There's one category of beauty that we can't resist no matter how hard we try: beauty tools. As Ariel from The Little Mermaid once expressed, "I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty" but our collection is most definitely not complete.
Each year we wait with anticipation to see what new skin care, makeup, and hair products [1] our favourite brands [2] will come up with, but nothing drums up excitement quite like beauty gadgets. From inventive heat styling tools unlike anything we have in our current stash to skin-care devices that rival in-office machines, each year is packed with more developments and innovations [3] than the one before.
Whether you're looking to unlock your best skin or hair yet in the new year or simply want to indulge in a treat for yourself for no particular reason at all, we rounded up the best beauty gadgets.
Droplette
Droplette [4] ($249) is backed by NASA — yes, that NASA — so right off the bat, you know it has to be cool. The handheld device is physics-powered and converts standard skin-care ingredients into a micro-fine mist that can then be applied to the skin. The benefit of this is that it helps deliver potent ingredients deeper than traditional serums and creams.
Odacite Mon Ami Facial Acupressure Beauty Tool
Holding a lot of tension from the past year? Same. The Odacite Mon Ami Facial Acupressure Beauty Tool [5] ($19) helps promote facial muscle relaxation. Rooted in Chinese medicine, the simple tool works by applying light to medium pressure to tension points in the face — like on the temples and eyebrows — which not only feels good but helps keep wrinkles from forming.
OPTE Precision System
The OPTE Precision System [6] ($600) is an intelligent makeup-skin-care hybrid tool. The device scans and detects discoloration and uneven pigment in the skin using blue LED light and then dispenses a serum to instantly conceal the spot and help correct it over time. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?
Belisa by Lunata Cordless Flat Iron
Cords are so 2020. In 2021, that tangled mess will be a thing of the past, thanks to the Belisa by Lunata [7] Cordless Flat Iron ($130). Coming in February 2021, this cordless hair tool lasts from 30 to 40 minutes on a single charge and heats from 200 to 430 degrees with its energy-efficient, rapid heating design.
Shani Darden Facial Sculpting Wand
For those of us not based in LA and unable to visit celebrity aesthetician Shani Darden in real life, she just launched the Facial Sculpting Wand [8] ($399). It helps recreate the local vibration portion of her signature facials at home by targeting wrinkles and boosting circulation in the skin.
Carter and Jane The Everything Tool
Just as its name suggests, the Carter and Jane The Everything Tool [9] ($298) does everything. It has six modes: cleanse for the entire face; mirco-current technology to smooth the under-eye area; thermal technology for moisture infusion; electrical muscle stimulation to lift and tighten; radiofrequency paired with red light to increase collagen; blue light paired with cryotherapy to address inflammation and acne. It would be easier to list the things it doesn't do.
Georgia Louise C + - Pure Ampoules Plus Ionic Wand
When combined with a special powder-to-serum, pure vitamin C, the Georgia Louise C + - Pure Ampoules Plus Ionic Wand [10] ($280) brightens skin and fades discoloration and dark spots. Simply apply the vitamin C serum and gently rub the wand across your face to get these brightening benefits, as well as neutralise free radicals and promote collagen production.
ReFa CAXA M1
Kick puffiness and tension to the curb with the ReFa CAXA M1 [11] ($99). It lifts, contours, and sculpts using the smooth, rounded side, and provides a mini facial massage using the side with the four roller balls. It's like a jade roller but way fancier. Use it while you're cosy on the couch watching TV and allow all of your troubles to melt away.
DryBar The Single Shot
Introducing the little sister to DryBar's Double Shot Blow-Dryer Brush — The Single Shot [12] ($150). This 2.25 inch round blow-dry brush is designed to give beautiful, at-home blowouts to all, but is especially great for shorter hair and styling bangs.