Personal Care

Hair straighteners – the long and the short of it. Slim to medium-width plates are suitable for most hair types. Wider plates may speed up the styling process – especially if you have longer hair - but they’ll make the straightener bulkier. Also look for adjustable heat settings, so you can suit the thickness of your hair (and protect dry or damaged hair).

What’s an ‘ionic’ hairdryer? This is a new technology that’s designed to combat flyaway hair. Ionic hairdryers produce negatively-charged ions which the manufacturers say reduce static and frizz, leaving hair smoother and shinier.

Modern man’s best friend - choosing an electric shaver. There are two main types of electric shavers: rotary and foil (or oscillating). Rotary shavers have cutting blades underneath circular heads. With foil shavers, the bristles poke through a thin metal foil and are sliced off by an oscillating blade. Both give a good shave – so it’s a matter of personal preference, and what your skin is used to. You might find a rechargeable shaver is more convenient than a mains-operated one. And if you want it to look after itself, look for a self-cleaning model.