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PCA SKIN Nutrient Toner Review: The Pumpkin Toner People Keep Restocking

  If you've been skipping toner because it always felt like scented water, PCA SKIN Nutrient Toner is worth a look. It's an exfoliating toner built around fermented pumpkin and lactic acid, and it has been on Amazon since 2004. One reviewer says they've used it for about 15 years, which tells you something about how it holds up. Below is what the listing promises and what buyers say once it's in their routine, good and bad. What's in the bottle You get 4.4 fl oz (130.1 mL) of a golden liquid that you swipe on with a cotton pad. The listing builds it around a few ingredients: Pumpkin wine, made by fermenting whole pumpkin. PCA says it brings the vitamin A and vitamin C from pumpkin and gives skin a brighter look. Lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that the brand says moisturizes while it exfoliates. Aminoguanidine, which PCA includes to help aging skin feel soft and supple over time. The brand also mentions added antioxidants, enzymes and amino acids. The goal is a t...
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Joico Defy Damage Protective Shampoo Review: Why Bleached and Color-Treated Hair Keeps Coming Back to It

Joico Defy Damage Protective Shampoo is a salon brand shampoo made for hair that has been colored, bleached or heat styled to the point where it snaps and frays. On Amazon it carries an Amazon's Choice badge, and at the time of writing it has more than 6,000 ratings, with over 2,000 bought in the past month. I read through the listing and the customer reviews to see who it actually helps, what people notice in the shower, and where buyers think it falls short. What Joico says it does This is a sulfate-free shampoo. The listing says it's free of SLS and SLES (sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate), the harsh cleansers that tend to pull dye out of hair. Joico describes it as a rich, foamy lather that clears away dirt, oil and buildup without roughing up the cuticle or stripping the color you paid a stylist for. The formula is built around a few named ingredients, and the listing explains what each one is there for: Moringa seed oil for hydration, shine and softness Ker...

Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron Review: The 1.25 Inch Iron Long-Haired Buyers Say Finally Fits Their Hair

  If you've ever tried to curl long or thick hair on a standard curling iron, you know the problem. The section doesn't fit, so you end up cramming it on or splitting it into more passes. The Bio Ionic Long Barrel Curling Iron is built around fixing exactly that. Its barrel is 2 inches longer than a standard one, and that extra length is the thing buyers mention first. At the time of writing it carries Amazon's Choice, sits at number three in Hair Curling Irons, and shows more than 10,000 bought in the past month. It also costs a lot more than a drugstore iron. So I went through the listing and the customer reviews to see what that money gets you and where it lets people down. What the longer barrel changes Bio Ionic says the extended barrel makes it easier to style longer hair and to reach the back sections of your head. Reviewers back that up in their own words. One buyer with longer, thicker hair called the long barrel "the star here" and said having enough bar...

Azzaro The Most Wanted Parfum Review: The Ginger and Vanilla Cologne Buyers Save for Date Night

  Azzaro The Most Wanted Parfum is the most concentrated version in Azzaro's Most Wanted line, and it's one of the most popular men's colognes on Amazon right now. At the time of writing it sits at number one in Men's Cologne, with more than 10,000 ratings and over 20,000 bought in the past month. A good number of those buyers ordered it blind, going only on reviews and videos. So I went through the listing and the customer reviews to work out who it suits, how long it really lasts, and where buyers think it falls short. What it smells like Azzaro lists three main notes: red ginger on top, an "incandescent woods" accord in the middle, and bourbon vanilla at the base. The description also mentions a toffee accord and a spicy cocktail. Amazon files it under the spicy fougère family, and the brand's own artwork calls it ambery. Buyers describe how it changes on skin in pretty consistent terms. One reviewer said the ginger and wood come through first, then the...

Charlotte Tilbury More Sex Exagger-Eyes Kit Review: Big-Lash Mascara Plus a Musky Travel Perfume

This little kit puts two Charlotte Tilbury products in one box: the Exagger-Eyes volume and length mascara, and a travel size bottle of the More Sex eau de parfum. The listing pitches it as a gift set for dramatic lashes and a scent that hangs around all day. Before you read the reviews, know this. The customer ratings on this page (930 of them at the time of writing) are shared with the standalone mascara, and the reviews shown are all from people who bought the mascara on its own in 0.14 or 0.28 fl oz sizes. So there's plenty of buyer feedback on the lashes and none yet on the perfume. Everything below about the fragrance comes from the listing. What you get in the box Exagger-Eyes Volume and Length Mascara in Exagger-Black A travel size More Sex eau de parfum The listing calls it a 2 count set and gives a shipping weight of about 3.5 ounces, but it doesn't state the size of either piece. Don't assume the mascara is full size. One more detail that's easy to miss: the ...

Extra Deep Queen Sheet Set Review: Six Pieces for Tall Mattresses and Thick Toppers

  If you've stacked a foam topper on your mattress, you probably know the morning routine. One corner of the fitted sheet has crept up overnight, and there's bare mattress staring back at you. This 6-piece set from CGK Unlimited is made for exactly that kind of bed. The fitted sheet has 21 inch pockets, and the reviews (more than 100,000 ratings at the time of writing, shared across every size and color of this set) mostly agree that it stays where you put it. Built for beds that swallow normal sheets The listing says the fitted sheet works on mattresses with pockets from 18 to 24 inches deep, with elastic running all the way around. CGK pitches it for pillow tops, memory foam, big mattress pads and 3 or 4 inch toppers sitting on top of a mattress. Buyers back that up in different ways. One reviewer called it the deepest pocket they'd ever seen on a sheet and guessed it would fit the thickest pillow top out there. They didn't need all that room, but said it tucks in wel...

Amazon Basics Twin Microfiber Sheet Set Review: Cheap, Soft Sheets for a Kid's Bed, Guest Bed or Laundry Day

  If you need a set of twin sheets for a child's room, a spare bed, or a backup for the days the other set is in the wash, this Amazon Basics set has probably already shown up in your search. It's one of the most reviewed bedding products on Amazon, with well over 400,000 ratings at the time of writing, and it sits near the top of the Home & Kitchen best sellers. Here's what the listing promises and what all those buyers actually say. What comes in the twin set The twin version has three pieces: One flat sheet One fitted sheet One pillowcase, 20 x 30 inches That's a single pillowcase. One reviewer who bought the full size said their set came with two, so if you want a spare pillowcase on a twin bed, you'll need to buy it separately. The fabric is 100% polyester microfiber, brushed, with a weight of 85 GSM, which the listing describes as lightweight. The listed thread count is 170. Amazon says the sheets are made in an OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified factory. Nav...