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Since the GHI beauty lab opened its doors almost 10 years ago, we’ve put thousands of products to the test, so we know a savvy buy when we see it. And in honour of our centenary birthday, we’re celebrating the very best in beauty with our Hall of Fame Awards. Running throughout the year, they’re recognising the leading lights in makeup, haircare, skincare and more.
Our first instalment of these ‘best of the best’ awards shone a light on the glossiest highlighters, the best bronzers, the most budge-proof mascaras, and long-lasting lipsticks. Even better, many of our winners were kind on pockets, proving you don’t have to pay a fortune for products with staying power.
This month, it’s the turn of high-tech beauty gadgets, from intelligent hair dryers and innovative wet-to-dry stylers to salon-inspired devices for face sculpting and hair removal. You name it, we’ve tried it, so we can bring you the best. Introducing our shiniest new entries into the GHI Beauty Hall of Fame…
How we test beauty tools
We use a mix of lab tests and panel feedback to sort the market-leading from the middling. With the help of specialist machines, our experts measure the noise level of electric toothbrushes, assess how well hair tools control frizz, and check hair strengthening claims. We also ask our reader panel to try each device at home, reporting back on design, ease of use and performance to help us find the best of the best.
FACE
Best microcurrent facial toning devices
Joint best facial toning device
Dr Levy Dr. Levy Switzerland The Contour Pro
Score: 74/100
Our testers said their skin felt firmer and tighter after each session with this toning device, which uses electrical therapy to deliver an instant lift. The gentle buzz and warming effect also created a spa-like experience. Effective and easy to use, its compact size and long battery life make it ideal for travel.
Joint best facial toning device
NuFACE Trinity Starter Kit
Now 30% Off
Score: 74/100
Panellists were wowed by this neat gadget’s lifting and firming results. Most said their cheekbones looked more defined and their jawline sharper by the end of the two week trial period – no need for contouring here. It’s lightweight and easy to grip, making it simple to manoeuvre. The instructions could have been clearer, but all felt their skin looked tighter after use.
Click for the full list of winning facial toning devices.
Best LED face masks
Best LED face mask
Dr Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro
Score: 80/100
Our winner impressed across the board, reducing the appearance of scars, brown spots, lines and wrinkles over a four-week period. Testers praised its ease of use, comfort and long battery life. Their skin looked more radiant after use, and there were benefits for rosacea and redness sufferers as well. The speedy three-minute treatment time made it easy to fit into people’s routines, too.
Best luxury LED face mask
Cellreturn Platinum LED Mask
Score: 77/100
It’s a hefty investment but just over half of our testers said this mask improved the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by the end of the month-long trial. Many said their complexions were left brighter and firmer, with over half noticing a reduction in redness and inflammation. Despite appearances, it wasn’t uncomfortable to wear, but some struggled with the brightness of the LED lights.
Read the full list of winning LED face masks.
HAIR
Best hair dryers
Score: 84/100
BaByliss claims the 3Q hair dryer is its most effective yet, and it didn’t disappoint. With a high-speed motor for quick drying, paired with ionic technology to banish static and frizz, it delivers a super sleek finish in minutes. The cool shot mode for locking your style in place was also a hit with testers.
Best hair dryer for beating frizz
Score: 82/100
This ghd hair dryer excelled when it came to smoothing and banishing frizz, and everyone agreed it left hair looking healthier – despite its speedy drying skills, it didn’t dehydrate strands. ‘It feels really good quality,’ said one tester. The diffuser attachment stood out for those with curly or wavy hair, too.
For the full list of winning hair dryers, click here.
Best wet-to-dry stylers
Joint best wet-to-dry styler
Dyson Airstrait™ straightener
Score: 92/100
Using a concentrated airflow, Dyson’s latest hair tool – one of a new wave of wet-to-dry stylers alongside the ghd Duet – promises to take hair from soggy to sleek, minus the hot plates and heat damage. It was a big hit with testers, leaving strands silky smooth. It even pauses automatically when you leave it down. However, it did struggle with shorter layers due to the large plates (or ‘arms’ as Dyson calls them).
Joint best wet-to-dry styler
Ghd Duet Style 2-In-1 Hot Air Styler
Score: 92/100
Another trailblazing gadget that dries and styles in one, our testers were suitably impressed. It left hair looking fully styled without the need to straighten separately (in most cases), so lengths were less exposed to heat damage over time. Panellists also praised the speedy drying time and glossy after-effects. Similarly to the Airstrait, the chunky plates make it trickier to style fringes and short hair.
Best hair straighteners
Best hair straightener
CLOUD NINE The Original Iron Pro Hair Straightener
Score: 86/100
This straightener performed brilliantly in our humidity lab test, creating lasting, frizz-free styles. Lightweight yet premium, our panel said the wider ceramic plates cut down on styling time, gripping well without snagging. With 11 accurate heat settings to choose from, those with bleached or damaged hair thought their strands looked healthier after use.
Best hair straightener for thick hair
Revamp Progloss Wide Ultra X Shine Ceramic Hair Straightener
Now 33% Off
Score: 84/100
With 16 heat settings, ranging from 80ºC to 235ºC, this great value styling tool offers the ultimate customisable straightening experience for all hair types and is particularly suited to longer, thicker styles, thanks to the long, wide plates. It glided through strands without snagging and left everyone with frizz-free locks, with most reporting a diamond-like shine.
For the full list of winning hair straighteners, click here.
Best hot brushes
Best hot brush
Dyson Airwrap Multi Styler Complete
Now 12% Off
Score: 90/100
Dyson’s innovative Airwrap styler was crowned the winner for its high quality feel and glossy, frizz-free finish. It comes with six different heads, helping to create everything from poker-straight strands to bouncy curls. It aced our lab test, keeping frizz and flyaways at bay and leaving hair silky smooth, with no dryness.
Score: 86/100
Our panel found ghd’s first professional hot brush simple to use, lightweight and comfortable to hold. It glides easily through hair, leaving it smooth and shiny – as if you’ve been for a blow dry. Thanks to its consistent 185C heat, testers achieved their sleek styles in record time (faster than with straighteners in some cases) and it significantly reduced flyaways.
For the full list of winning hot brushes, click here.
Best curling tongs
Best curling wand
Remington PROluxe You Adaptive Curling Wand
Now 33% Off
Score: 85/100
Our winning wand is a game-changer when it comes to personalising your curls. It features “StyleAdapt” technology, which claims to adjust the heat settings to suit your hair. In the lab, the temperature settings proved to be extremely accurate, and all our testers were happy with how effortlessly it created long-lasting, glossy curls or waves.
Best rotating curling wand
Beachwaver Black Glitter B1 Rotating Curling Iron
Score: 83/100
Let this self-rotating curler take the reins and create gorgeous, wavy hair for you. It won serious praise for ease of use from our panel. With three different heat settings, you can decide just how intense you want your curl to be. One tester described it as a ‘godsend’ for those with arthritis, MS, or limited mobility, as it eliminates the need to manually twist hair around the barrel. It’s so good, in fact, that this black colour way has sold out, but we’ve found a pastel alternative of the same model if you click the link.
For the full list of winning curling tongs, click here.
Best hair growth device
CurrentBody Skin LED Hair Growth Helmet
Score: 70/100
This innovative hair growth helmet uses red light therapy to increase blood flow to the scalp and keep hair in the growth phase for longer. It requires commitment – 10 minutes every day for 16 weeks – but our experts found it made a marked difference to the thickness and volume of panellists’ hair after the trial period. Testers appreciated the wireless design of the helmet and built-in headphones, too.
Read our full review of this hair growth helmet
Best hair removal devices
Best IPL device
Bondi Body Laser @ Home V2.0
Score: 90/100
This gadget scored top points for comfort and can be used on the face, irritation-free. Everyone was pleased with how quickly it reduced hair regrowth, seeing effects after just three weeks. Convenience was a major plus; there’s a range of settings to target different parts of the body with no need to swap heads.
Best IPL for personalisation
Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series
Score: 88/100
Expect reliable results in convenient cordless form with this IPL device. After just three weeks, all our testers were satisfied with the lack of regrowth. It worked wonders on both facial hair and bikini lines, thanks to the different attachments for extra precision and SmartSkin tech that selects the right light setting for your skin. It also won extra brownie points for ease of use.
For the full list of winning IPL devices, click here.
TEETH
Best electric toothbrushes
Best electric toothbrush
Spotlight Oral Care Rose Gold Sonic Toothbrush
Now 35% Off
Score: 93/100
Our winning brush uses rapid sonic vibrations to push toothpaste and air into hard-to-reach areas, removing plaque, reducing staining and freshening breath. Testers liked its cleaning power, overall design and long battery life.
Best high-tech electric toothbrush
Oral-B iO9 Electric Toothbrush
Now 53% Off
Score: 90/100
Boasting seven cleaning modes, including whitening and tongue cleaning, a pressure sensor to stop you brushing too hard and an interactive display and timer, this toothbrush has tech in spades. Our testers were impressed, finding it powerful and effective. It even uses AI to monitor your brushing technique. Smart.
For the full list of winning electric toothbrushes, click here.
Best water flossers
Joint best water flosser
Spotlight Oral Care Water Flosser with UV Steriliser
Now 40% Off
Score 83/100
Testers said this powerful flosser gave a ‘dentist quality’ clean. The speedy charging time and unique UV sterilisation mode also won points. It has the largest water tank of all the models we tested, so you won’t have to refill halfway through flossing, although some testers found it a little hard to hold.
Joint best water flosser
Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 Cordless water flosser
Score 83/100
Another stellar gadget loved by our testers. While it has a smaller tank than the Spotlight flosser, it’s easy to fill up and use. It has three different intensities, letting you customise the pressure, and it’s easy to angle to get to those hard-to-reach areas and dislodge any leftover debris post-brushing.
For the full list of winning water flossers, click here.
Best LED teeth whitening device
Colgate Max White Ultimate at home LED teeth whitening kit
Score: 73/100
This pen and LED kit combo has been developed by dental experts to whiten in two weeks without harming tooth enamel. When used for 20 minutes every day over the trial period, testers told us it really worked. It was easy to incorporate into their routine and its compact size makes it great for travel.
For the full list of winning teeth whitening kits, click here.
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- Everything you need to know about the new neck cream delivering ‘impossible’ gravity-defying results.
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
Denny is our Beauty and Grooming Tester and has an in-depth knowledge and background in beauty and PR. She has spoken on panels with Cosmetics Executive Women (CEW) and has worked with many beauty brands as a commercial model. Since joining in October 2022, she has worked on numerous testing categories including over 18 different brands for vitamin C serums, scalp scrubs, shampoos for dry hair and many more. She has over 20k followers on TikTok where she shares beauty and fashion tips otherwise better known as Denny Daily.
Nora is our Beauty and Grooming Tester and has a master’s degree in cosmetic science. She is using her expert knowledge of product development, formulation, product evaluation and market research to test a wide range of hair and beauty products in the beauty labs for Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, ELLE, Men’s Health. In the lab she uses a variety of methods such as the Diastron, The Multi Skin Test Centre, The VISIA Complexion Analyser to test anything from hydration, skin barrier function, pore size and more.