Welcome to day #752 of isolation.
Okay, it hasn’t really been that long but it is definitely starting to feel like it. And if you’re anything like me, you’re starting to show physical signs of being kept away from others.
I’ve got hairs sprouting in places I’ve spent a lot of money making bald, my pesky pores have reared their ugly heads again and my greys are giving away the fact I’m not a natural red head.
In the spirit of embracing this lonely and somewhat fuzzy new world we’re now living in, I’ve decided not to let a little regrowth get the better of me and instead adapt and learn how to look after myself for the next however long we have left in lockdown – and by that I mean suss out some amazing at-home gadgets to help me look relatively normal until I can book back in with a professional.
I am definitely not alone in this thought, with interesting stats emerging in Australia showing DIY everything is on the up as we rush to acclimatise to our new life at home alone.
Dylan Mullan, creator of Happy Skin Co – a gadget that allows you to perform laser hair removal at home – said customers no longer saw the beauty tool as a luxury but a “need”.
He said after initially experiencing a slowdown at what would normally be a busy period around Afterpay day and Click Frenzy, sales have increased dramatically, he told The Beauty Diary.
Just two weeks later though and business hadn’t just gone back to normal, sales were up 2-3 times than before.
“There has been a massive boost with Australia being the strongest by far. Our sales in the US have been double than usual, website traffic is up 75% and there’s been three times more activity on social media,” Mr Mullan said, adding numbers were higher than in the December Christmas period.
“Happy Skin Co on Instagram constantly gets people tagging, commenting and sharing – it has now become a need.”
With no date in sight as to when life will get back to normal, these are the beauty gadgets I’ll be relying on in self isolation.
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HAPPY SKIN CO IPL HAIR REMOVAL HANDSET – GEN. 2
Available at happyskinco.com
Price: $299
Laser hair removal works best when it’s done regularly, every 8-10 weeks to be precise, which is why this is a godsend right now. This handset claims to have a “clinical grade” that has been adapted for safe and effective use at home. I’m not convinced it is as good as getting it done in a skin clinic, but it definitely works to keep previously treated areas fluff-free. The light comes from a small window that you press against the area you want to treat and with the tap of a button, it’ll zap it. While I wouldn’t recommend trying to de-fuzz your legs with this (the laser is pretty small so it takes forever) it does work well on smaller areas such as armpits, bikini line and facial hair. I always notice my skin is smoother and has less hair after use and I am grateful this new version has a slightly bigger window than its predecessor as well as a better fan to stop it from burning skin. Defo recommend this for surviving these iso days.
FOREO UFO 2 SONIC 90-SECOND POWERED MASK DEVICE
Available at adorebeauty.com.au and foreo.com
Price: $395
If you’re a sucker for a good sheet mask, this gadget will take your obsession to new heights. UFO 2 turns a typical 20-minute mask routine into a 90-second fast-tracked treatment and boy is it an alien experience – but a bloody good one. You attach the sheet mask to the device and away you go. There’s vibrations, LED light therapy, heat and absolutely zero mess. Getting set up is a little fiddly, you have to download an app before you can get started, but the results are worth it. Skin is left super clean, soft and visibly clearer in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea. If the price-tag is too much to justify right now, the original UFO is more than $100 cheaper and YouTube reviews online say there’s not much difference between them except a slight difference in size and the speed it takes to heat up before use.
SALT BY HENDRIX JADE FACE ROLLER
Available at adorebeauty.com.au and saltbyhendrix.com.au
Price: $39.95
You don’t have to go hi-tech to get better looking skin – this baby is a super relaxing tool that helps massage your facial tissues to increase circulation and leave skin looking brighter and less puffy. The smooth jade feels lovely and fresh when rolled over skin, I particularly love it when I’m tired and my eyebags are heavier than normal. I get the smaller stone right up in the area under my eyes and they feel instantly soothed. Some claim if you roll it over the top of a sheet mask it helps the product to penetrate but there’s not much evidence behind this. For me, it’s more of a relaxing skincare step that helps me unwind and that’s why I rate it – especially during these weird and unsettling times.
PEPPY LED LIGHT THERAPY MASK
Available at peppyco.com
Price: $179.99
This bonkers looking device has been all over Instagram for a few years now with our homegrown beauty influencer/guru Martha Kalifatidis regularly raving about it as well as the benefits of LED treatments. While you can’t expect the results to come quickly, they do come when used with time and patience. Heaps of users have shared their results online and they’re pretty impressive. Mostly people rave about the reduction in acne and scarring but also lots report a noticeable reduction in redness from using the red and yellow lights. I don’t have those skin issues, except for the odd redness and irritation from time to time – but using the blue light a few times a week for 10 minutes has definitely reduced my pores.
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