Best Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Beauty Deals
Shark, La Roche-Posay, and Gillette are just a few of the brands with products on sale for the October Prime Day sale
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Consumer Reports has evaluated and reviewed hundreds of beauty and personal care products, and a good chunk of them are already on sale ahead of Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale, which is coming on October 6 and 7.
If you can’t wait to shop, we’ve put together a list of beauty products that have been discounted early, from skincare products to hair styling tools. The best part is that we evaluated everything on this list to give you a firsthand look at what these products are like and how they work in the real world. With everything you buy, it’s always good to know what you’re going to get before you hit that order button, especially when those purchases are going on your skin or in your hair.
Our team of experts will be tracking all the deals on everything we test throughout the sales. You can keep an eye on CR’s Amazon Prime Big Deal Days coverage over on our Deals hub.
Detangling Brushes
FHI Heat Unbrush Detangling Brush
Detangling brushes save not only time but also effort when tackling knots or an unruly mane. And for me, the FHI Heat Unbrush is the one to beat. It earned the distinction of being the best for curly hair in our evaluations of the best detangling brushes, and our testers liked its lightweight feel. I personally switched to it because my old brush had those beads at the end of the bristles, and they were snagging in my hair and ripping out my extensions. The Unbrush has smooth bristles, so it glides through my hair so smoothly and detangles without catching my extensions. It’s available in a variety of colors at different prices, but this is the lowest price you’ll find online.
Flat Irons
Hot Tools Pro Artist Black Gold Evolve Ionic Salon Hair Flat Iron
Hot Tools hair styling tools are a common sight at hair salons, and for good reason. Our evaluators found that this flat iron heated up fast and was easy to use. It has variable heat settings to give users more control, and the plates are slightly longer than most straighteners, a feature that could be useful for styling longer hair. It’s important to note that the temperature consistency isn’t reliable and could vary by as much as 20 degrees from the set temperature during use. It has a 2-hour window before it automatically shuts off, so you’ll want to remember to unplug it after every use.
Hair Care
Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel
This medium-hold gel has a floral, fruity scent. One evaluator said the silky product had the perfect amount of hold without weighing down her 2C-3B curls, and it controlled frizz well. However, another evaluator, with very thick 3A-B curls with low porosity and dense strands, thought it created knots and frizz for her on day two. It was $13 for Prime Day, so keep an eye out for a bigger price drop next week.
Cantu Shea Butter Extra Hold Edge Stay Gel
This edge control gel was our evaluators’ top choice for coarse and coily hair. The Cantu Shea Butter Extra Hold Edge Stay Gel glides on smoothly and gives a medium hold. There is a slight, sweet scent, and when applying, one reviewer noticed a greasy feel, but the greasiness evaporated quickly.
Hair Dryers
The Laifen is a budget-friendly hair dryer, even when it’s not on sale, and this is just a few dollars more than the best price we’ve seen in months. It’s similar in appearance to the Dyson Supersonic: T-shaped, with a compact head that makes it easier to hold. Its concentrator attaches magnetically and can be rotated without taking it off entirely. Our testers found the buttons well-designed and easy to use, and the icons easy to read. Plus, it’s not too loud, reaching 79 decibels in our tests. The Laifen comes with only one attachment (a concentrator), and lacks a one-touch cool shot. It’s the least hot of all the hair dryers we tested, reaching 108° F in our tests on its highest setting. And at 71 inches, the Laifen’s cable is the shortest of all our recommended dryers.
The Shark SpeedStyle Pro Flex competes with the highly sought-after Dyson models, but at more than half the price. Like the Dyson models, our testers liked how easily the attachments snapped onto the hair dryer, and how you can rotate them without removing them. Its airflow is so strong that when turned on, it has a kickback.
It has another high-end feature: its IQ Speed Styling & Drying Suite automatically adjusts heat and speed depending on the attachment. The attachments are unique and feature-rich, including the Frizzfighter, which is helpful in making sleek bangs (and flyaways). The diffuser features different prong lengths depending on hair type, and its brush attachment includes boar bristles. Its highest temperature reading in our tests was 115° F.
Hair Stylers
Revlon One-Step Volumizer Hair Dryer and Styler
The Revlon One-Step Volumizer is beloved for a reason: It just works. One tester shared this pro tip to achieve the best results: Keep tension on the hair and work in smaller sections. Otherwise, you may end up with a head full of frizz.
Straightening Combs
Tymo Ring Straightening Comb
In our at-home evaluations, this straightening comb worked best for testers with curly hair. It has five temperature settings, an auto shutoff feature, and is extremely lightweight. One tester especially liked that it could straighten the hair right at the root better than the Drybar Straightening Brush it was tested against. It was $10 less for Prime Day in June, so wait and watch for a better price when Prime Big Deal Days begins.
Hair Steamers
Siswow Hair Steamer for Natural Hair
This steamer was the only one we tried that made no noise. We found it comfortable and effective, and a cinch to use. It was easy to store, too.
Lip Care
NYX Cosmetics Smushy Soft Matte Tinted Lip Balm
Mattifying lip products are rarely actively hydrating, and this tinted lip balm from NYX Cosmetics was no exception. Ginger Cowles, a managing editor at CR, who liked its velvety texture and didn’t initially find it drying, said that after wearing it for a couple of days, “my lips started to feel drier than usual. That tells me that even though it has a slight balm consistency, it’s not as potentially moisturizing or smoothing as the other products we tested.” It’s well worth it, though, in her view. “I love the color so much that I’m willing to take that trade-off by using Aquaphor or Vaseline on my lips when I’m not wearing a tinted balm.”
Micellar Waters
Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water
This is one of the first-ever micellar waters, and is now a classic. It’s lightly hydrating and has a subtle scent, though our evaluators had mixed reviews with how well it removed makeup. This one’s probably better used as part of a two-step cleansing routine rather than on its own.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Micellar Water
This lightly scented micellar water from a popular French brand landed in the middle of every evaluator’s ranking. “It gets the job done,” said one evaluator. Another said it required a few swipes with a cotton pad to remove tubing mascara, “but nothing too strenuous.” Although the company claims that its product is designed for sensitive skin, the inclusion of fragrance means it might not be right for everyone.
Razors
Gillette Venus Extra Smooth Sensitive Razor
The Gillette Venus was a clear winner in our evaluations of the best razors. The silver handle is pleasantly weighted, and it has a grippy spot for your thumb that makes it easier to hold in the shower, and the razor head has a large lubricating strip. Since the head is so bulky, you may need to angle it carefully while shaving difficult areas, such as the hollow of an underarm or an ankle.
Self Tanners
St. Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse
Our evaluators found that the St. Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse was the perfect beginner’s self-tanner, creating a light, believable golden color and being easy to apply. It was the best pick for lighter skin shades because it was too subtle to make darker skin shades pop. We didn’t notice any color transfer after the application.
Toiletry Bags
Nishel Travel Toiletry Bag
The Nishel Travel Toiletry Bag is a hanging organizer, meaning you can hang it on the bathroom door with every compartment laid out in full view. This bag is an antidote to disorganization. It has several compartments, two of which have different-sized mesh pockets. Our evaluator also noted that it has a large capacity but still zips up easily even when full. The low price is reflected in the quality of the material, however, so if you don’t mind the fabric looking a little on the cheaper side (the reviewer noted theirs attracted a lot of dust) this could be a great choice.
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