A few years ago, facial cleansing brushes were the hot new innovation in vibrating devices for your person. So I totally fell for the hype and bought myself a Clarisonic. It’s by some way the most expensive facial cleansing brush on the market, but I hoped that that would mean that it was extra-sturdy and would last forever.
Fast forward three years and my Clarisonic has died. In part this was my own fault. Once I realised that the brushes are so expensive to replace, I started using it less and less. Eventually it ran completely flat and refused to recharge (apparently this can happen if you leave them uncharged for more than a month).
But now there are a lot more choices when it comes to cleansing brushes, and Clarisonic starts to look less like the smart choice, especially when you know you can’t trust it to last long-term.
So it was with serendipitous timing that Magnitone London got in touch and asked me to review their Barefaced Brush.
Magnitone as a company was born in London (Clarisonic are a US company, if you were wondering). The Barefaced! Vibra-Sonic Cleansing Brush, to give it its full name, is a newish addition to the Magnitone family of cleansing brushes, launched in July 2015.
So how does the Magnitone compare to the Clarisonic? Well, at first use the Magnitone feels lighter and less robust in my hand. But that aside, it performs in a virtually identical way.
It’s very, very simple to operate once you’ve charged it up for 12 hours to get going. One charge will keep your brush going for weeks. Apply cleanser to your face, then get busy brushing.
The Magnitone beeps every 20 seconds to signal that it’s time to move from forehead to T-zone to cheeks, covering the whole face in just one minute. Both types of brushes are splash-proof, hence you can use them in the shower.
The Magnitone standard brush head has longer and smoother bristles than the Clarisonic’s – it’s more like the Clarisonic’s premium cashmere brush. Hence you get a very thorough, but gentle cleanse. I haven’t experienced any irritation at all when using it and my skin is nice and smooth.
The good thing about using a cleansing brush is that it really helps with absorption of whatever you put on next, so your serum or moisturiser will sink in really well and be more effective.
Budget-wise, the numbers speak for themselves – Magnitone’s brushes range from £70 – £150; whilst Clarisonic’s devices go from £99 to £199. So for the brushes, Magnitone is undeniably cheaper as they are often on special offer for around the £50 mark. Plus each Magnitone contains a £5 credit for their website once you register your device.
When it comes to ongoing costs, Magnitone wins hands down – it offers a two pack of brushes for £16, whilst one Clarisonic brush will set you back at least £21. And you will need to change those brushes every three months because no matter how much you clean them, they’ll still accumulate face gunk.
Having used both brushes for an extended amount of time, there’s really nothing to choose between them in terms of what they do, and they both do it well. So why would you pay double for a Clarisonic? I can’t think of a reason. Magnitone seems to me to be the best choice all round.
Product details
Magnitone Barefaced! comes in a range of pastel colours and is available via the Magnitone website and a range of other online and high street outlets, RRP £70.
Have you used a facial cleansing brush? What did you think of it?
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