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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

When HG Wells envisioned the future, he predicted time travel, satellite television and more. Little did he know that we would one day have something better: beauty devices. It is now possible to zap a pimple with blue light, microcurrent your way to a brow lift and annihilate your bikini line during lunch. Infinite possibilities await.

Many home beauty devices don’t require specialised training. And although it may take longer to get from A to B in terms of results, with diligent use it is possible to achieve results akin to an in-clinic appointment. Efforts to democratise skin tech started with sonic facial brushes in the early 2000s, giving way to now-viral devices such as NuFace, the Lyma Laser and CurrentBody’s LED face mask. With ever-evolving tech specs – often with more than one function – each new iteration of these products boasts more competitive features. It’s no wonder the global beauty-device market is expected to reach around $236bn by 2030. 

Celluma Restore, £1,495

CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Face Mask Series 2, £399

A multitasker that recently caught my eye is Lightinderm (£400), a wand stick that uses different serum capsules to lift, repair, reduce redness, purify or brighten. The device’s low-intensity light waves support cellular repair, while the vibrating massage stimulates facial muscles. I also have my eye on the Korean-made Medicube Age-R Booster Pro (£400), which, unlike some devices, can be used with your existing skincare range. The four main modes – Booster, Microcurrent, Derma Shot and Air Shot – improve radiance, collagen production and elasticity. Combine with a dedicated face or neck LED device. I like the CurrentBody Series 2 LED mask: with a chin-strap addition, it is more elevated than the previous iterations – the new level of wavelengths helps with acne scarring and delivers serious anti-ageing results.

It makes me look like Darth Vader, but the force is strong

Clinical treatments that tackle saggy jowls, neck waddle and droopy eyelids often use high-level thermal energy, CO₂ resurfacing lasers or injectables, all of which come with some degree of downtime and recovery. Anté Beauty’s Kanyen RF Facial Device (£399) treats all of these concerns, minus the discomfort. The ridged, shell-like gadget delivers radio-frequency (RF) heat 3.5mm into the dermis to stimulate collagen production. On the surface, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) waves replicate muscle movements to tighten and lift, delivering professional-grade results at your convenience. 

Nasa developed LED technology in the 1990s to enhance plant growth and decrease wound-healing time in space. It was adopted by the skincare industry in the early 2000s. One of my favourite new LED devices is Therabody’s TheraFace Mask (£549): with 648 lights, it boasts three times more LEDs than leading mask competitors, combining red light to stimulate collagen, blue to fight acne-causing bacteria and infrared to boost circulation. It might make me look like Darth Vader, but the force is strong.

Foreo Peach 2 IPL Hair Removal Treatment, £369

Medicube Age-R Booster Pro, £400, mykstyle.co.uk

Dermatologist-approved manufacturer Celluma also harnesses LED technology – this time to tackle hair loss. The three-mode Restore device (£1,495) emits polychromatic light (red, blue and infrared) to stimulate regrowth. It can also be placed on the face to increase collagen and elastin production, or wrapped around joints to alleviate pain and inflammation. 

At the other end of the haircare market is Foreo’s Peach 2 IPL Hair Removal Treatment (£369), which zaps hair in a flash with its bigger than average 9sq cm treatment window, giving three times more coverage than other devices for a faster treatment. The built-in cooling system reduces skin heating, making it one of the most innovative home lasers on the market. 

When looking to invest in an at-home device, focus on the device’s primary function: use RF devices for tightening and treat the accompanying EMS as a bonus. Where most devices now incorporate LED, I suggest always investing in a standalone LED device. Above all, remember that there’s no quick fix – in-clinic or at home. Follow the instructions, set a reminder for sessions and discuss accompanying skincare suggestions with your aesthetician to boost results. Persistence beats resistance. 

Advice firm owners should only sell their business as a last resort, according to Roderic Rennison, partner at Catalyst Partners.

During the aptly named ‘Are you sure you want to sell your business?’ session at Money Marketing Interactive in London today (8 October), Rennison said those looking at exiting the profession should consider all the other options available to them first.

“Selling your firm should be the final option,” he told delegates.

“Before you consider whether a sale is the best option, have you considered a management buyout (MBO)? Might an employee ownership trust (EOT) be appropriate?

“If you have children or relatives around, would some sort of family succession be appropriate? If not, why not?”

He acknowledged that with an MBO or EOT, “you might be looking at five to 10 years” to complete.

If an advice firm owner still does consider a sale to be the most appropriate option, they were warned that “not all sales are the same”

“Will it be the full sale of all the shares, or 51%? Or do you want to take equity shares in the buyer’s business?” said Rennison.

“There are a number of choices and decisions to make.”

For anyone considering selling, Rennison stressed the importance of having a written plan in place – even if it is just on one sheet of paper.

As well as reviewing this plan regularly to check goals, acquirers like to see a plan “as it is evidence that you have a growth strategy”, he said.

He said some of the things acquirers want to see when looking for a business to buy are a high average AUM per client, assets on a CIP/CRP, assets on a platform, an ongoing adviser fee of around 75bps, a good mix of clients and few DB transfers.

“The first question a buyer will ask if have you done your annual review, and can you evidence it? It wasn’t even a question that was on their lips a year ago,” he added.

Delegates were also warned that “completion of the sale is not the end of the process”.

He said it was good to look at the sales process an an iceberg, with the sale itself the tip and everything else, including integration, underneath the water.

“Failure to integrate properly, he warned, can affect staff morale and is also likely to affect deffered payments.

Duncan Sherlock, principal partner at Foster Denovo, joined Rennison on stage and gave a first hand account of what it was like selling his advice business.

He explained that how he took the business from nothing to £140m assets under advice, before deciding to sell up due to the stress levels involved in running the company.

“I wanted to reduce my stress levels, that was the deciding factor,” he said.

He said he looked at three options before selling, including an MBO, EOT and family succession.

He discounted the latter option when his wife told him and his son that “one of you will die, and I’d rather you didn’t”.

“So we came to the conclusion that selling was the best solution,” he added.

Sherlock said that he had four or five offers for the business before Covid hit.

They eventually completed the sale on December 31, 2023 and he joked “we had quite a good New Year’s Eve last year”.

“But my point is, when you’re embarking on this journey, it is important to remember it is not a quick process.

“When we had the offer you think ‘that is the end of it, it’s over’, but it isn’t. Then you have all the due diligence.”

Sherlock said one of the things he struggled with was wanting to stay employed after the sale.

“I wanted to stay employed because it was important to me I was going to feel safe in the place I put my clients

“You want to be comfortable that when you take your clients to a different firm.

“However, I struggled. I was used to making all the big decisions, and suddenly you are having to accept decisions being made without you.

“If you want to retain control of your business, selling isn’t the right thing for you,” he added.

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

At 38, the man they call “the machine” is broken and obsolete. A former boxing champion, Esteban “la máquina” Osuna’s career seems to be over when he sustains a nasty concussion and a badly bruised ego in the first round of a title fight. But sport is a sucker for a redemption arc and eventually a lucrative homecoming rematch in Mexico is arranged. Cue training montage. Cue against-the-odds victory. Cue end credits.

Well, not quite. What seems like the climax of an inspiring, Rocky-style underdog story is in fact just the start of La Máquina, a tale of criminality and corruption, self-doubt and selling out. For you see, it wasn’t the machine who was fixed so much as the fight itself. And when those shadowy figures whom Estaban’s opportunistic promoter, Andy, solicited to grease the wheels of triumph call in their debt, the veteran finds himself backed into a corner.

Developed by and starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, the six-part mini-series is a reunion for two actors who got their breakthrough in the superb coming-of-age movie Y Tu Mamá También in 2001. Now they play two men struggling to come to terms with regret — and the prospect of an imminent death at the hands of gangsters.

Luna is almost unrecognisable as the panic-stricken Andy, whose idea of a brave face in the midst of a crisis is injecting it full of Botox. Meanwhile, the boxer (Bernal) is floored by the revelation that his hard-fought success was in fact bought by his friend. Esteban experiences visions from neurological trauma sustained in the ring, but it’s the news of fakery that really shakes his sense of being.

La Máquina can be lightweight when it comes to boxing’s systemic failings and health hazards but the show thrums with clammy intensity as Esteban and Andy are dragged deeper into the underworld. Their verbal sparring crackles with the energy of two actors who know each other intimately.

There’s space, too, for camp dance numbers, moments of humour (largely courtesy of Luna) and tender emotion. In one standout scene, Estaban uses the sport not as an outlet for pent-up aggression but as a means of accessing repressed truths and insecurities. It takes brawn to be “the machine”, another kind of strength to be a vulnerable man.

★★★★☆

On Disney+ in the UK and Hulu in the US from October 9

HERBAL Essences customers are in a lather after the haircare firm shrunk its conditioners by almost a THIRD.

Its Dazzling Shine, Hello Hydration, Daily Detox and Ignite My Colour hair moisturisers have gone from 400ml to 275ml in recent months, but remain at around £2.

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The product is now sold in tubes rather than bottles after the 31% reduction, leaving customers confused and angry about the change.

One, Brian Brennan, fumed on the review site Trustpilot this week: “My wife has always used the shampoo and conditioner, the prices were very good. 

“The shampoo and conditioner were in 400ml bottles. Now they put the conditioner in a 275ml tube container and charge the same price for 125ml less.”

Another added on X: “Why are you no longer selling 400ml bottles of conditioner? Now I can only find 275ml tubes, which means I’ll need to replace them more often – and they’re not that much cheaper!”

A third added: “Just been comparing the old and new Herbal Essences conditioner bottles, and the old one has 400ml, almost half a litre, whereas the new squeezy bottle only has 275ml. 

“That’s more than a quarter of your conditioner being stolen from right under your nose!”

Its equivalent shampoo range continues to be sold in 400ml bottles.

Shrinkflation is when products shrink in size but remain at the same price, meaning shoppers pay the same for less.

It’s a tactic often used by companies to avoid hiking prices, as a change if size is less noticeable.

Susannah Streeter, of investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said Herbal Essences’ owner Procter and Gamble (P&G) had been increasing prices month on month, which has put off price-conscious shoppers.

She added: “Attempts to limit the effect of price hikes through promotions and discounts have not been enough to win back loyalty.

“P&G has also been affected by weaker spending in China, even for essential items and it’s also been hit by boycotts of Western brands in the Middle East. 

“So, the company is looking at other ways to keep costs lower and keep its profits ticking up.

“It appears shrinking sizes on some products, rather than hiking prices, is part of the strategy.” 

Procter and Gamble did not comment.

Yesterday The Sun revealed how Cadbury’s family treat bags of chocolates have shrunk down in size.

New packs appearing in recent months have seen the Crunchie axed from the selection, as well as the size reduced from 216g to 207g.

It is the latest chocolatey snack made by the manufacturer to shrink in size.

Cadbury‘s Brunch bar multipacks have also reportedly been reduced in size by a major 12.5%.

Traditionally shoppers were able to bag up a pack of five bars which in total weighed over 160g – or 32g per lunchtime treat.

But now the entire box weighs a whole 20g less with the bars now sitting at 28g each, an investigation by The Grocer has revealed.

The size reduction applies to all the flavours including their raisin, peanut, choc chip and Bournville choc chip choices.

Elsewhere, shoppers have been feeling the crunch after it was revealed that two of Kellog’s four different cereal pack sizes have gone down in weight by 50g.

A box of 720g Kellogg’s Corn Flakes boxes is now 670g and 500g boxes are down to 450g.

But the smaller 670g boxes are being sold at £3.20 in Tesco – the same price as for the larger box when it was sold in May.

Meanwhile, its 450g boxes are £2.19, while the previous 500g boxes were only pennies more at £2.25.

A Kellogg’s spokesman previously told The Sun: “Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are available in four different box sizes to suit different shopper preferences and needs. 

“As the cost of ingredients and production processes increase, it costs us more to make our products than it used to.

“This can impact the recommended retail price. It’s the grocer’s absolute discretion and decision what price to charge shoppers.”

Jars of Dolmio sauce reduced in size but remain the same price

THE latest example of shrinkflation sweeping across the UK has seen family favourite pasta sauce brand Dolmio adjust their packaging.

Their 750g jars are now 675g while 500g jars have been trimmed to 450g.

But despite the ten per cent decrease, the price has stayed put at £3 and £2.50 in supermarkets.

It has left customers unhappy at maker Mars, which advertises it on TV with the slogan, “When’sa your Dolmio day?”.

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One fan told The Sun: “It’s a family jar but now it’s smaller, so I’ve had to reduce the portions on every plate at the table.

“It’s really disappointing that companies try to hide this from their customers by making sneaky packaging changes instead of just being honest.

“In two months the price will go up again and it’s even worse of a deal.”

A Mars spokeswoman confirmed the changes, telling The Sun: “Like everyone, we’ve experienced significant cost increases across our raw materials and operations, something that we are continuing to see.

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“We have been absorbing these rising costs for some time, but the growing pressures we are facing means we needed to take further action.

“While it has been a difficult decision to decrease the weight of our jars, our priority is continuing to provide our great products, without compromising on quality or taste.”

A GRANDMA has been left fuming after she was charged £75 for her oversized suitcase but ‘younger and good looking’ passengers were let off.

Maxine Haughian, 63, was stopped in the queue for her flight to Alicante by Ryanair staff at Leeds Bradford Airport.

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The mum-of-two claims her luggage fit inside the guidance rack but “stuck out very slightly” by 2cm on one side.

She was told that her suitcase was too big and she’d need to pay to place the luggage into the hold.

However, Maxine, a retired prison governor, noticed other passengers in the queue being let off for oversized bags.

She described one woman as “young and gorgeous” and even took a sneaky snap of her being let off.

Taking to Facebook, Maxine said she was “disgusted” with Ryanair.

“I’ve just been held up for 20 minutes because they said my cabin bag was too big and I must pay an EXTRA £75 for it to go in hold,” she wrote.

“It’s funny (not funny) how other bags that are exactly the same were allowed through without comment.

“It’s a good job I took the photo of this (gorgeous) girl pushing her case into the box and being allowed through.

“I’m obviously not young or good looking enough!” she fumed.

Maxine, who was travelling with her husband Jim, continued: “Eventually (using photographic evidence) I was allowed through. I’m stressed to high-hell and hope I can calm down and get into holiday mode before we land.”

Despite being pleased that she was let off, Maxine told Oxford Mail: “It was almost like letting me go justified what I was saying. I think it’s definitely a money-making exercise.

“I’m a bit older, perhaps he thought I would be compliant. A lot of people just paid the money.”

She added: “Several people had suitcases that looked exactly the same as mine and they were putting them in the rack and it was sticking out a bit, but they were allowed to go through. It was the inconsistency of it all.

The Sun has contacted Ryanair for comment.

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