ingredients in skincare really aren’t helpful if they can’t reach–and treat–these layers of the skin.

How should I exfoliate?
Here are your options!:

1.)The most common kind of exfoliation is mechanical exfoliation. It’s physically removing the skin cells from the surface of the skin-almost like sanding or buffing it off. This can be done with a scrub that has a grit to it like Natura Bisse’s C+C vitamin scrub, $65, which uses aluminum oxide-the same ingredient used in professional microdermabrasion treatments. Darphin Age-Defying Dermabrasion, $80, uses jojoba and silica beads. We recommend these types of particles over things liked crushed nuts and pits, since these can have jagged edges that cause microscopic tears in the skin, and as a result- irritation. Mechanical exfoliation can ALSO be done with a brush, like the ever-popular Clarisonic!

The Clarisonic Mia in lavender, $119.

The clarisonic doesn’t rotate, but rather oscillates-it quickly rotates back and forth, to exfoliate and cleanse the skin without tearing or pulling. Available in a variety of colors and models ($119-$225), with brush heads ranging from soft/delicate, to stiff/tough to satisfy different skin needs. Just like a toothbrush, the brush head needs to be replaced every 3 months. Although their site recommends using it every day, I like to use mine every other day. Scrubs, should generally be used 2-3 times a week.

2.) Using enzymes. Enzymes work by essentially digesting the excess skin cells. The most common enzymes found in skin care products are bromelain, from the pineapple, and papain, from the papaya- making this a natural, generally gentle solution! Instead of only removing the cells on the surface of the skin, enzymes can penetrate more deeply- cleaning even inside each pore. Great products to try are Natura Bisse’s NEW Tolerance Enzyme Peel, $155 and Ilona Soft Polish Exfoliating Cream, $57. These kind of at-home treatments can be used as often as every other day, but should be done at least 1-2x per week.

3.) Your final option is an acid peel. There are many kinds of acids out there, from BHA’s (beta hydroxy acids: usually salicylic acid) to AHA’s (Alpha Hydroxy Acids. Even though some people shy away from this because of the scary “chemical” names, all of these are derived from nature- glycolic from sugar cane, lactic from milk, tartaric from wine, citric from citrus fruit, and malic from apples.)This works in a similar way to the enzyme peels, except it is typically more agressive. These can also penetrate the pores, but instead of digesting the cells, it essentially creates a controlled acid burn to remove the necessary cells. It sounds scary, but products formulated for at-home use (vs. spa or medical use) are regulated to give predictable results. Just be sure to READ THE DIRECTIONS, and discontinue use of any products containing retinol or other AHA’s a few days before and after giving yourself an at-home peel. (These ingredients will deepen the peel, but could do so in a way that isn’t easy to control, so it’s best to avoid them from mixing). One of our favorites, since it stops working after 15 minutes preventing you from going too far and scorching your skin is Natura Bisse Glyco Extreme Peel, $225. It contains a blend of several effective acids including Glycolic, which even has purported moisturizing properties! This product is meant to be used 1-2x per week for 6 weeks. They recommend 6 weeks on the product, and 6 weeks off– try one of the other methods of exfoliation (mechanical or enzyme) on your 6 weeks off!

Come in to our store, or give us a call at 713-552-1545 and we can help recommend the right kind of product for you! We can also ship!

Even if the product picks I have mentioned above aren’t readily available to you, look for the ingredients I have mentioned to find a solution that works for you!