What's Worth the Hype?

Some thoughts on red light masks, Oura rings, Dr. Diamond's Metacine, and more

Nov 21, 2024

Shitters! ‘Tis the season for gift guides, but I figured that in addition to giving you suggestions, it might also be helpful to share my thoughts on some of the buzziest skin/wellness-y products that may be on your lists to give, receive, or buy for yourself now that the whole Internet is on sale.

What follows are five splurge-y products that have been hyped up everywhere lately, and my very honest thoughts. Hopefully this is helpful as you narrow down what’s worth gifting or investing in! (Also, to all the kind people who hit the heart-shaped Like button at the end of the last newsletter—I’m speechless!! It may seem silly, but it’s hugely helpful for getting this newsletter in front of new people, and made me feel so supported. Thank you so much ♥️)

A good old duckface/peace sign selfie for all my millennials—this started as a bit but now I fear the muscle memory has taken over

ZIIP Halo (currently 20% off with code PRIYANKA): There’s no question of whether or not microcurrent devices work—you can literally see a difference in how lifted your face is after just a few minutes (even my dad was impressed). But up until recently, I was a devoted NuFace mini girl. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to think much of the ZIIP. It was more expensive, I thought the NuFace was shaped more intuitively, and the fact that ZIIP had an app seemed cumbersome. Nevertheless, I persisted, if only to give you all a real review!

Aside from the look, there are three key things that separate the ZIIP from the NuFace: 1) It’s stronger, which means better results. 2) It offers nanocurrent along with microcurrent, meaning that instead of just targeting the muscles, it also works on the surface of the skin to help with wrinkles, fine lines, and volume. 3) ZIIP’s app comes loaded with specific “facials” that sync with your device and show you how to position it, which I’ve actually come to like.

Now ZIIP isn’t perfect. I wish the app offered more short full-face treatments, and I’m always double checking that the ones I pick use nano and microcurrent. But it’s a great device, and I like that it has immediate visible results as well as long term benefits for the muscles and the skin. The NuFace still works if you have it (and is considerably less expensive if you’re just dipping your toes in), but between the two, I’ve reached for the ZIIP every time, and it’s what I’d go with if I were buying for the first time or to gift. (As always, you do not need to restock the expensive conductive gel it comes with—this ultrasound gel works the same.)

CurrentBody Red Light Mask (currently 20% off with code PRIYANKACB): Every skincare pro I know and trust swears by red light therapy to improve the texture and quality of your skin while reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and redness. After months of irregular use, I’ve been committed to using this mask 3-5x per week over the past month or so, but I think I need to spend more time with it before I can hand down a real verdict.

Here’s what I can say—I definitely see a difference in my skin’s brightness and evenness after use, especially in areas where I don’t have any hyperpigmentation or issues. But I haven’t seen lasting improvements in texture/tone in areas with more pigmentation and acne scarring just yet.

This is one of those things that’s supposed to work over time, so I’m doing my best to be more consistent and will report back. But I wanted to include it so that you understand that this is only worth buying if you’ll be consistent with it, and can save on it if you or the person you want to gift it to has been contemplating one for a while. I personally have the original model of this mask, which is considerably less expensive than the new one, but the strap is awful. It’s positioned poorly, doesn’t secure the mask well, and is just not comfortable. Their newer model is more expensive, but they updated the strap and the shape of the mask, and added more bulbs, so there are real reasons to go with that one if you’re trying to decide.

My very dinged up Oura Ring in rose gold

Oura Ring (currently up to $200 off): Every woman in NYC seems to be wearing one of these, myself included! I’ve had mine for two years now, so I feel very equipped to share my thoughts. I originally bought this for a few reasons—I’m notoriously bad at falling asleep, and I thought the sleep tracking would be helpful (honestly, it’s interesting, but I wouldn’t say it’s helped much). I also like having the step count, activity tracking, and the health insights. But most of all, I bought it because it integrates with Natural Cycles.

Natural Cycles is a non-hormonal birth control that works by tracking your cycle/ovulation via your body temperature, and for it to work, you’re supposed to take your temperature first thing in the morning. That… was never something I was going to do, but the ring does it automatically and syncs with the Natural Cycles app, which made it a viable option for me to explore. But, as you may know, we currently live in hell, so it is NOT my blanket recommendation in the year of our Lord 2024 for more people to use cycle tracking apps and/or a birth control method that leaves you very at risk of getting pregnant if you don’t act accordingly on certain days. I say this all because that was the biggest reason I got the ring at the time, but times are different. For more guidance in this area, talk to a trusted healthcare provider.

As far as cons go, there are a few. Aesthetically, the ring is bulky, and not something I’d wear if it wasn’t a tracker. I find that the finish tarnishes and wears off easily. And you also have to pay a monthly subscription fee ($6 for Oura, Natural Cycles is separate) on top of the high price of the hardware, so be aware of what you’re getting yourself into. But they add new features in the app regularly and they have good customer service—my ring stopped charging over the summer and the Oura team quickly offered to replace it.

I have the Gen 3 Horizon, which is currently up to $200 off for Black Friday (the newer version is not technically on sale, but you can get 10% off here), and though I haven’t used the Gen 4 myself, the software is the same and I don’t think you need the newest ring to reap the benefits. The new model does have a wider size range though, which may make it the better option for some.

Hatch Alarm Clock (currently $30 off): People RIDE for these alarms, but I have to be honest—I packed this up during my move from LA to New York and never plugged it back in. It is literally sitting on my windowsill in the same exact spot it’s been for 13 months... Writing this makes me feel bad and like I should try it again, but so many of the special features (wind down “routines” you can set, special meditations, some sounds and lights, etc.) are only available via their subscription, which of course you have to pay $5 a month for. There’s a lot of shit I’m willing to pay $5 for, but an alarm clock app has to be where I draw the line.

Dr. Diamond’s Metacine: This is not a device, but this wildly expensive growth factor serum duo has been touted HEAVILY by every influencer as a “miracle in a bottle” (created by one of LA’s biggest celebrity plastic surgeons, no less), and I’m sure it’s on more than a few holiday wishlists.

I used the plasma serum 2x/day for seven to eight weeks, and the retinol/growth emulsion every other night, and I gotta say—really not much of a difference... Certainly not the life/skin-changing results everyone else has claimed. (The serum gets all the attention, but I preferred the emulsion—like most retinol products, I would wake up to skin that looked brighter and more even after I used it, but even then I can’t say that the results were much different than regular Tretinoin?)

Everyone’s skin is different (and I seem like the outlier compared to a lot of the chatter online), but I wanted to share my thoughts because I was definitely being influenced by the claims that its results were comparable to in-office treatments, and I know some of you probably have been too. If I had spent my own money (especially this much of it) on this, I would’ve been disappointed. If you’re looking to invest in this area, I would go for an in-office laser or peel series with a trusted derm or esthetician, OR if it’s the growth factors you’re after, I would try this serum by Auteur instead. It’s also quite expensive, but so luxurious (the whole line is amazing—I love this cleanser too), and I actually did see/feel a difference.