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    These 23 Products Have Made My Life About 23 Times Better

    This is an orecchiette stan account, BTW.

    Amy Glover
    by Amy Glover

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. I'm proud to say that after a series of skincare flings, me and CeraVe's hydrating cleanser have gone official (i.e., I finally bought The Big Bottle).

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    Ever since my dermatologist recommended CeraVe's hydrating cleanser for my dry, acne-prone skin, I've been addicted to its ceramide-packed, barrier-rebuilding formula. It's helped to heal dehydrated, almost-flaky skin while also banishing my ever-present spots, so it makes sense for me to invest in an extra-large bottle – this 1L bottle is a good £5+ cheaper than buying multiple smaller ones.

    Price: £23.00 for 1L.

    2. I might have the fine motor skills of a tipsy bull, but these dried flowers have convinced at least three people that I'd gotten my nails professionally done.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I hate having boring, unpainted nails almost as much as I hate paying upwards of £20 to get them done professionally, and (despite my best attempts) I'll never be one of those people who can effortlessly paint a delicate flower onto their talons with their non-dominant hand. Enter: these low-hassle, easy-to-apply dried flowers that come with angled tweezers. Nine days in, they're still mostly in place – there's probably enough in here to see me through ten DIY manicures too! 

    Price: £6.49 for two boxes.

    3. Every time I put these snake-pattern fishnet tights on, a little art teacher mum voice in my head says "ooh, they're so fun".

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I love a classic skirts-and-tights autumn combo as much as the next tartan scarf owner, but somehow solid black tights always manage to ruin the colour scheme of my outfit and make my legs look a bit too narrow. These ~creative~ ones add a bit of interest to my otherwise (*whispers*) basic looks, and they're not as blocky as traditional options either! 

    Price: £10.99 – they're available in one size that I reckon would fit from a UK 6 up to a UK 18.

    4. I would never tell you how to eat your pasta, but I *will* tell you that this perfect-for-sauce orecchiette has been my ride-or-die midweek dinner option for the last week or so.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed / Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    Before I start, let's get one thing straight: people who don't think pasta shape affects the way your meal tastes don't deserve carbs in the first place (harsh, but I stand by it). I don't know if this makes me very uncultured, but I'd never even tried orocchiete until a week or so ago – since then, I've eaten nothing else. It creates the perfect little cups for sauce, and it's the easiest pasta to get perfectly al dente IMO – basically, if you haven't tried it yet, please do. 

    Price: £2.50 for 500g.

    5. This e.l.f. pencil saw me through my temporary brow baldness, and for that, it's earned my lifelong loyalty.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    Aside from the scar I've always had in my left eyebrow, I recently developed a *further* brow-based bald spot on my right one after an overambitious home waxing session (I'll never cheat on my threading lady again). This natural-looking brow pencil was the best one I could find to deliver long-lasting, hair-like strokes that stay put all day, and it's got an oh-so-handy spoolie too to help tame the rest of my brows too.

    Price: £4.17 – it's available in five shades.

    6. I got this bumper crossword puzzle book while I was bedridden with a flu, but I've been better for about five days now and still haven't been able to put it down.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    You know that sweet spot (somewhere between Weakest Link reruns and Only Connect) where the puzzle is challenging enough to make you feel smart, but not so difficult that you'll never be able to complete it? Well, these crosswords all fit into that niche IMO – my screen time was down 4.5 hours this week, which I put down to this addictive compilation. 

    Price: £15.13.

    7. This rosemary essential oil has helped to thicken my hair, including those awkward widow's peak patches that even my fringe can't always cover.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    NGL, I thought rosemary oil hair hacks were a bit woo-woo when I first heard about them – a few weeks in though, I'm completely converted. I dilute mine in some water and spray it onto my hair twice a week; it's made enough of a visible difference to make me put down my previous go-to forehead-hiding headbands, which is the best review I think I can give TBH.

    Price: £8.99.

    8. These machine-washable bamboo rounds have saved me space, money, and waste.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I use one or two of these a night, so I only need to remember to wash them about every fortnight. They're made from sustainable bamboo, come with a handy wash bag that keeps them all together in your machine, and have lowered my guilt and my spending at the same time – what's not to love?

    Price: £8.95 for 30 rounds and a washbag.

    9. This e.l.f. cream blush is the best I've ever tried.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed / Via amazon.co.uk

    In case you haven't noticed, I'm a massive e.l.f. fan (the best price-to-payoff ratio around if you ask me), and this highly-rated putty blush is no exception. It delivers a rich terracotta colour without any shine, and its creamy texture melts into my cheeks and lips the second I apply it. 

    Price: £4.00.

    10. COSRX's Snail 92 all-in-one cream saved my super-dry skin once before, and now that winter's rolling in I'm hoping it can do it again.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    This stuff makes my skin look naturally dewy, smooth, and hydrated even without makeup, and it feels incredibly lightweight too.

    Price: £20.00.

    11. I transformed my most baking-weary tray with this Bar Keeper's Friend powder.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I'd nearly given up on this (frankly gross) baking tray and tried this well-reviewed cleaning powder as a last resort. After leaving a thin layer on with some water for about half an hour, I was amazed by how quickly all the built-up grime went away – not bad for under £4, right?

    Price: £3.00.

    12. My flat has an ancient extractor fan that gets visibly greasy really quickly. This powerful degreaser spray made cleaning the panels WAY less daunting!

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    This stuff's called "Elbow Grease" for a reason, because the product inside is powerful enough to remove oil from plastics and metals without any scrubbing on your behalf. Spray the formula onto the affected surface, let it sit for a couple of minutes, wipe it away, and you're done!

    Price: £0.90.

    13. I've been wearing this blanket hoodie nonstop ever since it started getting dark before 9PM.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    This insanely cosy hoodie blanket became my favourite item of clothing about 0.007 seconds after I tried it on. It's machine-washable, has a huge snack-worthy front pocket, and basically transforms every surface you sit or lie down on into a bed (yes, please).

    Price: £15.00 — it's one size fits all and comes in five colours.

    14. This Aquaphor lip balm has been the only salve for my dry, cracked lips.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    It's brought my already-dry lips back from the verge of a mid-cold draught, which isn't surprising considering its rave reviews. Customers say it's helped their lips through intense stressors, like surgery and skin conditions (fine, I guess my sniffle isn't the toughest dilemma this intensive product is designed to tackle).

    Price: £6.16 for 10ml.

    15. If you're tired of buying what feels like endless packs of disposable razors, this reusable safety option is the perfect alternative.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I did The Deep Clean recently (we're talking fridge, oven, and most importantly, shower caddy here), and to be honest I was disgusted by how many old disposable razors I found on my shelf. Seeing as I was out of my most recent pack of razors anyway, I thought I'd make my next purchase my last one. This reusable metal safety razor is compatible with all double-edged razor blades, takes up way less space in my shower than the five or so discarded razors I'd had before (I am who I am), and gives an amazingly close shave. Plus, I bought this pack of 100 razorblades for less than £6, so between the two purchases I've saved massively on a minimum of a year's worth of shaving.

    Price: £7.99.

    16. O'Keeffe's moisturising hand cream contains protective allantoin, so you'll have a barrier between your skin and drying factors.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I use this ridiculously hydrating and protective cream all the time now that the weather's getting colder and damper (half of our shopping team swear by it, and just a little bit goes a really long way).

    Price: £5.09.

    17. This Cleantok-famous toilet brush has a silicone head, so nothing will get caught in its bristles.

    Jules Kurvink / BuzzFeed

    Look, there's no pleasant way to talk about toilet brushes, so I'll get straight into it: this silicone brush harbours WAY less *ickiness* than the regular kind because its bristles are short and made from slippery silicone. Its flexible material and flat head is also perfect for getting into the nooks and crannies of my toilet!

    Price: £6.99.

    18. This Scrub Mommy sponge will frankly leave your old wire scourers in the dust. It changes texture according to the temperature of the water you run it under!

    Amazon / Via amazon.co.uk

    It'll stay firm in cold water to tackle tough stains without scratching your dishes, and it softens up in warmer liquid for lighter washing. I use the 'smile' to clean my cutlery – it keeps its shape for ages too! 

    Price: £3.49.

    19. I bought myself this Bodum French press immediately after seeing how smoothly my friend's years-old one still plunged (there's something so jarring about that dip-and-drop sensation you eventually get with other brands).

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    Turns out my friend isn't the only one who's been impressed by this French press – reviewers reckon its perfectly-fitted filter really does reach the bottom of their container, and it prevents those annoying stray grounds from entering your cup too.

    Price: £22.00 for an eight-cup French press – it's also available in a three-cup version. 

    20. This deep-cleaning kit will get rid of the grease and grime from your oven.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    Place your racks into the large bag included in the pack and then pour up to three-quarters of the cleaning fluid into it. After that, you can wipe your oven down with the remainder of the liquid! Leave it to get down to business for about four hours – you'll be able to wipe away the dissolved grease and grime without the need for scrubbing. FYI, the solution is very strong, so be sure to wear the gloves that this set comes with whenever you come into contact with it.

    Price: £4.00.

    21. This mini e.l.f eyeshadow palette is perfect for day-to-day wear.

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    Its shades are impressively highly-pigmented, so you won't have to spend ages building them up.

    Price: £4.00.

    22. Once you've become a retinol convert, you'll literally want to apply it all over your body. Good thing this retinol-infused lotion exists then!

    Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    This body lotion went into my basket seconds after I found out it existed! It's left my skin smoother, softer, and less coarse, and I've found that its deeply exfoliating ingredients have helped to cure my chronic bacne too.

    Price: £7.99.

    23. I couldn't miss out on this absolute steal of a mini electric whisk after seeing it in one of my co-worker's posts.

    Valeza Bakolli, Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

    I love the extra-frothy milk you get in coffee shops, but there is frankly no way that I'm going to spend the best part of a fiver every time I want a fancy cuppa. My colleague (who is also a caffeine addict) showed me this inexpensive frother that achieves the same results, and I bought it in approximately 0.007 seconds! It gives all my hot drinks a luxurious and silky-smooth finish, and it doesn't take up much room in my cutlery drawer either.

    Price: £4.45.