From HiSmile tooth-whitening kit to Zitsticka Killa Spot Patches, we test six beauty products flogged on Instagram
YOU cannot scroll through social media without multiple adverts for the latest beauty buys.
From luxury brands you would never usually think twice about to dodgy-looking companies trying to flog their latest creations, it is hard to know which ones are worth splashing out on.
Nearly two out of three of us now buy products we see on social media streams – but do any of these wonder products actually work?
We challenged writer LAURA STOTT to buy all the beauty bits that popped up on her Instagram timeline in a week and give them a try.
Here, she reveals which ones were #Instagood and which were #Instasham.
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Facialift
- £28 from sarahchapman.com — buy now
- Sun rating — 5/5
WHAT IS IT? This handheld gizmo is designed to mimic the tapping, pinching and knuckling of celeb facialist Sarah Chapman to give you perfect, just-left-the-salon skin.
WHAT THEY SAY: “Brightens, tightens, drains toxins and reduces puffiness. Giving you the fresh glow of a Skinesis facial.”
DOES IT WORK? I’m so glad this luxury beauty brand ended up on my social media feed.
It really is so easy to use and the rollers felt relaxing and gave immediate results.
Like a sports massage for my face, it perked up my complexion straightaway, leaving my skin looking plump and rosy.
Yes, it certainly looks weird but it works a treat.
JML Hair Feel Finishing Stick
- £9.99 from hairfeel.com — buy now
- Sun rating — 4/5
WHAT IS IT? This nifty styling stick claims to solve frizz-based bad hair days. Whizz the wand over flyaway strands, baby hairs or scruffy ends to tidy up disasters “in seconds”.
WHAT THEY SAY: “Keeps your hair in place and helps achieve your desired style while providing long-lasting hold.”
DOES IT WORK? The testimonials made it sound too good to be true, but it turns out that this mini barnet-baton did have mighty hair-taming powers.
Running it over my tresses smoothed out wiry strands instantly, and it even disciplined some halo hair after I was caught in the rain.
Magnitone BlendUp Vibra-Sonic Blending Make-up Brush
- £49.99 from magnitone.co.uk — buy now
- Sun rating — 3/5
WHAT IS IT? This high-tech vibrating brush is designed to give you flawless skin – perfect for selfies. Supposedly, you can use it over your normal liquid or powder foundation to achieve an airbrushed effect.
WHAT THEY SAY: “Perfectly blend your make-up for flawless foundation and a radiant glow. Halves the time it takes to apply make-up.”
DOES IT WORK? It was easy to use – gliding over my skin – and my base definitely looked better than usual. But it’s not cheap and I found the large brush bulky to handle.
Maybe worth it for make-up junkies – but not me.
Zitsticka Killa Spot Patches
- £27 for eight from zitsticka.com — buy now
- Sun rating — 4/5
WHAT IS IT? A clear plaster packed with spot-zapping ingredients you stick directly over any brewing pimples. The patch gets to work in two hours, or overnight for maximum impact.
WHAT THEY SAY: “A microdart acne patch that works at the heart of your zit.”
DOES IT WORK? Beauty editors are already raving about this. You can feel it penetrate the skin and I could spot the difference to the brewing lump on my chin within three hours.
My skin looked noticeably less red and angry. Perfect for one-off whoppers – and you can’t squeeze or pick at problems with a sticker over your skin!
JML Finishing Touch Flawless Brows
- £19.99 from hairgrowkit.com — buy now
- Sun rating — 1/5
WHAT IS IT? This pen-style gizmo looked like the ideal solution to my plucking woes – just sweep over stray eyebrow hairs to instantly and painlessly shape and tidy.
WHAT THEY SAY: “Precision hair remover that instantly and painlessly sweeps away unwanted hair for beautiful brows.”
DOES IT WORK? I hadn’t heard of this brand. I wasn’t a fan of the micro-blade action, which trims hairs rather than removing them at the root.
It would be easy to get carried away, so you need to be confident in your shaping skills if you don’t want to end up looking permanently surprised.
I prefer my trusty tweezers.
HiSmile tooth-whitening kit
- £49.99 from uk.hismileteeth.com — buy now
- Sun rating — 1/5
WHAT IS IT? This glossy glow-in-the-dark kit arrives in a neat box along with random freebies, including soap and a disposable cup.
WHAT THEY SAY: “The simplest and most effective process. Ten minutes, three steps, six days.”
DOES IT WORK? The Kardashians are huge fans so, of course, this one showed up on my Instagram.
Unfortunately, I found the kit itself – with whitening gel, LED mouth tray and shade guide – complicated.
The instructions were so confusing I got nervous and gave up.
I’ll stick with my everyday whitening toothpaste as it’s just so much easier to use.
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