If you’re someone with high maintenance habits in order to be low maintenance on the daily, chances are a decent chunk of your budget goes towards beauty services. And while booking an appointment at your favourite spa or salon can be a great moment of self-care, we’re all aware of the impact the current cost of living is having on our bank accounts.
While I do believe that some things are best left to the professionals (haircuts and waxing spring to mind), investing in the right tools and devices can help level up DIY spa days. Treat yourself to a new robe while you're at it for that proper spa feel.
Face
The rise of skin-tech has led to a number of professional-grade devices becoming available to the general public. Some of these items do come with big price tags, but the cost-per-use generally breaks down to be much more affordable than frequent facials and in-office treatments. Plus, you can use them from the comfort of your couch.
Deep cleansing and microdermabrasion
Foreo’s collection of devices might seem daunting at first. But when you dive into the Swedish brand’s range of cleansing, toning and masking tools, you’ll start to understand the hype. The star of the show this season is the newly minted Luna 4 Plus. A multitasker, this device is a supercharged version of past iterations, incorporating LED light therapy and microcurrent treatment into the mix. Use the silicon brush side with your favourite cleanser (it’s best to avoid oil-based products) to remove dirt and make-up as you wash away the day. Then flip it over and use the grooved side like a gua sha, massaging and lifting the face. You can even set personalised routines in the brand’s app to make the most of this powerful tool.
Cryo
From minimising pores and improving skin tone to soothing inflammation, reducing and preventing fine lines and wrinkles, and enhancing circulation, the promised results from cryo facials can become addictive. Recreate the cooling magic at home with Angela Caglia’s golden wands. Store them in the fridge and then, using a light pressure, glide the wands in outward, upward strokes over your face, neck and chest. For a hands-free refresh, try Charlotte Tilbury’s Cryo Recovery face mask.
LED and microcurrent
From reducing the appearance of wrinkles to helping fight acne-causing bacteria and minimising scarring, LED light therapy is beneficial for all skin types, ages and stages. But these devices don’t come cheap. Dr Dennis Gross’s Spectralite mask is a crowd favourite. However, Australian-brand San Lueur has created the world’s first mask that treats with all three clinically-approved light wavelengths (blue, red and near infrared) at the highest energy output for an at-home device – technology that was once reserved for in-office treatments only. It has a flexible fit to help shape to your face too.
Microcurrent treatments can also give a “facelift” effect as they help to stimulate facial muscles and promote collagen production. Use the Vanessa Megan Beauty Vibe Micro Vibration Wand for five minutes per day (immediately after your moisturiser, serum or facial oil) to help with lymphatic drainage.
Skin needling
Skin or microneedling essentially causes small traumas to help stimulate your body’s healing abilities, creating more collagen and elastin in the process. But frequent appointments can cause costs to add up quickly. Micro Glow’s derma rollers are designed for safe home use and claim to help dull, textured or pigmented skin, as well as reducing the appearance of acne scarring and fine lines. With a choice of 0.5-millimetre or 0.3-millimetre medical grade titanium needles, these devices can help prepare your skin to better absorb the products you layer after.
Hair
Mane maintenance can mean big spending. And while the idea of box dye might trigger memories of beauty blunders past, there’s a new school of thought when it comes to at-home colour. Canberra-born brand Miiroko offers professional-grade products with a side of advice from the experts. Founded by an ex-hairdresser, there are currently six colours to choose from, spanning dark brown to blonde. The dyes are free of resorcinol, ammonia and PPD, and the kits (which come with all the tools you need) are reusable and made from recycled materials. An online quiz helps you find the best colour match. But there’s also an option to live chat with a trained hairdresser for additional advice.
Investing in a high-quality hairdryer is the secret to nailing salon-inspired blowouts at home. The Dyson Supersonic is worth the hype if you’re a frequent dryer. But the trend for blowout brushes can help level up your styling by simplifying the process and reducing your routine down to one tool. One of the newest two-in-one stylers on the market, ghd’s Duet Style takes everything you think you know about wet-to-straight styling and turns it on its head. A far cry from the questionable straightening methods some of us employed in the early 2000s, this new technology uses low temperatures to help style your hair without damage. Not a sizzle to be heard (or smelled). It’s the perfect choice if you’re looking for a sleek, straight finish every time.
Nails
A fresh gel manicure can make you feel like you’ve got your sh*t together like nothing else. But, again, upkeep takes time and money. The Green Flash kit from Manucurist gives you a salon-like finish in about 20 minutes. Using LED-activated polish, which comes off with acetone-free remover, it’s a kinder alternative for chip-free nails.
Looking for more tips to tackle at-home manis? We’ve got you.
Lashes and brows
Well-groomed lashes and brows are the key to mastering an abbreviated morning routine. But the maintenance period of six to 12 weeks usually associated with waxes, tints and lifts can be a drain on your bank account. Brisbane brand Lash Lift Club has created an at-home kit to help boost your natural lashes. Combine this with a tint and you can retire your mascara almost entirely. Applying a similar principle to your brows, Oh Peach offers at-home lamination kits for fluffy, face-framing eyebrows.
Teeth
We all want pearly smiles. But most of our favourite vices (coffee, tea, red wine) are hardly conducive to keeping teeth white. If you want to keep your dentist visits to the annual minimum, Smilie is an at-home whitening solution that actually works. Gentle enough for sensitive teeth and gums, it uses an LED device to help increase the efficacy of the whitening agents in the included gel pen.
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