10 Before And After Pictures For Beauty Products That I See As An Absolute Win

AKA skincare, makeup, and hair holy grails with results that might leave you short of breath.

1. CeraVe salicylic acid body wash says "see ya!" to scabs left over from picking ingrowns and "au revoir!" to keratosis pilaris flare-ups. This exfoliates without the rough, physical microbeads and buffs away bumpy skin while smoothing — thanks to hyaluronic acid and niacinamide.

Promising review: "My 6-year-old daughter has keratosis pilaris, commonly known as 'chicken skin.' This year it really flared up during warm weather so I gave this wash along with lotion a try. Wow, I saw results after just a few uses and after a couple of weeks most of her bumps disappeared. Thrilled we skipped a trip to the dermatologist! Can’t beat this price for the results either."

2. An eyebrow soap kit sets brow hairs in place and up for success! Your over-tweezed brows from your teens are *so* jealous of your present brows since this stuff tames and fluffs all at the same time.

And if you're looking for more definition, this goes on *before* your go-to pigmented pencil or gel for a sleek and fuller look! This comes with two spoolies and the soap.

Promising review: "I have the kind of eyebrows that look very full with brushing, but can quickly look like one has 'collapsed' once my hair or something else touches it. I’ve used nearly every product from Anastasia BH, but never had luck keeping my brows in place. Well, let me tell you, this stuff is no joke. I had to scrub my eyebrows clean tonight to get them to move. If you need some help holding your fluff, this will be your new favorite product. Also, I was able to ditch the eyebrow pencil since this this stuff holds every hair in the place you brush it." 

3. SoCozy Leave-In Curl Conditioning Spray turns your little one's tangled bed head into a bed full of soft, fanciful curls and ringlets. This stuff will gently detangle and restore their tresses, all without the use of harsh and nasty chemicals.

Reviewers say this spray will leave wavy or curly hair (from 2a–4c hair) shiny, soft, and bouncy. And it's free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic colors or dyes, propylene glycol, gluten, wheat, and nuts!

Promising review: "This is the BEST product EVER! I will never use another hair detangler ever again. We use this product daily in my house, my daughter, my son, and I. Both of us girls have long and thick curly hair, and it allows us to brush through our hair with no problems! And my son mostly uses it to style his hair before gel, and because it smells so good! We tried a few products from Walmart, Ulta, and Target, and nothing was good enough. This is now on my Subscribe & Save every month!" —

4. E.l.f. Cosmetics Acne Fighting Putty Primer takes care of breakouts and keeps your all-day look right where you left it. How? Acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid and zinc, of course. Plus, the velvety formula sweeps over pimples to smooth uneven complexions — just apply pre-foundation or concealer, let it sit for 30 seconds, and voila! Fresh-faced canvas.

The 1.8% salicylic acid helps prevent the development of pesky breakouts and redness. Zinc helps reduces inflammation and kaolin keeps oil at bay while minimizing the appearance of pores. 

Plus! It's vegan and cruelty-free.

Promising review: I’ve only been using this for about a week, but have already noticed a big difference in my skin! I have normal skin, with an oily T-zone, large pores, hormonal breakouts, and hyperpigmentation that leaves my skin scarred for months even if I don’t touch my breakouts. This primer has been clearing my acne (even the tiny ones on my nose), reducing my scars, goes on smooth and makes my skin feel so soft. I easily use it under my tinted sunscreen, Putty Blush, and Halo Glow setting powder every day and even when I’m not wearing anything else on my face. My skin looks beautiful!"

5. OGX Argan Oil of Morocco Curl-Defining Cream gifts your tresses with a pillowy-soft formula you can comb through towel-dried hair. This = beautifully defined waves and spirals, sans leftover crunch and flyaways.

A bonus? This stuff is free from parabens and provides a sulfate-free haircare system. Translation: This is gentle for use on all curl types and textures to help bump up your hair's natural strength.

My hair is the ~perfect~ combo of wavy, curly, and frizzy, and this drugstore product has been a holy grail of mine for some time. I've found that it's the only formula that will give me soft, naturally curly waves come the a.m. and since I'm generally a nighttime hair washer, I have the perfect excuse to avoid blasting my hair with heat. Before hitting the pillow, I like to run my fingers through my towel-dried hair with a pea-sized amount of this, flip my mane over, and then give the ends a good scrunch. In the morn, my hair appears shiny with defined, wavy curls — we're not talking HD — but they have a nice, soft definition to them that doesn't require much styling.

Promising reviews: "Absolutely love this stuff! It's the one hair product I have to have. I rotate shampoos and conditioners but have never found anything to put on damp hair that I like as much as this. It says it's for curls, but works great on straight hair too. I have had super straight to very curly hair over the years and have loved this on all hairstyles." 

"I ended up using this product as more of a daily hair 'moisturizer' because it leaves it so wonderfully hydrated, soft, and manageable. This product has made my natural, 4c hair so much easier to style. I really can't say enough good things about it. It's a great product that I will definitely purchase again. I hope they never stop making this stuff! It's as if it was made just for me!!"

6. Foot Exfoliating Peel Masks work like witchcraft to peel away dead skin and leave you with the softest baby bum feet right in time for sandal season. Because we care about how you feel about your skin from your head to your tippy toes, and this at-home science experiment might be gross, but you'll be so very satisfied with the results.

7. Or! The Colossal Foot File tells pricey pedis to beat it once and for all, and makes taking care of crusty feet epidermis easy peasy. If you want to let your hooves see the light of day quickly (without going through a two-week treatment), this miracle worker will gift you with brand-new skin that you'll be proud to parade around.

Promising review: "AMAZING!!! Seriously beyond impressed with this product. I've never had dry or cracked heels until recently, and I've tried everything I could find to get rid of them. This is all you need!!! I literally opened the box and did this in less than a minute! I'll never use anything else! Even better than professional pedicures!!!" 

8. Lawless Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Mask takes care of chapped lips that are battling dryness and dehydration. Packed with shea butter, berry extract, and hyaluronic acid, this stuff supports natural collagen production to plump and soothe as you sleep. So getting kissably softer skin has never been easier!

Team up harsh acne medication with fierce winds and you've got the perfect formula for lizard-like dryness. AKA what I'm currently dealing with — especially around my mouth. Enter: the Lawless Forget The Filler Overnight Lip Mask, which has been saving my chapped lips for the past few months. It's cooling, it's soothing. It's thick without feeling tacky. It's hydrating without feeling sticky. And I don't have to do a darn thing except liberally apply it each night and wake up with softer, fuller, less painful-feeling lips!

*And* this is vegan and cruelty-free!

Lawless Beauty is a woman-owned beauty brand from Annie Lawless. She makes clean, nontoxic makeup and skincare that doesn't skimp on pigment or coverage.

Promising review: "As someone who is skeptical about overnight products like this, I was pleasantly shocked and surprised to see results the next morning after my first use! My lips not only felt hydrated and smooth, but definitely looked more plump (without that tingling sensation most plumping products provide which I don't like!)"

9. Sdara Skincare Derma Roller smooths out bumpy and uneven skin textures for a microdermabrasion treatment you can do in the comfort of your home. Even reviewers with sunken, atrophic scarring are noting how well this gizmo worked for them. 

Plus! You'll get a storage case included. And if you're new to derma rolling, here's some helpful tips on how to do it right and safely.

Promising review: "This is a MUST-HAVE. I had just recently moved from NYC to LA and the change in temperature has been really affecting my skin; it’s been red, puffy and frequent breakouts occur. Day one of using this product: I started off my cleansing my face at night, then used the Sdara Derma Roller (which left my skin with a tingly, though not at all painful, sensation), and finally applied my moisturizers and serums that I could literally feel were being soaked into my pores. The next day, my skin had totally changed! After ONE use! I plan to use it once a week and highly recommend this gem to everyone."

10. Supergoop! SPF 40 Glowscreen grips makeup and actually keeps it in place — all while shielding you from harmful rays with a clean-feeling primer. This comes in a pearlescent lotion that gives light coverage, and features a star-studded lineup of skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid, B5 vitamins, and blue-light-protecting peptides that make it *the* morning multitasker.

11. Nyx Concealer Color Correcting Palette disguises any evidence of your late night happy hours that went well beyond midnight. These creamy concealers hit the Ctrl + Z buttons on literally ANY kind of discoloration (read: acne scars and dark circles). And they can be blended with foundations to fix wonky undertones that don't match with your complexion.

The palette features six shades which are light and medium (to camouflage spots that aren't too dark), yellow and peach (to conceal dullness and dark circles), green (to cover redness), and purple and pink (to brighten). The concealers have a creamy, hydrating formula. Apply the color that will conceal the spot that you want to cover and then put your foundation on top of it as usual. NO, you won't have a purple spot or green spot of concealer sitting on your face. Once you apply your foundation, it won't be detectable at all. Happy blending! 

BTW, Nyx is cruelty-free!

Promising review: "I've always used concealers that match the color foundation I use. I decided to try the different color concealers and I'll stick with these. They cover the dark circles and redness with perfection."

12. Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair Mask quenches the thirst of dehydrated locks with a leave-in formula that gives a juicy dose of nourishment. Expect split ends to be conditioned and breakage significantly reduced — after only two uses. AKA overprocessed, brittle, color-treated hair is no match for this glorious weekly treatment.

This antioxidant-rich formula contains rosehip oil, B vitamins, and algae extract to restore essential moisture and hydration. It's safe for color-treated, keratin-treated, chemically-treated, and relaxed hair. Plus, it's vegan and cruelty-free!

Briogeo is a Black woman-founded biz, started by Nancy Twine who has had her hand in making homemade beauty products since she was 5. She has now developed a popular haircare line that specializes in texture-specific products: from repair to volume to curl care, you'll find something here to meet your needs.

Promising review: "I’ve used this product twice now, and I already see improvement with my hair. My hair is usually frizzy even when I blow dry it and use a smoothing serum, but after using this product twice, my hair is always smooth and silky afterwards. I wanted to see if it was this product that made a difference so I just used this and let my hair air dry afterwards, and it still felt smooth and silky. Definitely recommend!"