Is your Clarisonic Mia 2 Authentic? Signs You Got a Fake Clarisonic

Before you’re going to snatch that deal (or steal) on a Clarisonic Mia device or replacement brushes from an unauthorized seller, please think it through! In case you haven’t known about it yet, the internet is looming with fake Clarisonic devices, some of which might be sold at the retail price.

If you’re about to purchase a cheap Clarisonic, DON’T do it until you've finally verified if it’s REAL THING. You might be looking at a counterfeit.

This is a rather long post, but I hope you'll stick to the end! 


MY STORY

Fake Clarisonic (?) packaging

I swear I should have known this few days before I bought my ‘Clarisonic’. I was blinded by a ‘too-good-to- be-true’ offer.

Imagine, a Clarisonic Mia 2 device was being sold at roughly Php 3,700, which is approximately ($ 81), including shipping. 

Fake Clarisonic (?) packaging

Authorized dealers of Clarisonic, sell the Mia 2 at the retail price of $149 each, approximately Php 6,900 (doesn’t even include shipping!) If you’re lucky, probably you could snatch it at a lower price, probably 25% less at most. Still, with that discount, the device would still be expensive at a little above Php 5000 each.

The ‘shady’ offer, being only half the suggested retail price should have been a red flag, and I shouldn’t have ignored the signs. But, the dealer, did mention that it’s 100% Guaranteed Authentic, and this prompted me to buy the whole thing.

Fake Clarisonic Mia 2 (?)

Guess what?! I got a counterfeit!

Signs you got a counterfeit... 

If you’d check this guideline, my Clarisonic might look authentic. It feels authentic, too! However, upon closer inspection, I found some peculiar things about the device that finally made me think that it’s clearly the counterfeit version. I even managed to use the device without even knowing that it’s fake!

I don’t have an authentic Clarisonic Mia 2 (only a Clarisonic Mia 1) to compare it with, but I believe these signs are worth looking into as well.

PACKAGING

Packaging could tell you a lot about the thing you just bought. My experience on purchasing a Clarisonic taught me to scrutinize the packaging very well.

The fake Clarisonic box I got has a luxurious 'satiny' finish, and it kind of looks 'elegant' and authentic, despite the damages around the corner. This is the very reason why I didn't scrutinize it much at first, because it looked authentic!

See for yourselves!

But this, got me thinking:

According to this other guideline #2, (to be exact), what I got, based on the packaging alone, is FAKE!

And it doesn't end there, it gets worse! Take a good look at the following photos: 

Image 1

If you're sharp, you'd notice that the first sentence alone, doesn't make any sense at all. Punctuation is a little off, and there are obviously clerical mistakes that are unforgivable. Seriously, how could you interpret this: "...obstructio ns [sic] are removed, skin care products can absorb better...". And, I could even place 'sic' all over the box! 

Hard to believe this is actually designed in the US. And I wasn't even that 'sharp' when I first unboxed this.

Wait, there's more! Tell me what is wrong with the following photo? 

Image 2

 How about these two photos?

Image 3

Image 4

LOT / BATCH CODE (located at the bottom of your device)

The batch code is a special code embedded at the bottom of the device. A few years back, the best way to verify if a product is authentic or not, is through product registration at Clarisonic. All you have to do is register the batch code, and you're done!

Batch code (Fake version)

Of course, I did the very same thing as well, and I was able to successfully register my 'fake' device online.

Here's a snapshot:

But, to my surprise, you could actually input (and register) two or more Clarisonics of the same batch code! Red flag! Because counterfeiters could easily copy lot codes from authentic ones!

I tried googling my fake Clarisonic batch code (MT13356A) and got some results, too:

.

Taken from a forum. Look, we got the same batch code! 

There's no sign of MT13356A anywhere, instead, I just got another bunch of random numbers

So, basically, don't just depend on the registration notification.

LABELS

Take a close look at the authentic Mias in the Internet, and you'd soon notice that the spacing between 'Mia' and '2' are not that far.

2 spaces apart? 

BRUSH

Clarisonic is supposed to be a high-end product, and you're not supposed to find anything imperfect with it. And so, my fake Clarisonic did have some minor issues. Whenever I try to attach the brush on to the device, it would always end up askew - no matter how much you twist and turn - it always ends up that way.

Here are some photos of the brush: 

The inner circles are not evenly spaced. Can you see it? 

Fake device in action

The plain normal brush

Underside of the fake brush: with embossed figures, too! 

I couldn't make out most of the words here... 

CHARGING AND BATTERY HOURS

The original Clarisonic Mia utilizes magnets when charging. Of course, being a replica, this version of Clarisonic Mia 2 utilizes magnets as well, the only downside, is that the charger barely adheres to the surface of the device. I had to hold the charger in place to charge my fake Mia. On the other hand, my authentic Clarisonic Mia 1 didn't have such problems.

Basically, this problem alone on my 'Clarisonic Mia 2' indicates that I have indeed purchased a counterfeit version. 

This end here, utilizes magnets

TRAVEL CASE

To my dismay as well, the fake Clarisonic Mia 2, doesn't fit in the travel case it came with. I was indeed better off without it. 

fake Clarisonic Mia 2 travel case

CLEANSER

Just like the original, the fake one included a 'Clarisonic' Refreshing Gel Cleanser as well. I'm glad I didn't put this in the test. Who knows what's inside?!

CONCLUSION

I did regret buying my fake Clarisonic Mia 2, but I'm glad the seller was very kind to take it back and have it refunded. I will not disclose the name of the seller/company I got this from, though. 

In case you're still wondering what I replaced my Mia 2 with, I'm having fun with my new and authentic Clarisonic. I bought the cheaper and older version of the Mia 2, which is the Mia 1, and I love it to bits!

The sad thing about Clarisonic, though, is the availability here in the Philippines. They don't sell to the Philippines at all, and there are no authorized Philippine sellers yet. I asked somebody from the US to buy me one from one of the authorized sellers, and have it shipped internationally.

There are probably some things I missed/ forgot to mention, so please, if there's anything that you could add, please feel free to comment below. 

And if you feel that this would be very useful, feel free to share it to your friends, and relatives. 

Thanks for dropping by! 

Love,

Marie

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Posted by Unknown in clarisonic, clarisonic mia 2, counterfeit, fake, how to

Is your Clarisonic Mia 2 Authentic? Signs You Got a Fake Clarisonic

Review: Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System Specialty Cleansing Device (Cleansing Brush)

According to most beauty reviews, Clarisonic works like a charm. However, its hefty pricetag prevents everyone from joining the Clarisonic bandwagon.

The original Clarisonic Mia is priced at $100. The Clarisonic Mia 2 is retailed at $149.

Now, are there other options?

Thankfully, lots of companies nowadays venture into competing with Clarisonic’s cleansing brushes. A quick search would give you a variety of cleansing devices to choose from. There's even a variety from known drugstore brands!

Before I ventured into using Clarisonic for my beauty regimen, I took my chances at Olay’s cleansing brush. It wasn’t as expensive as Clarisonic as it was only Php 1803 (approximately $39). I bought mine from Luxola, and if I remember correctly, I got it on sale – 30% off.

The Box

The Olay set I bought came with the following:

• ·         Facial cleansing device  
• ·         Brush head
• ·         20ml Olay cleanser
• ·         2 – AA batteries

I also got myself an extra brush for about Php 423 (approximately $10). I got a bit of luck because it was 30% off as well.

I bought it with the intention of ‘taking my cleansing routine into the next level’. After all, Olay promises to efficiently cleanse the facial skin 4x better than manual cleansing (see photos).

I initially thought that this could be an alternative to the costly Clarisonic, but I guess I was wrong. In my opinion, both devices are not even worth comparing because they are very different. The price difference aside, the Olay Advanced Cleansing Device:

·         has smaller brush diameter compared to Clarisonic; hence, cleansing with the Olay brush would take more strokes than the latter 

·         rotates 360 degrees when used as a cleansing device; the Clarisonic ‘pulsates’ and doesn’t even rotate at 360 degrees 

·         Olay uses AA batteries 

·         No timer. You decide when to stop ‘cleansing’ 

·         All of Olay’s brush bristles move during cleansing, Clarisonic’s don’t – at least not all of them. 

·         Olay’s bristles are for exfoliating the skin, and not for cleansing, in my opinion. The bristles are not gentle enough for cleansing. Clarisonic is for cleansing.

Let me repeat. Don’t even compare this cleansing device with a Clarisonic, because they are very different from each other. You can’t necessarily compare apples with oranges, can you?

Now that I’ve made the differences clear, let’s proceed to the actual review.

Build of the actual device

This Olay Cleansing brush is very sleek and easy to hold.

Despite its small size, it’s a rather ‘heavy’ device. The batteries contribute to its ‘heaviness’, but it’s not quite an issue at all. You can still hold it and do your cleansing.

On another note, I find the brushes really easy to replace. You’ll just have to twist and push the replacement brush, and you’re good to go.

without the brush

Batteries

free batteries

battery compartment

One thing I hate about this cleansing device is the battery compartment. Aside from the fact that you’ll have to regularly replace batteries for this brush, the compartment is very difficult to open! It took me around five tries the first time around, and I almost broke the whole thing! It’s the same thing every time I try to open it. It’s always stuck!

Sadly, the battery compartment is the very reason why I bought myself a Clarisonic later on.

Cleansing Device

The brush feels soft and the bristles are fine – not until you turn the device on. Even at ‘normal’ speed, the bristles would sometimes go deep into the pores and hurt me in the process. I wish Olay would just rename this as an ‘exfoliating’ device, rather than a cleansing brush. It really works perfectly as an exfoliator, and should only be used once or twice a week. It might hurt, but using this is worth it.

close shot on the brush

Performance and Effectiveness

I’ve read in some blogs that cleansing devices could sometimes cause a breakout. I believe I did for a few days when I first used this as a cleanser. My face became sooo red, until I decided to use it sparingly in a week’s time. Instead of using it twice a day as recommended, I managed to cleanse with it twice a week at most. I believe this has significantly improved the condition of my skin.

Did I mention that it took lots of makeup with it, every after I cleanse? It’s great, and I believe it does what it promises – 4x better cleansing than with cleanser alone.

Overall

It’s a decent cleansing device because it’s very affordable and yet, a very effective tool in enhancing one’s facial skin features.

However, I only needed a cleansing brush, and not an exfoliating one. It might be good, but I believe I’m bound for something else.

As of this writing, my sister uses it on a regular basis, and she loves it so much! I gave it up because I realized a needed a Clarisonic. (I'll make a separate review on Clarisonic later on.. :) )

Should You Buy It?

If:

·         You’re fine with using the device twice a week at most; 

·         You don’t have sensitive skin; 

·         You’re fine with ‘stiff’ brush bristles; 

·         You’re fine with 360 degrees rotation for the brush; 

·         You don’t mind spending regularly on AA batteries; 

·         You’re fine with a bad battery compartment; 

·         You want to improve your skin's condition; 

·         You’re fine with a device that is water resistant, and NOT waterproof

If you said yes to all of these, then maybe, you should give this cleansing device a try.

And, before I say 'bye bye', here's a snapshot of the Olay Cleanser that this Olya Cleansing Device came with. I haven't had the chance to use it yet, so apologies on that one. 

Bye!

[DISCLAIMER] This is NOT a sponsored or paid advertisement. NEWBEE (the author of this blog) purchased the said product using her own money. 

Please note that the reviews are not by any chance made by an expert on makeup and skincare; these reviews are all based on the author’s limited knowledge, thoughts, and opinions. 

If you have beauty products that you’d like me to review, let me know!  

Need advertising space? This blog is also open for advertising. Please send me a message to:newbeeworld31@gmail.com

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Posted by Unknown in brush, clarisonic, cleanser, cleansing device, drugstore, olay, skincare

Review: Olay Regenerist Advanced Cleansing System Specialty Cleansing Device (Cleansing Brush)