We're skincare lovers here at MC and trial hundreds of products to find the treasured few to incorporate into our skincare routines. We're especially fond of excellent face massage tools and love using them with an excellent face cream, so we pay attention to all the launches so we can test away.
As a team, we aren't swayed by style over substance - but when the Venn diagram overlaps style and substance, we're all in.
One brand who consistently deliver on both: Chanel. And the whole team have just fallen in love with their Le Lift Massage Tool, which is very pleasing to look at, very pleasing to use, and offers very pleasing results.
Here's everything you need to know about it, and how to use it:
It's designed around the concept of a 'youth triangle'
Chanel studied 60,000 faces before making the three part Le Lift range and the findings showed that as time goes on, 'the youth triangle', aka the area between the tops of cheekbones and right at the bottom of the chin, inverts slightly.
The idea behind the Le Lift Pro Concentré serum, the Le Lift Pro Crème Volume cream, and the Le Lift Massage Tool is to plump, add volume, and, you guessed it, lift, helping to preserve that 'youth triangle.'
The massage tool works in two ways
When you pop open the tool, one side offers a thin, fingerlike oval. This one can be used on smile lines, on under-eye wrinkles, and on frown lines.
On the other side is a square tip which is handy to work tension out of the jaw, or push under cheekbones to help drain excess fluid.
Pros:
- It's lightweight
- You can reach every contour of the face
- The triangle side really helps loosen the jaw
Cons:
- it takes a little getting used to
- It's not cheap
The Marie Claire Verdicts:
Madeleine Spencer, Contributing Beauty Editor
The thing about tools: they're only worth buying if you'll actually use them. If they're heavy or cumbersome, the end up relegated to the pile of things I'll use 'at some point' (read: these will be given to friends or donated, because that pile is never revisited).
This will never be in that pile: it's lightweight, small enough to slip into even the tiniest wash bag, and washing it after use takes two seconds - I just rinse in a bit of warm water and massage the ends with hand soap.
I found it worked best on my jaw, which is usually riddled with tension. This deftly pushed knots out of the muscles and loosened tightness. It's a keeper - which is a good thing because at £70, this is not a frivolous purchase.
Sunil Makan, Editor
I’m a big advocate for any beauty gadget or tool - and it’s widely known amongst friends (or any available ears, really) that I worship at the altar of the gua sha.
However, when it comes to travelling, I find some of them slightly cumbersome and tend to forgo them completely than deal with any questions at border control, but there’s none of that here. The super-sleek Le Lift Pro Massage Tool fits neatly in most toiletry bags - even those of modest size.
I found that it took a little getting used to, but once I got into a rhythm using it was easy. Simply add a bit of your preferred product (I like an oil or a serum with a good consistency - something like the Le Lift Serum) and glide over contours on your face. I'm also a real sticker for details and this nifty little device has quite possibly, the most satisfying click when it closes.
For me, skincare is all about the ritual, about taking a few moments before you start the day for yourself - and a product such as this really elevates the experience.
Whether you notice a difference to your face or not (ahem, you actually will), I’m a firm believer that simply indulging yourself in the act of self-care is good for the soul.
Shannon Lawlor, Senior Beauty Editor
I'm going to put it out there: I'm the laziest beauty editor I know. My nails are hardly ever manicured, I can't remember the last time I heat-styled my hair and, when it comes to my skincare routine, I'm very much a slap it on and go kind of girl. It should be needless to say, therefore, that skincare tools don't really appeal to me. Don't get me wrong, I love to treat myself to a pamper every now and then, but most of the skincare tools I own are sat in a box collecting dust.
And despite the fact I'm lazy with my routine, I should also point out here that I absolutely adore luxury beauty products. So, when I first received the Chanel Le Lift Massage Tool, I was actually pretty excited. Not just because it's clearly the chicest thing I've ever laid eyes upon, but because it's small enough and handy enough that I could genuinely see myself getting the use out of it. And boy have I got the use out of it.
I've been keeping it in my handbag for the past few weeks and whenever I need a de-stressing moment, I slide it out of its fancy pouch, spritz an oil-containing mist over my face to give it a bit of slip and massage away. It hugs the muscles around my jaw expertly, providing some much needed tension relief. And while I didn't think I'd get a lot of use out of the eye massager, it's proved handy for soothing my tired screen eyes.
My main gripe? At £70, it's wildly expensive. With gua shas and similar-looking massagers available for literally a tenth of the price, I do begrudge the pricing decision. Even £40 would have felt like a luxury price tag for this tool. The £70 tag puts this into stratospheric levels of luxury. However, it would be wrong of me to compare Le Lift to those tools—the ones that might be affordable, but I never use. Le Lift has proved to be my ultimate skincare side-kick over the past few weeks, and I put it's basic-seeming design but luxury feel down to its success in winning me over. Do you need this tool? Absolutely not. But if you want it and can afford it, you'll certain get the use out of it.
