Beauty gimmicks, we all buy in to them! From rotating foot sanders to micro towel hair wraps that don't seem to fit an adult sized head, I've definitely bought my fair share. But are they all that bad? Well I decided to have a riffle through my beauty stash and picked out 5 contenders and here is exactly what I thought of them...
Bruzz Hygienic Nail Brush
£9.99 - Boots here
First up an improvement on the ordinary nail brush... because it needed improving, of course. This unusual looking brush is designed to be more hygienic, limits spray (it doesn't), be gentle to the nails and effectively cleans. It's even vanilla scented (I'm not sure why.). Simply hold under running water with a squirt of hand soap and run your nails through the silicone bristles. It certainly works but I'm just not sure it's really than needed. A spade is a spade, right? Possibly good for gel or acrylic nails though!
Is it a gimmick? I'm on the fence with this one. If you already use a nail brush often then I'd say it's maybe worth it as it will last a lifetime. But if you don't then this will be certainly something you use for a month then forget to use!
Ancient Wisdoms Paper Soap
99p - eBay here
I feature this product not so long ago in an eBay Bargains post and you all seemed to love the idea of them! At 99p it's certainly a bargain buy and one that may seem like a gimmick due to there being nothing like this on the high street but totally isn't! As you can see the slimline soap papers come in a handy compact and are perfect for keeping in your bag or taking on holiday with you (especially camping/festivals) when soap isn't available. The soap paper simply melts down to a liquid soap when mixed with water in the palm on your hand. So simple and ingenious! They also come in some lovely scents.
Is it a gimmick? 100% not. These are so handy!
Etude House Intense Spot Patches
£2.59 - eBay here
In the UK we have Cold Sore Patches and that's about it. But in Korea they have Acne/Spot patches! These little patches aim to keep the area sterile whilst the spot heals whilst also treating it with Salicylic Acid, though I'm sure it's a minuscule amount. So I decided to pick up some spot patches from eBay from the well known brand, Etude House. The packet contains 16 different sized sticky translucent patches which are supposed to be worn 8-12 hours at a time. For me this has been whilst sleeping at night as no way would I have felt comfortable sticking a little patch on my chin and applying makeup over it - what if it started to peel?! Has it helped any spots to heal faster? I actually think so, but very slightly. I think the sterile aspect of it is great, especially if you are someone that gets another spot next to the spot you already have, or it's under your fringe and your hair will be touching it. But I highly doubt the Salicylic acid did anything. I did find they may be stuck too well and were a little ouch-y to remove.
Is it a gimmick? I think sadly so! A topical spot treatment would work better.
Fulllips Enhancer Device
£6.00 - eBay here
Yes, I bought in to this ridiculous trend! I could pretend it was purchased for reviewing purposes only... but who am I kidding? Give me them Kardashian lips right now! Now is this product the real deal as I bought it on eBay? I'm not sure, but what I do know is that it's a bit of plastic that can't differ in design too much. As for how it's used, it's a very simple - you suck on it. But of course you have to be careful not to over suck and create yourself a wonderful ring of a bruise around your lips! I tried this out and it was actually not how I imagined it to be and I didn't feel I was doing it right as my lips where sucked into the device but within 30 seconds my lips did look bigger! A very strange thing! You can certainly hold the device in different areas of the lips to give fullness, especially the Cupid's bow and create the pout you want. My only issue with it is that the effects last around an hour and *poof* it's gone - perfect for the queens of selfies on Instagram but not much else.
Is it a gimmick? This has to be the gimmick of all beauty gimmicks, I mean it is pretty ridiculous! However it's a quick and safe fix if you want fuller lips, I guess.
Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Paddle Brush
£18.00 - Boots here
Designed to give salon-like results this is a brush that offers none stretch-drying and to help dry the hair faster. With often frizzy and elastic feeling hair I feel this is a brush designed for me. To start I felt even though light weight the brush was a little clunky as I kept hit my head with it whilst drying my hair! But the more I've used it I feel I'm getting the technique and I'm actually at the point were I'm not needing to use hair straighteners day-to-day and just for when I want my hair to look extra nice. I've also found the brush to really help with cutting down drying time and it definitely makes my hair feel bouncy. Really very pleased with this brush!
Is it a gimmick? Not in the least! Yes, it's slightly pricey but it totally delivers on it's claims and brushes last for years don't they?
Off to seek out more beauty gimmicks so I can make this a little monthly feature! Product suggestions, welcome!
Fee xo.
