Prettiest Skin in the Poor House

Two hundred bucks for a face brush. In this economy.

Are you outta your freaking mind?!?!

That’s the question I asked myself as I watched the salesclerk swipe my debit card for the Clarisonic® Skin Care System - $195.

So why didn’t I give in to my common sense and yell, “Stop! I changed my mind” and run out of the store?

Because there comes a time in the constant battle with Father Time, when you've got to pull out the big guns. You can’t sit on the fence while dullness, flakiness, fine lines and huge pores take over your face and slowly transform it into one you dread seeing in the mirror.

Also, if it doesn’t do what it says it will, I’ll boomerang it quicker than you can say, “Gimme my money back!”

They claim: Clarisonic® is proven to remove more dirt (sebum and makeup) than traditional, superficial cleansing, allowing your serums and moisturizers to absorb better. The sonic micro-massage clears your pores, loosening dirt, makeup and oil. The result? Skin that’s clean, clear and radiant.

My experience: A one-minute cleansing with this waterproof brush will make your face feel and look like you’ve spent two hours with ageless diva Vanessa Williams’ aesthetician.

That’s right, ladies. Just sixty-seconds to baby-smooth, buffed and polished. Afterwards, my moisturizer seemed to seep into my ultra-clean skin, instead of just sitting on top of it. I didn’t even want to put on make-up afterwards.

The skin care system consists of a brush, cradle charger, face cleanser and a brush head. While I love the brush, I wasn’t so impressed with the cleanser that accompanied it, so I alternate between Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.

I've been using the brush for three weeks now, and my fortysomething skin is looking nice enough to skip my usual dusting of mineral foundation.

The verdict: The only trip I’ll be making back to the store is for extra brush heads ($25 each at Nordstrom.com), which Clarisonic suggests you replace every 3 – 4 months. This gadget has a permanent space on my bathroom counter. It’s totally worth forgoing the snazzy sandals and purse I’ll have to skip this summer to pay for it.