1. An exfoliating mitt if you love the delightful feeling of disgust that comes with seeing dead skin slough away right before your eyes and knowing that your skin is going to feel SO SMOOTH after.
Promising review: "Right out of the box, I could tell these mitts were going to be exactly what I needed. Excellent quality and easy to use! I've tried them twice, and my skin is now incredibly smooth! After I scrubbed my arm, I looked at the mitt and saw it was covered with dead skin cells. I'll be buying more of these as gifts for girlfriends (in a fun spa gift basket)!" —Danielle
Get it from Amazon for $9.99 (also available in a two-pack).
2. An easy-to-use collagen-coating hair mask so it looks like your hair hasn't undergone years of abuse at the hands of bleach and blow-dryers.
Read our Elizavecca CER-100 Collagen Coating Hair Protein Treatment review to learn more about why my colleague calls it "the miracle product I've been searching for."
Promising review: "I have 4c hair and was looking for a protein treatment for my thin and fragile hair. I had recently used a product in my hair that had so much alcohol in it that it wreaked havoc on my hair, leaving it pretty damaged. I was very skeptical about this product because I had never seen anyone with my hair type use it. Boy, was I wrong to doubt this product; it left my hair looking and feeling beautiful. I highly recommend it to anyone natural or with curly hair." —Therese-Claire
Get it from Amazon for $8.45.
3. A bottle of nail and cuticle care oil you apply like a clear coat of polish to help your nails get all the cuticle-softening, nail-strengthening nourishment they've been craving.
Promising review: "I had peeling, weak nails for years. Tried everything. I bought this in February. This size bottle lasted a bit more than a month, with me religiously applying it two to three times a day. I was really seeing great improvement, so I bought another bottle in late March. By May, all the peeling had grown out, and my nails were getting stronger every day. I then bought the big 4-ounce refill bottle because I never want to run out of it again! Cannot recommend this stuff enough!" —Diana
Get it from Amazon for $9.90+ (available in three sizes).
4. A velvety lip tint with a precision tip applicator because it turns out you don't have to pick between bold, buildable color and smooth, all-day staying power.
5. A budget-friendly putty primer for blurring pores, smoothing wrinkles, and getting that virtually airbrushed look. Plus, this primer is mixed with squalane, which offers a whole host of hydrating skin benefits.
Promising review: "This is smooth, blends well with foundation, and feels good on the skin. Sets well with powder. I sometimes wear it alone for a little smoother look. Since it's colorless, it doesn't look like foundation. The price is great, and I've yet to see it in a store. I like that I can control how much to apply, and a little goes a long way. It appears to wash off well. Will be buying it again." —Momma Bee
Get it from Amazon for $10.
6. A pack of Skin1004's zombie masks that'll deliver skin-tightening, fine line-reducing benefits at the small price of looking like an extra in The Walking Dead for 15 minutes. It'll just make the post-facial reveal that much more sweet!
The kit includes eight Zombie Pack sets (powder and activator) plus one applicator brush!
Promising review: "When you put it on, the smell hits you hard. As it is on your face, the smell is not too bad, and the mask tingles as it dries. Wash it off and reveal clean, smooth skin. Plus fun to take pictures looking like a cracked mess." —raine
Get an eight-pack from Amazon for $25.
7. A gluten- and cruelty-free lengthening mascara if you're tired of getting excited about mascaras that never live up to their promises. This one is different — or at least according to the 247,000+ 5-star ratings.
Promising review: "Holy grail mascara! I've used this mascara for about three years now and it still tops any other mascara I've tried. It will transfer if you apply it to your lower lashes, so I use a different mascara for my bottom lashes, which I don't mind at all. I always get asked if I'm wearing falsies! It's a mascara that stays wet longer, so I always apply one coat, let it get tacky, then apply a second coat for best results." —Joseph Gonzalez
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
BuzzFeed editor Kayla Boyd wrote an in-depth Essence Lash Princess mascara review.
8. A pack of 40 acne patches so you can stop that zit dead in its tracks with gunk-absorbing powers that speed up the pimple healing process. The sticker format can also help prevent you from picking or popping.
Promising review: "I ordered these on a whim after a long day of isolation and internet browsing and because I have a terrible habit of picking at spots on my face and making them into something much much worse. These magical spots are life-changing!!! Put them on before bed (or before work) on clean skin and FORGET about them. You don't notice they're there — unless you go to pick at something and then YOU STOP!! Leave them in place for at least six hours and then peel them off. They come off easily (but not so easy that they come off while sleeping) and the amount of 'bleck' they suck out is amazing!!! So a spot that was going to erupt into Mount Vesuvius ends up being NOTHING!!!! I've purchased six packages and will keep buying them. An amazing value!" —Jennifer Nothdurft
Get a 40-pack from Amazon for $8.49 (also available in medium and XL sizes).
9. A black eyeliner stamp to take the anxiety-inducing guesswork out of liquid eyeliner application and make it easy to achieve a perfect cat-eye look every time.
The set comes with two double-ended pens. Each pen has one side with the wing stamp and the other with a traditional liquid eyeliner tip.
Promising review: "Eyeliner was the most tedious part of my makeup routine, but the flick stick makes me look forward to doing my liner without having the stress of messing it up with my shaky hands." —Zehra Ali
Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in three sizes and a combo pack).
10. Or an award-winning cruelty-free eyeliner because it glides on smoothly, is brightly pigmented, and lasts a long time, so you can get the bold look you're after without the subsequent raccoon eyes.
Kulfi Beauty (named for a type of South Asian ice cream) is a woman-owned small biz that Priyanka Ganjoo founded after spending years working in the beauty industry without ever seeing herself represented. Their mission is all about creating space for self-expression, particularly within the South Asian community, and all of their products are made with the skin concerns of WOC in mind.
Promising review: "This product glides on so smoothly and stays on all day, even on oily lids. The colors also look fantastic on brown skin! I just repurchased a couple of shades; I’m never using another liner." —Devika S.
Get it from Kulfi Beauty or Sephora for $20 (available in seven colors).
11. A multi-tasking plant-powered vitamin C serum with over 90,000 5-star ratings for anyone looking to take care of dark circles, sun spots, redness, and breakouts once and for all.
Check out our TruSkin Vitamin C Serum deep dive for more info!
Promising review: "This stuff is amazing! I am 39 and have dark spots on my face from sun damage and some scarring from cystic acne. Holy cow, this has lightened my dark spots by at least 75%. Honestly a miracle. And for the price! Other brands are four times the price. Try this out for sure. Stick to it and give it some time. I saw an amazing difference, so so happy with it. Also, some of the best customer service I've ever had." —Ashley F.
Get it from Amazon for $21.97+ (available in two sizes).
12. A vegan exfoliating body scrub that buffs away bumps by combining the benefits of a chemical peel and microdermabrasion treatment into one gentle, at-home treatment. If you struggle with persistent KP, this scrub is for you.
Promising review: "So I have keratosis pilaris on my bum and have always been super self-conscious about it. I've used this product five to eight times, and they are seriously like GONE. It's soooo smooth now, and I'm super happy. It does say to use it once a week, but I've just been using it every time I shower (which is almost every day, LOL). I only use a dime-size amount, and it's able to cover my bum and some of my legs. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who also has pesky bumps on their body. Also, this product has no scent, which is a plus for anyone who has sensitive skin!!" —Ang M
Get it from Amazon for $12+ (available in five sizes).
13. A vegan matte liquid lipstick if you want long-lasting color that'll turn heads. These lipsticks go on silky-smooth and dry down fully matte. And one application lasts up to 12 WHOLE HOURS.
The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler presented to the Sharks in season 6 of Shark Tank and was actually turned down. But that didn't stop her from growing a mighty beauty empire of vegan and cruelty-free products that celebrates diversity in all its forms.
This is one of BuzzFeed editor Kayla Boyd's (pictured above) go-to lipsticks:
"I use The Lip Bar's matte liquid lipsticks often and the formula is truly incredible. It hardly budges at all throughout the day, the pigment is bomb, AND it doesn't dry out my lips at all — which is really difficult to find in a matte lipstick."
Get it from Target for $12.99 (available in 16 colors).
14. A volcanic stone face roller so you can soak up excess face oil even if you have makeup on! Unlike blotting papers, this roller is able to be washed and reused, reducing waste and saving you $$$.
Promising review: "Amazing! I have very oily skin, and I'm always shiny. I hate those blotting papers; this is so much better! I roll it all over my face several times a day, and in seconds, my skin is matte again. Also, it's like a nice little face massage when I do it. It is super easy to take apart to clean, and after using hot water and my facial cleanser, it is dry pretty quickly, though I usually just let it sit out overnight. Highly recommend!! I'm going to buy more so I can leave them all over — purse, diaper bag, bathroom, car!" —Brooke Burns
Get it from Amazon for $9.96.
15. A tub of rejuvenating eye cream to tighten, brighten, and lift those tired eyes and make it look like you actually got enough sleep and didn't stay up late rewatching The Office...again.
Promising review: "I never ever write reviews. I have tried every eye cream out there. Not one does what it says. This was immediate! I saw the softening of my wrinkles and crow's-feet. It's amazing. I will be buying this again and again." —melisa delaney
Get it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in three sizes).
16. A pack of multipurpose dermaplaning razors because that middle school eyebrow mishap has made face shaving and brow shaping feel like risky business. These teeny-tiny blades safely remove peach fuzz, exfoliate skin, and include a precision cover for worry-free eyebrow maintenance.
Promising review: "Took me a little while to figure out the right angle to use this effectively, but once I did, it worked like a charm. I've used it for shaping eyebrows and managing the little bit of blonde peach fuzz I have on my upper lip. I haven't tried it anywhere else but have had no bad reactions or pain, and it is relatively easy to maneuver with a bit of practice." —Kelly G.
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $5.94.
17. A tube of Glossier Boy Brow for instantly filling and fluffing brows with just a couple of quick swipes. Now, who's ready to face the day with the best brows on the block?
18. A bottle of professional-grade callus-removing gel that quickly removes years' (I repeat, YEARS') worth of hard calluses without endless scraping and scrubbing. Reviewers say dead skin dissolves in mere minutes, so I'd start picking out a new pair of sandals, like, now.
Just presoak your feet, apply the gel, let sit for 5–10 minutes, and rinse! It's recommended you go back in afterward with a foot file just to make sure no residue or dead skin is left behind.
Promising review: "I have the driest heels, and this is the ONLY product that has ever worked. Before I used this, my heels had some pretty deep cracks, but now they're almost baby-soft again. BUT please follow the directions...left it on my super-dry, thick-callused heels for only three minutes, and the calluses were literally melting off! Wonderful product! So glad I don't have to go soak my feet in those tubs at the nail salon anymore." —Kiki
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
19. A silicone-free L'Oréal moisturizing treatment if you want visibly healthier-looking hair FAST — like, eight seconds fast. This rinse-out formula works on any hair texture or length, delivering the proteins and amino acids necessary for a shiny, flippable mane.
20. A tattoo aftercare salve so you can soothe, protect, and enhance your ink, whether you got it five days or five years ago. Made from just seven vegan and cruelty-free ingredients, this balm is sensitive skin-safe and will make both colored and monochrome tats POP.
Mad Rabbit was founded by college friends Oliver Zak and Selom Agbitor after seeing a gap in the market for all-natural products to heal, protect, and enhance tattoos. They pitched their tattoo salve in season 12 of Shark Tank.
Promising review: "Product was awesome. It rejuvenated a 5-year-old tattoo and made it look new again. Mad Rabbit absorbed into the skin very easily without being greasy." —Janson Ward
Get it from Amazon for $18.98 (available in two scents).
21. A cruelty-free lip balm with SPF 25 to take even chronically irritated lips from dry and cracked to hydrated and smooth while protecting them from future damage.
Promising review: "This little tube has changed my life. For going on 12 years, I've had almost nonstop chapped, cracked, and peeling lips. It doesn't seem to matter the season or even be related to time spent outdoors. I'd just learned to live with it and cringe when I'd see close-ups of my face. I happened upon a post in a women's hiker forum, and this brand was heavily recommended. For the first time in many years I can smile without my lips hurting and can eat without them burning. It stays on even after brushing my teeth. It's so nice to feel soft lips again after all these years." —Bluebearee
Get it from Amazon for $10 (available in six flavors).
22. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen because traditional strips are tough to use, expensive, and can leave you with teeth sensitivity that is, in my professional opinion, NO fun. With this pen, you can get instant results. And the best part? No lingering sensitivity.
Promising review: "I bought this on a whim when I saw someone review it on TikTok. After using it several times over the course of a week, I immediately noticed the difference in the color of my teeth. I'm a smoker and a heavy coffee drinker. I'm finding that this product will be a lifesaver in terms of what my smile looks like. I would definitely recommend!!" —Mully
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $18.95.
23. A miraculous dark circles concealer with a built-in sponge applicator for brightening up any stubborn dark circles with crease-resistant coverage.
Promising review: "I should have bought this concealer a long time ago. I have always struggled with applying concealer, and the applicator on this makes it SO easy to get full coverage and blend it into your skin. What impressed me the most was the consistency of the product. It is not thick but still provides the kind of full coverage my MAC concealer does. For the price point, I cannot think of a better concealer, so I will continue to buy this one. It doesn't get cakey and blends so well with foundation and a light powder. If you are on the fence, I would highly consider purchasing this!" —EMY823
Get it from Amazon for $8.80+ (available in 14 shades).
Check out our Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer review for more deets.
24. A ridiculously charming exfoliating stick that acts as a gentle skin scrub to draw out excess sebum, whiteheads, and blackheads from your pores. And after you're done ogling at all the gunk your octopus friend evicted from your face, just give it a rinse and reuse it later.
Promising review: "After just two days of use, this adorable little octopus has done wonders for me and smells great, too. Here's how I used it: I wore down the stick just a little to where the texture from the salt was visible, scrubbed around on my face so there was plenty of product, and then used my fingers to gently massage all the gunk away. Rinse, pat dry, and enjoy the softness. Highly recommended for people with sensitive skin like myself." —LuckLocust
Get it from Amazon for $12.50.
25. Some negative space floral nail wraps if you want a bold salon-quality manicure without shelling out the big bucks. If applied correctly, they should last for around a week (or more!) and all you have to do is peel, stick, file, and finish with a topcoat of your choice.
Pretty Fab Nails is a Florida-based Etsy shop creating bright and bold nail wraps to upgrade your at-home manicure game.
Get a 16-pack from Pretty Fab Nails on Etsy for $6.99.
26. A tube of retinol night cream that works hard while you sleep so you can wake up to the tighter, plumper skin you've been dreaming of.
Promising review: "I started using this daily due to the high reviews. I thought, 'Yeah, right, noticeable results in a week?!?'…UMMM, it's true! I have deep forehead wrinkles and frown lines between my brows. Within about five days my forehead lines are less than half as deep as they were five days ago!!! It does not have the same impact with frown lines, but still a noticeable difference. I will buy this the rest of my life!!" —L.L.N.
Get it from Amazon for $18.14.
27. This sulfate-free biotin shampoo with over 34,000 5-star ratings to potentially help locks look thicker and prevent future loss with regular use. It's 100% safe to use on all hair types — even color-treated hair!
Read more about how biotin shampoo could help with the fullness of hair at Cleveland Clinic.
Promising review: "I love this shampoo! I had gastric sleeve surgery, and my hair was very, very thin. I started taking biotin and switched to biotin shampoo, as recommended by my doctor. It doesn't make your hair grow by washing it, but it makes your hair and roots stronger. And it worked. After I used the whole bottle, my hair was stronger. I had a lot of new growth that was sticking around (the previous new growth fell out early on), and my hair was getting thicker. Eight months later, my hair is back to normal. It's longer and thicker than ever. I still use it twice a week and love it! I'm not a fan of the way it smells, but others love it when they smell my hair." —Diane J. Huff
Get it from Amazon for $11.95.
28. A wildly popular Bio-Oil because real-life magic (aka science) has gifted us this powerful blend of nourishing oils and vitamins to help fade scars and lock in moisture without feeling heavy on the skin and clogging pores.
Promising review: "After just about three weeks of use, I've seen such a positive change in both the evenness of time and of the texture of my skin. Melasma and acne scarring have faded pretty dramatically — I don't even bother putting on foundation when I do my makeup in the morning. The oil is so lightweight and doesn't exacerbate my already oily complexion." —L T C
Get it from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in two sizes).
29. An air-dry leave-in cream for getting touchable, crunch-free curls and enjoying less frizz without getting the blow-dryer or other heat-styling tools involved.
This cream helps define your natural texture and works best on those with wavy, curly, or coily hair!!
Promising review: "I'm so grateful that I found this product. My hair is wavy and frizzy. Every once in a great while, my waves resemble curls, but the frizz is always there. I've only used this product once so far, and I never want to be without it. I put some on after towel-drying (no brushing) my hair, and my waves actually resembled curls! It wasn't instant, so I was skeptical, but after about 15 minutes, I caught a glimpse of my hair in the mirror, and I was amazed. It looked styled rather than a ratty mess. I slept on it, and it still looked great in the morning!!!" —mich0610
Get it from Amazon for $7.97.
30. The ever-reliable O'Keeffe's Working Hands cream that's a lifesaver for dry, cracked hands that need something a little stronger than the average moisturizer. This famous formula locks in hydration while creating a protective barrier to prevent future moisture loss.
For best results, you should apply the cream after washing your hands, after showering, and at bedtime.
Promising review: "This stuff is brilliant! My hands were extremely dry and cracked and bleeding (Constantly washing hands for work, and freezing temps). A few people suggested this to me, and I figured it was worth a shot, so I ordered it. OMG! THIS STUFF IS AMAZING! The day after application, the difference was incredible. My hands were still red but not as raw. And the cracks were much lessened. By the fifth day, you could barely even tell they were cracked and dry. MUST BUY." —Maureen Buckley
Get it from Amazon for $9.49.
31. A skin solution if you're someone who shaves or waxes but your skin rebels with angry red razor bumps and ingrown hairs every time you do. Apply this post hair removal for silky smooth results.
Promising review: "I was very surprised by how well this product works. I've been using it once a day every day for the past month, and it really has made a difference. Exfoliating wasn't enough for my skin, and I didn't like to sit there pulling out my ingrown hair. It smells like alcohol, but I was very surprised by how it leaves my skin. It does not dry it out, leaves it moisturized, and my ingrowns have been reducing." —Krystle
Get it from Amazon for $18.99+ (available in two sizes).
32. A lightweight BB cream, so you can get a little lightweight coverage and actually do something good for your skin at the same time. This oil-free formula mattifies and reduces redness like you'd expect, with a dash of salicylic acid to help clear acne at the same time.
Promising review: "Loved how it fully covers my blemishes without the caked-on feeling. It always made my skin look moisturized and glowy." —Melinda Phillippee
Get it from Amazon for $6.55+ (available in five shades).
33. A silky-smooth Huestick to layer under foundation as a color corrector or as a breathable, blendable, buildable pigment on lips, cheeks, and eyes.
Live Tinted started with a viral video of founder Deepica Mutyala using red lipstick as a color corrector. Created based on feedback from the subsequent online community, Live Tinted now has a range of Multisticks that can be used as a color corrector to balance discoloration under makeup and as an eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick.
Promising review: "I use the Huestick in Origin as a color corrector under my eyes, and it works great! It is smooth, blends easily, and is covered up easily with concealer." —Shivani
Get it from Amazon or Ulta Beauty for $26 (available in six colors).
34. A cruelty-free eyeshadow primer because with all the hard work you spent on that smoky eye, you should be able to enjoy it all day without smudging or creasing.
Promising review: "This is the best eyeshadow primer I have ever purchased! I was on the fence as other primers left my eyes feeling sticky or heavy, and after long periods of time, I still tend to get creases. Not with this primer. A little goes a long way with this primer. It lasts all day, and I have even gone to work a few times still wearing 'last night's makeup' because it holds so well. I am amazed with the quality for the price — and even though the tube is small, it has lasted me a little over a year since I only have to use such small amounts." —nasty-otter
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
35. A fast-drying matte finishing spray for keeping your makeup in place and maintaining that matte look you walked out of the house with ALL day.
Promising review: "I have used many different setting sprays before, but this one is a reorder. It is a beautiful, high-quality setting spray that truly delivers on the promise of hydration and dewy skin. I spray it on after my moisturizer, wait a minute, apply makeup, and spray again. It gives me that airbrush, blended finish that I so love. The ingredients are natural and nontoxic for the skin. Love Love this spray...I would recommend this to anybody who wants a flawless look!!" —noemi
Get it from Amazon for $18.95.
36. A powerful 2% BHA salicylic acid exfoliant if harsh scrubs haven't done your skin any favors. This helps to clear skin and unclog pores by gently sloughing away dead skin to reveal the texture-free glow hiding underneath.
Promising review: "This product helped clear my skin after I struggled with many other products. I was struggling with what I thought was milia on my forehead. I have tried exfoliating with all sorts of different products. I read a review on Reddit and thought I would give it a try. So glad I did. I put this on and saw results in on night. I honestly love how well this product worked for me." —Nicole
Get it from Amazon for $13+ (available in two sizes).