February 01, 2014

Enter to win: Philips VisaPure Facial Cleansing Brush

February 01, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Yep, it's giveaway time! And it's Bagful of Notion's biggest giveaway yet!

Philips is giving one lucky Bagful of Notions' reader a brand new VisaPure Facial Cleansing Brush to call their own!

To the ladies and gents in the rest of the world, fret not. I'll host a giveaway for you soon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

January 26, 2014

Video Review: Philips' VisaPure Facial Cleansing Brush

January 26, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

You read that right, Video Review!

Something I forgot to go into further detail about is the cleansing cycle. For every minute of deep cleansing you do (I recommend using the VisaPure once a day, max), the VisaPure pulses for half of a second after 20 seconds has passed. This quick pulse serves as an indicator and reminder to move onto the next portion of your face. After a full minute has elapsed the VisaPure automatically shuts off.

Full disclosure, I read a few other VisaPure user reviews. A couple of people have complained their device malfunctioned after three weeks of repeated use. Honestly, I can only speculate that water may've weaselled its way in somehow *cough* submersed in water *cough* *cough* and fried the wiring. I have no qualms about using the VisaPure in the shower, but I wouldn't let it make like a fish.

Then again, there could be a bunch of other potential reasons.

Want to see how well the Philips VisaPure stacks up to Clarisonic's Mia II? Check out Beauty Alchemy's comparison chart.

Between the ums, yeahs and sos I hope you enjoyed watching my review.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for the Philips' VisaPure Facial Cleansing Brush:

$149.95 AUS / $184.99 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

7 out of 10 bags — Despite noticing a minor improvement in my complexion, it certainly hasn't been life altering.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

I wouldn't mind checking out the exfoliating brush head.

*PR sample provided – Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

December 22, 2012

The guinea pig diaries: Philips' Lumea IPL Hair Removal System - fighting hair regrowth one pulse at a time

December 22, 2012/ Nicole McIntyre

A few months ago I started using Philips' Lumea IPL* to help combat hair regrowth on my legs. I've tried shaving and waxing, but let's face it any method of hair removal requires patience and time. And more often than not I leave myself with very little time in the morning to get ready, let alone shave. And my patience, well you'll have to ask Scott about that ;)

Aside from committing myself to trying a new device, I also have to believe in the potential positive results. Every two weeks (well, four in my case) I sit down on the couch and reach for my fully-charged Lumea. Before firing the device, be sure to hand your loved one sunglasses; we wouldn't want to blind them, do we now?

I bet you're wondering about the benefits, timeliness and ease of use. After shaving, but before moisturising is the best time to use the Lumea; it's important to note your moisturiser can act as a barrier and reduce the effectiveness of the device. And the manual, read it -- it's useful and addresses who can and can't use it; women or men with auto-immune diseases and skin sensitivities should give the Lumea a miss. Also take a look at the back of the box, there's a table which helps you asses your skin and hair type -- if you're a match, then live long and prosper! Erm, go for it!

Once you've gone through the important stuff and read the fine print, it's time to point and shoot. So where do we go from here?

Test an inconspicuous spot to see which level of light intensity you can handle; ranges from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest).
Shave desired areas you wish to treat.
Turn on your Lumea IPL and switch it to the appropriate level of intensity.
Press the head of the gun firmly onto skin until the "Ready" indicator turns green, shoot, slide device to a new area and repeat.
If you want to use the Lumea on your face or underarms, simply switch to the smaller interchangeable head.

The perks of using Philips' Lumea IPL:

I'm down to shaving my legs twice a week.
My hair has stopped growing in some spots on my legs and in other areas is coming in blonde/fine.
Fast and easy to use! I can finish one leg in about eight minutes.
It's cordless.

The cons:

It's expensive. The suggested retail price is $1,299.95 AUS!!
The manual can scare a user off from even attempting to try it.
It takes a while to notice the promised final results.

This particular hair removal process is a work in progress. I'll check back soon to give you my final thoughts and let you know where my leg hair stands (or falls).