The best curling iron is literally three tools in one.
Not to sound dramatic, but few things in the world feel as good as your hairstylist’s magic touch or the deft hands of an esthetician leaving your skin with an other-worldly glow. And in a perfect world, you could afford to have them live in your home to achieve that look all the time. Unfortunately, this isn’t a perfect world, professional services cost money, and good things don’t last forever. That said, Elite Daily’s 2021 Glow Beauty Awards product testers pored over hundreds of at-home hair and skin tools in search of the products that are basically the next best thing.
Even though hair salons and spas have reopened (hopefully) for good, their shutdowns made one thing abundantly clear: When you can’t make it to a professional’s chair, the right tool can make all the difference. The past year’s newest hair tools, cleansing devices, and skin tools and gadgets are proof, having brought similar salon experiences — and results — to our own bathrooms. And considering new innovations bubble up by the second, Elite Daily’s best new beauty tools category was stacked to the brim. Between hair dryers with the latest and greatest technology, curling irons that are actually three separate tools in one, and skin care tools that just feel luxurious, you won’t want to ditch the salons for good — but between appointments, you might just feel like you never left.
When you have the right tools in your arsenal, achieving the look you want is that much easier. With the best new blow dryer, straightener, curling iron, skin care tool, and facial cleansing tool below, Hot Girl Summer is going year-round.
We only include products that have been independently selected by Elite Daily's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.
01
Best New Blow Dryer:
Conair InfinitiPRO by Conair® Smoothwrap™Conair’s InfinitiPRO Smoothwrap™ ($59.99, Conair) received high marks across the board from every blow dryer tester. At first glance, the sleek design just looks like luxury (and at a reasonable price point). But the effects of its technology bumped it above its competition in the eyes of our testers. Several high-end hair dryers release loads of negatively-charged ions as a way to protect your hair, trapping in moisture and limiting static to prevent frizz. With Smoothwrap™, Conair uses dual ion technology (i.e., both negative and positive ions), which it maintains will dry hair quickly, safely, and with less frizziness, but in a more balanced way at the molecular level.
02
Best New Hair Straightener:
FLOWER Beauty Hair Tools Ceramic Hair Straightening BrushIf you thought you’d seen the end of the straightening brush, Drew Barrymore said, “Not so fast.” The actor’s beauty brand FLOWER Beauty launched its Ceramic Hair Straightening Brush ($39.88, Walmart), which boasts a ceramic heated plate for even, consistent straightening all the way down your hair and cooling ionic tips to ensure you don’t fry your ends off in the process. For one curly-haired tester, it “really defrizzed my hair, straightened quickly, and still kept volume.”
03
Best New Curling Iron:
Drybar The Mixologist Interchangeable Styling IronEvery single best curling iron tester instantly crowned Drybar’s The Mixologist ($199, Drybar) the top choice, and truthfully, I’m not surprised. The tool is essentially three different types of curling irons in one, with wand, clamp, and waver attachments. Rather than jumping through hoops and arm gymnastics to figure out how to use a regular curler to give you different curl and wave styles, just decide on the look you want, snap on the attachment that’s best for it, and curl away.
04
Best New Facial Tool:
Sundree Cooling Facial GlobeSkin care tools can be tricky to navigate, particularly when you throw in exorbitantly-priced gadgets, microcurrent devices, and scary prickly tools. Sundree’s Cooling Facial Globe ($14, Sundree) takes things back to the basics in a good way. “I loved this facial globe the best,” said one tester. “It was quick, easy, and incredibly user friendly.” A foolproof user experience and affordable price make this de-puffing tool a refreshing morning treat for your skin that’ll make you excited to wake up (maybe).
05
Best New Facial Cleansing Tool:
e.l.f. Cosmetics Mint Melt Cleansing CloudYet another “tool” that proves you don’t need every bell and whistle to be an effective product, e.l.f.’s $4 Mint Melt Cleansing Cloud ($4, e.l.f. Cosmetics) is exactly what your face needs after a long day, with our testers noting how nice and non-abrasive the clouds felt on the skin. Simply wet this reusable, soft pad and gently massage your face to remove makeup — no, seriously, just use water. Once your makeup is off, wash off the pad with soap and water, and save it for when you’re ready to use it again. (You can even machine-wash it, too.)
This article was originally published on