Beauty just got a futuristic makeover...
Just when you think the beauty industry couldn't get more technologically innovative, it goes and outdoes itself.
The new skincare, haircare and make-up products on the scene for this season are more intelligent and impressive than ever before.
From fascia blasting to the world’s first AI hair straightener, I investigated the next-level innovations that will reboot your autumn regime...
The Magic of Marjoram
The natural beauty space has a new hero to ease signs of fatigue. ‘Marjoram helps genes that are silent as a result of stress to communicate with cells and produce healing proteins,’ says Bénédicte Le Bris, head of research at L’Occitane. Find it in Immortelle Reset Serum, £49, and Sisley’s Sisleÿa L’Intégral Anti-Age Firming Concentrated Serum, £350.
Retinol revamp
Speak to any dermatologist about boosting collagen, and they’ll inevitably mention retinol. The downside? ‘It’s often irritating and extremely photosensitive,’ says Dr Dendy Engelman. Say hello to Elizabeth Arden’s Retinol Ceramide Capsules Line Erasing Night Serum, £42 for 30. It uses encapsulated retinol to avoid exposure to light or air and ceramides to hydrate.
Lucky lips
When is a lipstick not a lipstick? When two key ingredients make the colour look almost stamped on to your lips like a tattoo. To overcome the Sahara-dryness of traditional opaque formulas, Dior Ultra Rouge, £29, Selfridges, combines a film-forming polymer with hydrating plant oils.
Bespoke mascara
‘Lashes are like hair follicles – they differ from person to person – so you want a mascara that can adapt to every need,’ says Nars UK make-up artist Andrew Gallimore. NARS’ lightweight Climax Mascara, £21, Selfridges, helps straight lashes hold a curl, while L’Oréal Paris’s Unlimited Mascara, £10.99, Boots, bends to intensify shorter lashes.
A new way to blush
AirFusion technology uses light-as-air micro bubbles to create a feathery mousse. So, technically Shiseido’s Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush, £32, Harrods, isn’t a powder at all – rather a fluffy meringue that creates the most true-to-skin finish.
The 61 foundation range
Typically, four pigments create a foundation shade: yellow, white, black and red. Too much white and darker skin looks ashy; too much black and it looks bruised. Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup, £33.50, Fabled, now boasts 61 shades – almost the biggest in the industry – having nailed the pigment ratios and three skin undertones (warm, cool and neutral).
Cellulite buster
Fascia blasting… what? We hear you, but this rod with snowflake-shaped attachments is your new cellulite-buster. Ashley Black’s FasciaBlaster uses vigorous rubbing to smooth out the body’s connective tissue (fascia), which she says, ‘can adhere to the skin and pull it down, forcing the fat up’.
Invest in Circadian skincare
There’s a scientific reason why your skin looks perkier in the morning. New research has uncovered that each cell has its own individual body clock, governing everything from when it’s most hydrated to when it’s most likely to get spots (3pm, FYI), so we can time our skincare accordingly. ‘This proves the importance of energising cells overnight as your skin’s metabolism – how it repairs, exfoliates and secretes sebum – slows down,’ says Dr Frauke Neuser, Olay’s principal scientist, who recommends Regenerist Overnight Miracle Firming Mask, £29.99, Boots.
Longer-lasting hair colour
As frequent colour clients know, you leave the salon with bright locks and within a few weeks hair looks washed out. Moroccanoil Color Complete (at-home and in-salon treatments), from £19.85, contains tiny positively charged argan oil capsules, which are attracted to negatively charged hair fibres to repair and protect against colour loss.
Straighten with AI
Introducing the world’s first hair straightener with predictive technology: Ghd’s Platinum +, £175, Fabled. ‘Using algorithms, it recognises the size and thickness of the hair you’re straightening and the speed at which you’re styling and adjusts the power accordingly,’ says Dr Tim Moore, Ghd vice president of smart devices.
Human keratin shampoo
Virtue Haircare, from £14, is built on Alpha Keratin 60ku™, the purest form of keratin protein you can find as it is extracted from human hair. ‘When you apply it, your strands recognise the protein as their own, making it more effective at repairing damage than animal-derived keratin,’ says the brand’s creative director Adir Abergel.
Boost your regular routine
Retinol and vitamin C are two skincare powerhouses, so the temptation is to slather them on with abandon. But unbeknownst to most of us, they can degrade each other if applied simultaneouly. Clinique Fresh Pressed Clinical Daily + Overnight Boosters, £30 for the pair, bottle 10 per cent pure vitamin C for AM use and a separate dose of vitamin A for overnight. Available in November.
The new gen compact moisturiser
Compact foundations revolutionised our commute. Now Givenchy brings us a new day cream version: L’Intemporel Blossom Crème Jour Compacte Sublimatrice SPF15 PA+ Anti-Fatigue, £44, Harrods. The solid marbled texture only melts upon contact with skin, meaning it won’t dry out as soon as you expose it to air.
A little act of kindness
New kid on the ethical block, Love Beauty and Planet is formulated with ethically sourced oils; bottles made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and haircare that uses a ‘fast-rinse conditioner technology’ requiring less water to remove it from strands. And with prices starting at £4.99, you can’t afford not to.
Bee happy skin
Not heard of the TIEG1 gene? All you need to know is eight years of research has found that royal jelly produced by rare black bees stimulates it to repair collagen and boost elasticity. You’ll only find it in Guerlain Abeille Royale Double R Renew & Repair Serum, £105, Harrods.
Could beauty get any more futuristic?
This feature was taken from the October issue of Marie Claire, on newsstands now
