Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) • Mandelic Acid Toner • Skincare - Face

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*TOP REVIEWER* cherryme on 4/12/2013 1:23:00 PM more reviews by cherryme

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Mehh didn't do much! And I am dissapointed because I wanted to like it. I still believe in it and I hope I will have some results soon.
I am complaining about the alcohol smell and it is on top of the list.. And I have 3 pimples but it is ok if this is purging.
I hoped it would fade a scar above my lip but it didn't. It makes my skin oily and my pores look big. I will continue to use it though because I paid a lot of money for it but Nucelle wash and toner (both with mandelic) did more for my skin.
Advantage- it makes my skin smooth.

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ExoticAlbino on 3/24/2013 1:43:00 AM more reviews by ExoticAlbino

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I have *NEVER* found a skincare product that gives such dramatic results. This is the one skincare product I will not keep searching to find a better replacement for, MUAC Mandelic Toner is my absolute HG. I wanted to use it for a while before reviewing. I was so impressed after the 2nd day that I thought it was too good to be true. It's not though. This is as close to a miracle beauty product as I'm ever going to get.


I stayed away from toners for a few years after trying a few glycolic acid based ones. This product is so much different. Mandelic acid toner doesn't leave a sticky residue on my skin, & it doesn't break me out the way glycolic acid toners always did. My skin actually feels squeaky clean! This stuff deep cleanses my pores & removes any traces of makeup, oil, or dirt that cleanser might have missed.Best of all - I have GIGANTIC pores that ruin any chance of me being attractive, & this product DRAMATICALLY minimizes them. I feel like I have barbie skin when I use this product! (Okay...maybe not that good, but still, I'm pretty damn impressed).

I used to have to use Benzoyl Peroxide on my skin to keep my acne under control. MUAC Mandelic Acid Toner has taken its place for the time being. I haven't had any pimples in a while! I think that's because mandelic acid dries out the skin. That's a heavensent point for me, but if you have dry skin - you might want to use this sparingly.

Worth every penny. (& it's cheap, too!).

8 out of 10 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Cat1104 on 3/18/2013 1:24:00 AM more reviews by Cat1104

Age: Unknown   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I have oily/dehydrated, clog-prone, sensitive skin. I'm prone to clogged pores that sometimes become inflamed, specifically on my chin. It seemed as though I always had a cystic breakout on my chin. Once it healed, another one would pop up, so I always had at least one cystic pimple on my chin. I've been using this toner for three months and don't get cystic breakouts on my chin anymore. Anything that pops up is very small and goes away quickly. I have tried this on other areas of my face for clogged pores, but it's too dehydrating and causes flaking and irritation, which leads breakouts for me. I only use it on my chin and occasionally forehead every other night, sometimes less frequently depending on how my skin is reacting.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

greengrapefruit on 3/15/2013 1:38:00 PM more reviews by greengrapefruit

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Update 1:
So I have been using this for almost a month. This has definitely helped with acne marks, they have faded!! I am still getting breakouts, and I actually got 2 cysts this week which I usually never get. I applied a little extra toner on the spots and the swelling has gone down a lot. Amazing!

Original post:
This is the first toner I have ever used. Honestly its more of a toner + treatment.
My skin needs help with breakouts and red acne marks.
I started using the Mandelic 25% peel once a week. But it was making me dry and I still experienced breakouts though some clogs were removed.
I got this toner and I still had breakouts for the first week. But in the second week my skin has fewer breakouts and they do not get as inflamed. I use it nightly, all over after I cleanse, and then apply my cream on top. Then i dab any spots with a q-tip and then heal so much faster.

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gingercurls on 3/1/2013 9:37:00 AM more reviews by gingercurls

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Red, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I can only say great things about this product. It isn't irritating and works very well to keep my skin clear and clog free.

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*TOP REVIEWER* littlemj on 2/28/2013 6:54:00 PM more reviews by littlemj

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

NC25 Chinese, oily skin and acne prone.


Part of the reason why I love Philosophy Miracle Worker pads at night, is that I STILL see dirt being removed after double cleansing with an oil makeup remover and then rinsing twice w/ a foaming cleaser 2x in the shower (beg and end). So either I am incompetent at cleaning my face or waterproof sunscreen and makeup is totally hard to remove.


So basically.. I like toning cuz I like seeing the dirt. Stridex pads, see nothing. Mandelic Acid Toner in the mornings (only so far, maybe might try at night after I'm done w/ a Philosophy jar) STILL gets more dirt. Jeez. It's certainly not breaking me out, and it seems to do more than my unsuccessful attempts w/ multiple Vitamin C serums.

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*TOP REVIEWER* sprite26 on 2/9/2013 1:50:00 AM more reviews by sprite26

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Olive   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This toner is HG!! Regular use will give a brighter and more even skin tone. Today I was surprised how faded my acne marks are, and I've only been using this for about 3 weeks. Leaves my skin refreshed and super-clean. However the scent is a little chemical-ish and this product is also a bit drying as well. But I still give it 5 lippies because it is AMAZING and fast-acting too. I am so impressed with this, I plan to buy this again when my current bottle runs out. Excellent product!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* nuyearbabee on 10/15/2012 3:28:00 AM more reviews by nuyearbabee

Age: Unknown   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

LOVE it <3 I've been buying their chemical kits/TCA peels for a few years now. I def am one of those people that likes instant gratification from a product. My 14 yr old daughter and I love this toner so far, I only bought the sample and we're both freaking out that its almost gone already. I'm 34 w mild hormonal breakouts along my jawline. My daughter is a freshmen and her breakouts are hormonal and random. The last 4 nights we used the toner very sparingly after we washed our faces. Then we spot treated with Persagel 10%BP. We're both totally clear today. I had some mild dark spots from past breakouts....gone now too. I'm so happy I saw everyone elses reviews and decided try it. Thank you ladies for your great reviews! =)

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

JessicaCP on 10/9/2012 7:53:00 PM more reviews by JessicaCP

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This is the ONLY thing I have used that has made me be able to walk around with no makeup on and not get stared at. It is AMAZING for acne.
I'm using this in conjunction with the gly-uronic (ss) acid serum and my skin hasnt looked this good since it exploded ten years ago.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

MojoWorkin on 9/25/2012 11:07:00 AM more reviews by MojoWorkin

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Yes it's as good as people say it is. Yes it helped clear up my acne. Yes I will totally buy this again and again and again. My only complaint: not crazy about the smell. It's not horrible but it kind of makes me cough. Otherwise: it's fantastic.

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* sll74 on 9/24/2012 1:25:00 PM more reviews by sll74

Age: Unknown   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

i love this stuff. for my oily blemish prone skin it is an ideal toner. i only use it once a day but i feel it helps balance my skin and prepare it for my other products so much better than plain witch hazel or even my burt's bees acne toner that i also use. there's no harsh smell, no colors or dyes added and for me no stinging. i pour some in a smaller bottle for easier dispensing but i love this. it's my favorite toner. i haven't had any breakouts as a result of using this and a few dark marks i had from previous acne seem to be fading faster and this is the only thing i've changed in my routine in the last month or so that i've been using it. another great product from makeup artist's choice. their products have really helped my skin!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* canadabanada on 9/18/2012 10:19:00 AM more reviews by canadabanada

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I love this product. Best thing for my clogged pores and really refined my skin. Ease of use , no downtime etc. my skin feel smoother and looks brighter.
One of my most worthwhile beauty purchases.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

ggordil on 8/21/2012 11:43:00 PM more reviews by ggordil

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I am so very glad I bought this toner. I have been having trouble with my skin for about 14 years, since my teens. I have very oily and congested skin. To make matters worse, my skin has gotten more and more sensitive as I grow older. The only thing that seemed to work was BP. However, being almost 30 and not using any anti-aging products was worrying me. Retin-a didn't stop breakouts, walgreens AHA gave me bumps, and exfoliating didn't help. So, I decided to try chemical peels. Although I was peeling twice a week with glycolic acid, I was still getting pimples. Worse, I was left with dark brown scars when they healed. I had used mandelic acid and knew that it killed my pimples, so I bought the toner. It was a great investment. It has helped clear my face so much and my scars are fading faster. I do get more pimples, but instead of being big and swollen, they are very small and do not scar. I have about 5 every morning and I quickly extract them. The redness and swelling are gone in about 15 to 20 minutes, and like I said no scarring. For me, this is a huge improvement. Also, the pores on my nose tend to get dark due to build-up. Using this toner almost every night, had helped reduce the congestion of pores. I don't use this every night as my skin ends up a little dry from it. So I skip a night and add some light oil-free lotion. I will buy this over and over again.

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Chicagobabe89 on 8/16/2012 12:24:00 AM more reviews by Chicagobabe89

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Dark   Hair: Brown, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I ordered the sample size of this product, and I've been using it for almost one month, so I feel like I can finally give a review. I was interested in the product because I wanted to brighten my complexion, fade dark marks, and make my skin smoother. I had previously been using a glycolic acid toner, but I felt as though that was too strong for my sensitive skin.

I think this is a great toner. I use it a few times per week as part of my night-time routine, and when I wake up, my skin always looks brighter. I've really noticed it smoother out the rough texture of my skin and helping with my acneic skin. The only thing that knocked off a lippie is that my skin feels dry after using this, and I normally have normal to oily skin. I'm pretty sure that comes from the alcohol in the product. If you use this product, use a good moisturizer, otherwise your skin might get that uncomfortably tight/dry feeling.

After this sample is finished, I plan on buying the full size!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* deadonarrival on 7/26/2012 9:23:00 AM more reviews by deadonarrival

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I could be jumping the gun here like the previous reviewer but I got to say, I'm loving this product! Like the previous reviewer, my skin is reactive and will react to a product immediately. I've tried other acids like glycolic and aha's from different brands with either no real effects or negative effects such as redness, burning, rashes, breakouts and clogged pores. MUAC Mandelic Acid Toner benefits according the the site: Deep cleans pores and removes residues. Reduces appearance of pore size. Improves tone and texture of the skin. Exfoliates the skin. This toner has 5% Mandelic Acid. Mandelic Acid is a aha from bitter almonds and is less irritating than glycolic and other aha's. From my experience, I do find it less irriating however I do have some peeling. The slight peeling that I do get isn't that bad plus this toner doesn't cause redness or burning. From using this toner for 4 days, I have experienced my skin being more clear and less red and clogged. I do have naturally nice skin however I do struggle with dull skin that is very clogg prone due to being oily. Also, I have a slow cell turnover rate so I need to exfoliate 4x a week to help speed it up. What is pretty impressive is that I did have about 15 clogged pores on my forehead last week. Today, about 90% of them are gone and my skin feels smoother. I have no complaints about this toner. It is affordable plus you can purchase a sample to test it out like I did before buying the full size! I originally purchased that really expensive scrub brush....we all know this product, in hopes of clearing out my pores about 2 years ago. Well, this toner does a far better job for a lot less money!

6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

mzpkay on 7/23/2012 3:31:00 PM more reviews by mzpkay

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

It may be too early to tell, but generally, my skin can react overnight if it doesn't like something so I'm assuming that this toner will be fine. This works just as well as MUAC's mandelic peel; it has all the same benefits such as glowy and soft skin and reduced pimples/acne. I'm really loving it and the high alcohol content doesn't seem to be an issue. I have oily skin though so it may differ for others. They give you A LOT for your money although packaging could be a little more convenient to use. I will definitely be repurchasing again and again and again!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No