Level-up your skincare routine with these three beauty devices — tried and tested by Weekender
By Samantha Francis
Could Little Mermaid be referring to these beauty devices when she sang “I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty”? No wonder she looked flawless while frolicking with the fishes.
With basic cleansing, anti-ageing and even anti-blemish properties, these three new-to-market gadgets claim to transform your skin. Here’s our verdict after trying them.
Philips VisaPure Essential Anti-Blemish SC5278/13
Philips VisaPure Essential Anti-Blemish SC5278/13.
For years, my trusty hands have been doing a pretty decent job of cleansing my skin — or so I thought — and I’ve never felt the need for a cleansing brush.
Nonetheless, with the promise of clearer skin, I was keen to give Philips VisaPure Essential Anti-Blemish SC5278/13 ($289) a try. A sleek and compact wand-shaped device, the jade-green cleansing brush fit snugly in my palms.
I started by moistening the brush head with water and added a dollop of my liquid cleanser before applying it to my skin. Upon clicking the single, “On”, button on the device, the bristles of the brush head started to oscillate.
As I moved it along my face, the sensation was soft and comfortable. The long, thin bristles reach pores better than hands alone, making it ten times more effective but just as gentle. If this can sweep out all my blackheads, I’m sold.
As a cleansing brush targeted at acne-prone skin, it tackles the two stages of acne formation. Firstly, by working with a cleanser to dissolve sebum and reduce oiliness and, secondly, via removing dead skin cells and residue that can clog pores.
After using the brush twice a day for a full week, I noticed that my T-zone was significantly less oily. Did it completely remove my existing blemishes? Not quite, although they looked slightly lighter.
The price tag of $289 may be a little hefty but, for a product that not only cleanses your skin deeply but also improves micro-circulation and removes dead skin cells, it may just be worth the splurge.
Available at Sephora from March.
Skin Inc Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light
Skin Inc Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light.
If, like me, you wish that regular customised facial treatments were a luxury you could afford, consider the Skin Inc Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light ($398).
The Tri-Light is basically a customisable light therapy device, which fuses the power of coloured LED Chromotherapy and Low Frequency Stimulation. What the treatment does is to basically activate light receptors in skin cells and stimulate them to improve skin quality.
Compared to its predecessor, the Optimizer Voyage, the new and improved Tri-Light comes with three light settings for one to customise treatments. Switch on the red LED for anti-ageing purposes via increasing collagen and elastin production, yellow LED to revive dull skin for a brighter complexion and blue LED to soothe inflamed and acne-prone skin.
I started off by slathering a water-based serum on my face before switching on the blue LED. Concentrating on my T-zone, I massaged the device on my skin in circular motions.
After that I switched to the yellow LED for my cheeks and, finally, to the red LED for my jawline. Immediately after the ten-minute recommended usage time, my skin felt tighter and firmer.
Apart from that, there was little significant improvement until after three days of continuous use. To my delight, a persistent acne scar on my chin had started to fade.
As I had combination skin, the customisable treatments were a wonderful addition to my skincare regime, allowing me to target my skin problems one area at a time.
Available at Skin Inc, Sephora, Luxola and Zalora.
Foreo LUNA 2
Foreo LUNA 2.
Compared to most cleansing devices I’ve seen, the Foreo LUNA 2 ($299) looks incredibly handy, fool-proof and, dare I add, almost too cute to be true. Shaped like a disc and available in four pastel hued models for different skin types, it doubles as a facial cleansing and anti-ageing device.
The next generation LUNA 2 comes with improved features such as a brush head that’s 50 per cent bigger to enable more efficient cleansing in the same amount of time, and 26 per cent longer touch-points to allow more flexibility in making contact with the skin.
Upon switching on the device, it vibrated rather strongly but, thankfully, only created a light humming sound. The cleansing sensation felt like a gentle massage as the entire device was made of silicone and not bristles.
However, due to its unusual shape, I found it a little challenging to manoeuvre the device around the sides of my nose or my eye sockets.
On the whole, the ease of using a LUNA appeals to me — there’s no brush head to replace! After a full week of using it, I found that my skin was smoother to the touch, with tightened pores at my T-zone.
Available at Sephora from May.
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