High-tech facial devices always hit the market with a bang, piquing our interest with blue lights and spaceship designs that make us hope perfect skin isn't just some futuristic fantasy of ours. Some end up being bogus; others, brilliant. But how do you distinguish between the two before throwing down your cash? We're on a mission to find out. Over the next few weeks, R29 staffers will be road-testing the biggest innovations of the year to see if each delivers on its stellar claims. Up next: the Skin Inc. Optimizer Voyage Tri-Light Device.
Given all of the Rogue One movie buzz these past few weeks, it felt especially fitting when a space-age-looking beauty gadget landed on our desks. On the surface, the tool looked like the perfect mix of pretty and complicated — with multiple buttons and LED colors — and promised to delivery out-of-this-world skin. (Even its name, Optimizer Voyage, sounded cool.) We wanted in.
Here's how it works: Embedded inside the circular applicator are three different kinds of LED lights. The blue is meant to zap away acne-causing bacteria; red to reduce inflammation and promote circulation; and yellow to even everything out. The device also comes with the brand's water-based serum, and — when used in tandem — is supposed to help it penetrate better. But the most important question: Does it work? We asked beauty writer Mi-Anne Chan — who lists redness, pimples, and dullness as her biggest concerns — to take the gadget for a whirl, using it every night for an entire month. At first, she says, it was fun and intriguing.
Here's how it works: Embedded inside the circular applicator are three different kinds of LED lights. The blue is meant to zap away acne-causing bacteria; red to reduce inflammation and promote circulation; and yellow to even everything out. The device also comes with the brand's water-based serum, and — when used in tandem — is supposed to help it penetrate better. But the most important question: Does it work? We asked beauty writer Mi-Anne Chan — who lists redness, pimples, and dullness as her biggest concerns — to take the gadget for a whirl, using it every night for an entire month. At first, she says, it was fun and intriguing.
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"It has three settings that have different colored lights, and I used each one every night," she says. "Though, I'll be honest: You're meant to use this device for up to 10 minutes — which I did for the first few nights — but I barely made it to three minutes every day after before I got so damn bored. I found it hard to work into my lifestyle, because personally, I like my skin care routine to be fast."
Even still, things did look a little brighter after those more diligent days. "I had a few good skin days during the middle of the month, where my face looked a little more even-toned," she says. "My redness also looked more under control, but I don't think it did too much for my more serious acne."
Users who bought the tool at Sephora (it sold out in both the US and Singapore markets) agreed that the biggest difference was a reduction in inflammation — if not a total miracle acne cure. Just don't make the $265 splurge if you're not ready to commit to the full 10 minutes a night.
If you want to snag your own, the product is available for pre-order on the Skin Inc. Singapore page (just click here). The good news is that it ships to the States free of charge; the bad news is that you'll have to act fast before it's long gone once again. May the force be with you.
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