The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Buy, Bye: Nuance by Salma Hayek

Beauty Review: Nuance by Salma Hayek

I recently got the opportunity to try out a ton of products from Salma Hayek’s drugstore line Nuance! I’ve always seen Nuance on the shelves at my local CVS pharmacy but never picked one up to test myself. One awesome thing to note about the Nuance by Salma Hayek line—there is NO animal testing! A major yes! There were some real winners in the bunch, and a few that didn’t make the cut.

So should you buy or say bye? Check it out!

We review Nuance by Salma Hayek drugstore beauty line


Blue Agave Curls & Waves Shampoo ($7.99) and Blue Agave Curls & Waves Conditioner ($7.99)

Because I have naturally curly/wavy hair, I’m always on the lookout for a shampoo and conditioner that will enhance the good and nix the frizz. The Blue Agave pair from Nuance was a pretty good start! I stay far, far away from the frizz-monster-making hair dryer, and once my hair was fully air-dried, it definitely looked much curlier than usual, with a noticeable cut-down on frizz. I had to tame my roots a little with some hairspray and a run over with my straightener, but I was able to leave the rest of my hair as it was—good news for this lazy lady. The smell was also quite calming and relaxing in the shower, but be warned: don’t get this stuff in your eyes. Major ouch.


Healthy Shine Nourishing Oil ($9.99)

Texture-wise, this is closer to a serum than a true oil. I’ve tried all sorts of oils without great success, except this one! Nuance’s Healthy Shine oil didn’t leave any weighty residue—a claim a lot of products make, but few live up to. After straightening my hair this added a nice finishing seal to the ends of my hair. I also tried this on my hair when it was damp, and once it was fully air-dried I noticed my ends weren’t as frizzy as they normally are. This is a great hair oil for a great price, considering oils are usually a bit more expensive. You also get a ton in the bottle—1.7 oz.


Bamboo Extract Straightening Balm ($9.99)

I was surprised by how milky this balm was, but I have to say, I really liked this! As I’ve said, I have very wavy and super frizzy hair, so I’m always on the lookout for a good frizz-tamer. After letting my hair air-dry, I noticed my frizz was cut down by half. The directions say to follow this up with a blow dry or a flat iron, so I whipped out my ancient straightener. My hair straightened and softened much faster than usual! This one was a winner for me, and definitely one I’d consider buying in the future!


Walnut Body Scrub ($8.99)

This stuff is great. Although kind of alarming and a little gross-looking coming out of the tube, I really love Nuance’s Walnut Body scrub. I have very sensitive skin, so most scrubs are too harsh and leave my skin itchy and red. The beads or ‘scrub’ were so fine, almost like a soft sand, and I really felt like this energized my skin and exfoliated without irritation or damage. I’d absolutely buy this again!


Jojoba Dual Phase Body Oil ($12.99)

I’ve been wanting to find a body oil that wasn’t a pain to apply, and Nuance’s Dual Phase was my answer. I applied this right after the shower and did just as the directions said—shake well and spray 6-8 inches away. I spritzed both my legs and when I moved to rub the oil in, it was gone! Like, totally soaked in! I was stunned. This is light and lovely, without any overwhelming smell, and feels really refreshing on the skin. I did have to go over my embarrassingly-dry legs a second time to really feel like they were hydrated, but I actually really enjoyed using this. Its so easy, light, and feels really luxurious on the skin, with absolutely zero oily residue. This is my favorite product of the bunch, and has earned a permanent spot on my body care shelf! My one qualm? The packaging - the cap is anything but secure! I’d love to bring this with me when I travel, but would have to tape down the cap.




We review the highs and lows of Salma Hayek's drugstore beauty line "Nuance"


Blue Agave Wave Enhancing Styling Swirl ($12.99)

Unfortunately this one didn’t work for me, at all. Instead of helping to “enhance natural waves, provide flexible hold and prevent frizz for soft, manageable hair,” the Styling Swirl ended up doing the exact opposite. My hair was significantly frizzier- we’re talking Chia Pet over here—and diminished my natural waves. My hair hung limply, not a curl in sight. However, this product is rated 4.7 on CVS.com, so it seems like a lot of people like it—it just didn’t work for me!


Soy Protein Primer Spray ($9.99)

I think the concept of a hair primer is really genius, so I was excited to try this little guy out! It’s a yellow-hued spray with slight shimmer, and full of nourishing oils and proteins. Nuance describes their Primer Spray this way: “Protein helps prime hair for even application of styling products, faster drying time and long-lasting styles by hydrating and smoothing cuticles.” I definitely noticed my obnoxiously-thick hair dried much faster, so that was a plus! However, the smell is awful. Really bad. I also don’t think that it helped prime for “long-lasting styles,” so aside from the cut-down on drying time (which was awesome) this seemed pretty ineffective. And stinky.


My Secret Super Moisturizing Body Cream ($14.99)

Touted by Nuance as a super hydrator that helps “improve skin tone and texture,” I was quite interested to try this one. It’s kind of a dry lotion, not runny or oily. There was a very faint smell that I wasn’t a fan of, but once slathered on my dry legs, it did sink in quickly and my dry patches disappeared. I haven’t used it long enough to say whether or not it improves my skin tone, but it’s a nice, fast-absorbing moisturizer—just not for the price. I think you can find much more effective moisturizers for less, so I’d opt for something else.


Have you tried anything from Nuance? Which products have you bought, or bid adieu?

xoxo,

Molly
Comments
I've been using Nuance products for about two years now, and I love the foundation, quinoa shampoo & conditioner, and radiant face creams (day and night). I also use the super brightening hand cream and the rose petal lip balm. I wasn't too impressed with the hair spray or nail polish, but overall I love the line and usually there are sales and coupons to help keep it even more budget friendly.
#1 Gina on 2014-05-14 10:03 (Reply)
Didn't even know the line included nail polish, I'll have to check out some of these other products. Thanks Gina!
#1.1 The Budget Babe on 2014-05-14 20:20 (Reply)
This product (Nuance Salma Hayek Blue Agave Wave Enhancing Styling Swirl) is awesome. Does anyone know why it went away??????? :-(
#2 Cami on 2018-01-16 21:42 (Reply)
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