Credit: Stylist/Caroline Leeming
5 min read
From a unique make-up brush to the cleverest LED face mask, here are the tools to bolster your routine – as honoured by the Stylist Best Beauty Awards.
“The finish of your beauty look is only as good as the tools you use.” Ever since our beauty director heard this advice from a professional make-up artist, it’s a mantra she has adopted in her own routine.
Whether you use brushes to achieve an even blend on your base or a hairdryer to create a perfectly coiffed, bouncy blowout, tools lend a massive helping hand in our beauty regimes. They can also be a saving grace for the time-poor among us; this year has seen the launch of a multitude of wet-to-dry tools that allow us to dry and style our hair at the same time. Over the years, we’ve seen huge advancements in skin technology, too. Many brands are now utilising the powerful and scientifically proven benefits of LED light therapy, helping us achieve salon-worthy results from the comfort of our sofas.
Here, we present our tried-and-tested edit of the tools our panel couldn’t stop discussing at Stylist HQ, earning them a Best Beauty Award.
Best Make-up Brush: Glossier Stretch Face Brush
At first glance, this make-up brush might look a bit… strange. But bear with us, because it has so many major positives. “The curved gua sha-type shape perfectly fits the contours of your face, allowing you to blend your foundation around every nook and cranny,” says Stylist’s beauty director Hanna Ibraheem. “The bristles are also super-short and dense – not only does this make for seamless blending, it also means your brush won’t soak up (and consequently waste) loads of product.
“But as somebody who is often on the go, my favourite feature is the swivel cover. I can chuck the Stretch Face Brush into my make-up bag, at peace knowing the hairs won’t be damaged or fray, or get foundation all over my other products. Glossier really nailed it with this.”
Best Tweezers: Boots Everyday Slanted Tweezers
If you choose to do hair removal, these tweezers are a great tool to keep in your bathroom arsenal. There’s a grip on the handles so you can get a firm grasp, and the tips manage to grab and pull out even the tiniest, finest of hairs. The slanted end is particularly handy if you’re plucking out hairs in an area that requires careful precision, like your eyebrows.
Best Hairdryer: Shark SpeedStyle
Following the major success of its FlexStyle air styler and hairdryer, Shark has followed up with its latest innovation: the SpeedStyle. This delivers speedy drying times (so no more arm aches), and most importantly its air-flow technology means no heat damage. There are three attachments to choose from: the RapidGloss Finisher, which works to smooth out flyaways and make hair appear shinier; the QuickSmooth Brush for straight hair styling; and the Turbo Concentrator, which is similar to a traditional hairdryer. When you’ve finished, use the Cool Shot to seal the hair cuticle and you’re good to go.
Best Hair Straightener: Ghd Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler
The next generation of hair styling starts with this one-and-done tool. It takes hair from wet to dry, just like your trusted hairdryer, while straightening strands like a classic straightening iron. Except there are no hot plates in sight – instead, this tool emits hot air to simultaneously blow-dry and straighten. And yes, it works on your roots, where expertly angled vents concentrate a lower-temperature airflow (so the delicate scalp remains unexposed to extreme heat). This is Ghd living up to its name and truly delivering good hair days.
Shop Ghd Duet Style 2-in-1 Hot Air Styler at Cult Beauty, £379
Best Hair Styler: Babyliss Super Styler
If you’re looking for a new pair of straighteners, look no further. This clever device has not one, not two but five heat settings, meaning you can tailor the temperature to suit your hair texture and styling needs. Once decided, a micro matrix heating system (told you tech in hair tools has come a long way) ensures even coverage. A microprocessor monitors the temperature 50 times a second for consistent heat and rapid cool-down. Plus, auto shut-off and sleep mode make the dreaded ‘did I turn my straighteners off?’ panic a thing of the past.
Best At-Home IPL: Philips Lumea IPL 9900 Series
Intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal devices have exploded in popularity. If you prefer to remove body hair in specific places (and of course, whether you choose to or not is totally up to you), these tools have come on leaps and bounds. While the Philips Lumea IPL 9900 Series is a hefty investment to begin with, you’ll find yourself saving money in the long run as regular salon trips become a thing of the past. What’s more, advancements in light technology mean it’s virtually painless to use. Clip on the correct attachment (it comes with four: body, face, bikini and underarm), and its clever SenseIQ will pick the correct setting for you. It also has an AI app to help you analyse your skin and track your hair removal journey. We really are living in the future, everybody.
Best LED Face Mask: Foreo UFO 3 LED
Ever leave a facial, check your complexion in your phone camera and proceed to take multiple selfies to capture your new glowy, fresh skin? Us too. So when we tested this at-home LED light therapy tool, we couldn’t resist whipping out our phones again – it left our skin looking so much healthier. It comes with 14 pre-set mask treatments, which you can start via the accompanying app, plus five spa facials. “There’s a setting for NIR (near-infrared) deep tissue heating thermo-therapy, so you can use both LED light and heat at the same time, which feels relaxing on your skin,” says Stylist’s designer Natalie Cooper. “My skin felt a lot fresher and more plump after use.”
Main image: shot for Stylist by Caroline Leeming; all other images courtesy of brands
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