HOW IT WORKS: This handheld device looks like a touchscreen smartphone. It has a camera-cum-sensor which tests the skin for eight qualities: pores, melanin spots, acne, wrinkles, redness, hydration, elasticity and sebum.
The service is free and is available at selected Biotherm counters.
REVIEW: The skin-analysis session was fuss-free. I did not have to crane my neck into a device; all the beauty adviser did was point the gadget's multi-purpose sensor at my face while I sat comfortably.
I was impressed with how clear the images of my skin were on the handheld device; the camera zoomed in up to 30 times to record every pore and hair on my face.
The device also scanned blotting films to accurately determine how oily my skin was.
At the end of the eight-minute test, my results were displayed on an easy-to-read sliding scale.
Based on the scores, my skin was free of acne and redness, but I had to work on my pore size and wrinkles (which do not seem that visible when I look into the mirror).
On each scale, I was also given an indication of how well my skin was doing for each aspect, compared with other women who were around my age. That definitely revved up my competitive streak and I was determined to address the supposed pore and wrinkle problems.
To help me better understand the scores, they were also presented in a pentagon-shaped diagram, with wrinkle, pore size, melanin level, redness and acne, each representing one corner. The smaller the pentagon, the better the results.
Without having to ask, the beauty assistant also gave me more than a week's worth of samples and a form that checked off the 10 items that she suggested I buy to get a flawless complexion.
This article was first run in The Straits Times newspaper on July 4, 2014. For similar stories, go to sph.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore. You will not be able to access the Premium section of The Straits Times website unless you are already a subscriber.