We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer whose buildable and brightening coverage works just as well if you're using it as a color corrector or cream contour. No wonder it has over 90,000 5-star reviews!
Promising reviews: "I have tried countless concealers for my under-eye circles —most of which cost triple the price of this one, by the way. I figured I’d try this on a whim because the reviews were so great and it was so inexpensive. It’s officially become my new favorite concealer. It’s not cakey, it blends easily, it doesn’t crease and it lasts all day." –Cheryl
"I can't find the words. It's awesome! Everything about it! Blends flawlessly, doesn't dry out the skin, and has very nice coverage! I have mature skin, other words I'm getting old, it didn't cake or crease! I've used it as foundation, to conceal and contour. Every time, it gets the job done and my makeup looks flawless!" –Christy aka MisfitAngel
Get it from Amazon for $7.97+ (available in 18 shades).
2. A coconut hair mask and body butter made with 100% organic coconut oil that's chock full of all of the restorative proteins, vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids that your skin and hair love so much.
Promising review: "I am never without my Kopari products! The Coconut Melt is a must-have for anyone wanting super soft skin. It has a gentle coconut scent and can be applied all over the body. I even use the melt to pre-condition the ends of my hair before showering and it leaves my hair feeling healthy and easy to comb through." –OC_Yvette
Get it from Amazon for $23.99 (available in three other varieties).
3. An NYX eye pencil for those days when your liner look is less of a precise wing and more of a smudgy mess. The solution? Color in your full lid with this easy-to-blend formula, since it doubles as an eyeshadow!
Promising reviews: "Great product! I own this in the purple and green (donut and jade, I believe their shade names are called). They’re super pigmented and so easy to use for such a cheap price! Shimmery with such cute colors. Great lasting power, too, without any kind of eye primer." –Target Customer
"I know it’s a liner but i’m in LOVE with using it for my inner corners, nose, and cheeks to illuminate." –malt
Get it from Target for $5.49 (available in 21 shades and finishes).
4. A Revlon one-step hair dryer and volumizer to seriously streamline your bombshell blowouts. Gone are the days of awkwardly trying to use a round brush in one hand and a blow dryer in the other, which always felt more like a duel of the hair tools than an efficient styling process.
Promising reviews: "OH MY LANTA. PURCHASE THIS NOW. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. I found this one TikTok and saw the gal's review and had to buy it. I have thick hair and this dries my hair in less than 15 minutes. PLUS I don’t have to fuss with a straightener or a curling iron if I don’t want to! It leaves my hair so soft and shiny and gives it SO MUCH VOLUME! I recommend this to ANYONE I talk to about it. Seriously my favorite styling tool. Seriously so in love." —Sydney
"How have I lived without this so many years?!?! I have long thick, frizzy, wavy/curly hair. Between 2c and 3a curl type. I love my curls and embrace them. However, it's nice to have smooth hair that I can run a brush through daily....A friend of mine has a more expensive brand of blow drying brush and loves it. However; I can't spend $100+ on a hair tool right now. I dug into researching blow drying brushes and naturally the Revlon one kept popping up. The first time I used it, I only put a heat protector on my hair. I didn't use any smoothing/straightening serums. I was BLOWN AWAY by the results. In 12 min I had smooth, shiny, perfectly voluminous, blown out hair. It was AMAZING. Since then I have always used a heat protector and a smoothing serum to protect my hair. And I spend about 15min really working it to style. I'll be damned - it looks salon quality. Another great thing is on my no-wash days I can run it back through my hair to freshen it up in the morning. No more unruly or overly flat hair!" –Jill
Get it from Amazon for $32.49+ (available in two styles).
5. Or a Revlon one-step hair-drying paddle brush, which'll detangle, dry, and smooth tighter curls and coils (including curl types 4a–c). Not only will it save you $$$ on styling tools, but it'll make wash days less of an hours-on-end affair.
It has two heat settings, plus a cool setting so you can customize it to your hair type.
Promising review: "I was happily surprised with this styling blow-dryer. With my hair being of 4c texture, I didn’t think this blow-dryer would actually give me a good blow out, but it did! I have very tight coils, but with a little bit of Shea butter to protect my hair and a few strokes, my hair was straightened. I parted my hair into four places and then divided those parts into three and blew out each section to get the result. The sections of hair you blow dry do not have to be thin sections to get this result. It only took me about 20 minutes to finish, which is relatively quick for me. The blow-dryer does have a cool setting and then high and low hot settings. Be careful because this blow dryer does make you hair hot. I will be recommending this to my friends for sure. I give it 5 stars. At this time I don’t have anything bad to say about it." –luckuche
Get it from Amazon for $35.99+ (available in two colors).
6. A Live Tinted Huestick Corrector, which can be worn under foundation or concealer to counterbalance the blue and purple pigments found in skin spots and hyperpigmentation, or over your base products for some colorful tints.
Live Tinted is a woman-owned small business that began after founder Deepica Mutyala went viral for her red lipstick hack for under-eye circles in 2015. The Huestick was the company's first product, as well as the first multi-stick made with clean ingredients that balanced out dark circles, spots, and hyperpigmentation. They're made with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and vitamins C and E to help nourish as they tint!
Promising reviews: "I absolutely love every one of these huesticks! My favorite is huestick is Perk. I have been using it as a blush, eyeshadow base and lipstick. It gives such a perfect natural flush of color. Rise is my favorite huestick to use as an eyeshadow base and Origin is my favorite huestick for color correcting. These are absolutely great!" –Alisha U.
Get it from Live Tinted or Ulta, both for $24 (available in five shades).
7. A clear mascara that can also be used as a lightweight gel for your brows. Either way, it helps to separate, define, and condition whatever eye hairs you'd like to separate, define, or condition.
Promising review: "Multi-purpose perfection. This is perfect as a brow gel and for lashes if you are looking for a more natural look (or if you are like me and just don't want to deal with removing black mascara every single night. Let's give those puppies a break :P). Lashes are defined with no need of a colored mascara. I also tried putting this on before applying a colored mascara and it was nice. It separated and lengthened my lashes and made the colored mascara go on smoothly. This didn't flake on me, didn't change color when dry, and did not feel sticky on the brows once dry. So overall, me likey." –DollFace
Get it from Ulta for $8.49.
8. A cream-to-powder Monochromatic Multistick by E.l.f. Cosmetics to swipe on anywhere and everywhere (that is, anywhere you want to add a pop of color or shimmer).
Promising review: "This is my new favorite because of the value, versatility, color, and ease of use. It goes on smooth, so is easy to blend...I like that I can use this on my lips, cheeks, and eyes, instead of grabbing three different items. I will be buying again." –C. Shrader
Get it from Amazon for $5 (available in five shades).
9. A scalp massager with silicone bristles that'll gently exfoliate your scalp as it evenly distributes your shampoo and (most importantly) gives you that gloriously tingly head-massage sensation you've only ever experienced in a salon chair.
I'll be honest: I was influenced. I'd seen it just about everywhere on BuzzFeed Shopping and said to myself "Hey, you deserve more head massages." Alas – it really makes a difference! I usually wash my hair twice a week, so my mane is riddled with a whole concoction of worldly yuckiness (plus a boatload of dry shampoo) when wash day comes around. This massager helps to break down the buildup on my scalp and thoroughly works shampoo into my hair. The feeling-good part is just a bonus!
Promising review: "I should've bought this a long time ago... My scalp gets really dirty with hair products and dandruff and I'm not always able to get ALL of that gunk out when I wash it so a tool like this with multiple touch-points for my scalp was great. It has really helped me get my scalp much cleaner and it just feels good, like a scalp massage." –Amina
Get it from Amazon for $6.98+ (available in three colors).
10. A tinted sunscreen with SPF 30 so you can protect your skin from its one true enemy (the fireball at the center of our solar system), while also giving your face a wash of light, natural coverage.
Tower 28 is a clean beauty brand and Asian woman-owned small business that makes skincare, plus makeup that acts like skincare. Their products are nontoxic, nonirritating, vegan, and cruelty-free, so sensitive skin can breathe a little easier.
Promising review: "I love this product! It feels so lightweight which is amazing, since it has SPF 30. It gives you an elevated look with minimal effort as well as protection against the sun! Highly recommend especially for sensitive skin types like me." –Lauren M.
Get it from Tower 28 or from Sephora, both for $30 (available in 14 shades).
11. Or a L'Oréal Paris powder that delivers flawless, matte coverage without unwanted cakiness, no matter if you use it as a foundation or as a setting powder.
Promising review: "This is one the best makeup products of the year. I've have tested this many different ways over the last two weeks, and it has held up every time. I have used this on its own as a powder foundation, with and without primer, and over foundation as added coverage as a light setting powder. This stuff is great –it holds up. My makeup looks flawless all day with minimal shine/ oil breakthrough. This is one you need in your collection; I find I'm reaching for it daily and I'm glad I bought it!" –Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $10.39+ (available in 20 shades).
12. A tube of Glossier's Balm Dotcom, the universal skin salve here to rescue desperately chapped lips, dry cuticles, and other parched parts of your body with its rich formula (plus tons of pretty tints and to-die-for scents).
If you're struggling to decide between scents like lavender, mango, and birthday cake, you can also pick up a Balm Dotcom Trio and save some extra $$$!
Promising review: "I've been a loving user of Balm Dotcom for years now and it's definitely one of my favorite things on the entire website! I love cherry and berry, especially because I can double them as blush sometimes and it looks so glowy and natural. But it's also just such a good balm to use on dry skin – I use it literally everywhere on my face if it's dry and sometimes on my elbows." –EG
Get it from Glossier for $12 (available in 10 scents and finishes or bundle and save with the three for $30 trio).
13. A hydrating Jergens in-shower tanning lotion – you heard me: in-shower – that doesn't require a glove, a revolting smell, nor the time and patience of a typical tanning product. After you've finished your shower, turn off the water, apply the lotion, pat dry, then go about your usual biz!
Promising reviews: "I usually buy fancier brands but bought this because it was an add-on item. It was a great surprise! It makes my skin super soft and hydrated with a hint of glow. No orange, and no mess. I will purchase again and again." –HD70
"I love this stuff. I just use it on my legs, shoulders and a touch on my face after my shower. It goes on smooth and is very lightweight. It also takes a few applications so you don't have to worry about putting too much on and having orange streaks. There is absolutely no odor at all like some I have used in the past and no irritation to my sensitive skin. The price is nice, and this tube will last me through the spring and summer months. It's a great product." —Risahath
Get it from Amazon for $9.49+ (available in two shades).
14. A nifty Subtl Beauty Stack, which can house up to *eight* makeup products in one convenient column. You can customize your picks and stack anything from concealer to lip tints to bronzer to blush. And your makeup bag? Wiiide open.
Promising review: "I absolutely love how compact this product is. I have been pleasantly surprised at how natural the makeup feels and I love the natural look it provides. I originally purchased for traveling, but have been using it daily and love it!" –Paula Bowie
Get the Starter Stack from Subtl Beauty for $60 (available in 19 tones), or customize your own stack starting at $12 per layer.
15. An all-over oil formulated with grapeseed, tea tree, and clary sage oils to target ingrown hairs, calm irritation, banish dryness, and tackle a whole slew of other concerns that often leave you feeling not-so-nourished.
Fur is a small biz that makes vegan, nontoxic, and cruelty-free skincare products that hydrate your skin, soften your hair (body and otherwise), plus eradicate ingrowns. All of their ingredients are dermatologically and gynecologically tested, BTW.
Promising reviews: "Love this product. Best smelling body oil. I literally use it everywhere. It especially smells so good using right out of the shower. 10/10 recommended." –Rachel R.
"This is my go-to new fav skincare product of all time. My body hair is so course and thick, I love the difference this oil makes!" –Bethany P.
Get it from Fur or Amazon, both for $26+ (available in two sizes).
16. Or this top-rated face and body oil, which uses lavender and chamomile and vitamins A and E to soften your skin as it fights hyperpigmentation and scarring. Bonus points: some reviewers even use it as a makeup remover!
Promising review: "I recommend this product! I used to have really bad acne but ever since i incorporated this into my skincare, I only get pimples once in a while and they go away quick thanks to this oil. The first week using this I noticed my skin was getting softer and looking glowy and after one month my skin just literally stop producing acne. Even though I have acne scars, they are fading rather quickly. The only con is that it makes your skin look oily but that's to be expected since it is an oil :)" –Anya
Get it from Amazon for $8.92+ (available in three sizes).
17. A Makeup Forever Artist Color Pencil you can use as a lip and eyeliner, brow filler, eyeshadow – heck – even a blush or contour if it came down to it. Bottom line, this = half of your makeup collection, and it's just a darn pencil.
Promising reviews: "This pencil is awesome! I was looking for a good nude eyeliner pencil for my waterline and I have heard so many good things about these pencils and they were all right! This lasts around eight hours in my waterline. It's super good!" –lauraluciavl
"I love how creamy this lip liner is. It’s the first liner I’ve ever used that doesn’t tug on my lips when trying to apply. This color is the prefect your-lips-but-better color. It works well with so many different lipsticks, as well!" –angelitron22
Get it from Sephora for $22 (available in 19 colors).
18. A multi-purpose skin balm with a push-pop design that (a) makes it easy to take on the go and (b) is reminiscent of your go-to ice cream truck order as a kid. It's made with nourishing botanicals that'll provide instant relief to dry, cracked, and chapped parts of your body – from head to toe!
Wiley Body is a small, plant-based, and BIPOC-owned skincare brand that makes simple yet effectively nourishing products for every body.
They sent the Super Balm my way a little while back and it quickly became both a desktop and on-the-go staple for me. I keep it close by while I'm working so that I can glide it over my hands and elbows whenever they're feeling particularly dry (so like, all of the time) and then toss it in my bag whenever I'm ready to hit the road. It's fragrance-free and very gentle, which I really appreciate. I'm also a sucker for cute packaging, so this lil' number checks multiple boxes for me.
Get it from Wiley Body for $24.
19. A Garnier micellar water, which is a great option for anyone looking for a gentle cleanser that doubles as an effective makeup remover (even against waterproof makeup!).
Promising reviews: "Definitely does what it’s supposed to do! I only wear waterproof mascara and removing it is such a headache sometimes. I used to use makeup removing wipes but they did burn my eyes a bit (I am prone to having sensitive skin). If you follow the instructions, you’ll be able to avoid having to rub your eyes with the pad to completely remove makeup. Just add the liquid to a pad, press the pad down onto your eyelashes and hold, then wipe away. A couple of wipes was all I needed for complete makeup removal. An added plus was that my skin felt super soft and smooth after using! Definitely recommend." –Nyleve
"I have very dry, sensitive skin and this works wonders for cleansing in the morning. I decided to try using this as opposed to washing my face in the morning because my face is just too dry for two washes in one day. This cleanses my face and doesn't irritate or dry me out. It makes my makeup go on flawlessly due to the soft feel my skin has after applying." –Alex
Get it from Amazon for $7.97 (available in multipacks, as well as varieties formulated with vitamin C and rose water).
20. A Lumi Glotion by L'Oréal, the glow-enhancing lotion you can use solo or paired with your moisturizer, daily sunscreen, foundation – whatever. If your skin aesthetic is "supple glazed donut," then this'll be your new best friend.
Promising review: "I love this highlighter both to mix with my foundation and also to use on its own. This formula is not greasy on oily/combo skin but also not drying! It’s also not overwhelmingly shiny and tacky-looking. It looks very natural! The consistency is light weight and doesn’t feel heavy." –Lee
Get it from Amazon for $6.98+ (available in four shades).
21. Or a glowy 2-in-1 serum and primer made to hydrate your skin and soothe signs of stress, plus provide a gripping base for makeup. It also helps to repair your barrier, ensuring your skin continues to stay hydrated and soothed.
Selfmade is an AAPI woman-owned brand that makes sustainable, vegan, and cruelty-free face and body products that promote emotional well-being and mindfulness. They were kind enough to send me their Secure Attachment + Comfort Serum, which I use and adore regularly. As someone with sensitive/dryish skin, I gravitate toward products that are gentle and nourishing. This serum does it all! It adds a nice boost of dewy hydration to my skin when I wear it solo (without making me look like a literal glazed donut), but it also wears well under makeup. In the photo above, I wore the serum under Glossier's Perfecting Skin Tint, just to add a *smidge* of coverage, and basked in the ~afterglow~. Oh and P.S., it comes in a super-cute bottle and smells really. good.
My BuzzFeed colleague Allison Jiang is *also* a fan of this product! She raves:
"I put it on in the morning in lieu of moisturizer, and it provides the perfect base for my sunscreen and makeup to grip onto. I don't know if it's the key ingredient Cortinhib G, derived form the Helichrysum italicum flower, that's really reducing the amount of cortisol in my skin, but it feels like my skin is jumping for joy every time I put it on."
Get it from Selfmade for $36 (or save an extra 15% with the Subscribe & Save option).
22. A lip, cheek, and eye pigment in an array glossy, matte, and metallic shades, so you can feel like a true *artiste* when you settle in to do your makeup. Optional: paint palette, huge brush, and a Bob Ross wig.
Danessa Myricks is a Black woman-owned small business that makes unique and multifunctional makeup and skincare. Each product can be used in more than one way/application, which makes them an ideal addition to your cosmetics bag!
Promising review: "This is my first time trying this product and I absolutely love it. It is transfer-proof and the color is very vibrant. I used it as a lipstick, eyeliner, and an eyeshadow. I have combination skin, and I have to say I’m pleased with the wearability of this product. Upon applying it, it feels like a cream, but once it dries, it becomes weightless and matte. I really loved this product because I could barely tell I was wearing anything on my face. Usually, I have a hard time finding products that are genuinely transfer-proof, smudge-proof, and weightless. I am so happy I stumbled upon this product. I also have to say that it’s pretty easy to take off as well depending on what products you use. I used the Garnier waterproof micellar water and with a few swipes there was very little smudging, and the product came right off." –whailey
Get it from Sephora for $18 (available in 21 shades and finishes) or from Danessa Myricks Beauty, also for $18 (available in 50 shades and finishes).
23. A Caudalie Beauty Elixir face mist, which works as a primer, setting spray, and mid-day refresher for dull and tired skin. It has a ton of awesome skin benefits (due to antioxidant-rich ingredients like grape, rose, and mint), so it can't hurt to do a *spritz* here or a *spritz* there throughout the day.
Promising review: "My go to for setting spray and toner. I swear it’s like some magic it makes my face so dewy and clear. And it feels super tingly and cool after it dries." –Sunflower227
Get it from Sephora for $18+ (available in two sizes).
All of these products being multifunctional:
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Reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.