REVIEW FOREO UFO SMART MASKS

The main differences between UFO 1 and UFO 2 are that 2 heats up faster and has the full spectrum of LED lights. Details of the LED programmes are here.

These versions use all the treatment masks from Foreo.

UFO 1 £135.00 from £169.00 CurrentBody *

UFO Mini £71.00 from £89.00 CurrentBody *

UFO 2 Mini £119.25 (from £159.00)  John Lewis.

The minis use selected masks.

I’m not crazy about devices that can only be accessed through an app, something always goes wrong (hello, LightStim) or it doesn’t sync. Fortunately, I’ve only had one hiccup with the app which wobbled a bit and didn’t (still doesn’t) recognise the Green Tea mask.

REVIEW

I haven’t used Foreo products before, but I’m aware that this Swedish beauty-tech company runs a slick marketing campaign.

FOREO means For everyone, although if that was really the case, wouldn’t it be a little more keenly priced?

The UFO, which looks like a particularly glamorous flying saucer, actually stands for ‘Ur’ Future Obsession – I’m not even going to comment on that abbreviation.

I was actually a bit worried that I’d bought into the hype, that the £85.00 discount from John Lewis lured me in. But, after using the UFO 2 for just under four weeks it’s now one of my favourite devices, unlike my other gadgets, it’s fast and easy. Results are immediate, and three treatments a week are a breeze.

Each mask combines sheet masking with LED light therapy, as well as thermal activity and pulsations. After treatment, my face has the same refreshed and lifted look as if I’d had a full-on in-salon facial, but in under four minutes. The beauty of it is that there’s no downtime, ie none of that relaxed doziness you feel as you hit the street after a particularly indulgent facial and just want to lie down, and of course, no walking around in public with a makeup-free super shiny face afterwards either.

Treatments are two minutes, but everyone repeats the session as there’s so much serum left. I can easily eke out three treatments from one sheet, topping up with leftover serum each time – anything to offset the cost of the (overpriced) masks really.

You have to be careful though, the sheet mask thins with each use and by treatment three is barely holding on and it doesn’t glide quite so smoothly either.

‘HACKS’

There are lots of ‘hacks’ on YouTube to get around buying expensive masks and use your own skincare. Amazon UK sells disposable paper sheet masks, search for Disposable Facial Mask White Cosmetic Enlarged Cotton Facial Mask Sheet or Compressed Facial Mask Sheet Beauty DIY Disposable Mask Paper Natural Cotton Skin Care Wrapped Masks Normal Thick, just make sure they’re thick enough to hold up during a treatment. 

I haven’t tried these out yet, but I definitely will when my masks (a mere 28 left) are depleted.

The UFO 2 has a custom setting where you can choose one of the LED treatment ‘colours’ and the duration of the session. I can’t see why I couldn’t use it with a whole paper face mask with Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum underneath.

THE APP

Before use, you have to register the device and upload the receipt.

THE MASK THAT DIDN’T WORK

The irony is that this was the mask I was most looking forward to using.

Matte Maniac

This extra-purifying charcoal face mask removes excess sebum and impurities for fresh, clear skin. Combine with UFO’s Cryo-Therapy and blue LED light for a 90-second facial treatment to minimize pores and imperfections for a healthy-looking complexion that lasts!

My idea was to use it pre-makeup to soak up excess oil and prep my skin. The problem is, it didn’t do anything, I’ve used three of them now and my skin looks much the same as before.

Admittedly, because it’s matte, maybe I’m not supposed to see glowy skin? But then, what is it doing? I think I’m so used to seeing a tangible difference in my skin after a mask, that I’m disappointed.

THE MASKS

These are all the masks I’ve used so far. I’ve loved all of them apart from Matt Maniac. Sometimes it takes a while for the serum to absorb into the skin, but they never feel sticky.

• Green Tea – This was the last one I bought, I felt the sheet was thicker than the others and the serum much denser. I could only squeeze out two treatments, my skin afterwards looked very clear and it took a lot of redness away. It might the combination of the green and blue lights with alternating heat then coolness. but I instantly bought another pack.
• Youth Junkie – This is very popular and I think it’s everyone’s favourite alongside Glow Addict. There’s a noticeable temporarily ‘lift’ to the complexion after use. This one always seems to be sold out. I prefer this to Glow Addict because I can let the serum sink in and apply make-up without any trace of shine.
• H2Overdose – One of these came with the device and I bought a box after using it for the first time. Formulated with our skin-plumping friend hyaluronic acid, this did make my parched skin look more hydrated. I used these during the recent mini heatwave and even though I slathered on SPF 50 my skin felt a bit tight. so I felt these did help.
• Glow Addict – Another fave, this one. The glow isn’t really that evident, it just peps skin up.
• Bulgarian Rose – The natural rose fragrance is gorgeous. This mask was very soothing. H2Overdose put moisture back in, this one calmed skin.
• Manuka Honey – The fragrance is very honey-like, although, in my experience, manuka honey has a distinct ‘medicinal’ smell. No matter. This clear serum mask is one of my favourites. Extremely pleasant to use and skin looks 100 times better afterwards.

THE MASK THAT GOT AWAY

UFO Mask & Serum Intensive Caviar Fusion

Indulge in the world’s most luxurious smart mask treatment for ageing skin. Combining the best of highly concentrated caviar extract and 24 karat gold, this two-step UFO treatment offers a decadent masking experience like no other – in only three minutes!

Infuse premium ingredients into skin using our newly designed UFO Activated silicone mask for maximum dermal absorption and follow with the 24k Gold Serum for a complexion that turns back time.

Well, it didn’t get away so much as it’s £24.90. Although I did see it on the Harrods website for £17.00, but by the time I whipped my card out it had sold out.

I would actually buy one for £17.00 if it ever came up again, not only for the mask but for the silicone pad in place of the sheet which I think would be perfect for repeat applications with your own serum.

PRICES

It’s hard to know where to point you to for the cheapest price. All I will say is shop around because the masks are always on offer, somewhere.

The official Foreo App runs frequent offers.

CurrentBody * Have a sale on with a lot of the masks at £16.00 and the Bulgarian Rose masks for £14.00.

Beauty Bay – I bought a box of 6 Glow Addict masks for £15.90. That offer is still on.

Look Fantastic has a few £10.00 off offers on mask bundles.

IS THE UFO FOR YOU?

In my opinion, it’s not if you’re looking for a ‘proper’ treatment to fix a skin concern. I’m not keen on Foreo’s claim that the UFO targets specific skin conditions. In my opinion, it’s more of an add on to your beauty routine and a fast and pleasant way to get that ‘after a facial freshness’ if your skin is in fair condition.

To be realistic, a sheet mask will only ever give you temporary results. However, we all know someone who has regular facials and their skin always looks amazing. I don’t know if there is an accumulative effect, my skin just loves the masks, it just always looks better, even and less red after each treatment.

*Affiliate links

I doubt John Lewis will repeat their mistake – and I’m certain it was a mistake, but their summer sale is coming up soon so it might be worth checking their site out. CurrentBody runs seemingly endless sales so that’s always a safe bet.

Something else to keep in mind is that other brands will eventually copy the technology and produce similar, cheaper versions of this device.