Beauty gadgets make brilliant Christmas presents â partly because theyâre often too expensive or ridiculous to justify buying yourself (âI really NEED an electric lip-buffer!â said no woman ever), but also because they give you something fun to play with on Boxing Day, like Mr Frosty from your childhood.
Unlike Mr Frosty, though, a good beauty gizmo should last well beyond the New Year without the novelty wearing off. Whether youâve spent all year reading the latest beauty gadget releases, waiting for a review from your favourite blogger to see if itâs actually worth it and youâre finally putting your wish list together, or you want to treat the beauty junkie in your life, this is the guide for you.
10) Foreo Holiday Gift Set
Youâll be hard pressed to find a beauty fanatic who isnât desperate for a Foreo LUNA right now.
Swedish brand Foreo have had beauty bloggers and vloggers buzzing (literally!) since the launch of the LUNA electronic cleansing brush in 2013. It uses T-sonic pulses (their trademarked 8,000 pulsations per minute) to get right into your pores, giving a much deeper cleanse and more radiant skin. It also has an anti-ageing mode but isnât branded as an anti-ageing product, to avoid any unintentional insult.
There are several other electronic cleansing brushes on the market but what makes LUNA different, and ideal as a gift, is that itâs made from 100% silicon, meaning itâs gentle - even if your loved one has sensitive skin - hygienic, and you donât ever need to replace the brush.
This gift set for ÂŁ155 on ASOS includes a Foreo LUNA, day cleanser and night cleanser.
9) GelTouch Starter Kit
For the friend whoâs always flashing their perfectly manicured talons, United Beautyâs at-home gel manicure kit will bring a smile to their face. When theyâre not able to get to the salon, they can still give themself the effect of gel nails, including the benefit of a longer lasting manicure, with this simple kit.
Just apply one coat of the GelTouch top coat over your usual nail varnish once dried and place under the UV light arch for 60 seconds to cure it and youâre instantly ready to go about your day. You can use it on hands or feet and itâs more compact than you might expect so itâs perfect for popping in your suitcase if you forgot to book a pedicure before your poolside holiday. The kit also comes with handy cleansing wipes.
Gel nails have often been criticised because they require booking another appointment to get them removed, where your nails are wrecked in the process. However, with this kit can you can simply peel them off or give them a very light soak in acetone to remove, a much less harmful process than the long soak salon nails require.
You can get the starter kit from Amazon for ÂŁ49.99
9) Clarisonic Pedi
Before there was the Foreo LUNA, there was the Clarisonic cleansing brush, loved by makeup artists and skincare fanatics alike. But did you know they also make a pedicure kit? Forget the home foot spas you used to get your mum that ended up dusty in the bathroom cupboard, this comes with serious beauty industry clout.
Using the same sonic pulsation technology as Clarisonicâs face cleansing tool but with a stronger brush head and faster speeds to work on tougher skin, their research says it results in 10 times smoother feet than manual brushing. Itâs convenient to use in the bath or shower and is perfect for maintaining that post-pedicure feeling until you get time to go back to the salon.
It has three speed settings and an adjustable timer depending on whether you need a daily buff or an intensive feet makeover. The set comes complete with a Pedi-buff, Pedi-wet/dry buffing brush head, Pedi smoothing disc, Pedi-Boost serum and a shea butter and honey Pedi-Balm for the full pampering treatment.
You can find this set on the Clarisonic website for ÂŁ175.
8) Ego Smart
Hairdryers have moved into the future. The Ego Smart from Ego Professional is the first touch screen hair dryer in the UK. It may sound like a bit of a gimmick but how many of us are guilty of keeping our hair dryer on the same setting whether weâre rushing to get ready for work or getting glammed up for a night out? The Ego Smartâs touch screen panel offers a simple way to adjust the speed of air flow, temperature and polish power to tailor your hairstyle each time you use it.
As well as looking like a salon-worthy piece of kit, it also comes with all the essentials: three nozzles (narrow, large, and a diffuser cup), section clips and a mirror. Youâll be giving the gift of time too with 2,000 watts of power and far infrared HW2 technology which, they say, can speed up styling by up to 60%. HW2 is inspired by the mineral rich earth in Korean pine forests which emit negative ions, far infrared rays and anions. The result is reduced static and moisture retention when applied to hair styling products.
Itâs not the cheapest hair dryer around but itâs packed with features you never knew you needed. For ÂŁ129, you can get it on Very.co.uk
7) Bliss Fabulips âPoutâ-o-Matic
If Kylie Jenner and her bizarro mouth-sucking device are anything to go by, we are soon going to leave the Brows Age and enter the Era of the Huge Lip. But unless your giftee has actually expressed an interest in the cult CandyLipz Plumper, itâs probably a safer bet to stick with something to leave them soft, not swollen.
Like an electric toothbrush for your lips, Blissâ Fabulips âPoutâ-O-Matic has an oscillating head that gently sloughs away flaky, winter-parched skin and boosts blood flow to your kisser. Youâll have to think up your own mistletoe joke for the gift tag.
You can find it on CultBeauty for ÂŁ34.
6) Ying Yu Jade Facial Roller
Thereâs no charger required with this one, though they will need an open mind and understanding flatmates. The jade face roller is a cult facial massager that promises to aid lymphatic drainage, tone, and contour skin with just a few minutesâ therapeutic pummelling every day.
Even if youâre skeptical about jadeâs healing powers, itâs a seriously elegant piece of kit that can also help to ease sinus problems, headaches and (theyâll love you forever) hangovers. Keep it in the fridge to give âNetflix and chillâ a whole new meaning.
Itâs ÂŁ28 on CultBeauty.
5) Glamoriser portable styler
Remember when cordless hair stylers came with metal plates, gas cannisters, and the vague threat they might spontaneously explode in your handbag? Happily those days have gone the way of The Rachel, as the new generation of on-the-go straighteners are almost as easy to carry around as your phone.
The Glamoriser Freestyler can curl and straighten for around 40 minutes, heats up to 200°C and has ceramic plates infused with âblack diamond oilâ to leave your hair shiny, not fried. Whip it out in any club or bar toilet and instantly make three new friends.
You can find it on Argos for ÂŁ46.99.
4) Ciaté Geltox Starter Kit
When all you want for Christmas is a great compromise. This lovely kit offers all the glossy staying power of gel or shellac nails, but from a brand youâve actually heard of â and even better, they wonât have the ball ache of needing to buy a whole new nail polish collection.
CiatĂ©âs cunning Geltox top coat works over any normal nail colour. Plus,  with an LED lamp that cures the nails in 60s seconds flat, they can still help with the Christmas washing up.
This kit is available on its official site for ÂŁ99.
3) Babyliss Brilliant Shine Ionic Brush
For the gadget-loving Rapunzel, try Babylissâ much-hyped âmagic hairbrush.â It releases ions as you brush, which tame frizz and smooth dreaded static. Plus they can tell everyone theyâre âthe Ionic Womanâ, which will obviously be hilarious.
You can get this from the Babyliss website for ÂŁ30.
1) Colour Me Automatic Foundation Applicator Pro
Itâs a vibrator⊠for their FACE! Except rather than leaving them flushed and unable to make eye contact over your auntieâs Boxing Day buffet, the Colour Me foundation sponge just delivers flawless, airbrush-effect foundation coverage.
Using sonic pulse technology thatâs supposed to mimic the tapping technique used by professional makeup artists, the applicator oscillates at a skin-tingling 15,000 taps per minute. Helpfully it also comes with universal sponges, which work with their own liquid or powder foundation. Hand it over and wait for the #NoFilters to roll in.
You can get this handy piece of tech for ÂŁ58 from net-a-porter.com.
