The FOREO UFO 2 Boasts a 5-In-1 Beauty Experience, so I Put the $429 Tool to the Test

I, like a lot of skincare enthusiasts, love to indulge in a facial now and then. Not only is the process incredibly relaxing, but hitting my skin with the combination of gentle massage, nourishing serums and a dose of LED will always leave my face looking brighter than before my visit to the aesthetician.

The thing with going in for a facial, however, is that they can get real expensive real fast. It’s not uncommon to drop close to $200 per appointment (sometimes more) and for many of us, that’s not a cost we can wear all that often. I usually leave my appointments wishing I was a wealthy gal who could afford the luxury of having my skin pampered once a month, but that just isn’t the reality for me – or for many others.

So, when I was offered an opportunity to review the FOREO UFO 2 device, I jumped at it. Because, if there’s a chance I can bring even a small part of the beautician experience into my everyday skincare routine, I am certainly going to take it.

Here’s how it went for me.

Real Life Review: FOREO UFO 2

Okay, so if you’re not familiar with the brand FOREO yet, here’s a quick introduction. In essence, it is a beauty tech company that has released a whole range of products that use pretty fun tech to bring the beauty salon experience home.

The UFO range has been designed to bring you a mini version of the spa facial. The UFO 2 is the latest model and it boasts a combination of 5 of the most popular spa experiences in one small device that can complete a facial in 2 minutes. This model is priced at $429, so it’s a fairly hefty investment.

So, let’s take a little look at the details, shall we? The below is taken from FOREO.

What do you get in the box?

• UFO™ 2
• 1x Make My Day UFO™ mask
• USB charging cable
• Device stand
• Quick start guide
• General manual

What the UFO 2 offers

• 5x faster than its predecessor, and allows you to control temperature.
• Thermo-therapy pushes mask ingredients deep into skin.
• Cryo-therapy depuffs, firms skin, and shrinks the look of pores.
• T-Sonic massage relaxes muscle tension and boosts radiance.
• Full-spectrum LED light helps skin look visibly revitalised.

What’s good?

Okay, so for the price point we’re looking at here ($429), the expectations for this device are quite high. I want a reliable, easy-to-use, and noticeably effective piece of tech. And, well. It kind of came through.

Starting from the beginning, the set up of the FOREO UFO 2 is super simple. You need to plug in the charging cable to give it some juice and download the FOREO app from which you can control it. This is by no means a lengthy process. Once it’s up alive and working, you can sync up the device to your profile on the FOREO app with Bluetooth and it will remember the UFO every time you start up the app from then on.

From here, you can select UFO Mask Treatments or Sheet Mask Treatments and select which program you want to run. FOREO has a range of masks – all disc-shaped to fit the UFO – and each mask has a corresponding treatment routine. That may include thermo-therapy, cryo-therapy, specific LED light settings and massage, but it depends on the mask.

You can also go DIY and use your own mask (or just skincare products), then choose the type of treatment you want the UFO 2 to give you. Personally, I prefer the pre-programmed experience because I don’t feel confident enough in my knowledge of which LED setting will best match the products I’m using, but I do see the appeal for people who want complete control.

There are 8 LED settings that offer benefits like tightening skin or reducing dark circles, and although most treatments are 90 seconds to 2 minutes, you can run the UFO for up to 180 seconds.

I also like that you’re not forced to use the FOREO products here if you don’t want to. Although I have been enjoying the range which is currently priced at about $24 for a pack of six.

Once you start the treatment in-app, it will guide you on the steps you need to take with the UFO 2. It will tell you when to place the mask onto the device and how to seal it in with the attachment ring, then it will explain what stage of the treatment you’re at and encourage you to move the UFO around your face and neck as it gets to work.

While the in-app voice is kind of annoying, I do find being guided through the process weirdly soothing.

The UFO can be a little cold on the skin at first, but if you’re using a thermo-therapy treatment you’ll notice it heats up incredibly quickly and it is delightfully toasty. The massage function is also gentle while giving my face a nice buzz.

Now, because the facials are only 90 seconds to 2-minutes long and there is loads of product on the masks, you have the option to repeat your treatment a second time. I almost always take it, but if you prefer, you can keep the leftover serum to the side and use it another time – which is better value.

What has genuinely surprised me is how refreshed and soft my skin always feels after using the UFO 2. Considering how quick the treatments are, and the fact that it’s one little device doing all the work, I wasn’t really expecting to see such a visible difference, but I always feel and look brighter afterward.

And in terms of battery, I’m going onto my third month of use now (maybe once or twice a week) and the battery has gone down by two bars. We have a while to go, I assume.

The last point I’ll rave about is cleaning the device – because it is spectacularly simple. Just wash it under water with soap and dry it off. Stunning.

What’s not so good?

Now, while there is a lot I loved about the UFO 2, there are a couple of features I felt were missing. First of all, while the appeal of a quick treatment is certainly clear, I would love the option to choose a slightly longer facial, too. If I have 10 minutes available, I’d like to be able to choose a slower treatment – without having to press ‘repeat’ and starting from the beginning a number of times.

The other feature I would love to see is more information about the LED light settings in the app. For beauty newbies who want to use the manual option, I think a guide to which lights will work best with what products could be helpful.

Finally, and this is not a criticism of the device at all, but rather my self-care habits, another element that wasn’t so good was how quickly I found myself thinking I “didn’t have time” for a 2-minute skincare session each night.

It is absolutely feasible that anyone who owns a UFO 2 could use the device once or even twice a day and not see any real difference to their routine. And yet, it’s something I still find I need to plan for. How messed up is that?

I suppose what I’m saying here is that it highlighted how difficult it can be to allow yourself to slow down and make space in your day for a little bit of luxury – no matter how damn easy technology can make that process for you.

FOREO UFO 2: The verdict

My time spent with the FOREO UFO 2 has shown me that in an incredibly short amount of time, you can give your skin a whole lot of love. And if you’re someone who invests in facial treatments regularly, the hefty cost is absolutely worth it (trade out two or three salon bookings and you’ve made your money back).

Whether or not you struggle to bring this kind of self-care into your daily routine is another matter, but in my experience, even using it once a week makes a noticeable difference.

You can shop the UFO 2 and its corresponding masks on the FOREO website here.