From a £1,000 hair-removal tool to an AI toothbrush, we put beauty’s priciest tech to the test
YOU don’t need reminding that the cost of everything is rising: food, bills and, yes, beauty.
Perfumes and creams regularly bust the £100 mark, and for DIY gadgets, that cost can spiral into the thousands.
Boasting salon-level and AI technology, these tools have got some serious science behind them, and it shows in the price.
After 20+ years as a beauty editor, I thought I was inured to expensive launches, but even I’m doing double takes.
So what are the latest advances, what’s worth paying a premium for, and do you really need a toothbrush with a higher IQ than you?
LED
What is it? Therapeutic lights with targeted benefits, such as red to rejuvenate, and blue for blemishes.
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LightinDerm, £400
Spendy: Masks are the best–known DIY LED gadgets, but most clinic treatments combine light therapy with other technology, so I take the same approach and combine LED therapy and physical massage with LightinDerm, £400, a facial LED massager with slot-in skincare capsules matched to different programmes.
I test the Repair programme, and spend three minutes a day rolling the serum-dispensing device over my face (not too onerous).
My skin was definitely plumped after a month of LightinDerm, but you have to keep using it to see results.
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“This device is really impressive,” agrees Dr Jessica Halliley, aesthetic doctor at .
“It has over 10 years of research, and reaches deep dermal layers for cell regeneration.";
StylePro Wavelength, £99.99
Budget: StylePro Wavelength, £99.99, is comically ugly but I like how comfortable it is, especially compared to rigid helmet masks. Being hands-free, it’s a nice 10-minute lie-down.
Although it's too early to see the full benefits, I'm encouraged by the brand's own user feedback, with 84% of people seeing brighter skin in six weeks and 76% reporting a reduction in wrinkles.
I've found it easy to fit into my evening regime and incredibly relaxing.
Almost every time I've used it, I've been asleep by the time the programme has finished!
Top 40 beauty tips that have been handed down from generations
1. Never go to bed in make up
2. Moisturise daily
3. Don't pick at your spots, to avoid scarring
4. Get enough sleep to prevent tired-looking skin
5. When it comes to make-up, less is more
6. Trim your hair regularly to prevent split ends
7. Don't forget to moisturise your neck and décolletage
8. Drink a big glass of water each morning to cleanse and rehydrate
9. Gently pat your face dry with a towel instead of rubbing to avoid irritation
10. Avoid using too much heat on your hair to prevent damage
11. Remove makeup gently, especially around the eyes
12. Use a lip balm to keep your lips soft and prevent chapping
13. Put cucumbers on eyes to help reduce puffiness
14. Choose a foundation that matches your neck to avoid a mismatched face
15. Wash your face in cold water after cleansing to close pores.
16. Rinsing hair in cold water to increase the shine
17. Wear sunscreen/SPF protection every day, no matter the weather
18. Use a cold spoon to reduce under-eye puffiness
19. Use petroleum jelly to tame brows and moisturise lips
20. Test skincare products on a small patch of skin before using them all over your face
21. Never spend longer than 30 minutes in direct sunlight
22. Exfoliate your skin regularly to remove dead skin cells
23. Wear gloves on hands and socks on feet after putting cream on overnight
24. Wear brown mascara for a less harsh look
25. Apply blush to the apples of your cheeks for a natural glow
26. Wash hair in beer to make in shiny
27. Invest in a good quality eye cream
28. Keep your makeup brushes clean to avoid breakouts
29. Apply eye cream to reduce puffiness and dark circles
30. Apply a heat protectant before using styling tools on your hair
31. Brush your hair 100 strokes per day
32. Head massages for hair growth
33. Deep condition your hair weekly to keep it healthy and shiny
34. Wrap hair in a warm towel to enhance a hair treatment
35. Use a silk pillowcase to reduce hair frizz and skin wrinkles
36. Use a facial mask once a week for deep cleansing
37. Use a gentle, non-comedogenic cleanser to prevent clogged pores
38. Exfoliate your lips using your toothbrush
39. Use mayonnaise as a hair conditioner
40. Use a primer before applying foundation for a smoother finish
IPL hair removal
What is it? IPL (intense pulsed light) disables hair follicles over a course of treatments. It’s unsuitable for the darkest skin tones, and best results are on light skin plus dark hair.
Braun IPL Skin i-Expert Pro 7, £999.99
Spendy: , £999.99, calls itself “the first smart IPL”. It links to my phone, scans my skin, then creates a programme based on my hair and with a tailored intensity level.
You can crank it up for fastest results, but you might feel a bit more discomfort (I didn't - at most, it was a tiny little flash of heat and only in the occasional spot).
There's a sensitive level for slower results but minimal hot spark sensation, and then a halfway house.
Whatever you choose will be safe and tailored to your skin tone, though.
AI tech continuously adapts the power to my skin tone as I glide the gadget over my shins, following the real-time instructions from the app.
It’s practically painless, even on full-whack.
I know Braun’s tech works for me (my armpits are sparse from using its cheaper Silk-Expert IPL) and the Pro7 is very cool.
“The integrated tech and bespoke treatment sets this apart,” says Dr Halliley.
BondiBody Mini Laser, £169
Budget: With , £169, you self-select the power and consult a chart to check it’s right for your skin/hair combo, but it’s the same basic IPL theory just minus the hand-holding.
I have to guess how long to zap my thighs for, but it’s simple and comfortable to use.
While BondiBody isn’t as slick or quick as the Braun, both offer a money-back guarantee.
“All IPL results depend on your skin/hair combination, so consider that before you invest,” says Dr Halliley.
“I’d say in-clinic hair removal results are in a different league, especially in intimate areas where skin is darker.”
Microcurrent
What is it? A tiny electrical current that tones facial muscles.
ZIIP HALO, £379
Spendy: Loved by Margot Robbie, , uses Microcurrent plus collagen-stimulating Nanocurrent for instant and long-term results on lines and firmness.
The four-minute Lift facial workout feels enjoyably weird - like most good massages.
ZIIP offers far more programmes.
I saw the best instant boost from ZIIP - in the form of glowing skin and a temporary lifted look.
Not quite Margot, but I'll take it.
It’s definitely something I'd do before a party as there's no downtime, and it's good enough to make you want to carry on for the longer-term results.
“ZIIP combines two currents, so in theory, you’d get more lift from that,” says skin guru .
Geske Microcurrent Face-Lifter 6 in 1, £39.95
Budget: adds sonic pulses for boosted circulation, and takes five minutes for a face and neck treatment.
Geske’s AI app scans and assesses skin, so results are simple to track and pain-free.
In term of quick benefits, I saw an instant glow from the blood flow boost (how much is from the sonic pulses and how much is the massage is hard to say!) and perhaps the tiniest hint of a lift.
Of course, it was temporary, but that’s what you’d expect from any microcurrent gizmo - you do need to persevere to get a bigger pay-off.
The app video tutorials were easy to follow, and 95% of its testers had softened lines in a month, so it sounds like it’s definitely worth sticking with.
Electric toothbrush
What is it? Any brush that goes beyond old-fashioned elbow grease!
Oral-B iO9, £500
Spendy: I connect , to my phone app and up pops an “AI brushing coach”, which perfects my pressure and turns a virtual map of my teeth from grotty to gleaming - so I don’t miss any spots or irritate my gums.
It actually takes about three minutes to get complete coverage on Oral-B's 3D mapping system, which made me realise how badly I’d been brushing my teeth!
“The oscillating OralB brush does more of the work for you,” notes Dr Tom Crawford-Clarke, founder of .
Ordo Sonic Lite, £29.99
Budget: , doesn’t have a bot cheering me on, but the two-minute timer keeps me motivated.
It’s light, easy to manoeuvre, looks stylish, and I really like how long the battery lasts and the sustainable story.
It's a closed-loop system, which means you can send back the brush heads, which get cleaned, broken down and turned into unspecified new products (but don't worry, you're won't be using someone's second-hand toothbrush!).
Ordo’s sonic pulse clean is great, and left my teeth feeling clean, but no brush has made my teeth feel as pristine as Oral B’s iO9 - plaque flew off my retainer wire.
"I do love Ordo’s design, five-week battery life and brush head recycling system,” adds Dr Crawford-Clarke.
Facial cleansing brush
What is it? A supreme clean from hygienic silicone bristles and sonic pulses that also firm skin.
Foreo Luna 4 Facial Cleansing Brush, £269
Spendy: , claims to shift 99.5% of dirt and oil, and leaves my skin super-refreshed without feeling stripped.
There’s also a firming massage mode, with options like reflexology, lymphatic drainage and shiatsu - it's very spa-like!
Luna4 feels more indulgent than the Magnitone (see below), but both do a great job - my face feels cleaner, but not tight or dry, and the exfoliating action means my skin is left glowing more than usual.
Magnitone BareFaced3, £89.99
Budget: , has Vibra-Sonic tech clinically proven to leave skin clearer, tighter and brighter.
The toning massage feels fab but you do need to switch heads - a bit more work but this makes washing your face a self-care moment. Debbie agrees: “It improves overall cleansing, while stimulating circulation and cellular turnover through light exfoliation.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
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The expensive gadgets definitely felt more premium and often had more research behind them, but I didn’t feel any of the budget alternatives were shoddy or unconvincing.
There were winners at every price point! But, remember, you’ll only get best results if you commit to regular use - no matter how much you spend.