One of my favourite coaches at the Australian Institute of Fitness once told me that she was a "Hippie Scientist".Torn between being a purist and lover of all things natural and spiritual, but still fascinated by science, practicing medicine and all it has to offer.

I like to think that, as a self-confessed beauty product junkie (with no intention of rehab) I fall into the same split categories.  One one hand, I love everything organic, natural, plant based, and most importantly - cruelty free. However, science and technology are freaking COOL - and our beauty regimens have come a long way over the years with brand new ways to improve, correct and protect our skin.

Gadgets have a big place in my home, and until they invent one that addresses all of my skin concerns in one go, I'll keep trialling and testing them. Here are a few of my faves:

HAIR REMOVAL Where would we be without laser hair removal?  Probably still booked in for painful, monthly waxing appointments at the beautician, or wasting water in the shower with everyday shaving.  Clever technology has now brought laser hair removal into our homes, and removed much of the pain that it used to cause.  I've been using my Philips Lumea Prestige for a couple of months now, and I have exchanged my laser sessions package at the clinic for some facial treatments instead.  I tend to be rather sensitive to the pain with the heavy duty machines, so this gentle, but effective, at-home IPL system suits me much better, and has practically eradicated unwanted hair regrowth under my arms and along my bikini line.  Ready for summer!

OMNILUX Always after my monthly microdermabrasion treatments at Glow Medispa, I bask for 15 minutes in the Omnilux light.  It plumps up the skin and smooths the texture, reduces the size of pores, and it even got rid of the scarring I had from a bout of adult acne when my skin suddenly went berserk as soon as I hit 25 (short-lived with the correct treatment, thank god). So imagine my delight when I found one of these Light Stim personal Omnilux machines in the waiting room before my last facial!  Switch it on and press the magic red lights to clean skin and when it beeps every few minutes, move onto the next area.  One cycle will allow enough time to cover your entire face.   I like to use mine when I'm winding down for the night, watching TV or reading a book, before applying my night creams and getting my beauty sleep. It works best if you use it a few times a week, so you can look forward to plumped up skin that will make your skin look as youthful as a Snapchat filter.

CLEASING & EXFOLIATION My poor Clarisonic Mia has had a hard life.  It has battled it out across several different airports and timezones for about 3-4 years now and it's still kicking on, although it probably doesn't hold its charge as well as it used to (to be expected). This is the bomb for exfoliation, and removing stubborn makeup, sunscreen, fake tan patches and even dirt and mud - I used it on my whole body after doing Tough Mudder last year, it was the only way I felt truly clean again. *Disclaimer:  If you haven't properly exfoliated in a while, you might get a small breakout from the stimulation, but use it two or three times a week, and within 7 days your skin will be smooth, glowy and feel like silk. I think there was one version when I bought mine, and they are now up to 6.  So it just goes to show you how well mine has endured.

 My newest update is the Foreo Luna, and it provides a more hygienic, fuss free version than the Clarisonic-like brush systems.  It's a bit gentler on the skin, and has extra parts (brush heads) to purchase and change.  You just charge it up, wet it, apply a little cleanser on the textured surface, or directly on your skin and gently massage it around your face and décolletage.  Gentle enough to use on those delicate areas and great for sensitive skin, the buzzing provides a light skin stimulation as it cleanses a little more deeply than just using your hands alone. It even comes in a super cute mini Foreo Luna Play version for travel.

THE MASK When I first saw the REJUVAmasque, it reminded me of the one in the movie that turns Jim Carey into a wildly elastic, dancing menace - how fun! It lights up like a disco, but with good reason.  The different coloured lights specialise in correcting different skin issues - green for uneven skin tone, red for wrinkles, and blue for acne.  I'm still a couple of months in trialling this clever device, but so far I've seen great improvements in the clarity, elasticity and radiance of my skin, and it's become a firm favourite.

Do you have any gadget favourites I should know about?  If there's something you'd be interested for me to try or give feedback on - get in touch and let me be your guinea pig! I won't blame you for enabling my addiction :)

Talk soon guys!

Love, Lauren xoxox