Oh the Clarisonic Face Brush. By all accounts it is the holy grail of face brushes. You can barely open a magazine without reading about it. Seems like every female celebrity credits her prepubescent skin to the Clarisonic. And I want one.

But I don’t want the price tag. And I’ve long intended to explore other (i.e. cheaper) options but never quite got around to it. So when I spotted an article recommending the Champneys Facial Cleansing System which was only £14.99 from Boots, I couldn’t get onto Google quick enough. Surely there was a typo in the price.

No sirree, not only was it the right price but the reviews were great and it was in stock. I quickly added it to my basket but simply couldn’t wait to collect it in store after 2pm the next day. So come 12 noon that lunchtime, I screeched out of the car park and quite possibly broke the speed limit the entire way to the Trafford Centre.

 And it was worth it. Not only was it in stock but it was the last one on the shelf. It was meant to be. Roll on home time.

 

So the nice surprise it that despite the low price tag, it doesn’t feel low quality. It’s a sleek looking gadget which comes with four brush heads, two exfoliating and two for everyday use. There’s a tidy stand to hold the brush and it even came with batteries so it couldn’t have been easier to get up and running. Insert batteries, switch on, hello new skin. Hopefully.

 The instructions recommend that it’s used with a Champneys product but that’s to be expected. As I’ve never used a facial brush before, I went for a basic and gentle Simple cleansing lotion. Especially as I opted for the exfoliating brush, I thought anything more intensive might be a little too abrasive.

I moistened my skin with  warm water, put a little dab of the lotion on the brush and off I went. It could not be easier. I followed the instructions and ‘brushed’ for about 10 seconds on my cheeks and about 20 seconds on my forehead, nose and chin. You know how your teeth feel so much cleaner when you use an electric toothbrush, this feels similar, as if it’s doing a deep clean.

After ‘brushing’ I used a muslin cloth to wipe away any product and moisturised as normal. When you’re finished, you remove the brush head and rinse it under a hot tap. Job done. The next morning I used the white everyday brush and as the facial brush is water resistant I was able to do this in the shower . To me that is so handy, it saves there being another stage to my morning routine.

So did I see a difference? Every part of me wants to say don’t be daft, of course not. But I actually did.  I have combination skin which is a  little dehydrated. When I don’t look after it I can sometimes see a tiny patch of dry skin on my forehead. But one zap of the exfoliating brush and that was banished. And let’s face it, if you’re cleansing thoroughly and buffing away old skin, your moisturiser has a better chance of sinking and doing its job. After moisturising the next day my skin looked really fresh, not shiny but with a very noticeable glow. I can’t see any difference in my pores out but I’m hopeful. And hooked. I could live without this gadget, but I don’t want to.