March 11, 2008

Beauty on a Budget: Wave Power Cleaner from Neutrogena Review

I’ve come to the realization that I don’t include nearly enough budget beauty finds in my blog! Many of my readers are quite young and spending $70-$100 or more on skincare is beyond their reach at the moment (at least that was the case for me when I was that age!).

In order to redeem myself I’ll occasionally make a mad dash to the local drugstore and see what’s to be had, what I try, what I like, and above all in keeping with an inexpensive price tag!

I was able to test out the new Wave Power Cleaner from Neutrogena and this is definately fitting in with Beauty on a Budget. This costs all of $10.49 USD at Drugstore.com or $12 USD at Target. The price, in my opinion, is so right! Plus if you head over to Neutrogena’s website you can print out a $2 coupon so that cuts the cost down to $8.49 or $10! Hell that’s a deal! Click to get your coupon!

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I’ve wanted to purchase a power cleaner for a while now, in particular I crave the Clarisonic Skincare Brush but seriously I don’t see myself dishing out $200 for that thing. As lovely as it looks I can’t bring myself to pay that much for a cleaning brush.

I haven’t tried the Clarisonic so I can’t compare it to the Wave however I will say at the bargain price the Wave works bloody well for it’s tiny price tag with a few minor pitfalls!

The entire package comes with the power cleaner, a battery (sweet! I didn’t have to go to the store to get one!), 14 cleaning pads, plus a $1 off coupon for refill pads!

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I’ve used the Wave three times so far. Once in the shower and once out of the shower. My first run with this was out of the shower and it was a bit of a disappointing run. First of all this isn’t brain surgery to operate. The cleaner has a ridged surface that you plop on the pads on. No special tools needed to hold it in place, no snap ons, or anything like that. Just slap a pad on and go.

Once your pad is on you run the unit under water, press the on button, and start working in on your face. This doesn’t rotate, there aren’t any brushes that rotate, the pad doesn’t rotate, none of that. The Wave simply vibrates which causes the pad to foam up and begins the deep cleaning of your face. Sadly that was my main beef with the unit. The pads didn’t foam up at all. For someone who wears a face full of makeup daily this is NOT going to remove your makeup so well. Absolutely not. However, after using it and rinsing with my regular cleanser my moisturizer did sink in very nicely so obviously the unit is working well enough!

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That’s a minor rant as I found a few better ways to use the Wave. One was in the shower which I believe will be my main place to use it. I think if you have a clean face already and you’ve just woken up in the AM and you’re stepping into the shower this is perfect for doing a nice deep clean. The foaming won’t matter so much as your face is pretty much makeup less. I found that the unit worked wonderfully in the shower and it’s completely waterproof so no probs at all. I decided to get crazy and plop a bit of Philosophy’s Microdelivery Wash on the pad and that’s when I experienced nirvana! This made a huge difference and worked wonders for getting a nice deep exfoliating facial while in the shower! I came out of the shower refreshed and my moisturizer and makeup went on so much smoother!

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Cheers for that!

The formula of the pads is a tingly, cool pleasant sensation and the smell is quite nice as well but as I said I seen little foaming from these so that does need a bit of work!

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The unit is very tiny which I found fantastic for travel plus it runs on one double AA battery which means I’m not having to tug around a recharger with me when I travel. The entire thing is smaller then the palm of my hand. Really great for storage, travel, and it’s just nice to have a small unit that works well!

You might be curious about the refills and the price. It’s safe to say they are pretty inexpensive at $8 for 30! You know you’ll be able to score these on sell though and maybe even cheaper in Walmart!

I had a totally smashing experience with this little gadget and it’s definately part of my skincare regime from now on!

You can’t really beat the price plus it works great! If you don’t take my word for it check on MUA for the rave reviews! The unit is up to a 4.1 rating!

To learn more about the Wave Powder Clean have a click over here and check it out at Neutrogena’s website!

Did I mention you can choose your favorite color? The Wave is available in blue, pink, and green!

28 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Gee

    Hi Muse!

    I haven’t tried the Wave, but I have the Dove SkinVitalizer. And it has pretty good foaming power, if that’s what you’re looking for! I like Dove cleasners better than Neutrogena, so that’s why I opted for Dove. It’s around $10 at Wal-mart, but they have a $3.50 coupon online, so it’s like $6.50 which is a great price!

    Maybe you should try it out!

  • Critty

    Great review Muse! I don’t think I’ll buy it as I imagine it will fight with my rosacea but it’s good to know it works and is pretty cheap. I want the Clarisonic too, but only if it was $50. I can buy a lot of makeup for $200 and lots of cleanser and wash cloths!

  • Jennifer

    just popping in to say hello. i haven’t tried this, but i do have the clarisonic skincare brush. it’s an amazing product, but honestly it just doesn’t get the use that it should because i have so scrubs that i love and so don’t find this as essential as i used to. but you’ve just reminded me that i paid a fortune for the thing and really should use it!

  • Vanessa

    I’ve seen this and im glad you did a review on it because I was like “Do I really wanna buy this??!” Now I think I want!!!! Muah miss you Izzy!

  • Shop With A Vengeance!

    I also like to use any potentially messy skincare products in the shower, that way any mess just goes right down the drain!

    Thanks for posting this Muse 🙂

  • MandyPandy

    Man! I have the Clarisonic and wish I could have chosen the color; I really wanted that pink one, damn them! Sadly, it wasn’t available at the time. I find the white brush to be a real snooze fest.

  • the Muse

    Hey Angela!

    I think you’ll like it 🙂
    It’s interesting and cheap can’t go wrong!

  • the Muse

    Hi Gee!

    I didn’t even know Dove carried one! That’s how out of the loop I am with DS brands!

    That’s an amazing price!!!! I feel a walmart road trip coming on 😉

    thanks for the tip!

  • the Muse

    hey critty how are you!?

    Aw I agree. Rosacea is a tough one when it comes to exfoliating and such!

    LOL I firgure I could buy alot of cosmetics too for $200! Bit too much for me 😉

  • the Muse

    hey jen!

    ‘ello 😉 How are you!?

    I’ve never used the clarisonic does on batteries as well as recharge? The idea of toting a charger around with me when I’m on Holiday sorta makes me cringe. Plus it seems so BIG. and the price scares me a tiny bit!

    I had originally thought it was used for exfoliating but turns out it’s just a glorified cleaning brush and at $200 my hands work great 😉

    You can send in care of the Muse New York, New York 10012…LOL 😉

    I’ll put it to good use 😉

  • the Muse

    hey ‘ness!

    I’m shocked. My drugstore queen hasn’t tried something!? It’s impossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉

    It’s definately worth trying. Don’t forget to print the coupon! I’m featuring another one shortly so don’t buy until I review the other one I got 😉

    MUAH back! Love you!

    I owes you an email! I wanna tell you ’bout the digicam and some new shadows you need to try!

  • the Muse

    hey SwaV (Shorten your nick hehe)

    Me too. This is a treat since it’s waterproof 😉

    You’re most welcome! Thanks for always dropping by and leaving a comment 🙂

    *hugs*

    I failed to comment but I seen your post on the Lumene cocktail thingy! I was curious ’bout that!

  • the Muse

    hey mandys!

    The pink one was hawt looking!

    Do you make proper use of it? I mean are you getting $200 out of it? You did beg me to take the money out of the kids college tuition fund so I should hope you’re making proper use of it!

    What I won’t do for love SIGH!

  • Jennifer

    the clarisonic doesn’t work on batteries, it’s rechargeable only unfortunately. on the bright side, i supposedly has a battery life of up to two hours, so you don’t actually need to charge it that often.

    i use it every once in awhile in the shower, but honestly it is quite heavy and bulky. but i’ll definitely be using this tonight-your mention of the price has made me feel sufficiently guilty about not using this that it’ll probably get used every day this week!

    thanks so much for the suggestions are to korean brands to check out. it’s funny that i used to go to korea every year and would stock up on cosmetics at duty free, but never really thought to try any asian brands. i’d love to hear about any specific products you think are amazing! love ya as always!

  • Karelessly in Love

    Thanks for the review. Ever since I saw it, I have been curious to want to get it.

    I’ve tried the clarisonic once before and it died on me. It did a really really good job though. After using, my face would be very radiant and makeup goes on better. Is it the same with this one?

  • missjaclynrose

    thx for the review on it. I saw this on the commercial and I was debating on getting it. Now I kind of want to get it even more after reading it. thx for the info!

  • the Muse

    Hey Jen!

    I think that’s the main reason I didn’t buy it. I’d have liked an option for batteries. Rechargable is awesome but what about taking it on Holiday?

    Another deal breaker was the fact that it looked huge 🙁

    Believe me I know the feeling. I buy something and then I think about the price and start using it right away b/c I feel guilty I spent so much and haven’t made use of the item!

    I was going to do a blog about different Korean brands but haven’t gotten to it yet *blush* sorry!

    I’ll definately make a favorite list tonight of asian brands I adore. Deal? 🙂

    Love ya more 😉

  • the Muse

    hi Karelessly!

    How have you been? Long time no see!

    You’re most welcome. It’s an interesting product!

    It died? God. I’d totally cry if I spent $200 and the damn thing stopped working!

    I think it depends with this one. I don’t get a good clean with the pads that it comes with however if I use my own cleanser with it I found that worked better!

    For the price tag it works well!

    Definitely an improvement when I used my moisturizer. It sunk it better and didn’t sit on my skin if that makes sense!

  • the Muse

    missjaclynrose!

    You’re most welcome! Don’t forget your coupon if you do get it 😉

    It’s an interesting little item for sure! If you try it do stop back and let us know how you liked it!

  • MandyPandy

    The Clarisonic brush is great for exfoliating, and luckily it’s rechargeable, but I find I have to remove the brush heads and disinfect them after every use to inhibit bacteria growth. It’s a hassle, so I don’t use the brush as often as I like (I actually haven’t used it in a week). Thanks to a discount code, I only payed a little over $150, not $200, but it still seems a bit like a waste. Also, it might have been causing me to break out.

  • the Muse

    hey mandy!

    Are the brushes expensive to replace? do they even offer replacement brush heads?

    $150 is still a bit much. I’m a bit cheaper when it comes to a piece like this simply because I know it’ll waste away in my closet and I won’t use it!

    I’m kinda chuffed I can find cheaper versions in the ds!

  • Mrs. Lynne, MakeupFix.net

    Saw the ad on tv and it piqued my interest. Now this reviews only confirms it!

  • lauraannette

    I just bought this and it lives up to my expectations. The pads do eventually foam with a little work and don’t be stingy with the water. My face was much smoother with just one use.

  • the Muse

    hi laura!

    For the price it’s rather nice isn’t it?

    My face felt great after use and I felt like my moisturizer sunk in better as well 🙂

    Thanks for the comment!
    Hope to hear from you again!

  • emily

    I love this product so much, but it always breaks! Does anyone else have this problem?

    • the Muse

      hi emily no probs here?

      I’d stop using it if I were you. Snag something else 😀