Top 5 beauty-tech developments to watch out for

From smart brushes and skin-analysis software to magic mirrors, these gadgets promise to revolutionise the beauty industry

Charlotte Tilbury's upcoming Dubai boutique will contain one of her Magic Mirrors. Courtesy Charlotte Tilbury

Make-up mirror

Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Mirror is a feature in her Westfield London store, and the British make-up artist promises it will have a home in her upcoming Dubai boutique, too. The concept took two years to develop. "I had the idea a while ago, but didn't launch it until the technology had caught up," she says. The virtual mirror allows you to choose between set make-up looks and view them, superimposed, on a screen showing your face in real time. Users can switch between day and night looks with the press of a single button. And thanks to face-mapping technology, users can also turn their faces or move closer to the screen, and their superimposed make-up looks will stay intact. "It's a new era in augmented reality," says Tilbury.

Skin analysis

Identifying what your skin needs and what it lacks is important when deciding what skincare products to use. A new app from YouCam Makeup and Perfect Corp, available on iOS and Android, allows you to do just that. The augmented-reality diagnostic tool works in real time to assess four signs of skin health: wrinkles, spots, texture and dark circles. All you have to do is upload a selfie on the app to get a detailed skin-health report, which includes your skin age and compares how your skin scores in relation to other people from your demographic group. You can track the results in the Skin Diary section, and use it to judge which products suit you over time. The tool relies on face-recognition technology, and is able to balance lighting conditions and other environmental factors. "The app helps users better understand their overall skin health and track skin conditions over time, in order to make more empowered beauty decisions," says Alice Chang, chief executive of Perfect Corp.

Compact charger

This gadget is a handbag essential for women who are constantly on the move. Although it may appear to be an ordinary blush compact, the palette doubles as a phone charger. Within the compact is a mirror equipped with an LED ring light that can be turned on by double tapping a button. It houses blushes in four shades, which can be customised upon purchasing the device, and the formulas are 100 per cent natural. Users can also purchase make-up refills. The compact has a built-in portable charger with the capability to fully charge a smartphone or a tablet – an iPhone 6 will be fully charged within 52 minutes. The kits cost Dh540 each and are available in three colours, light blue, fuchsia or dark grey, from www.imup.melely.com.

Smart brush

While brushing your hair may seem like a simple task, haircare experts advise that precautions be taken – the speed, force and intensity of your strokes can cause damage. The Kérastase Hair Coach Powered By Withings is a smart brush, and with its accompanying app, can help monitor the healthiness of your hair by analysing and tracking information as you brush it. It can detect if your hair is wet or dry, which will impact its readings, while a microphone embedded into the brush can determine whether your strands are frizzy or have split ends. Factoring in environmental elements such as humidity and temperature, it will score your hair quality and advise you on how to improve your brushing technique. The brush is best-suited to hair that's longer than chin-length, and not too coarse or curly. It will be available to purchase in autumn from Kérastase.com and at select Kérastase hair salons.

Product recommendations

With a vast range of beauty products on the market, consumers are often in need of some guidance. But even through research, it's difficult to source unbiased product recommendations. MyBeautyMatches.com offers users both personalised product suggestions and competitive price comparisons. Users fill out an online quiz detailing what types of products they are looking for, and the artificial intelligence technology examines more than 400,000 products from 3,500 beauty brands. The website's algorithm analyses the clicks and individual consumer profiles of users, along with data from its skincare, make-up, hair, body and fragrance brands, to make impartial product recommendations tailored to each of the London-based site's visitors.

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