Benefit “They’re Real” mascara. Only one word will do. Magical. When a make-up artist at the Benefit counter applied this for me, my eyelashes looked startlingly longer and thicker – so much so that I could see a pronounced difference between my newly Benefitted right eye, and my left eye, which was still wearing my former mascara of choice. I purchased an extra tube for my mother, who was promptly converted, as well. Two months later, I still love it.

Praise for the Clarisonic face brush. I received my first pimple when I was a solidly pre-pubescent 10 years old. My mother popped it while I sat next to her in the car, my grimacing, upturned face committed to the task while my body squirmed away. That lone, unwelcome protrusion on my chin turned out to be a harbinger of things to come. I’ve spent the past 25 years grappling with acne. Along the way, there have been some humorous moments. One year, for Christmas, a well-meaning relative gave me the unsolicited gift of acne medication. And some less humorous moments, as well… a high school friend, whose skin reacted badly to borrowed make-up, pronounced herself hideous for acne that was much more mild than mine, and contemplated releasing her prom date from his commitment.

Despite assistance from innumerable dermatologists, medications, facialists, skin care products, a little hypnosis, some acupuncture, and my largely unswerving commitment to regular exercise, a low glycemic index diet, and sufficient sleep, I’ve been able to win isolated battles, but not the war.

With the advent of the Clarisonic skincare brush, I’ve made the leap to guerilla warfare. Nothing else has effected such immediate, pronounced, and sustained change. Existing product reviews (among them, Allure magazine’s 2011 Best of Beauty list) breathlessly bandy about descriptions of soft, dewy, fresh skin. This is not hyperbole. Allow me to add my voice to the chorus: the Clarisonic brush is really as spectacular as the claims suggest. Within a couple of days of using it, my skin looked clearer, fresher, and somehow more youthful, and felt smoother and softer.

Unsurprisingly, my dermatologist recently disclosed plans to begin selling the Clarisonic brush from her office.

N.B. I used the Clarisonic brush with the blue, “delicate” brush head. Friends who have used the regular brush, with which the Clarisonic comes, report finding it a bit rough. The brush heads are replaceable – and should, in fact, be replaced every couple of months – so this is not a difficult alteration.