7 Weirdly Useful Things To Buy Online In October

Tried and tested by BuzzFeed editors. Including an all-in-one that will save you space in your make up bag.

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.

Hi! I'm the kind of person who messages my friends with products I'm obsessed with. And at work, my team and I are constantly recommending products to each other. So we thought we'd let you know what we're digging too.

For the sake of transparency, we'll always let you know if we're recommending something that we tried as a press sample/got for free.

1. A punchy matte red lipstick that will perk up any tired face.

Ailbhe Malone/BuzzFeed

As I sit next to our Beauty Writer – Tolani – I'm lucky to often get first dibs on any new beauty launches. So when Buxom – the new launch from the team behind Shiseido – landed on my desk, I swiped on "Wildfire" (a matte red) and carried on with my day. But I got so many compliments that I stuck it in my handbag for an event that night. It continued to live in my handbag all week (high praise!) and it's become my go-to for when my face is exhausted and I want to look perky again.

As it's a matte, it's a little drying, but nothing some lip balm prep (I'm using Dr Lipps' Miracle Balm) can't handle. It's really long-lasting, and the edges are sharp enough that you can use it as a lipliner too.

Get it at Debenhams, £15, or in the US from Sephora for $22.

2. A recipe box that is perfect for anyone trying out a plant-based lifestyle.

Tabatha Leggett/ BuzzFeed

I've been a vegetarian forever, but over the last few months I've been trying put veganism. I'm a good cook, but I always struggle to think of vegan recipes that are tasty and filling. This month I signed up to a press preview of Plant Curious, a plant-based recipe box. It was a total game changer! A single box costs £42, and contains recipes and ingredients for three meals. Each meal serves two people, which makes it £7 per meal. My box contained ingredients for blue tacos with pulled jackfruit and black beans, aubergine balls with gnocchi and ragu, and raw pad thai. All three were delicious (especially the pulled jackfruit, which I will definitly make again), the recipes were really easy to follow, and nothing took more than 45 minutes to make. Plant Curious are launching fortnightly subscriptions in October and I'll definitely be signing up!" – Tabatha Leggett

Try out Plant Curious here. This specific box isn't available in the US, but you can try a similar box like Purple Carrot.

3. A portable charger that will help you out of a pinch, whenever you need it.

amazon.co.uk

"I have had a couple of really not very good portable chargers, which either broke, or would only get my phone up to about 50% before they died, but this one is brilliant. I bought it because I'm often on the move for work, and need to use my phone a lot while I'm out and about. I also took it to a festival, and it did at least six charges and still had almost 50% per cent of its power left.

"The digital display is really useful as it tells you exactly how much battery life it has left, and it also comes with a handy little carry case. It is a little bit heavy and takes a while to charge up fully, but I'd say less so than other similarly powerful battery packs." – Hannah Al-Othman

Get it on Amazon, £20.99, or in the US for $29.99.

4. A relaxing project for beginner knitters, that is almost foolproof.

Ailbhe Malone/BuzzFeed

I knitted a long time ago in school, but hadn't picked up a pair of needles since then. But I attended a lunch-time knitting event run by Wool and the Gang, and was surprised how much I enjoyed having a project to focus on. I'm working on this snood which is pretty fool-proof.

For me, the joy of knitting isn't in creation, but it's in the process. I can't describe how soothing it is to focus on a repetitive task with a visible positive result. As someone with a worried, busy mind, it's been wonderful to sit at lunchtime, and bang out a few rows on a snuggly snood. I'm going to try and make a wooly hat next.

Get the pattern, wool and needles here for £34.50, or in the US for $48.

5. A cult American blush that has finally come to the UK, and adds a healthy flush to cheeks.

instagram.com

"I tried an advance sample of Cloud Paint in 'Dusk' – a kind of coral/pink. I love the consistency of this blush. It really does feel like paint in a playful, fun way but it’s also super light and long lasting on my skin. My issue with blusher usually is that I think it looks too bright on my skin, but I don’t have that issue with Glossier at all. It’s a very subtle matte. It looks and feels natural, which is what I prioritise when shopping for make-up. It’s definitely one of my favourites." – Mariam Ansar

Glossier finally start shipping to the UK this month! Keep an eye on their social channels for dates – @glossier

In the meantime, you can buy a three-pack of Glossier's cult Balm Dot Com from Net-a-Porter. In the US, you can go directly to Glossier's website to buy their products.

6. An all in one brow product that will save you space in your make up bag.

Emma Cooke, Ellie Bate, Eyeko

"I was sceptical of this Eyeko product – the brush on one side and little pot of product on the other just seemed kind of gimmicky to me. But I wasn't mad at it! I managed to do my eyebrows in half the time it usually takes, and I'm not going to lie, it's nice to know I can use just one product instead of my usual two. I probably wouldn't use it every day, but if I'm in a rush or just want a quick fix for my brows (which are naturally quite sparse), I'm definitely keeping this in my makeup bag. I definitely recommend it for people like me, who consider Instagram-worthy brows a distant dream I'll never achieve. This little product is quick, easy, and colour (dark) is a great match."– Ellie Bate

"I tried the light, and the shade match of this for me was SO perfect. Plus the formula is lovely – it gives that kind of "my eyebrows but better" look, where your brows look groomed, but like they're just naturally like that. The packaging is super innovative too, though I'd be worried about using it on the move in case I dropped the lid or the pot. But for keeping in your handbag to use at your desk...etc it's great"! – Emma Cooke

Get Brow Game Strong at Eyeko, £18, or in the US for $25.

7. A coffee subscription that ensures you have tasty, fresh coffee in the house at all times.

instagram.com

"I've been subscribing to Taylor St coffee for about six months now and I just love it. It's really tasty, smooth, ethically sourced coffee and while more expensive than some other plans like Pact (monthly plans run from £9-20), I have found each bag goes lot further and that it's been a more satisfactory option for me as a very big coffee drinker. You can opt for a 1 or 2 bag monthly plan based on your personal flavour profile and brewing preferences, as well as choose luxury or basic roasting options, and receive high quality coffee through the post box. I took the two bag plan and tend to end up with quite a lot of extra every couple of months - which is no problem as you can pause your subscription anytime! I've also given bags as gifts!"

Sign up with Taylor Street here, £9. This specific service isn't available in the US, but you can try something like Bean Box instead.

Some products were provided to BuzzFeed free of charge, but we were not obliged to review them or to be positive in our coverage.