The packaging is designed to work on you. We look past it at the formula, the tool and the thing it is actually competing with at a third of the price.
What it does, who it suits, and whether the cheaper one does the same job.
A small, slightly obsessive crew who'd rather read a spec sheet than a press release.
Fifteen years writing about beauty and still reads the ingredient list before the front of the box.
Cosmetic science background, quietly ruthless about claims that sound impressive and mean nothing.
Follows dryers, stylers and devices on the things that matter, heat control and whether they last a year.
We have not used these products and we never pretend we have. We read the specs, the certifications and thousands of owner reports, so you do not have to.
Ingredient order tells you far more than the claim on the front does.
For dryers, stylers and devices, heat control and build matter more than wattage.
Shade range, staying power and irritation only show up after weeks of wear.
If a cheaper product does the same thing, we would rather tell you than not.
Sometimes, and often not. Price buys packaging, fragrance and brand as much as it buys formula. Where a high street product does the same job, we name it, because that is the more useful review.
Roughly in order of quantity, with the first five or six doing most of the work. An active ingredient sitting near the bottom is probably there for the label rather than for your skin, and we flag that when it happens.
The good ones genuinely reduce damage, and the difference over months of styling is real. What matters is using enough and pairing it with a dryer or styler that holds its temperature rather than spiking, which our tool reviews cover.
Because a beautiful formula is useless if it does not come in your colour. We note the range and how well the undertones are handled, rather than reviewing a product as though everyone has the same skin.
For some jobs yes, for others the maths does not work. We compare the cost of the device against what it replaces and say honestly when you would be better off booking an appointment.