BEAUTY KNOW HOW: Time to get tooled up
These miracle-working gadgets are having a moment
While they won’t turn us into ingénues again, they can help depuff and thereby slightly reshape the face
It’s surely a sign that rose-quartz facial tools are as much a part of the modern skincare routine as moisturiser when The White Company launches its own: a Facial Roller (£30, thewhitecompany.com) and Gua’sha Stone (£20). These, traditionally used in Chinese medicine, are massaged over the face to help boost circulation and banish puffiness.
Chrissie Rucker, founder of The White Company, was a beauty journalist before she started the brand and says she has ‘always retained a huge passion for great skincare’. She’s committed to her rose-quartz tools. ‘I was bowled over by the difference they make,’ she says.
OK, before you think, ‘Well, she would say that, wouldn’t she, she’s selling the stuff,’ actually, I do feel these tools deliver results. While they won’t turn us into ingénues again, they can help depuff and thereby slightly reshape the face. As for Chrissie, she says to roll/use them both upwards and outwards for best results and that they’re brilliant before a party or when travelling.
Leading facialist Sarah Chapman’s Pro Pore Refiner (£128, sarahchampman.com) provides next-level home extraction for black- and whiteheads. You’ll need to cleanse first then begin the tool’s three-step process, which starts with thermo-therapy – one end of the refiner heats up to warm and soften the skin – and ultrasonic vibrations that help to loosen pores and any congestion. Finally, a small suction nozzle at the other end of the refiner will suck up any unwanted debris (the removable nozzle is easily cleaned).
A brilliant product – snap up yours quickly as when I showed them in use on my Instagram account I was inundated with messages from people saying it was their dream skincare product and asking how they could buy one.
The balm is back
Balms have definitely seen a return to favour recently as so many from a broad range of brands have crossed my desk.
These are not high-tech skincare products but simple moisturisers good for anything from cuticles and lips to hands or to keep in your pocket for long walks in case you feel the wind and weather is making your skin dry. Here are my favourites…