I say "unbiased review" because I bought my Mia 2 with my own money, without being prompted or paid by Clarisonic or anyone else to do so.

Before

I am 41 years old and I have both the beginning signs of aging (fine lines and some dullness) and the remainder of my teenage acne.  It seems so unfair. Plus my skin is sensitive, so I can't just use any product.  I have seen a dermatologist on my 40th birthday and got some Retin-A for the acne, which helped clear up my skin but also made it very dry and flaky. Plus, the dermatologist wasn't satisfied with just one product, and started recommending a second product, supposedly for rosacea, which made my skin burn and hurt.  I got some facials, which helped a bit, but I didn't like spending so much money just to maintain my face, and quit.  I have a well-documented beauty product addiction, which is fueled by my constant desire to find the right thing that will finally work.

Way back in December, when I asked for beauty product recommendations, Karen recommended the . At the time, I remember thinking, "Do I really need a power tool for my face?" I was afraid that with my sensitive skin, it might make me break out.  I have been thinking about it ever since, and when I got a flyer in the mail from Ulta that said they would give me double rewards points on Clarisonic products, I decided to go to the store and check them out in person.

The original Clarisonic seemed too pricey for me. I did feel the brush heads and was happy to notice that the one that came with the models I was considering was quite soft.  As I was puzzling out the different models, I was assisted by Kristen, a very nice salesperson who explained the different models to me.  She explained that the facialists at Ulta use the brushes for their facials.  Since I had gotten my facial there, I quickly calculated that buying this gadget might save me a lot in $70 facials.  She also said that when she didn't use hers, she noticed that her skin got worse.  She said she had the , which is the basic model, no bells or whistles.  There was a $30 difference between the Mia and the , which literally does whistle to indicate that it's time to move the brush to a different area. I thought that sounded like a useful feature. It also came with a travel case, and since I travel a lot, I decided to take the small upgrade.

I decided that I was going to put this product to the test on my blog, which means no-holds barred -- PICTURES. These pictures are taken in the mirror with my iPhone camera, so the quality isn't terrific. I am not sure that I really see a difference, and I will let you be the judge of whether it was worth posting weird-looking no-makeup photos of myself on my blog for the world to see.

After cleaning with washcloth

My old standby

I read the product directions carefully and charged my Mia 2.  I decided to do a cheek-to-cheek challenge. I cleansed my right cheek first, with my old standby, the terrycloth washcloth, with the cleanser that came with the Mia 2.  After each cleansing, I used a clean cotton round with toner to see if I could find any dirt left over on my skin. I wore makeup yesterday, but by the time I took these pictures, it had mostly worn off.

Despite the salesperson's experiences that she saw dirt and makeup in the sink after cleansing, I didn't see much left over after cleaning with the washcloth.  I don't wear a lot of heavy makeup and I always put moisturizer on first so makeup doesn't touch my bare skin.  I probably also do a decent job of cleansing by hand.  It's hard to tell if that slightly dark spot on the cotton round is dirt or just the moisture from the toner.

My new friend.

After the Mia 2

I used the Mia 2 according to the package directions. That meant 20 seconds on my forehead, another 20 seconds on my chin and nose, and 10 seconds on each cheek.  Even though I had already done the right cheek with a washcloth, I went ahead and did it again, and didn't notice any irritation.  I was glad to have the timer (which is not included on the Mia) because 20 seconds is not as long as I think it is and I could have easily overdone it if I was guessing on my own.  The machine shuts itself off after a minute to prevent that.

I went ahead and did a second cycle on my neck and upper chest, since I want to keep that skin looking nice too. It's really great that this only adds two minutes to my nighttime routine. There was not even a trace of dirt on the cotton round after the Mia 2. I am not sure it shows in the picture, but my skin had a soft rosy glow, like after exercise, and felt beautifully smooth.

Me after

I think that talking about the Clarisonic's exfoliation powers might be a better way to sell it than to make us feel like we're all carrying a lot of dirt on our faces, as if we were the before in one of those old vacuum-cleaner commercials. The thing that impressed me was not the clean feeling, which I think I get with a washcloth, but the way my skin felt baby-soft after just one use.  It still felt that way when I woke up this morning.  Since Clarisonic recommends morning-and-night use, I used it again this morning and I don't feel any irritation or see any redness.

I will be curious to see what the long-term effects are. I will check back in a month or so and let you know.

What I'd really like to do is go back in a time machine and give one of these to my teenage self when I was struggling with acne. I think I might have had a completely different high school experience.