A Japanese skincare expert scrutinises my skin. The conclusion: sun damage and dehydration. It isn’t what I want to hear. So what do I do? I simply turn her off.

If that sounds like science fiction, it’s not. New technology means that women are no longer limited to getting their beauty advice the old-fashioned way – from the consultant over the counter. Come October, Japanese women will be tapping on their handheld Nintendo DS consoles for tips, using Konami’s Dream Skincare “beauty navigation” software. They will be asked to type in their body temperature, weight, skin tone and daily amount of sleep, then will receive a schedule of steps to take for better skin. Getting married? You can get a day-by-day plan for glowing skin in time for the big day.

It may also be time to replace the bathroom mirror with a camera, plugged into your Nintendo DS, to practise antiageing facial exercises. Face Training is part of a popular series – Nicole Kidman advertises its sister title, More Brain Training.

What’s big in Japan today could well hit Britain tomorrow. Yet in many respects, the high-tech beauty revolution is already here. Getting advice online – via blogs or video sites – is a growing trend. “I don’t believe magazines are about to go out of business,” says Leon Hawthorne, the founder and CEO of Simply Media TV Productions. “But internet broadcasting means viewers can get what they want when they want.”

Sarah Jagger, the beauty director of the website BeautyZone.tv, agrees. “Going online for beauty advice is fast food for your appearance,” she says. “One click and you know how to do a smoky eye.”

So, settle down in front of your computer and discover a world of beauty knowledge.

Essential websites

www.videojug.com A 21st-century DIY bible (with more than 15,000 films), VideoJug has a Beauty & Style section packed with tips on everything from reducing cellulite to how to repair your face after you’ve been crying. The free clips, made mostly by professionals such as the celebrity make-up artist Daniel Sandler, give step-by-step advice – imagine an air hostess crossed with the Dharma Initiative newsreel in Lost. Visitors can rate tips, ask questions and even submit their own films.

Handiest hint Before creating a smoky eye, apply a heavy coat of powder below the eye to act as a guard and catch any flakes of dark colour that fall. The powder can be brushed away when you’ve perfected the look.

www.beautyzone.tv Unlike sites that offer homemade footage, this features slick (if slightly staged-looking), professional videos. The content ranges from teenage beauty advice to application tips and product recommendations, and viewers can send in questions. The videos are refreshed each month, but remain in the archive, so you don’t have to worry if you missed that “one-minute beauty tip for busy women”.

Handiest hint The secret of contouring is simple: anything you make darker will recede, anything you lighten will be brought forward.

www.youtube.com/fordmodels Ford Models has become another of those ubiquitous video sites that puts what the company does best – in this case, models – in front of the vanity mirror that is YouTube. Along with make-up artists and hair stylists, the girls reveal their beauty secrets. Some of the tips are thinly veiled auditions for brands; others verge on the obvious. But the attraction of a site such as this is our insatiable desire to learn how to do as the beautiful people do.

Handiest hint Faking-it blondes should hide nasty roots with a compact powder – watch them disappear along with oil and shine.

MUST-READ BLOG SITES

www.beautyaddict.blogspot.com Self-proclaimed New York beauty junkie Kristen Kelly’s blog reads like a breezy letter to friends. If she doesn’t like a product, she says so. She also discusses catwalk beauty trends and celebrity sightings, as well as relating events in her life to her latest beauty finds.

Handiest hint “Estée Lauder Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher has eliminated the flakiness that I normally would have blasted away with a scrub.”

www.jackandhill.typepad.com Jackie Danicki is a beauty obsessive based in London; Hillary Johnson is a veteran LA beauty journalist. Nicknamed the “chic geeks”, they review make-up, fragrance and celebrity looks. They also share tips with readers: what to do with bedhead hair, for example, or how to avoid “bitch face”. Their irreverent, often self-deprecating style will have you hooked. Handiest hint“I can vouch for the use of olive oil for cracked, dry skin or lips. Men can use olive oil as a shaving cream, even though I do wonder what it’s like to snog a salad.”

www.beaut.ie/blog Sisters with a passion for products, Kirstie and Aphrodite were among the winners of the 2007 Irish Blog Awards. They are frank and ready to give their two euros’ worth on DIY beauty tips and bargains, as well as the best online shops.

Handiest hint Take a “tea” bath. “Get an old pair of tights (make sure they’ve gone through the wash, otherwise you will get a whole different bathing experience), stuff them with herbs and tie up the top. Put the ‘tea bag’ in the bath and run the water. Let it steep for a few minutes and swirl it around to release the ingredients.”

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