Which beauty bonkers gadget makes the best gift?

‘VIRTUAL’ MIRROR HiMirror Plus+, £319, Selfridges London (in store) thIS high-tech mirror snaps a picture of your face and analyses it for skin firmness, texture, clarity, brightness and health.

the mirror also gives you tips, lets you ‘try’ different make-up looks virtually and you can even watch Youtube beauty tutorials on it. Over time, you should be able to see if your skincare products are working.

‘the concept is interesting,’ says Dr Anton Alexandroff, consultant dermatologist at BMI the Manor hospital. ‘But there is insufficient information available to show how well it delivers what it promises.’ Verdict: TURKEY ELECTRIC SHOCK FACE LIFT NuFace, £127.50, currentbody.com WOuLD you send electric shocks through your skin to look youthful? this device claims the treatment stimulates cellular energy, boosting proteins such as collagen and elastin, which help keep skin looking smooth, and exercises the muscles of the face, resulting in more toned skin.

‘the technology appears to work for face-lifting, to some extent at least,’ says Dr Alexandroff. ‘FDA approval in the u.S. suggests real effects are seen.’ Verdict: CRACKER WINTER WEAPON MiLi Pure II, around £60 (including U.S. charges), milismarthealth.com uSING an imperceptible electrical charge, this gadget measures how much water is in your skin to identify which areas of your face need more moisture. You can also track how your moisture levels change over time, so you can rectify problems before skin looks or feels dry.

‘If you have exceptionally dry skin then it might be worth it,’ says Janne richardson, founder of harpenden Skin Clinic.

‘Otherwise, it just looks like overkill.’ Verdict: TURKEY SUCKER FOR PLUMP LIPS PMD Kiss, £125, uk.pmdbeauty.com ACCOrDING to the packaging, this suction gadget will ‘boost collagen and create longlasting plumped up results’ with daily use.

Online before and after pictures are subtle to say the least, and I think you could create similar results with plumping lip glosses.

‘It’s an interesting idea, but I have not seen any clinical data at present to say that this technology works,’ says Dr Alexandroff. Verdict: TURKEY HAIR ZAPPER Philips Lumea Prestige, £475, johnlewis.com the sensor in this intense pulsed light (IPL) hair removal machine can automatically control the amount of energy it uses based on your skin tone to avoid any skin damage.

IPL works by sending energy into the root of the hair to harm it and prevent it from growing. there’s no question that it’s effective — and fast, lower legs can be hairless in minutes — but you do have to use it regularly.

‘the technology of this is plausible,’ says Dr Alexandroff.

Pricey, but worth it. Verdict: CRACKER FIRM UP SKIN Nurse Jamie Instant UpLift Facial Firming Beauty Tool, £55, cultbeauty.co.uk It MIGht look like nothing more than a purple wand, but apparently its ‘ 24 massaging stones temporarily energize, enhance, revive and uplift skin’.

Despite rave reviews, I can’t see how this could possibly work. ‘I’m not sure if there is anything special about this,’ says Dr Alexandroff. Verdict: TURKEY NEEDLE FACIAL GloPro Microstimulation Facial Tool, £199, gloprobeauty.co.uk MICrO-NeeDLING — pricking the skin with hundreds of tiny needles — is being hailed as the new big skincare secret. And now you can try it at home.

A study found the GloPro improved firmness and tone and reduced wrinkling in 30 days.

‘I would expect this to work,’ says Dr Alexandroff. Verdict: CRACKER BRUSH CLEANER StylPro Make-up Brush Cleaner, £39.99, boots.com DeSIGNeD by Apprenticewinner tom Pellereau, this clever brush-cleaning set has a battery-powered handle with a rotating spindle to swish bristles in soapy water. It works in seconds, then simply spin in the air to dry. A make-up must-have. Verdict: CRACKER