Some of the most exciting new products in skincare today are actually beauty tools. From innovative at-home lasers to revolutionary devices that can be found at Target, we love anything that mimics the magic of professional facials from the comfort of your own vanity. Years ago, I interviewed a stunning news anchor who compared the scene on her bathroom counter to an atom-splitting lab. Her go-to beauty tool at the time was NuFACE, though I’d venture to guess she’s already found a new favorite product to add to her impressive collection.
Of course, the best beauty discoveries are the ones that come recommended by a beauty-loving friend, so to help you find your next game-changing beauty tool (or maybe just a can’t-live-without-it skincare product), we tapped the Camille Styles editorial team for their current obsessions.
Recommended by Brandy Joy Smith, Motherhood Contributor
What It Does: The two-in-one ultrasonic device helps unclog pores and allows your serums to sink deeper into the skin.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: This year, I’ve been focusing on skin texture. My pores are prone to clogging, but I don’t like doing extractions at home because I’m scared I’ll scar my skin. This tool does the dirty work for me. It removes dirt oil and blackheads. You can also use it in “Infuse Mode: to help your serum skin deeper into your skin.
Pros/Cons: Pro: Sleek design that I don’t mind having out on my vanity. Con: Another thing I have to charge.
Recommended by Sacha Strebe, Deputy Editor
What It Does/Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: If you’re a fan of radio frequency in the treatment room, then you’ll be excited to try this new at-home device that brings the ground-breaking RF technology home. I’ve been testing out the new at-home radio frequency device for the last month and it’s safe, painless, very simple to use, and the results are immediate! The secret to this device is consistency (isn’t everything though!?). With regular use, you will see visible long-lasting results.
So how does it work? Much like in-salon treatments, this device delivers RF energy into the dermis. The natural resistance of the tissue transforms the electrical energy into heat. As a result, the temperature of the skin increases, triggering the body’s natural healing process which includes accelerated production of collagen and elastin fibers.
This equates to plumper, tighter skin with a visible reduction in wrinkles without any pain or downtime. Clinical studies also showed a significant reduction of perioral (around the mouth) and periorbital (around the eyes) wrinkles in 90-95% of patients with an average periorbital wrinkle reduction of 40%.
I have always been a huge fan of RF so I’m excited to see the technology coming home. Of course, in-salon treatments will always be the gold standard with a deeper/stronger RF, but when used regularly, you can get the same results over time with the TriPollar STOP. The brand recommends using the device 2-3 times a week for 6-8 weeks or at least 2-4 times a month to maintain results.
Pros/Cons: The pros? Instant results meaning tighter, glowing skin even after one treatment. I have read that some people reported facial fat loss after professional radiofrequency treatments but Tripollar STOP doesn’t reach the fat layer. It sits beneath the dermis and cannot be touched by the RF waves of their devices so you don’t have to worry about that with this device.
Braun Silk-Expert Pro 5 IPL Hair Removal System
Recommended by Camille Styles, Editor-in-Chief
What It Does: A handheld at-home device that provides permanent hair reduction in as little as 4 weeks.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: A legit at-home laser hair removal solution? It sounded too good to be true, but as someone who has shaved her legs every day for the past 25 years, I couldn’t resist giving it a try. Especially thanks to its four-and-a-half star ratings on Target. I’ve been using it once a week for the past month, and I’m already noticing a major reduction in hair growth. I plan to continue using it until my in-shower shaving routine is a distant memory.
Pros/Cons: The main pro for me is that I’d always dreamed of having laser hair removal on my legs, but the cost and time required to have it done in a laser spa were just not practical. This at-home version makes it possible since I can easily repeat as needed while I’m watching TV on a Sunday evening, and the $329 price tag is way more affordable than the multi-professional visits that would be comparable.
Cons? It does hurt a bit–as in, I don’t think Adam could handle it–and although the description claims that you can treat both legs in 5 minutes, it takes more like 15 minutes for me to get full coverage on each leg. That said, 15 minutes once a week (and soon, once a month or less) is a small price to pay for smooth legs that don’t require shaving. Like, ever.
Keihl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Minimizing Cleansing Clay Mask
Recommended by Bridget Chambers, Editorial & Social Media Intern
What It Does: Deep cleans, unclogs, and detoxes your pores and blackheads.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: Face masks used to just be a relaxation technique for me, but this Keihl’s mask is now a necessity in my skincare routine. I have struggled with skin impurities that I never even recognized as clogged pores before this mask healed them. For example, I had rough skin on my chin that no amount of exfoliation or cleansing would help, but after one use of this mask, my skin was smooth.
Pros/Cons: A pro of this mask is obviously that it works. It also only takes 10 minutes, so time is not an issue. The only con that I have is that it is not a permanent solution to clogged pores. I have to use it every couple of days to sustain the results (but it’s worth it).
Hunter Lab Aura Facial Sculpting Tool
Recommended by Sacha Strebe, Deputy Editor
What It Does: Featuring an embedded solar panel, this 24k gold-plated sculpting tool harnesses light energy (both natural and artificial) and converts it into microcurrent. This “always on” technology ensures the device is ready to use at any given moment to energize your facial muscles and enhance cellular energy to improve the skin texture and tightness. You can use this device to massage and sculpt your face using gua sha techniques.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: The gentle microcurrent mimics the natural bioelectric current of the body, jumpstarting skin cell’s mitochondria to produce a significant increase in ATP production. This in turn stimulates the skin’s natural metabolic process, which increases cellular energy and stimulates the facial muscles. I love how this feels on the skin. It hugs my face so beautifully and I definitely notice visible sculpting and lifting of the face after using it.
Pros/Cons: Besides the results, there is something so meditative about devoting time to massage your face and focus on the areas where there is tension (for me, it’s my masseter muscles, neck, and in between my eyes!).
Recommended by Caitlin Clark, Contributing Editor
What It Does: This isn’t a beauty tool per se, but it’s just as thrilling as using any at-home laser — maybe more so. Featuring CO2 OctoLift™, a patented technology from South Korea, each Hanacure kit includes a gel solution and lifting serum, which you’ll gently paint over your skin with the provided brush. As the mixture begins to dry, you’ll feel an insane (but gentle!) tightening sensation. If you’ve ever caught a Hanacure demonstration on Instagram, you’ll know exactly where things are headed. It looks like you’ve put clear tape all over your skin. But it’s all worth it for the Hanacure’s lifting, purifying effects. Plus, you’ll have a fun beauty story to share on IG if you dare.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: I typically treat my skin to a Hanacure when it’s feeling particularly needy, and the effects are immediate. My skin always feels beautifully clean and bright.
Pros/Cons: Pro: The positive impacts of a Hanacure are instantly evident. / Con: At the tail end of every Hanacure session, you’ll be more than ready to wash the tightening gel off your face. Patience is a virtue.
Recommended by Lourdes Avila Uribe, Contributing Editor
What It Does: It’s a hydrating primer and sunscreen that is so effective at making your skin look gorgeous that you don’t even need to use foundation over it. I’ve been using it daily since I discovered it a couple of weeks ago with the addition of a tiny bit of undereye concealer and that’s it.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: I feel like I’m really late to the game here, but this sunscreen not only protects the skin from harmful UV rays, but it also gives you the most gorgeous complexion I’ve ever experienced in my life. I’m no slouch when it comes to sunscreens, and yet it took me forever to actually try this one out. I’m shocked at how it instantly transforms the look of my skin. It leaves me with the freshest of faces without feeling like an oil slick.
Pros/Cons:
Pro: This sunscreen evens out my skin tone and gives it a healthy, radiant glow without clogging my pores or making my skin feel greasy, like so many sunscreens do. It also has blue light protection, so even if you’re sticking inside and working you can make sure your skin stays as healthy as it looks. It’s absolutely luminous but won’t leave you feeling like an oil slick.
Cons: It only comes in one shade of tint, so it’s not going to be a great match for everyone, which is frustrating and a bummer because everyone should get to enjoy this seriously divine shimmer. I also found that if I layer it over too many skincare products or use too much powder over it that it begins to pill. A little goes a long way.
Purigenex Intensive Collagen and Serum Mask Kit
Recommended by Sacha Strebe, Deputy Editor
What It Does: When I think of how to describe this revolutionary mask, lauded makeup artist and dewy dumpling Nam Vo’s famous line comes to mind: “It ain’t cheap, but neither are you.” Kourtney Kardashian and Stephanie Shepherd are fans of this fresh and refrigerated ionized collagen mask and it’s easy to see why. Designed by Dr. Susanne Bennett, this ICM Ionized Collagen Mask penetrates cells and increases the strength and tone of loose or aged skin tissue thanks to the revolutionary ICS Intensive Collagen Serum that nourishes and fortifies the skin while also activating the body’s own collagen generation. These formulas are medically engineered with the world’s most highly purified atelocollagen—a truly non-immunogenic, bio-compatible element in the most active animal-sourced form. According to Dr. Diamond, collagen of this quality has never before been offered in topical cosmetic preparations.
Why It Works/Why I Recommend It: The feeling of your skin after using this mask is incredible—it is noticeably tighter, hydrated, and revived so if you have the spare cash and want to try it out, then I definitely recommend it, but you certainly don’t need it!
Pros/Cons: Cons are the price, obviously, but the pros are the technology and science behind the serum that comes refrigerated to your doorstep.
