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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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.
“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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
Budget: adds sonic pulses for boosted circulation, and takes five minutes for a face and neck treatment.
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.
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.
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.
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.