Get the Scoop on all the High-Tech Beauty Gadgets Seen on Telemundo NY’s “Acceso Total”
Yesterday, I stopped by Telemundo 47’s “Acceso Total” show to chat about the latest high-tech beauty gadgets designed for at-home use and developed using many of the technologies previously only available at dermatologist and dentist offices, not to mention professional hair and nail salons, spas, and makeup studios. From sonic cleansing devices to wrinkle-reducing laser treatments, teeth whitening light therapy systems, automatic curling irons, and ergonomically designed makeup brushes, check out the latest and greatest beauty innovations, as seen in yesterday’s segment!
SONIC FACIAL CLEANSING
We kicked off the segment chatting about the latest innovations in regard to facial cleansing and anti-aging — basically everything a girl needs to literally put her best face forward!
So let’s start with the basics: cleansing!
Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush
The Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush ($89.50 at Clinique.com) relies on sonic technology to more efficiently remove dirt, debris and surface oils, making for a more thorough cleansing than what would be achieved when washing by hand. The oval-shaped brush was designed to tar, contoured areas of the face like the sides of the nose, the hairline and the chin. Moreover, its two-toned bristle design provides a customized cleansing experience. The green bristles along the brush head’s top edge are shorter and stiffer, designed to unclog the often-congested pores along the T-zone, and their placement along the angled tip is far from coincidental — instead, it’s the result of careful planning, with their positioning conceived to reach the seemingly inaccessible regions of the face. The white bristles comprising the rest of the brush head are longer and softer, meanwhile, making them more appropriate for usage in the more sensitive areas of the face, like the cheeks and chin.
As of this month, users with oily or acne-prone skin can purchase the Clinique Acne Solutions Deep Cleansing Brush Head ($26 at Clinique.com), which features an aqua-colored angled tip with firmer and shorter bristles designed to access the oilier and harder-to-reach areas of the face, whereas the light blue bristles comprising the rest of the brush head are gentler and softer.
Customers with dry, normal, or combination skin can use the brush alongside the Clinique Foaming Sonic Facial Soap ($19.50 at Clinique.com), which features a gentle, coconut oil-derived cleanser; glycerin, a natural humectant that leaves skin feeling comfortable after the cleansing routine is complete; and sucrose and caffeine, which calm and soothe redness and inflammation while also promoting firmness. Those with acne-prone skin, meanwhile, can complete their routine with the Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Gel ($20 at Clinique.com), which features salicylic acid to remove acne-causing bacteria and clear congested pores; brown algae extract to reduce excess sebum; caffeine, sucrose, and gentian root to keep skin comfortable;and hyaluronic acid and glycerin to make sure skin doesn’t dehydrate but, instead, retains its optimal moisture level.
ANTI-AGING
Next, we talked about some of the amazing advances made in the realm of anti-aging gadgets that incorporate everything from phototherapy to microcurrent facial technology to stimulate collagen production and diminish the appearance fine lines and wrinkles. Here’s a breakdown of the products showcased:
NuFACE Limited Edition Coral Crush Trinity Facial Toning Device
Dubbed “the 5-minute face-lift” by beauty insiders, the NuFACE Limited Edition Coral Crush Trinity Facial Toning Device ($325 at NeimanMarcus.com, Nordstrom.com, Sephora.com, and MyNuFace.com) relies on microcurrent technology to tone the facial muscles below the skin’s surface, in the process stimulating circulation, promoting collagen and elastin production to prevent the formation of fine lines and wrinkles and smooth existing aging signs, and toning these muscles to almost immediately improving the appearance of the face, making the skin look more taut. Designed for use along the corners of the mouth, where expression lines tend to surface, and above the brows, where rows of ridge-like crevices creep up, this ergonomically designed apparatus delivers visible results after a single 5-minute treatment, with the effects becoming even more apparent with continual daily use.
illuMask Anti-Aging Phototherapy Mask
Phototherapy has long been used in anti-aging treatments but, until recently, women had to go to the dermatologists’ office and invest a lot of time and money in their quest for younger-looking skin. Thanks to the latest technological advances, however, a number of companies have adapted these light therapy concepts and incorporated them into beauty devices specifically meant for convenient at-home use. The illuMask Anti-Aging Phototherapy Mask ($30 at Walmart, Target, Ulta, and Walgreens), for instance, is a wearable mask that slips comfortably onto the face with the ease typically associated with putting on a pair of sunglasses (in fact, glasses are built into the device to keep them protected). Once you press the power button on the remote attached to the mask, a series of bulbs emitting red and infrared light will switch on, distributing the light uniformly over the entire face. The red light helps to even skin tone and create a more luminous complexion, while the infrared light penetrates dermal cells to stimulate collagen and elastin production. Once 15 minutes have elapsed, the self-timed session will be complete and the mask will automatically power off, so all you have to do is kick back for 15 minutes a day and enjoy the results. Each mask offers 30 treatments — a month’s worth of phototherapy sessions.
Silk’n FaceFX
This hand-held device also relies on light therapy principles, along with deep thermal heating, to deliver anti-aging results. The Silk’n FaceFx ($149 at Silkn.com) relies on a combination of red light therapy and deep thermal heating to stimulate collagen and elastin production within the deep skin tissue while also helping to reduce pore size and improve the overall tone and appearance of the skin. The Silk’n FaceFX is designed for use on the neck, cheeks, forehead, and around the eyes. To use, all you need to do is press the power button and, applying slight pressure, glide the applicator tip over the area of the face you wish to treat using circular motions, spending 5-7 minutes on each specific area (a complete treatment, then, should take about 15-20 minutes).
Iluminage Skin Smoothing Laser
It might look like a futuristic sculpture, but the Iluminage Skin Smoothing Laser ($595 at BergdorfGoodman.com, NeimanMarcus.com, and QVC) is, in fact, the only FDA-approved at-home laser device. Its appealing design is the brainchild of designer Karim Rashid, who envisioned the two-piece construction, which is comprised of an arched, interactive, hand-held laser and a matching charging base. The result of nearly a decade s of research, this powerhouse device relies on laser technology to penetrate the deepest layers of the skin, with pulses of laser light helping to generate new collagen fibers, reinforcing the skin’s support structure to stop aging signs at their tracks.
TEETH WHITENING
What woman doesn’t want her pearly whites to actually look, well, pearly? Most of us have tried teeth whitening toothpastes, mouthwashes, and tray treatments galore, often with disappointing results or unexpected consequences like increased sensitivity. Well, the Luster Pro Light Dental Whitening System ($44 at Duane Read, Walgreen’s, Walmart and other mass market retailers) manages to brighten your smile without making you endure any discomfort or sensitivity. This three-step system contains an AcceleRinse mouthwash, which cleanses the mouth and pretreats teeth to maximize results, a Stain Lifting Serum, which is brushed atop teeth and features dental peroxide to lift surface stains, and a Whitening Light, which activates a photo-catalyst in the Stain Lifting Serum for faster and more effective teeth whitening. After only two minutes of shining the light on teeth, your smile will look ravishing!
MAKEUP APPLICATION
The Artís Fluenta 9-Brush Set ($400 at BergdorfGoodman.com) features a range of alluringly elegant, ergonomically designed makeup brushes for the most precise application. All of the brushes in the set are made with CosmoFibres, revolutionary engineered fabrics, and feature tilted handles for more intuitive movement. This expert set comes packaged in a velvet box with a magnetic flap closure and features the following brushes: Oval 10, which has an oval brush head comprised of 250,000 fibers and which is designed to apply makeup or powder to large areas of the face or body; Oval 8, which is slightly smaller than the Oval 10 and is recommended for applying foundation or powder to large areas like the cheeks and forehead; Oval 6, which can be used to apply eyeshadow to the entire upper and lower lid area, to sweep blush atop the apples of the cheeks, or to highlight cheekbones; Oval 4, designed to apply eyeshadow along the lower lid and up to the crease or to glide a highlighting powder underneath brows to accentuate the arch; Oval 3, ideal for blending eyeshadow along the outer corners of the eyes and the crease area; Linear 3, which features a 3mm-wide row of fibers that allow users to apply pigment in a perfectly precise line along the lash line; Linear 1, which has a narrow 1-2mm-wide row of fibers that allow for dainty lines to be swept along areas like along the upper lash line or below the lower lash line; Circle 1R, which features a round cluster of fibers that efficiently blend color along hard-to-reach areas like the crease area of the eyes or besides the nostrils; and Circle 1, which has a flattened surface meant to mimic the tip of a lipstick bullet.
NAIL COLOR AND CARE
Who has the time to go to the salon every time a mani or pedi is in order? Here are some of the must-have gadgets to give yourself a salon-like experience from the comfort of your home.
SensatioNail Gel Starter Kit
If you want to give nails chip-proof, ultra-shiny, high-wattage color, try applying a gel nail polish using the SensatioNail Gel Starter Kit ($59.99 at mass retailers and drugstores). This at-home kit includes all the products you’d find in a Gel Essentials Kit (a Gel Cleanser, Gel Primer, Gel Base & Top Coat) and, most importantly, the SensatioNail Pro 360 LED Lamp, which seals any SensatioNail gel color in just 60 seconds, and which has a small and easy-to-store shape. The starter kit includes all of the tools needed for 10 gel manicures, each of which should last 2 weeks. Once you’ve hit the 10-manicure mark, you simply have to buy a SensatioNail Essentials Kit ($23.99) and you’re ready to go!
To get the latest nail color shades, users can purchase one of the 10 polishes in the SensatioNail Gel Color Spring 2015 Collection ($11.99 at drugstores nationwide), like the perky Jade Treasure, the moody and elegant Gray Day, or the barely-there Vanilla Chai.
If you love gel manicures but abhor the seemingly endless process of removing gel polishes by soaking nails in acetone (which can also debilitate nails), then you’ll be excited to hear about the latest SensatioNail offering: the new SensatioNail Nail Shields ($7.99 per pack at drugstores). These clear, stick-on, nail shields eliminate the need to use acetone during the polish removal process. The shields function as a protective base so that you can apply the gel color of your liking and, once ready for a change, remove your mani by peeling off the nail shields, thereby bypassing the often brutal, acetone-heavy removal process and safeguarding nails from the thinning, brittleness, and crackling that can accompany said rite.
Instrumental Beauty Portable Pedicure
Can’t wait to break out your strappy sandals and wedges after a harsh winter season? Make sure to get those feet in tip-top shape before doing so! The Instrumental Beauty Portable Pedicure ($30 at select drugstores) is a battery-operated handheld device with a spinning, motorized roller that removes dead surface skin cells and smooths the rough patches of skin along the balls of the feet and the heels. The micro-mineral roller does all the work for you, and it allows you to bypass all the metal instruments that can scrape or even cut the skin.
HAIR STYLING
Whether you want to achieve pin-straight strands or soft beach waves, these are some of the latest tools to help make every day a great hair day!
blowpro Titanium Professional Salon Dryer
We’re all searching for the perfect blow dryer — the one that will distribute heat evenly without damaging strands, the one that will shorten the overall drying time, the one that’s reliable, easy to maneuver, and offers a steady grip. Well, the new blowpro Titanium Professional Salon Dryer ($140 at Ulta.com) might just be the Prince Charming of blow dryers. Equipped with an AC motor that offers 1,000 hours of life, this sleek blow dryer features titanium technology for even heat distribution along with six LED white lights that ensure clean airflow, eradicating any bacteria and promoting a healthy scalp. Currently available at Ulta for a special price of $99, this professional hair tool comes with three travel-sized styling products: the Heat Is On Protective Daily Primer, the Blowout Spray Serious Non-Stick Light Hold Hair Spray, and the Blow Up Thickening Mist.
Moroccanoil Professional Series Titanium Ceramic Hairstyling Iron
This sleek flat iron combines the best of ceramic and titanium technology for flawless styling results! The Moroccanoil Professional Series Titanium Ceramic Hairstyling Iron ($192 at Moroccanoil.com) features non-porous ceramic heated plates that distribute heat in a uniform manner, but these plated feature a titanium coating that bestows greater durability upon the iron. The beveled plates, meanwhile, allow for greater versatility, so that you can choose to experiment with pin-straight strands or soft curls. Negative ions, meanwhile, seal in moisture and reduce frizz and fly-aways.
Kiss InstaWave
Eliminate all the guesswork from your hair curling routine with the Kiss InstaWave ($59.99 at Target, Ulta, and Amazon.com), an automatic curler that twirls strands for you! To use, you simply need to separate a strand of hair, place it inside the notch surround the base of the Curl Dial, choose a curl direction (left or right), and press the button. The tool then does all the work for you, catching strands and twisting them around the barrel without tangling strands or pulling on them harshly. It’s a cinch to use and, at only $60, it’s quite the bargain!