This is my first post due to two factors:
1). It's the holiday season and the Clarisonic and Foreo Luna discounts have begun (heads up, Clarisonic has a 25% off sale today for cyber Monday).
2). I consider myself more of an expert on this topic than the "beauty experts," as I've now owned a Clarisonic Mia 1, a Foreo Luna Mini, a full Foreo Luna (8 speed + anti aging) and the Clarisonic Mia 3 (sometimes called the Aria). Therefore, I believe my review is as neutral and informed as it can be, obviously only based on my own use and experience.
I can only comment on my feelings towards the following products. I won't be putting up any diagrams, showing which device does what. What I will be doing is walking you through my experience with each device.
Clarisonic Mia 1
I bought the Clarisonic Mia in 2009 and faithfully used it 2-3 times a week for 5.5 years. I bought it for my current rough skin issues. It only has one universal speed. Is that a big deal? No. In my 5+ years of use, my skin has never gotten "used" to the speed. That one speed has kept my skin smooth and fresh, blemish free.
Even now, I will highly recommend this to those who want a less pricey machine - especially with the holiday sales and discounts. It originally runs at $99, but during the holiday season, you can find it for even $75. You will not feel disappointed.
Foreo Luna Mini
I was really ready to "upgrade" to something new after 5 years with my Mia. I spent TWO YEARS researching the Foreo Luna. It was more about having a machine for hat does the same thing as the Clarisonic, but wouldn't require the additional cost of the brush heads. I also found the $139 price tag more appealing than the $200 one of the full size. However, this little device had me on the fence. The mini is a one speed device, as is the Clarisonic Mia 1. It made my skin soft, but somehow I found my skin looking dull. Thank God for Sephora's great return policy. I returned this after 4 months of use (don't worry, they do not resell those returned products).
Foreo Luna - Full Size
This device was my next step - I figured the full size with 8 speeds and the anti-aging option must be better than the mini. Like the mini, brush heads are not used. I tried to love this. I really, truly did. I used it faithfully twice a day for a month. The anti-aging side? I can't even say if it did anything great for my skin. I'm not sure if my skin is any more firm that it was initially. The cleansing side? That was the real let-down. 8 speeds....I could barely tell when a speed was changed and almost felt like a one-speed. Again, my skin was very soft after use....but horribly dull, as there was very little real exfoliation. My skin broke out in terrible ways - I was told that an initial "purge" would happen, so I expected the breakouts....but I did not expect the strange shadows and marks left behind. From someone who has not experienced breakouts or scarring in years, this was really a let-down. After a month, I was finished with this line of products.
Clarisonic Mia 3
I exchanged my Foreo for the Clarisonic Mia 3, the three speed Clarisonic device. The Mia 3 has a delicate speed (geared for daily use), a universal speed (as on all Clarisonic devices) and a faster speed (meant for the deep cleaning required to remove makeup...not recommended for use too often, as it is abrasive).
This was like coming back home. This device offers the same great cleansing and exfoliation as the Mia 1, but with the two additional speeds. Plus, this model also comes with a battery life indicator to warn you when your battery life is getting low (a much appreciated feature) and a drying stand. My skin is back to looking fresh and smooth.
The downside? The set I bought only had the Mia 3 in good old boring white.
Verdict:
Please don't make the mistake in understanding that I did. The Foreo Luna is not an exfoliating device, but rather a cleansing device with slight exfoliating capabilities.
I wanted to love the Foreo Luna and I wish I could report great things, but it was simply not the device for me. Rather than improving my skin. I felt as though I backtracked.
The Foreo Luna, for the $139 - 200 price tag, did not accomplish anything that my own two hands and a good face wash can't achieve. I'd recommend buying a large bottle of Purity by Philosophy for $36 and putting the remaining amount towards a Clarisonic. For those who already own a Clarisonic, the Foreo Luna wasn't an upgrade from that for me personally.
I guess Clarisonic will continue to take my money for disposable brush heads, but that's a small price to pay for good skin.
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