I've often wondered what the point of Formula One was. All those little jumped-up buggies going round and round and round in circles occasionally killing people. A lot of brain-power, money and petrol goes into making those pieces of metal go faster and faster. Anyway, they have finally put some of that bleeding-edge technology to good use by putting a Ferrari engine in a hairdryer. In the new Conair BaByliss Pro Volare to be precise.

The new hairdryer is the world's first professional luxury hair dryer driven by a Ferrari engine. The dryer has been constructed out of Ferrari engine parts to maximize its airflow for fast drying.

At a cost of around $400 though, it's really only one for the professionals. Or people who just really like Ferrari-branded personal grooming products.

[Gizmodo, via Luxis]

It's never to early to impress good dental habits in 'lil uns, so why not make them feel just like Mum and Dad with an electric toothbrush of their very own. Forget about gimmicky devices such as Tooth Tunes, these are full on bristling brushes, but with gentler options tailored exclusively fro the younger mouth.

The Philips Sonicare for Kids features two settings- a low power mode for 4+ and a slightly stronger brush for those 7 and up. They work at 40 and 60% (respectively) of the adult versions and also come with removable covers so you can customize the device.

Now I use my phone a fair amount, as I'm always chatting, texting or reading my emails, so battery life tend sot be a bit of a personal bugaboo. Nokia's new phone won't change that, as they provide you with 8 hours of actual talk time, but, and it's a big but, the standby time is a lip licking 28 days.

Sure, that suggests you won't actually be using it if you let it run that long, but it could work really well when travelling, and you're trying to avoid inter-country data charges. The phone also has a selection of top notch features for both the business and casual user, which is reflected in the fact that it comes in colourways of black, gold and pink- and you don't see Sir Alan Sugar using a pink mobile now, do you?

Technology has long been used to aid and enhance our life. At its highest (and yes I do mean most expensive) form there are tools available to cater for your every whim - you can have a robotic maid, automatic dishwashers and computers that wake you up with a personalized hello and back massage tailored to your needs... There are also toilets that analyze your waste matter and suggest what type of nutrients you're lacking..if you must go that far!

Computers have shifted from being lumbering behemoths to super sleek devices which continually keep shrinking and the word netbook is now all the rage. Everything is slimmer sleeker, and shinier nowadays, but how does this actually affect you?

The Tria launched last year to multiple rave reviews in the UK. Journalists couldn't get enough of this fabulous laser hair removal device- which is suitable for home use! I was one of the first UK journalists lucky enough to try it, and you can read my full review here. Despite finding the Tria a really great tool in hair removal, I did have a few issues with it- namely the time it took to cover a whole leg, and the fact that the battery pack wasn't particularly impressive.

Well I can't tell you if the battery life has been improved, but I can say say that the new and improved Tria has been made to work TWICE as quickly- halving the time it takes to cover your body, so the battery life may no longer be an issue. And the price- exactly the same, you're just getting a device which gets you results even quicker!

£675 from Tria

See more grooming gadgets here

Philips foray into the laser hair removal market is interestingly placed between the No!No hair removal device and the Tria laser hair removal tool. It's great that a well known brand like Philips are entering this market, as they'll make consumers feel reassured when they embark on a home treatment. As the average cost of one salon session tends to be around £30-£40 for a small area, and you need 6-8 sessions with top ups to notice results, you can see why the home DIY hair removal market is growing. Well Philips newest creation, the SatinLux photo epilator uses Intense Pulsed light to give you a long term reduction in hair growth on the body.

So how does it work?

2008 was the year where male make-up really took off, with sales of Guyliner exceeding Superdrug's expectations, so it's not a complete surprise then that manufacturers have turned towards heated tools.Philips are launching a 'man only' hair straightener aimed at taming the male bonce, which has slimmer plates than regular straighteners to deal with the much shorter hair.

They've created this in conjunction with session stylist Andy Uffels, the premise being 'Get your own!' and stop borrowing your girlfriend's GHDs. The plates of the Philips Salon Straight Man are made from titanium ceramic and are ultra slim to reach right up to the roots. They heat up to 200 degrees and will no doubt help those indie boys perfect the ideal tousled mop.

Are you still carrying a couple Christmas pounds? I know I am, and as it's nearly Feb (with the dreaded Valentine's day looming), I feel like I should get my arse into gear. And naturally, being the queen of the couch, I'd like a quick fix rather than putting in time at the gym.

Well Slendertone style devices have been around for a while, and they tend to tone the muscles, rather than slenderize you. Still, if there's only a thin layer of flab on your midriff, you could get noticeable results whilst catching up on LOST.

Beauty has always been big business, but when it melds with tech we always seem to get something extra special. Everyone's favourite fantasy figure has released a home nail studio kit that's actually rather cool. Aimed at the youth 'girly' market (well it's in pastel pink) the digital nail printer falls into the Beautronics sector. This pink printer hooks up to your PC and gives you the option of printing custom designs straight onto your nails. Yes, STRAIGHT onto them.

The area of acne is a big business for skincare. Everyone from troubled teens to forty something's want to put the dreaded spots to rest, and are prepared to pay big bucks to do so. We've already seen the the Zeno hit the marketplace to tackle pimples with heat technology, but now there's a new kid on the block.

Say hello to the no!no! Skin, a pocket friendly device that works on your spots. It works in a similar way to the Zeno, using heat and light to target the blemish at its source and minimize its appearance and lifetime on the skin. It uses green and red light to reach into the pore to combat the blemish at its source. The light destroys the blemish whilst the heat speeds up the healing process, and reduces swelling.

Do you keep your make up in the fridge? No? You dirty slattern! Don't you know that true ladies chill their eyeliner, cool their lippy and freeze their perfume? Or were you under the impression that these were those tips you'd only ever see in Cosmo, and no one ever actually followed them through? Yeah, me too.

But that was before I saw the Cosmetics Fridge. It's got movable shelves, an internal light and a noise reduction feature. Very much like your food fridge, in fact. The outside display allows you to set timers though - 'bzzzzzzzz, time to reapply lipstick', 'bzzzzz, you're beginning to smell like a wet carpet, not Chanel Number Five'. Heaven, in an incredibly unnecessary form, no?

Get yours here [via Kiss and Make-Up]

More personal grooming shenanigans? Click here.

This is the infra red hairbrush for head massaging, hair and scalp stimulation, and err... hot hair. Other than sounding and looking like it'll cause your hair to combust and your scalp to burn, the IR hairbrush has a purpose that's twofold. I'm not entirely sure why you'd want to heat your hair up while simultaneously massaging your scalp, but its creators seem to think they've found a niche market and are running with it.

A heated scalp sounds a little out of the ordinary and all a little dangerous if you ask me - a burnt scalp and the smell of burning flesh will not be pleasant. But the aim of the battery operated brush is to stimulate hair and increase blood circulation to the hair follicles leaving you with a healthy scalp, or a burnt one, whatever. I won't be the guinea pig.

[via Red Ferret Journal]

Like this? Read these: Laser Hair Brush| Light up your hair for Christmas

I'm pretty sure I'm right in saying that the right pair of slippers can do more for your day than the most wonderful of haircuts, the smoothest of compliments or the most nutritionally balanced and yet god damn delicious of lunches. And now I've found the ultimate right pair of slippers.

You slip these into the microwave before they come anywhere near your feet, and two minutes later, you've got magical hot shoes. But be warned - if you bought Uggs promising yourself that you'd only ever wear them round the house and then started wearing them *everywhere* because it was like walking on furry clouds, there's a good chance these may never come off your feet.

£14.99 here

Like that? Read this: WaveBox Portable Microwave goes on vacation with you|Soothing Bear - For Your Microwave

Love your GHD's? Well, who doesn't? Whether you're craving the new hot pink ones that come with lip glosses or opting for the standard black ones you'll be overjoyed to learn ANOTHER limited edition is hitting our shores, just in time for Xmas! I'd heard a rumour about these a while back, but seeing as pictures are now available online I can spill all!

The world of epilators just got more... hmm... dare I say exciting - only for people into rapid de-fuzzing of course. Double spin discs are so last year. It's all about triple spin discs now that move vertically and horizontally to ensure hairs are gripped from all directions. If it makes the process a lot quicker and less painful, which apparently Panasonic's Wet and Dry Epilator does, then I'm all for it. Could this mean the end of wincing and gripping the nearest object to alleviate the shocking pain invading your leg? Let's take a look at what Panasonic is telling us and try and fish out what's fact and what sounds like marketing spiel.

Hands up who'd feel comfortable taking beauty tips from a piece of plastic? The counter assistants may often look quite toy-like with their orange makeup and Botoxed foreheads, but at least they're real, as opposed to a machine that analyses your face shape.

We've all heard how a symmetrical face is considered the most attractive, well now your DS will tell you just what you're lacking! You use a scanning device to upload your images, and the software categorizes you into one of four groups. You'll either be cool, active, cute or feminine, and there's no arguing with it. Next step is a makeover, and you get to see your photo superimposed with Shiseido products.

I don't have a goatee. You probably don't have a goatee. But perhaps your Dad does. Or your brother. Or the person who you're going to draw in four month's time when Secret Santa gifting rears its ugly head again. And then my friend, then you'll be thankful I brought this to your attention.

This GoateeSave promises to "give your goatee that look that women will notice and men will respect". Much like the kind of mouth piece I imagine they gave Jack Nicholson when he was having his EST in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, you just have to clamp it in your teeth and adjust the rollers to your particular shape. You're then free to shave round it, without colouring outside the lines, or whatever the facial hair equivalent is.

$19.99 here [via DVICE]

More personal grooming stuff, this time mainly focussed on things women can use? Click here.

I'm always a little wary when a company proclaims that its product is the latest on the market, and that no-one has ever done anything similar before. However, once again I'm suckered in by what's on offer and have become quite curious about whether it will live up to its promises. Remington had launched two new products, a straightener and a hairdryer, which promise to condition whilst they style.

We all love gadgets here at Shiny (clearly). But it's not always about the latest jaw-dropping gadgets and gizmos - we also like our make-up, too. Combine these two wonderful things together and what do you get? TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara, that's what.

Estee Lauder has created what is believed to be the first tube of vibrating mascara. The battery-operated brush vibrates at 125 micro-pulses per second. So, much like the electric toothbrush that cleans your teeth five or ten times better than an ordinary toothbrush, this vibrating brush will perhaps apply your mascara ten times better than a non-vibrating brush?

Far be it from me to comment on anyone else's sartorial choices (hey, who am I kidding that's how I make my living!) but I'm not sure if these binary nail decorations are in good taste or not. True, they're funky and kinda matrix-y, and hopefully they were made with transfers and didn't actually require hours of painstaking number-writing. Are they stylish though.. I'm not so sure. So I put it to you dear readers, would you wear them?

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