We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. Essence Cosmetics Princess False Lash Effect Mascara provides a super dramatic before and after. Prepare to get grilled about where you got your eyelash extensions.
Promising review: "Don’t let the price fool you. I reach for this over and over. Great for when you wear falsies too! I have sensitive eyes and I don’t have any problems with this mascara, no flaking, running, or burning. I will buy again and again." —Monica
Get it from Amazon for $4.99 (also available in waterproof and sculpted volume versions).
2. E.l.f.'s Poreless Putty Primer, a TikTok-famous lightweight base primer with TONS of amazing reviews because it helps to reduce the appearance of pores and make your makeup apply like buttah.
Promising review: "I saw this on TikTok and thought I'd take a chance. I have sensitive skin and have to watch what I use. I LOVE this product! Goes on smooth and you don't need to use a lot. I put it on before I put on my foundation. Makes a huge difference. Highly recommend and will buy again!!" —Leslie Mattingly
Get it from Amazon for $8.50.
3. BYO Blush Oil, which is criminally easy to ease. You just tap on a few dots and then blend with your fingers or a brush. It's green in the bottle and then turns *your* perfect shade of pink on your skin thanks to a pH reaction. I use it all the time and adore it!
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. AND its skin-friendly ingredients means it's OK if you sleep with it on.
Promising review: "Dewy and glowy. I tried it over makeup and it appeared as a strong pink shade but settled to a flushed, glowy color. I had my little sister try it too because I wanted to see the color change again and it lasted a really long time on her. The texture was smooth and it was easy to rub in and blend out." —Summer
4. NYX's Pore Filler (you may have seen its prowess on TikTok) blurs the look of pores and fine lines, making foundation application *much* easier.
Check out the TikTok here!
Promising review: "This is a life-changing product for me. I have HUGE visible pores that really age my face, as well as incredibly acne-prone skin that makes me break out from just about every product. I've started to use NYX Pore Filler on my face with some regularity, and it doesn't seem to cause any irritation or breakouts. It does an AMAZING job filling in and smoothing out my face texture. The difference to my skin consistency is astounding. My skin looks so smooth when I use this product. In the photo I'm using it on just one side of my nose and under the eye area, and the difference is very noticeable (I think!)." —Jenny Penny
Get it from Amazon for $9.47.
5. Exa High Fidelity Foundation gives a soft satin finish with anti-pollution ingredients that work OT to protect your skin.
Credo Beauty is a woman-owned small biz marketplace founded by two beauty industry veterans and curated to meet their strict Credo Clean Standard.
Promising review: "I have tried a few clean beauty foundations and this was the best next to another brand that isn't sold at Credo. I actually have two matches!! Anyhow, the shade/undertone range, wear and feel of this foundation and primer (got the set) is by far commendable!!!" —T156 T.
Get it from Credo Beauty for $38 (available in 43 shades).
6. Maybelline New York Sky High Mascara thickens and lengthens your lashes without the clumping you'll experience with other (much pricier) mascaras.
Promising review: "I’m weird with mascara. I have very light eyelashes so I require multiple coats to fully cover them. Usually when layering mascara it starts to make my eyelashes clump together and it gets flakey. This stuff literally covers all of my eyelashes, including the very short corner ones. It is easy to remove. And it doesn’t flake. It’s buildable and long lasting." —Libby
Get it from Amazon for $9.98 (available in seven varieties).
7. E.l.f.'s Tone Adjusting Face Primer uses green pigment to help neutralize redness and get your skin nice and silky for your foundation application.
Promising review: "I have tried almost every brand of primer, this one by far works the best. I have red undertones and this covers it without being 'cakey'. In the summertime I use this primer and some loose powder instead of foundation. This is so light and airy it does not clog my pores. This is a must in your makeup routine." —Heatmay
Get it from E.l.f. Cosmetics for $10.
8. Or if you're looking for some SPF too, Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment goes on cooling and smooth, is easy to blend in, and will make you look in the mirror five minutes later wondering where all that redness went! I use it daily as a moisturizer under my foundation and some reviewers even use it as a CC cream. It's *that* good. And it has SPF 30!
Like I said up there ^, I use this every single day and to demonstrate just how well it works, I put it on half of my face in the pic on the left. Seriously, the color-cancelling prowess is impressive. Also it took me nearly a year to go through the full-size jar. So if the price has you feeling iffy, you can try out a travel version. Seriously, I'm forever indebted to this stuff.
Promising review: "I have rosacea on both my cheeks and a bit on chin and also have a couple of acne spots on my chin as well and I’ve tried so many foundations to cover up my cheeks and no matter how full coverage my cheeks will still show through. So I decided to try this and I love it!!!! I use this after primer and moisturizer and then use a foundation (because I fake tan and my face is paler than my body) and my skin looks amazing!!! I’m so impressed! I love makeup but I could never really use a lot of face products because I was embarrassed. Definitely recommend if you have rosacea and want to wear full coverage foundation or even as a BB cream." —elyse1518
Get it from Sephora for $18+ (available in two sizes).
9. Live Tinted Superhue Pigmentation Stick is cooling, balm-to-serum stick that packs in niacinamide (reduces inflammation), bakuchiol (a gentler retinol alternative), and THD vitamin C (encourages collagen production) to help your skin while it's covering up imperfections like hyperpigmentation.
Live Tinted is a South-Asian woman-owned beauty brand founded by beauty blogger and entrepreneur Deepica Mutyala.
Promising review: "I HAVE NEVER HAD A HOLY GRAIL PRODUCT. UNTIL NOW!! Literally SO effective. Tons of people have been complimenting my skin from my boyfriend (who doesn't always notice subtle changes) to my coworkers ONLINE VIA VIDEO! My skin literally looks visibly brighter and smoother. The only thing you have to be careful of is if you freshly wax or thread any part of your face. Wait a day or two to use the product in case you have sensitive skin to be safe!" —Ulta Customer
Get it from Ulta or Live Tinted for $34 (clean, vegan, cruelty-free).
10. Wunderbrow, which is a super-long-lasting eyebrow gel that's waterproof so you won't have to worry about your brow filler sweating down your beautiful visage.
Promising review: "I love this stuff! I’m one of those people who over-plucked in the past and now can’t get the thick eyebrows I once hated back. It does take practice and a little trial and error to get the perfect brow. I usually keep a cotton swab handy and sometimes have to reshape after I apply. It is waterproof and lasts a few days. I am careful in the shower when washing my face to wash around the brows. Photos are me out for a jog without anything on my brows, second is after delivering my baby — yes. After my water broke, I took a shower and applied my Wunderbrow! Lasted through 12 hours of labor and three days in the hospital. =)" —Tiffany Haney
Get it from Amazon for $22+ (available in five colors).
11. Or if you're looking for something a bit more permanent, hair color kit helps you touch up roots, cover grays, or tint eyebrows instead of going to the salon. It's a little bit of effort BUT the reviews and review pics are *quite* compelling.
Promising review: "I purchased the light brown tint because I have blonde hair but like darker eyebrows. This looks amazing! I did apply it twice to achieve a deeper color and left it on only two minutes each time. I do not have any eyebrow makeup on in the bottom picture it’s just the new tint!! I love that I can actually see my eyebrows now without makeup on. I followed the directions as stated on the box and then used the wooden application stick it provided to apply the color. I cleaned up any areas with a cotton swab to define where the color was and then wiped it off with a damp cotton ball when I was ready to remove it!! Super happy with the results!" —Krystal
Get it from Amazon for $13.95 (available in four colors).
12. ETUDE House Zero Sebum Drying Powder made for oily skin that you can easily take on the go to keep your T-zone looking like matte perfection despite every other factor.
13. AJ Crimson Dual Skin Creme Foundation comes in a super handy compact and gives you a dewy look with its buildable formula that performs well for oily, dry, or combo skin.
14. Rimmel Stay Matte Mattifying Primer gives you a smooth finish that'll stay that way for so much longer.
Promising review: "This product works!! I have extremely oily skin which means my face is super shiny within minutes of applying foundation. The second photo is without primer, a few hours after applying foundation….you can see all the shine on my forehead. The first photo is with primer 6 hrs after applying foundation….hardly any shine! I believe in the product so much that I gave a tube to my friend who also has oily skin and she absolutely loved it and uses it now! For the price, you can beat it compared to the expensive brands that are way more expensive and only a fraction of the size." —S. Rodriguez
Get it from Amazon for $4.07.
15. L'Oréal Paris BB Cream neutralizes redness in your skin to while hydrating. Some reviewers use it as a primer, while others find it suffices as a light foundation. Gotta love.
It has five varieties: anti-redness, anti-fatigue, or three shaded options
Promising review: "I swear by this. Been using it for about a year now, it goes on every day and gets all the redness off my face, when I’m in a hurry I just top it off with a little powder and I’m done but it’s a perfect base layer for any makeup routine if you had a lot of redness like I do." –Andrea
Get it from Amazon for $5+ (available in five varieties and quantities).
16. Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation was developed with the Fitzpatrick Scale to better help your foundation look perfect while reacting to the sun. Um, why don't ALL foundations' formulations take that into account?
Uoma Beauty is a small business founded by makeup guru and Nigerian-born Sharon Chuter, who aims to create a wide variety of makeup products for all skin tones.
Promising review: "I bought this foundation to wear for my wedding. (I saw someone use it on TikTok) I've been testing it out and it's become my favorite foundation I've ever use. The blend, the color match, the stay, everything is just perfect. Wow, wow, wow." –Makenna S.
Get it from Uoma Beauty or Nordstrom, both for $39 (available in 51 shades).
17. The Makeup Eraser takes off a whole face at the end of the day (or just in case you want to start fresh) with *just* water. So it's environmentally friendly AND super soft on your skin.
So really the only thing this can't do is clean your house. This was our mid-price pick for the best makeup removers on BuzzFeed Reviews. And I've used one! For YEARS. It launders really well and is big enough to use for a few days before you have to launder it.
Get it from Amazon for $20. Also check out a three-pack of dupes that work nearly as well and are slightly less gentle for $5.99.