I spent too much time scrolling through beauty device ads late at night

Getting drawn into the ads

It started on a Tuesday night when I couldn’t sleep. My face looked particularly puffy in the reflection of my phone screen, and I ended up watching those endless looping videos of people sliding metal rollers over their jawlines. You know the ones—they make it look like the device is just melting away all the stress and swelling in seconds. I think I was looking at something called the Big Roller PRO, or maybe just a generic facial roller. Honestly, all these beauty devices start to blur together after the tenth video. I spent about forty minutes reading through random comments about whether these things actually make a difference or if they just create a weird placebo effect. I eventually bought one because it was on a ‘pre-order’ sale for around 80,000 won, and my tired brain decided that was a reasonable investment for a slightly sharper jawline.

The reality of the morning routine

When the box finally arrived, it felt lighter than I expected. I thought there would be more heft to it, but it was just a sleek piece of plastic and metal. The first morning I tried to use it, I was already late for work. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to mimic the motion from the advertisement. It felt cold, which was nice, but it didn’t really ‘glide’ as smoothly as it did in the videos. My skin kept getting pinched because I hadn’t applied enough oil or serum beforehand. That was a bit annoying. I ended up having to wash my face all over again to remove the sticky residue. It wasn’t the relaxing spa-like experience I had imagined while lying in bed at 2 AM. It felt more like a chore I was forcing myself to do because I’d already spent the money.

Why I keep forgetting to use it

There’s this weird gap between wanting to look better and actually having the patience to use these things consistently. Sometimes I see it sitting on my vanity and I just walk past it. It feels a bit ridiculous to pick up a dedicated machine just to massage my own face for ten minutes when I could be doing literally anything else, like checking my messages or making coffee. I see people talking about how they’ve used these things for years, or how they integrate them into a 6-year-long routine. I honestly don’t know how they find the time. I tried using it while watching television, but then I lose focus and stop the movement entirely, just holding the device against my cheek while staring at the screen. I’m not even sure if that does anything useful, but I keep doing it anyway because it feels like a waste to leave it in the drawer.

Comparison to the manual tools

Before I bought this, I used those flat, stone gua sha tools. They cost maybe 15,000 won at a nearby shop. Honestly, the stone ones feel better. They have a weight to them that the electric rollers lack. The motorized ones, especially the ones that vibrate or have EMS functions, sometimes feel too intense, like I’m vibrating my own skull. I’ve read that you’re supposed to be careful with these after certain medical procedures, which is something I didn’t even think about until I saw someone asking about post-surgery usage on a forum. It made me wonder if I’m just irritating my skin more than helping it. My skin does feel a bit tighter for maybe an hour after using it, but it could just be the result of the cold temperature rather than the machine doing any actual ‘sculpting’.

It still sits on my desk

I’m currently in that phase where I don’t want to admit it was a pointless purchase, so I keep it visible on my desk. Every few days, I’ll pick it up, run it over my jawline twice, get bored, and put it down. It’s not that it doesn’t work, I think; it’s more that it requires a level of diligence that I haven’t quite figured out how to fit into my life. My back massager, which I keep by the sofa, gets used every single night without fail. That one feels like an actual relief. This facial device, though? It still feels like a bit of a mystery. Maybe if I used it for another three months I’d see a result, or maybe I’ll just eventually stop picking it up entirely. I haven’t decided yet.