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 magical makeup-correcting stick if you need a quick and easy way to erase makeup mistakes when you're rushing through your morning routine (happens to the best of us). It's also great to toss in your bag for fixing any smudgy raccoon eyes that appear throughout the day.
2. A tube of Glossier Boy Brow for enhancing your natural brow shape by instantly filling in and fluffing hairs with just a couple of quick swipes.
Promising review: "Great, easy to use product. Goes on quickly, looks natural but fills everything out. Good for a natural makeup day or something more dramatic depending on how much you layer." —May-Rose R.
Get it from Glossier or Sephora for $17 (available in five shades).
3. 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: "I suck at doing a winged eye. I love makeup and I have tried over and over again and I just can’t do it. I was skeptical but I wanted to try something. It worked perfectly. One side is the stamp, the other is a liner — there are two tubes, one for each eye. Totally worth it if you are very bad at applying eye liner." —marcusgolf
Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in three sizes and a combo pack).
4. A pack of multipurpose dermaplaning razors because your flaky foundation might have nothing to do with your application technique and everything to do with the layer of peach fuzz on your cheeks. These teeny-tiny blades work double duty to safely remove hair *and* exfoliate skin, and even include a precision cover for worry-free eyebrow maintenance.
Promising review: "My makeup has never sat flat for long because I’ve always had that little bit of peach fuzz on my face. My husband lovingly compared it to a bumble bee covered in pollen. My makeup would sit on the tips of the hairs, and seem to break apart pretty quickly. I had heard about dermaplaning salons, but wasn’t going to dish out the $75 every few weeks. Then I stumbled upon these! I probably use mine about once a week. My makeup now sits nice and flat and I am able to get that flawless matte look. It takes some getting used to- definitely wet it before you use it. But it’s a breeze." —Ashley H
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $5.94.
5. And a foundation brush with a plushy-soft flat top that'll help you apply product smoothly and evenly, reducing texture and nailing that flawless finish you've been aiming for.
See it in action on TikTok.
Promising review: "I saw this on TikTok. I. LOVE. IT! It gives a flawless finish with little product. I have a compact foundation that comes with its own applicator sponge. I almost threw it out because I didn’t like the coverage. I tried this brush with it, and it’s perfect! It also comes in a plastic case, which is great because I travel a lot with my work and my other brushes get damaged sometimes." —Thayel M. Caison
Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in 10 colors).
6. A sheer tint BB cream so you can get allover coverage with an oil-free formula that's lighter and easier to blend than regular foundation. It mattifies and reduces redness like you'd except, with a dash of salicylic acid to help clear acne at the same time.
7. Plus, a miraculous multiuse Maybelline concealer with an intuitive, built-in sponge applicator that'll brighten up any stubborn dark circles with crease-resistant coverage. Reviewers say it looks great with or without foundation, so it's a great option for allover spot coverage, too!
Promising review: "I don't wear a lot of makeup but a concealer sure comes in handy for a quick fresher look, especially after Covid. The choice of color shades made it easy to match my fair skintone and the formula glides on seamlessly with the applicator. It stays moist and doesn't crease and is completely blendable. I give it a 5-star rating without hesitation." —Pat Bradley
Check out our full Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer review for more deets.
Get it from Amazon for $8.80 (available in 18 shades).
8. A lash serum for strengthening your natural eyelashes so they look thicker and fuller with consistent use. Then, you can get away with skipping mascara altogether, if you want!
Promising review: "I was amazed when my daughter got this product and her eyelashes looked so long without makeup. I had to try it for myself and sure enough it worked for me as well! Now we both have long full eyelashes without any mascara. This product is truly amazing!!" —jenny schillinger
Get it from Amazon for $28.99 (available in two colors).
9. Or these glamorous magnetic lashes to make falsie application a lot quicker and easier. Each set of reusable lashes sticks right to the included eyeliner so you can cut goopy glue out of the equation entirely.
Promising review: "I don't have very long or thick lashes and I suck with makeup. I was never able to wear false lashes outside the house. Ever. And this was not my first time trying magnetic lashes. But these ones were so, SO easy to put on. The liner is very liquid so it was easy for me to apply and fill in. I used the last set from the natural lashes side for the look in the pics." —Mona
Get a 23-piece set from Amazon for $18.38.
10. A dual-sided precision brow brush because some days the only makeup you need is a bold brow, so you want to have the right tools for the job. Brush up hairs with the spoolie side, and fill in arches with the angled end, which helpfully follows the brow's natural shape.
Life Hack: A dry spoolie is also great for removing mascara that's transferred to your lid during application. I do this all the time!
Promising review: "I don't really know how to shape and draw my eyebrows until I use this brow brush! The width of the bristle just fits my eye brow's original shape. It's also easy to apply with brow powder for a natural effect. Love it!" —YoyoZ
11. Plus, an eyebrow stencil kit, which includes 30 wearable stencils, so you can truly take the guesswork out of shaping and ensure picture-perfect brow powder application. It's also handy if you have a habit of over plucking!
The kit comes with 30 different eyebrow stencils, a shaping razor, and a double-sided waterproof eyebrow pencil.
Promising review: "Really great! Surprisingly! I bought these expecting the worst and they were awesome! There are tons of different eyebrow stencil options. I found one closest to my eyebrow shape. I struggle with drawing my eyebrows to match. Their shapes are naturally quite different. This set did a great job. I used my own brow pencil however because the light brown color is very crayon brown. I like a more taupe color for my brows." —Chls
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (available in three colors).
12. A genius dry makeup remover sponge that'll quickly remove pigment from your brushes when switching between colors by just swirling it around. If you tend to only use one brush when applying eyeshadow, not cleaning it might be why your look isn't as vibrant as your inspo image.
See it in action on TikTok!
Promising review: "These work really well and are very easy to wash and use. I would recommend them if you do a lot of eye makeup and don't have like 40 brushes. Makes one set of eye brushes a viable option for a look." —Elizabeth P.
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
13. Or, a creamy eyeshadow stick, which comes in a wide range of matte, shimmer, and metallic hues, if you'd rather not get a brush involved at all. The stick format makes it easier to control pigment placement, and it includes a built-in smudger for effortless blending.
Promising review: "This is my fifth color. This is the best thing to happen to makeup. I can do a smokey eye or a natural one in under a minute. I suck at makeup. This makes it so easy. I am also 51. The Coco color has some shimmer. It does not crease or define my wrinkles. Putty and Clay are amazing." —kristyn
Get it from Amazon for $16 (available in 30 colors).
14. A color-changing BYO Blush Oil for skipping the "What color blush matches my skin?" phase and going straight to the "Wow, I look gooooddd!" part. This formula reacts to the pH of your skin, giving you a personalized look without any extra work.
Youthforia is an Asian woman-owned small business established in 2020 that specializes in environmentally friendly, cruelty-free makeup made with at least 90% renewable ingredients.
Fun fact: All of Youthforia's makeup is designed with ingredients that won't muck up your skin if you sleep with it on!
Promising review: "This blush product is awesome. For me it only takes two very small dabs on both cheeks for desired result. I also dab on my lips for a great under-color base! I hope they never stop making this product!" —Elise F.
Get it from Amazon for $35.99.
15. A pack of self-adhesive eyeshadow shields to catch eyeshadow fallout and accidental smears, while doubling as a guide to follow for winged eyeliner and clean smoky eye edges.
Promising review: "I've been a certified makeup artist for 12 years. Used for my cousin's wedding makeup, and they worked really well as far as catching fallout and shaping goes, but taking them off, they really stick so just be gentle. Still great." —Andrea
Get a box of 120 pieces from Amazon for $7.99.
16. Or a silicone reusable eye makeup shield because it easily wipes clean and does everything the disposable version can (except stick to your face), in addition to doubling as an under-eye de-puffer if you pop it in the fridge or freezer.
Promising review: "This moon slice is perfect and everything I’ve ever wished for. I wanted an eyeshadow shield that a) wasn’t sticky, and b) was reusable. This particular gadget gets bonus points for being made of silicone, which is stiff yet flexible and fits comfortably — and pleasantly — under the eye. I also feel the grippy nature of the silicone helps catch eyeshadow fallout better than, say, a business card. All in all, this is an amazing little tool." —Kat
Get it from Amazon for $14.89+ (available in three colors).
17. A self-sharpening clear lip liner so you can reduce lipstick feathering with a liner that's more forgiving of mess-ups than pigmented alternatives. Plus, it's the only liner you'll ever need, no matter what lip color you introduce to your collection.
18. A creamy Maybelline matte liquid lipstick with a precision applicator that reviewers say is MUCH easier to apply than most matte formulas. It boasts up to 16 hours of wear, won't dry you out, and looks incredible. What's not to love?
BuzzFeed writer Emma Lord is committed to this lipstick. She writes: "Personally, I absolutely swear by this lipstick to the point that I haven't used anything else in years (my favorite is the muted pink 'Seductress'). I'm pretty bad at applying anything matte, but this formula and the applicator make it close to foolproof. It lasts a long time and my lips never feel chapped or dry. I also like that when it does fade, it does it in a gradual way that doesn't look obvious or patchy and require an immediate touch-up."
Check out our Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick review for more.
Get it from Amazon for $8.98 (available in 30 colors).
19. Or a nongreasy tinted lip butter if you'd prefer something more subtle and truly mistake-proof. The vegan formula coats lips in a hydrating layer of semi-sheer pigment that's easy to layer for a brighter pop of color.
Promising review: "I love these sticks. The colors are really nice and can be put on lighter or heavier for desired coloring. They aren't too dark, which I really appreciate and they're buttery soft and don't leave my lips dried, streaked, or blotchy looking." —Alyssa V
Get it from Amazon for $14+ (available in 15 colors and in three-packs).
20. A cream bronzer and contour stick for the contour-curious who feel generally intimidated by the process. The stick makes it easy to place pigment exactly where you want it (and nowhere else), and features a unique triangle tip that makes clean lines easy to achieve. Reviews note how easy it is to blend, so you won't have to worry about any unsightly streaking.
21. A fine-toothed eyelash comb to break up clumpy lashes when you accidentally go a little too heavy on the mascara. Just give 'em a quick comb through and get back to the full, feathery lashes you intended.
Promising review: "Love brushing out my lashes with this after applying mascara. Gets rid of lumpy clumpy lashes and fluffs them to a natural voluminous finish. If you use drugstore mascara that is giving mediocre results, try out this lil device. A huge difference for a small price." —Sierra Jill
Get it from Amazon for $4.99 (available in three colors).
22. A cruelty-free eyeshadow primer because your eyeshadow looked great when you left the house, but by the end of the day is creased to oblivion. What gives?! The problem isn't your skills, but naturally occurring skin oils. Prep your lids with this and keep your smokey eye looking fierce all day so your hard work doesn't go to waste.
23. A water-resistant strobing blush so you can stop agonizing over proper blush and highlighter placement with this hybrid product that flushes cheeks with color *and* diffuses light so you're just a few swipes away from getting that *glow*.
24. An easy-to-use guide wand and eyeliner duo that simplifies eyeliner application (yes, even tricky cat-eyes). The easy-to-hold wand helps to steady shaky hands and is equipped with a flexible, replaceable silicone tip that's gentle on the eyes.
Guide Beauty is a woman-owned small biz founded by makeup artist Terri Bryant after her own Parkinson's diagnosis made some once-routine makeup techniques more difficult. So she set out to listen to the most common makeup struggles and develop tools to make application easier for everyone!
Promising review: "I have extremely hooded Asian eyelids and shaky hands so eyeliner has kind of always been insurmountable to me and I had pretty much given up on it before trying this. I bought it with hopes it would work but it's now an actual game changer in my makeup routine. Upon first attempt I was able to do winged eyeliner for each eye in under five min. and the eyeliner has not budged since application. I haven't worn it out yet, but it feels like a pretty strong hold. Overall I'm in love with this product." —Hailey
Get it from Guide Beauty for $50 (available in black and brown).
25. A light-up makeup mirror if you're sick of trying to lean over your bathroom counter while every iota of concentration is being used to apply eyeliner. This brings the mirror to you, with the bonus of a bright LED light and 7x magnification.
Promising review: "The suction is awesome; I have moved this mirror every which way and it hasn’t come off once. I’m really pleased with how well it has held up on my vanity mirror. Bending over the counter top to apply my makeup in the morning was driving me wild. It took me a day or two to get used to the magnification but that has actually be super helpful with applying mascara. I’m very pleased." —Jade N.
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
26. And a digital makeup lesson guide book you can download as a PDF for walking you through everything from contouring to color correction in an easy-to-digest format packed with diagrams and professional tips.
Olive and Lace Studio is a woman-owned Etsy shop run by Amanda, a wife, mom, and veteran makeup artist creating digital resources to aid your own hair and makeup journey, whether you're a hobbyist or professional.
Promising review: "I got this for my mom to provide an easy to understand foundation to makeup — she loved it! I love the design and graphics too, very elegant and streamlined." —Tara McMahon
Get it from Olive and Lace Studio on Etsy for $22.20.
Go forth, gorgeous!
