The Clarisonic Mia face cleansing system.
Introduce a little technology into your getting ready routine. Smart innovations have made beauty products more practical. From the addition of simple lights to lip glosses all the way down to cutting-edge teeth whitening systems, the products in this list are ideal for both the tech savvy and fashion forward.
LIPS: Lise Watier — High Coverage Lip Lacquer Haute Couleur
This new gloss by Lise Watier is both a genius invention and a high quality lip application that makes your lips look kissy wet. When you remove the cap, the applicator lights up with bright LED lights and can be applied directly using an illuminated mirror that is built in to the side of the gloss. It’s paraben free and comes in 10 “runway inspired” colours including Trendsetter, Nude Addiction and Stylista (pictured). This gloss is shiny, non-sticky and long lasting. It’s also Canadian and retails for $22 at most department stores. Makes touch-ups on the dance floor a breeze.
NAILS: Lise Watier – Cap Light Nail Lacquer
Lise Watier’s light up nail polish comes with a built in battery-operated light that illuminates the nail for a cleaner application. It comes in 14 colours including Runway, Stiletto and Euphorbia (pictured). It’s recommended you turn the light off after each use to preserve battery life. This gorgeous innovation is the first nail polish in Canada to light up. It’s available only for a limited time for $12.50 retail.
HAIR: NuMe — Curling Wand 4-Play
My fine hair doesn’t hold wave or curl, a characteristic that frustrated me until earlier this year when I discovered the magic of hair wands. I opted for a wand by NuMe called 4-Play, a cutely named device that comes with four different sized wands for various looks. These wands heat up in less than one minute. They’re so hot it comes with a glove to avoid burning your hand (Warning: wear the glove! These wands are incredibly hot. I accidentally grazed my shoulder with the wand once and it left me with a scar). The benefit to the heat is it takes less than 10 minutes to turn lifeless locks into waves worthy of Victoria’s Secret AND they hold. Keep your eyes out for online group deals. I bought one and knocked more than $100 off the price online.
SKIN: Clarisonic Classic Sonic Skin Cleansing System
Get flawless skin with the Clarisonic Classic Sonic Skin Cleansing System. The two-speed cleansing system works using the same sonic technology as an electric toothbrush. It claims to remove six times more makeup and two times more dirt and oil than cleansing with your hands in just 60 seconds. It features a two-speed cleansing process that cleans, softens and smooths skin. I personally haven’t tried it, but I know people who swear by it. It’s available in multiple colours and various versions range from $120 – $250 in price. Pictured is the classic, which retails at $195.
SMILE: Tanda Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System
Enhance your pretty pout with an at-home whitening system. Unlike strips, trays and in-office treatments, Tanda’s Pearl Ionic Teeth Whitening System uses the same ionic technology found in your hair straightener to brighten your teeth in five minutes. By neutralizing positives with negative ions, the gel breaks down stains without harming enamel. Tanda found this to be a more efficient whitening system than the traditional light-based methods. It is available at the Bay for $195 and comes with the mouthpiece and 20 gel tubes. An additional booster kit is available for $50, which includes 10 gel tubes. The device lasts for 50 treatments.
ACCESSORIES: Kioku USB Necklace by High Tech Jewelry
Take your party playlist anywhere. The Kioku flash card necklaces are silver plated and come in a variety of colours and designs. I like the 8-bit one (pictured) because it epitomizes geek-chic, but you can get less obvious ones plated with Swarovski crystals. The chains are 30” but can be adjusted. They run about $70 and come with 1GB of memory, but you can specially order them with up to 32GB of memory. They are compatible with Windows 2000, ME, XP,Vista and MAC OS 9 and higher. FACT: Kioku is Japanese for memory. See the designs here.
WINE: Oster Deluxe Electric Wine Opener
Wine’s not technically a beauty product, but it is an essential part of the getting ready routine and let’s be honest, it makes life more beautiful. This electric wine opener features a slick design that fits all traditional wine bottles. It features a soft grip and is easy to use, so freshly-painted nails fear not. The condo-sized device is cordless with a rechargeable base and can open 30 bottles fully charged. It’s been top rated for multiple years and retails for approximately $25. Also available in red.
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Sheena Lyonnais writes about tech for Toronto Standard. You can follow her on Twitter at @SheenaLyonnais.
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