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As the days get progressively colder and shorter, I like to search for ways to feel productive. Of course, I have actual work to do, books to read, a wedding to plan, even, but I am talking about things that make me feel productive without doing any of that. This is where skincare really shines for me. It gives one a sense of purpose, an activity, and at the end of it all, you look terrific. Before my fiancé can finish asking what we want to do about transportation options at our wedding, I can cut him off—“I’m doing a mask!” Masks are suitable for this type of thing, but nothing fits the bill quite like a device.
Joanna Vargas’ Magic Glow Wand lives up to the “magic” in its name. With the click of a button, the rechargeable tool, which is no bigger than an electric toothbrush, quickly warms up to a pleasant heat or cools down to the perfect de-puffing temperature. Another click brings you into “massage mode,” which matches the natural flow of your lymphatic system. You can massage in the heat mode, which helps the skin absorb products more readily, or the cool mode, which further aids in de-puffing, calming redness and decreasing the appearance of pores. One of my favorite ways to use the device is to put on a sheet mask and use the heating massage mode on top of the mask, allowing it to penetrate more deeply. After I remove the mask, I switch to the cooling mode and run it over my skin, using the remaining product from whatever sheet mask to help the wand glide over my skin.
However, the real sorcery comes out when I pair the wand with Vargas’ Super Nova Serum, an ultra lightweight retinol. Retinols had always been something I feared; other serums usually prescribe a probation period while your skin adjusts and oftentimes clash with other products. The Super Nova is gentle enough that I began using it regularly right away. In the evening, after I’ve washed my face, I like to apply one pump of the serum and then go over my skin with the Magic Glow Wand set to the warm mode. After a few minutes, once I’ve absorbed all the benefits of the vitamin A, chamomile, and Persian silk tree extract, I apply moisturizer. My skin is smoother and more vibrant in the morning, and I wake up with considerably less puffiness.
When you pause your slurry of emails to exfoliate or apply cuticle oil, don’t think of it as procrastination—there’s a reason you can’t spell “productive” without “product.”
