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The extremely innovative beauty industry comes up with new ideas at breakneck speed, and now and then, we get products that are a bit more unusual. From a humble cloth that promises to get all your waterproof makeup off with just water, to dumbbells for your face – here are some beauty innovations that are a bit more out of the ordinary to try.
 
Makeup Eraser

It might look like any old washcloth, but this product promises a lot: to remove all your makeup – waterproof mascara included – with only water. We spoke to co-founder Tanya Anderson at the recent Sephora Press Day, and she told us that the idea for this product was birthed after her daughter accidentally discovered the power of polyester to remove makeup, so the Makeup Eraser is made of 100 per cent polyester blend that’s weaved in a specific way that allows it to pick up makeup.
You use it by first dampening the cloth, and then moving the side with the shorter fibres in circular motions all over the face. Then, flip it over to the side with the longer fibres, which is the exfoliating end that helps get deeper into the pores. Anderson told us the Makeup Eraser can be washed every three to four days, so you just use a different section each time (though we’re not sure hygiene freaks will be entirely on board with that). We gave this a try, and as much as our foundation, blush and lipstick quickly transferred onto the polyester, it didn’t really do much for our waterproof mascara – maybe that requires more strength to go into the rubbing. Still, it’s a really interesting concept, and really is a hassle-free way of removing relatively lighter makeup. For the sake of your skin, just remember to wash it every few days, please.
$30, available at Sephora. makeuperaser.com
 
Sigma Beauty Spa Express Brush Cleansing Glove

This will change the way you wash your makeup brushes entirely. At first look, we had no idea how this could be a brush cleansing tool – but after reading the instructions, it really is pretty nifty. Basically, you wear it as a glove, then wet your dirty brushes and add a bit of brush cleansing solution and water to the glove. After that, swirl the brushes on the “Wash” texture, then sweep them on the “Rinse” texture under running water to remove any residual soap. To really clean them to the maximum, swirl them on the “Refine” texture. You might be surprised how much makeup residue comes off your brushes throughout this entire process.
This particular version of the Sigma cleansing glove is marketed as a travel-friendly compact version, but we did feel it was still a bit bulky to pack along in your travel makeup pouch. But we’d still keep it on our bathroom shelves, to keep our brushes in tip-top hygiene.
$36, available on luxola.com. sigmabeauty.com 
 
BeautyBlender Blotterazzi

We’ve introduced this oil blotter variation to the iconic BeautyBlender previously – it really is a game-changer in face blotting. It’s made of the same cushiony material as the BeautyBlender – just more two-dimensional, as it’s a flat teardrop shape. The main difference is you use this one dry, and the materials absorbs all the excess oils on your skin without messing up your makeup. And you don’t have to deal with blotting sheets with nasty oil stains after.
What we also like is it comes in a nice teardrop-shaped mirrored compact, so you can slip it easily into any bag and look where you’re blotting. There are two Blotterazzis inside each compact, separated by a clear sheet – so you’ll always have a spare while one’s being washed. Just wash it like how you would a regular BeautyBlender, and this promises to last 60 days as long as you clean it properly.
$37, available at Sephora. beautyblender.com
 
MTG Facial Fitness PAO

Those smile lines you might see slowly forming at the sides of your mouth? They can be kept at bay with exercise. No, really. MTG’s Facial Fitness PAO device promises to fight gravity by training your facial muscles, and comes in the form of a long and thin weighted bar. It’s pretty much like dumbbells for your face, as you’re supposed to bite the mouthpiece in the centre and bob your head up and down – this causes the weighted ends to swing up and down, generating a resonance movement that exercises your facial muscles. And just like dumbbells, you can even switch the weights over three levels, ranging from 18g to 28g for a progressive face workout plan.
You’ll definitely look ridiculous doing this, so keep this workout to the privacy of your home. But hey, anything to beat those smile lines, right? You’re supposed to use this twice a day, for 30 seconds each time – so it’s still possible to sneak in a quick workout in your office cubicle (just try not to let your colleagues spot you). Trust the Japanese to come up with such a quirky tool like this – they really do come up with everything.
$200, available at AIBI outlets and on mtg-sg.com. 
 
Main image: mtg-sg.com

Tom Ford just brought the party that was his Spring/Summer 2016 presentation – he broke all the fashion week rules and chose to reveal his collection in the form of a video starring Lady Gaga dancing among the models – to his new S/S ’16 makeup collection. The face, eye and lip colours are directly inspired by the ready-to-wear pieces that feature lots of glittery and metallic textures, which translates into pink highlights, glossy lids, and a high-shine lip.
Speaking of that high-shine lip, it comes in the form of the very exciting and all-new Tom Ford Patent Finish Lip Colour. The brand has finally gotten in on the lip stain game, and this one is packaged as a click pen with a sponge tip applicator so you can dab the colour on and control the intensity you want. In typical Tom Ford style, the shades range from bright to deep, from a cherry to a blackened berry, so you know you’ll only be ending up with a statement lip with this.

 
As for the rest of the collection, the High Definition Eye Liner is an ultra-thin eye pencil to add subtle definition in high-intensity colours; the Cream Colour For Eyes comes in eight metallic shades in a creamy formula; and the Extreme Mascara is now available in a waterproof version. Limited edition SS16 items include a Lip Colour Shine and Shade and Illuminate highlighter and shading cream in a suede nude and luminescent pink respectively, echoing what the models wore in the runway video. Overall, definitely a collection very much worth investing in – one can never have to many lip stains, after all.
 
Tom Ford SS16 Runway Colour Collection, $56 to $108. Available at Tom Ford counters from end February. tomford.com/beauty