36 Products With Before-And-After Pictures That Prove Just How Hard They Work

Buzz Feed

02-06-2025

All-in-one decor paint for an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition-worthy transformation. The chalk-like paint comes with a built-in primer to help it cling to most surfaces, from upholstery and wood to metal and glass. With over 50 colors to choose from, this paint can help you revitalize every room in the house. Aaand it dries in just 30 minutes!
A deep-conditioning hair mask promising smoother, shinier, and stronger hair, even if you're fighting against bleached, dry, or damaged locks. It can even handle Florida levels of humidity!
A lawn dog spot repair treatment to make your crispy, brown lawn look like it belongs in front of a house in Emerald City. Reviewers say they noticed results almost immediately — as in *days*!
A lightweight gel cream from Nivea with powerful Q10 that helps plump, firm, and moisturize skin in as little as two weeks with consistent use. One reviewer found success with this when expensive neck creams from department stores and Sephora fell flat.
A pack of stain-removing pads to obliterate all the unwanted pet-related stains in your home. Lay a pad on an unwanted blemish, stomp, toss the pad, and admire your pee-free carpet.
It also works for non-pet stains like ink, soda, coffee, and more.Promising review: "Our poor older pup started having some incontinence issues and had several accidents in the house. I was really frustrated until I found these. They work amazingly well. They're small, so if the area was larger I had to use two or three, but they pulled up stains and saved the house from being smelly. I even used one on an older stain (that I'm pretty sure wasn't pet related) and it came up after leaving it on for about 24 hours. I make sure to keep a supply of these in the house at all times now." —MCGet a pack of 20 from Amazon for $24.99.
L'Oréal Paris BB Cream, a green-tinted formula that combats redness through the power of color theory. It doesn't stop there — it also works to even complexion, hydrate with vitamin E, and sets the perfect stage for you to apply your makeup on. The fairly-priced product offers light to medium coverage and won't feel crusty.
A jewelry cleaning pen you can count on to add new shine to your gems, no costly trip to the jeweler required. As someone who refuses to take off rings before washing dishes, showering, etc., I need this!
A Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener to expertly conceal and brighten dark circles under your eyes. The lightweight, color-adapting formula blends so seamlessly under makeup that your old concealer will throw itself out.
A pet brush with thin, long teeth capable of getting to the undercoat. A good brushing means a silkier coat — and best of all, less shedding.
Promising review: "Wowwww!! I thought we were getting a lot of fur off our mini Maine coon mix with our regular cat brush, but I had no idea how much we were missing until I bought this comb! Bella is visibly sleeker and happier after two good de-shedding combing sessions. The best part is that she LOVED it, which says a lot, because she typically will only allow a few swipes of the brush at a time. But with this comb, she even let me get her BELLY fur!!! For a cat who rarely likes being touched for more than 10 seconds, that is incredible! 5 out of 5 stars, telling everyone I know about this comb!!" —RebeccaGet it from Amazon for $14.97.
A Briotech spray that uses hypochlorous acid, an ingredient found naturally in our white blood cells, to help strengthen your skin barrier and soothe rashes, sunburns, rosacea, eczema, and other skin irritations. It's similar to certain spendier refresh sprays, but without the cute bottle tax.
A nail and cuticle oil to bring life back to your damaged nails, even if you did something really bad like — gasp! — peel off a gel manicure. Bonus: Reviewers say the oil smells amazing, so be prepared for people to compliment your "perfume."
Ogx Argan Oil of Morocco Curl-Defining Cream for curls so bouncy you'll be jumping for joy (and to show them off). The argan oil-boosted formula moisturizes and tames frizz while adding a level of volume and shine you'd normally expect from a much higher price point.
A Pikk-it tool offering a quick solution to one of life's little miseries: wondering why your vacuum isn't sucking (in a good way) and discovering that the brush is completely cocooned in loose hair. This handy tool will free your roller from its hairy prison so it can proceed with...picking up more hair. Sorry, "vacuum doesn't work" isn't an excuse to avoid cleaning anymore!
An immunity-boosting allergy supplement so your itchy dog can finally find some relief. These soft chews deliver a dose of probiotics and other nutrients to help improve immune function, aide digestion, and promote healthy skin. Bonus: They add a nice shine to your dog's coat.
Remember to consult your vet before trying new supplements.Promising review: "Absolutely the best product. It saved my itchy goldendoodle! We tried changing food, medicated shampoo, fish oil, everything you can imagine... nothing worked long-term. He was itching his face so badly he would make himself bleed. Had sores and scabs all over his face and neck. I bought these because they had good reviews and I was desperate. It changed his life! He no longer scratches AT ALL! His coat looks great and all of his sores are healed. He's the happiest he's been which makes me a very happy momma. He is also very picky and never eats treats... he eats these every time so that's an added bonus!" —Darcie NationGet them from Amazon for $24.97+ (available in three sizes and four flavors).
A pack of carborundum sponges — YES, the stuff they make bulletproof vest plates out of — because tough jobs require tough solutions. Just dip one of these in water and start scouring — the nano-particles will cut through intense grease, grime, and stuck-on food bits when all other earthly measures to keep your pots clean have failed.
A box of Color Catcher sheets to prevent the dreaded "all my clothes are now pink from this one stray red sock" debacle. These handy sheets are designed to grab any dye that leaks or bleeds so you can keep enjoying your white tees.
A crack weeder tool if your home looks like it's trying out to star in the next season of The Last of Us. The L-shaped head can sneak into tight spaces and tear out the weeds, moss, and stubborn roots that have rudely taken up residence in your sidewalk.
A cruelty-free Essence Lash Princess lengthening mascara that's lightweight, won't transfer, doesn't smudge, and lasts all day — oh and makes your eyelashes look like tall, beautiful skyscrapers. Why Essence only charges $5 for such an S-tier mascara is beyond me, but we're all grateful.
Or E.l.f Lash Xtndr Tubing Mascara, which creates tubing around your lashes to make them appear longer, thicker, and darker. The lightweight "extensions" won't smudge or weigh down your actual lashes and — best of all — they fall right off when you wash your face. Priceless!
A Tibet Almond scratch remover stick that you can apply like ChapStick for your furniture. The colorless balm can help hide light scratches, watermarks, and water stains from wood, bamboo, glass, and more. Just open the can, remove the wrapper, and start rubbing the stick on unsightly marks.
A tube of Roc retinol night cream possibly imbued with time traveler magic, because it will feel like you're turning back the hands of time when you go to sleep each night. OK, maybe it won't be that dramatic, but the shea butter and squalane will hydrate, and the retinol will work hard to smooth and possibly reverse some signs of aging. This reviewer says it's a great alternative to prescription retinol.
Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray renowned in the parenting community thanks to its uncanny ability to erase stains from most fabrics in record time, all without harsh ingredients like chlorine, sulfates, or perfumes. Just spritz some on spilled juice, melted Popsicles, chocolate (hopefully), and more to watch them go *poof* and disappear.
A mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen that's way more convenient than a painful trip to the dentist or an annoying attempt at the strips. Just brush your teeth with the bristled pen whenever you have a minute to work through stains and discoloration (without sensitivity, according to 800 5-star reviewers).
A roll of scar tape, aka silicone sheets that mimic the skin's barrier, locking in moisture and preventing the excessive healing that could lead to scarring. Bonus: Some reviewers have used the tape as a short-term measure to reduce the appearance of fine lines — it temporarily smoothes the skin by keeping it taut overnight.
Mielle's Rosemary Mint strengthening oil, a TikTok-hall-of-famer that almost 80,000 5-star reviews confirm is worth the hype. The biotin-infused serum can help strengthen hair and encourage new growth, leaving hair feeling fuller. Reviewers say it's helped with everything from receding hairlines to sparse eyebrows — who knew something so effective was just sitting on a drugstore shelf this whole time?
A container of oatmeal paw butter that'll soothe and relieve your dog's cracked, dry paws. Its eco-friendly formula is pH-balanced so it's safe for pets, even if licked or swallowed. *seriously considers licking it myself to see if it really tastes like oatmeal*
Promising review: "This stuff smells so good! It smoothed my dog's paw pads the next day. It felt so soft! This is a miracle I love this product and it's a great price! You get a good amount of product. Thank you so much. This has helped my pups so much!" —SamiGet it from Amazon for $15.05.
Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm made with a blend of pearl barley and vitamin E to completely obliterate every speck of makeup on your face. Seriously, you'll feel so fresh and baby-faced, you'll wonder if that eyeliner was really as smudge-proof as you previously thought.
A Howard Products Feed-N-Wax wood polish and conditioner to give your furniture an impossibly lustrous shine previously never seen in your home. The carnauba wax and beeswax enhance and protect your wood from drying out, so you can keep your great-grandmother's rocking chair in tip-top shape with just a few swipes.
Etude Dear Darling Water Tint, a smudge-proof lip tint and blush offering such a delicate pop of color, you'll wonder why you ever bothered with lipstick or powdered blush. Reviewers love that it's buildable, doesn't transfer, and works better than pricier brands.
A shoe stretch spray if you have a pair of gorgeous loafers or sandals you love but never wear...because of the agonizing pain that comes with it. This spray will gradually stretch them out without staining or fading and is likely more effective than the freezer trick.
A roll of 10M wood grain tape perfect for frameless mirrors that could use a little more panache. The waterproof adhesive is easy to apply and does a convincing impression of wood grain. When you're ready for a change, the tape peels off easily.
A reviewer-loved scar gel made with panthenol to help encourage skin regeneration and allantoin to moisturize and help speed up the healing process. The formula even works on older scars, and customers have also used it to soothe burns, sunburns, and tattoos.
An easy-to-apply, one-hour self-tanner that's cheaper yet more effective than most competitors. The vegan formula is easy to blend without streaks or uneven patches, which makes it a hit with beginners (36,000+ positive ratings and counting). While the tan may be instant, the fade is nice and gradual.
A TikTok-loved lip plumper set with day and night serums that work together to give your pout a boost. Use the minty one at night to hydrate and smooth, and then the tingly ginger one to give your lips a little more volume.
Fruit and veggie wash because just rinsing with water doesn't feel like enough and using actual soap feels like too much. This spray is the middle ground and helps safely remove wax, soil, and handling residue.
Promising review: "This stuff is great and I have ordered it several times. In the past, I just rinsed fruit or vegetables, but I was at the grocery store recently and saw a very cute kid touching all the fruit. He also had a runny nose and I just thought, 'better remember to really wash the fruit when I get home.' The great thing about Veggie Wash is you can feel the wax film wash off of certain fruit. It really does a great job of cleaning and doesn't leave any odd smell or taste. As I said, I've bought this before and make sure my kitchen always has a spray bottle nearby." —Me in SoCalGet three spray bottles from Amazon for $25.86.
A hair-lightening spray to brighten up hair by TWO shades or more! Spritz a little of this citrus and chamomile spray onto damp hair, then activate it with heat-styling tools. I recommend blow drying and hitting it with a curling iron or straightener for the best results. Over 7,000 5-star raters love it because it's less harsh than bleach and even works on dark hair.