I went to CES in search of futuristic beauty products, and here are all the incredible gadgets I found
While most of the attendees at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas were on the hunt for the latest in self-driving cars and augmented reality software, I was looking for something a bit more accessible: high-tech beauty products. I walked right past the robot news anchor taking questions from her adoring audience — OK, I paused and took one photo — and headed straight to the toothbrush booth.
My determination paid off. I found an at-home lipstick blender, an Alexa-powered showerhead, and even more spectacular beauty innovations that will make your life so much easier... one day. Unfortunately, most of these gadgets won't be available until late 2020, or next year, but one thing is clear: The future is nigh.
- Oral-B iO Toothbrush
The new electric toothbrush from Oral-B took 250 patents and six years to accomplish, and while that's mighty impressive, the most important thing to know is that it's freaking fun to use. With the accompanying app, you can see where you are brushing in real time. The rounded brush head has twisted bristles that oscillate, vibrate, and rotate to help get at plaque and buildup, and when the area is completely clean, the virtual teeth glow white. The app also lets you know when you're pressing too hard by flashing red.
When I sampled the iO brush, I obsessively watched the screen for three minutes, leaving no surface unbrushed. It even gives you a score of up to 100 percent, which feeds my inner child's need to get an A+.
The Oral-B iO brush will be available in August 2020.
- L'Oréal Perso
In the future, you'll be able to get totally customized skincare and makeup formulas at the touch of a button — no need to venture to the drugstore or mall. And that reality is closer than you think, thanks to the new L'Oréal Perso device. The machine uses a cartridge system to create customized blends of lipstick and moisturiser at your bathroom counter.
The Perso Smart Skincare System takes environmental data like the UV index, pollution, temperature, humidity into account to blend a daily moisturiser that suits you; day to day, your formula could be completely different based on the weather). Using L'Oréal's ModiFace technology, the app can also snap a photo of your skin to take your specific diagnostics into account. Eventually, you'll be able to select different cartridges based on your personal preferences, too: chemical versus physical sunscreen, lightweight gel versus rich consistency, antioxidants versus retinol, etc.
The Perso is set to launch in 2021.
- Kohler Moxie Showerhead
With a head full of natural hair, I spend hours in the shower on wash day. I often listen to a podcast, but inevitably the episode ends just when I have shampoo dripping into my eyes. The dance of jumping out of the shower to hit next on the playlist usually leaves my phone water-logged.
The Moxie showerhead solves that problem with a built-in waterproof speaker that's Alexa-enabled. So, I can just say, "Alexa, play my wash-day playlist from Spotify," and keep scrub-a-dubbing. The speaker is also removable, so you can take it with you beyond the bathroom.
The Moxie will be available later in 2020.
- Amorepacific Tailored Facial Mask Pack 3-D Printing System
The possibilities with 3D printing are constantly expanding, and Amorepacific has collaborated with Lincsolution to build a printer specifically for sheet masks. The machine uses a liquid-gel infused with ceramides and hyaluronic acid to print sheet masks that perfectly fit your face.
First, an app maps your face to get the perfect fit. Then, you take skin diagnostics to find out what ingredients your skin specifically needs. Finally, the printer creates a mask that delivers actives to the exact spots you need it (with five different treatment zones total).
Unfortunately, these high-tech masks won't be available Stateside just yet, but customers in Seoul, South Korea, will be able to walk into the IOPE Lab to get a customized mask printed up later this year.
- Colgate Plaqless Pro Toothbrush
What if your toothbrush could actually see the build-up in your mouth? Well, the Colgate Plaqless Pro Toothbrush can. The sensor right under the brush head detects residue on the teeth, and the blue indicator light on the handle lets you know that you've still got some brushing to do. The light turns white when the area is completely clean. Your brushing data is also uploaded into the app, so you can track how you're doing overtime, and see if there's always one or two molars that escape your attention.
The Plaqless Pro is expected to be available later in 2020.
- Sally Beauty ColorView Hair Diagnostic
"What's my hair type?" It's a question I get a lot as a beauty editor. Fortunately, I can now direct those inquisitive friends to the nearest Sally Beauty.
The beauty retailer has worked with Perfect Corp to create an app that takes the guesswork out of hair typing. The program takes a photo and determines your hair type (and when I tested it myself the diagnostic was spot on with my 4B/4C texture). Then, customers can answer a series of questions about their hair concerns, lifestyle, and product needs. Finally, the algorithm creates a customized regimen based on the Sally Beauty product lineup.
This tech is available in stores now and will be coming to the Sally Beauty app soon.
