Sometimes I want to skip the salon and do everything that I need to do at home. Hair removal, gel nails, hair colour and even radio frequency light therapy you can do – at home! I’ve got the most amazing products to tell you about and they can all be used in the comfort of your own home. Also, when comparing the price of using the devices at home versus to going to get them done by someone else, you will find that there is some serious savings to be had. 
So let’s start first with the face. Facials are lovely thing to have but they cost a serious penny. Most ‘relaxing’ facials you can do yourself at home using the right products. It may not be as relaxing as going to get them done at a salon or clinic but if you are knowledgeable in the field of beauty some of these can be recreated at home with the right products. But we can talk more about that in another post!
For now I want to take on the medi-facials. Medi-facials are a more intensive facial and really target anti-ageing using things like glycolic acid, vitamin c infusions, lasers and infra-red therapy. I am a HUGE fan of a medi-facial – especially peels. And while I do believe you must be seen by a professional for a peel there is one aspect of a medi-facial you can use at home and this can be found in the latest device from Homedics called NEWA.
NEWA is a clinically proven skin rejuvenation system that removes up to 1/3 of wrinkles and lifts and tightens skin! If you are looking for a device to add to your anti-ageing routine and need a boost that can’t be found in a cream, then I would suggest trying NEWA.
So how does it work? Well, it works by stimulating new collagen growth. Collagen is the building block of our skin, what holds it up and as we age we lose it which causes lines, wrinkles and sagging skin. NEWA essentially reactivates your skin’s natural ability to produce collagen so that your skin will look plumper. The light targets the deepest layer of the skin which creams cannot reach. It doesn’t hurt at all either and is simply to use.
You simply apply the activator gel (below) to the targeted area, switch on the device and massage gently and continuously over that area for four minutes. It does feel warm and there are two levels of strength if the high level feels too hot but I didn’t think it was too hot at all. It simply feels like a warm massage on your face – that’s it! I’ve been using mine for two weeks now (starting out you need to use this five times a week) and I have noticed my face looks firmer! NEWA is available at Boots for £199. It is pricey but if you are planning to spend a lot of money at a salon anyways just think of this device as an investment and 2-3 facials later you have paid for the device already!
Next let’s talk about hair! I am a big fan of going to the salon and leaving my hair in the hands of professionals and I can’t remember the last time I coloured my hair at home – let’s just say it’s been over 7 years! Well, I took the plunge and decided to give eSalon a try. eSalon makes customised colour for you for you to use at home. You simply fill out a form online, send some pictures of yourself, describe exactly what you are looking for and then a professional colourist will contact you by phone to go over what you are looking for in more detail. I just wanted to refresh my roots as I had some highlights put in about 6 months ago so wanted hair colour that just enhanced my own natural colour slightly and looked very natural. A custom colour was then mixed for me by a colour professional and sent to my home a few days later.
And guess what? I did it myself and was so happy with the results (see below). Totally natural colour refresher for my roots – it was EXACTLY what I was looking for. I honestly can’t rave about eSalon enough and this is from a dedicated hair salon lover. A customised colour can be created for under £20 – saving you some serious bucks at the salon. Plus you don’t have to tip!
Next up are nails. Again, I am a dedicated shellac/gel nails lover and happily run to the salon to have this done. I love that they last ages so I don’t have to worry about them chipping. In my industry, shabby nails are a no-no and when they are chipped and look disgusting I feel like I’ve let myself go. So gel nails for me are the bees knees!
So how ecstatic was I to find out that Kiss had an at-home gel nails system? Very ecstatic indeed! The Kiss Everlasting Gel Polish- Colour Gel Starter System is brilliant! I have never done gel nails at home and tested this out while watching Made in Chelsea – as you do. It’s perfect to do while watching a movie. The kit comes with everything: the LED lamp, the Gel Cleanser, Gel Base Coat, Gel Colour Coat, Gel Top Coat, a nail buffer and filer and nail wipes. The colour that mine came with is a raspberry pink colour which was nice as it goes with everything and is a crowd pleasing colour.
So what do you do? Well, once your nails are buffed and cleaned you simply apply the base coat and then put your nails under the lamp for 60 seconds. The LED machine has as a very convenient timer button on the top that does all the timing for you so you don’t have to worry about it. You then apply your gel colour coat to each nail and individually let it set for 60 seconds under the lamp for each nail. Finally, you put the top coat on and then rub the top of the nail with alcohol to remove the sticky finish.
And then you’ve got shiny nails that last for days! Mine are a week in and still absolutely fine! This takes a little practice but for someone who has just done this for the first time, but I think my nails came out wonderfully and I am really pleased with this system. Highly recommended for gel/shellac nail lovers!
Last but not least is hair removal! Everyone knows that laser hair removal is super expensive. My friend paid around £1000 to get her legs done which is so pricey. Enter in Tria Laser Precision. This little wonder fits in the palm of your hand and gets to work blasting away unwanted hair on more sensitive areas of the body like the bikini line, upper lip or underarm. I’ve been using it now for a couple of months (as it takes several sessions to treat). The area that seems to have responded the best to the treatment is my upper lip and I am so pleased with the results! You have to really use this exactly as instructed to see the results and also have patience as the hair removal doesn’t happen overnight. It takes up to 3 months to notice the difference!
I’ve been using mine for about two months and I have noticed that the area this has worked best on is my upper lip and also my bikini line. The hair regrowth is finer, slower and I hope eventually will stop all together! This does work better for lighter skin tones but is not suitable for people with very light hair, as the laser light will not be absorbed efficiently. It is also unsuitable for anyone with medium brown, dark brown or black skin, as the laser-light could be absorbed too intensely and cause serious burns.
So all in all I am very pleased with my at-home salon…and have saved some money in the long term!
