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 lil' polar bear hydrating eye stick for some sweet, sweet relief when you wake up with puffy, aching eyes. This formula is blended with Iceland glacial water to help tighten skin and tackle dark circles so you look and feel more ~refreshed~.
Promising review: "I have always had serious dark cirscles and bags under my eyes and this has really changed this for me. The results are incredible. The puffiness is gone. The dark circles are hardly noticeable. My sensitive skin has not broken out. I never write reviews, but this was so good that I had to write a review. This actually works." —Ben
Get it from Amazon for $8.99.
2. A six-piece (!!) set of high-performance matte lipsticks at a *fraction* of the price of its competitors that stays the heck put without drying or cracking your lips by the end of the day. (Seriously, reviewers are DRAGGING major brands in their comments, these are so cheap and effective.)
Promising review: "What can I say, I saw a TikTok about this lipstick and for $10 had to try it! The reviews are right, for some reason this lipstick is better than even $20 name brand ones bought from Ulta. Not only does it smell great, but dries in under a minute and survived eating a cupcake, a Starbucks drink, and an entire evening out, no smudging and had to be removed with a makeup wipe. Fantastic product!!" —Claire
Get a six-piece set from Amazon for $12.88.
3. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen for sensitive teeth and gums that can help lighten up years' worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just ... you know. Existing as a human with teeth.
4. Essence's Lash Princess mascara, because TBH, we've all wasted too many years and too much money looking for the ~holy grail~ mascara. This one is less than $5 and will give you such instant length you'll feel like your eyelashes are about to pull a Butterfree and take flight.
5. A bottle of Elizavecca Hair Treatment, an Olaplex "dupe" repairing mask infused with collagen ingredients and protein extracts that will help restore hair health and reduce shedding. All you gotta do is apply it on wet hair after a shampoo, wait five minutes, and rinse it out.
This is designed to work on all hair types, with reviewers with 2b to 4c curls mentioning it worked for them!
Promising review: "Holy moly. This stuff is AH-mazing. To be free of bad stuff, smell amazing, leave my hair SMOOTH and SOFT (did I emphasize that enough), and leave my hair drying quicker with it looking near perfect. Well folks, what else is there to say? Buy it. Don’t think about it. Just do it. This coming from a super picky hair girl!" —Aubsmommmy
Check out BuzzFeed's full review of the Elizavecca hair treatment for more deets!
Get a bottle from Amazon for $7.83.
6. Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea Curl Defining Creme made with coconut oil, shea butter, aloe, and avocado oil help define and moisturize curls without buildup, so the next time you load Zoom everyone will pull out a pad to learn your routine and take notes. This medium-hold crème is ideal for wash 'n' gos, twist, or braid outs.
Eden BodyWorks is a Black woman-owned business established in 2004 that specializes in natural products to nurture, restore, and maintain hair. Reviewers with 2c–4c hair mention it working well for them!
Promising review: "This curl defining creme is really good, and I consider it a must have. I have 4a, high density, low porosity, coarse hair. This gives my hair great definition and moisture. I think it works best as a part of the LCO method. Personally, I dampen my hair with water, apply this crème, and then follow up with a little bit of apricot or sweet almond oil. It doesn't mix well with products from other brands or other products in general other than oil, but that's not a bad thing considering you don't need anything else. Would definitely recommend this over curl-defining crèmes from other brands." —Crh
Get it from Amazon for $8.47.
7. Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind concealer, an inexpensive lightweight concealer for anyone who wants to quickly touch up before meetings or errand running, but doesn't want to commit to a whole layer of foundation. This also helps cover dark circles without caking and reduce puffiness.
TBH, last year I started using this myself (although this is former BuzzFeed editor Kayla Suazo's lovely human face above), and I am mad that I wasted time with other concealers for so long. I am a deeply impatient person who likes to look good and does not like to put in effort in any way, shape, or form, and Maybelline created this so that people like me could gracelessly slap it on in the morning and be like "OKAY, REFLECTION, YOU GOT THIS" before being on their merry way. It never cakes, I look way more awake than I have any right to, and I never struggle to blend it the way I do with other concealers. 11/10 subscribe.
Promising review: "This is my all-time favorite concealer. It goes on creamy, covers under-eye circles without looking chalky. I hope they never stop making it." —YVonneM
Check out BuzzFeed's full review of Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer for more deets.
Get it from Amazon for $8.80 (available in 17 shades).
8. A bottle of Witch Piggy Hell Pore Control, which is both a delightfully effective hyaluronic acid-based pore tightening serum *and* my new stage name. Reviewers love this for tackling enlarged pores and giving a dewy glow without causing oiliness or triggering breakouts, plus helping fade dark spots and acne scars.
Promising review: "If I could give this 10 stars I would! Ran out of 'The Ordinary' hyaluronic acid I’ve been using for a year and no stores close sold it so I gave this a try. So glad I did because it’s a thousand times better!! I put it on first, then moisturizer after I put on my primer and makeup and it looks the best it’s ever looked. My pores were smaller in just three days and my skin so hydrated. I have combo skin son my 'T' zone gets awfully oily. The fix is to make sure your skin is hydrated. Also the bottle is twice the size of 'The Ordinary'! This does it all!!! So very impressed." —smnthfinch
Get it from Amazon for $9.
9. A spray bottle of SoCozy Curl Spray Leave-In Conditioner, which is beloved by kids and adults alike — this lightweight formula is designed to spray in your hair before bedtime to prevent bed head frizziness and tangles by restoring and detangling curls, but a lot of reviewers use it to define their curls as part of their morning haircare routines, too!
Check out a TikTok of the SoCozy Curl Spray in action. This is designed to work on all hair types, with reviewers with 2a–4c curls swearing by it!
Promising review: "Amazing!! I had NO idea that my frizzy-haired little girl had beautiful curls. I went down an Instagram rabbit hole and saw a similar girl show how her frizz was curls. I ordered this!! My mind has been blown!! This has changed our lives. It smells so good! It is easy to use and air dry. Before my daughter woke up with terrible bed head that looked like this! Now it is gorgeous soft curls. We will definitely buy again and tell everyone about this product!!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $7.59.
10. A ridiculously charming octopus-shaped blackhead remover you can use to gently scrub as part of your skin routine or in the shower to remove excess sebum to exfoliate pores and pull out blackheads, whiteheads, and other miscellaneous gunk from the day that you'd rather evict.
Promising review: "After just two days of use, this adorable little octopus has done wonders for me, smells great too. Here's how I used it: I wore down the stick just a little to where the texture from the salt is visible, scrubbed around on my face so there was plenty of product, then I 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.
11. A hair thinner and cutter that people swear by for all sorts of styling hacks, whether it's trimming their bangs, maintaining a cut, giving themselves natural looking layers, or trimming and styling wigs.
12. A firming eye cream that uses vitamin C, vitamin E, rosehip seed oil, and hibiscus flower extract to brighten and firm that sensitive skin around your eyes and neck not just on a day-to-day basis, but a long-term one, too.
13. CeraVe's Hydrating cleanser made with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin — aka, all the good stuff to hydrate your face and remove makeup and oil without stripping your skin of its natural moisture. Psst — a lot of reviewers with sensitive skin and acne swear by this, because it's super gentle *and* super effective.
Promising review: "This is a product I was skeptical on because I have eczema around my face and anything burns it. But this actually did not foam or burn it. It helped it so much. In the shower I used it for the first time and my face did not come out red like usual. It's a great product. You won't regret this purchase." —Ashley
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
14. A set of deep exfoliating sheets that are *not* here to play — you can use them on wet skin after a bath or shower (not under running water) to gently scrub and exfoliate skin, then apply lotion. Each pack comes with four red towels, which are more abrasive, and for less abrasive green ones. They definitely get the job done, so start out light at first and work your way up!
Just make sure to thoroughly read the directions before use!
Promising review: "I stumbled upon these from watching a TikTok and I’m so glad I did! Definitely look into how to use them before you start so you do it efficiently and find what works best for you. I use them after being in a hot shower for at least five minutes then I start with long strokes in one direction. The red towels are heavier duty and the greens are lighter. I started with a red for my legs and lower body and green for my upper body and arms. These got lots of gunk off my body and left my skin feeling so soft and smooth!" —Mariah C.
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $4.43 (available in five variety packs).
15. A reviewer-beloved Mane Club 10-in-1 leave-in spray that honestly deserves its own theme song, for the amount of work it's putting in. Its unique formula of cannabis sativa seed oil helps it condition, detangle, heat protect, prevent breakage, hydrate, smooth, soften, control frizz, boost shine, and strengthen your hair, and keeps it nongreasy to boot.
Mane Club is a New York City-based small business established in 2019 that specializes in affordable haircare products.
It's also BuzzFeeder-approved — here's what Elizabeth Lilly has to say about it: "This stuff has become my go-to for spraying on my wet hair and then blow-drying. Normally I'd apply a heat protector and an oil treatment or leave-in conditioner before blow-drying. But this 10-in-1 treatment takes the cake! Most of the time when I use it, I don't even need to finish off my hair with hair oil (I've been doing that as an essential hair step for years now). It's really that good! My hair comes out feeling softer, looking shinier and healthier, and stays looking good for days — which is especially great news because I wash my hair about every four days." You can check out Elizabeth Lilly's full review of the Mane Club One Hit Wonder spray for more deets!
Promising review: "I’m a hairstylist, so I’ve tried just about every leave-in conditioner out there, and I was amazed at how soft my hair felt after one use. My curls were so happy! The smell is amazing too!! I will definitely be repurchasing." —Allison S.
16. A suuuper popular Bio-Oil made with vitamins A and E, chamomile, and lavender — you may recognize it as a product a lot of people use to help fade scars (both old and new), soothe cracked and dry skin, and help moisturize without affecting your pores, but people are also using it to help with dry and painful skin on their hands from hand-washing and sanitizing.
FWIW re: scars, though, this stuff really works. I had thyroid surgery a few years ago and Bio-Oil took me from looking like I'd stumbled out of the Red Wedding to virtually no detectable scar within a few months. All I did was apply it once in the morning and once at night.
Promising review: "I noticed my skin started to get dry and tight after I took a shower, especially in the winter time. I used to use expensive creams like Clinique but it didn't seem like it was enough. I saw this at Costco at a very reasonable price compared to what I was paying at Macy's so I thought I'd try it out. Just a couple of drops and my face immediately felt soft and supple! This lasted throughout the day and two little drops covered my face and neck area. Gradually after a few months, friends and acquaintances would comment how pretty my skin was (I'm in my late forties and Native American). If you use more than two or three drops on your face and neck, you're using too much. One bottle lasted me six months or more. Costco no longer carries this and after making do with Aveeno facial moisturizer, it is no substitute to what Bio-Oil does for me." —Lynn La Pointe
Get it from Amazon for $8.92+ (available in four sizes).
17. A set of itty-bitty dermaplaning razors you can use to take care of those lil' unibrow hairs that keep dodging your tweezers or work whatever face fuzzies you might want to take care of in a gentle way.
This tool also helps soften skin by gently exfoliating as you use it!
Promising review: "I love these things. They get rid of all the peach fuzz on my face! My makeup goes on smoothly. They are great for exfoliating and help product get in the skin better. My skin looks great and I'm 45. I hope they never stop making these things! If skeptical about how to use them, watch some YouTube videos. Now I feel like a pro using them. Highly recommend." —crackalackin
Get a set of three from Amazon for $5.67.
18. A set of six satin scrunchies designed to hold back your hair without damaging, pinching, or snagging. Your regular hair bands are shaking.
Promising review: "I’m never going back to regular ponytails again. These are absolutely perfect. I’m a dancer, and I need ponytails that 1. don’t rip out my African American hair and 2. actually hold my hair in place. These are so comfortable that I’ve fallen asleep with them in, but so secure that they didn’t move an inch throughout my entire dance practice. Absolutely iconic." —Taro
Get a set of six from Amazon for $7.99.
19. An internet-beloved set of makeup sponges for expert-level blending and coverage that reviewers have crowned a Beauty Blender dupe. It works for foundation, BB cream, powder, *and* concealer, plus wet or dry, so basically it's working harder than I have for *checks watch* my whole life.
20. An acne patch made with hydrocolloid, tea tree oil, and calendula oil to help draw out the gunk from acne like it's luring it into a sticky lil' trap, not only helping clear spots up faster, but making the redness and bumps less painful to deal with.
21. A hydrating intense-therapy lip balm complete with SPF 25 to not only help repair dry, chapped lips, but continually protect 'em against the elements. Reviewers note that this wasn't just more effective than other brands, but it worked *fast*.
Promising review: "My lips usually crack and bleed in the winter no matter what I put on them. This is literally the first winter ever that my lips are perfect. This is the best product I've ever used! It's nice and soft, not greasy. I've bought it for several coworkers who also suffer like I do. I hope they never stop making this!" —Mel Belle
Get it from Amazon for $8 (available in six flavors and in packs of three).
22. A vitamin C-based face serum for brighter, firmer skin with muuuuch faster results than most of its competitors. A lot of reviewers could see a difference within just a few days of use.
23. A cleverly-designed Kitsch makeup headband to keep your hair pulled back while you're doing your makeup, skincare, or face-washing routines. The straps are adjustable and there's a slit in the back to slide your hair through just to make sure none of your tresses are compromised by the clay you're about to slather all over your face in the name of self-care Friday.
Kitsch is an LA-based, self-financed, woman-owned company established in 2010 that specializes in hair accessories.
Promising review: "This is the product you didn’t know you needed! I feel like I have been missing out on this secret. Every time I wash my face, my hair gets wet or wash gets in it and that’s never a good situation when you've just blown out your hair :). This cute headband is just what I needed — it protects your hair from getting wet while washing your face and keeps your hair back and out of the way— all in one trendy headband! I highly recommend this for you and your besties! It would make a great gift and travel must-have, as the packaging is so cute and easy to store!" —Trendyjenstyle
Get it from Amazon for $10.79+ (available in nine prints).
24. A shampoo scalp massager you can use in the shower to massage and exfoliate your scalp, so you can get all of the relaxing decadence of feeling like someone is massaging your head without physically going to a salon. Psst — a lot of reviewers mention this has also helped with psoriasis, dandruff, and scalp tenderness!
25. A dual hair dryer and brush that'll dry your hair as you style it, cutting your prep time in half and giving your locks an incredible amount of volume and shine.
Unlike other hairdryers, this one can be held closer to the roots and scalp for a higher volume and lift, and helps you curl hair at the end while it dries. It comes with three heat settings and is designed to work on all hair textures — reviewers with 2a through 4c hair mentioned it working for them, and especially noted that it helps cut down on drying time!
Promising review: "I am not someone who normally writes reviews but I like this dryer so much I must give it a positive review. This dryer has been a game changer for my hair. I have a lot of hair and the strands are thick. I’ve been a flat iron user for many, many years but decided to try this on the recommendation of a friend. Not only is it easy to use, it gives my hair the closest thing to a professional blowout at home. There are tutorials online for maximizing the benefits of this dryer." —Jennifer G.
Get it from Amazon for $32.49 (available in two styles).
26. A bottle of nail and cuticle repair oil that you simply brush on your nail beds once a day to condition and strengthen all those brittle spots and painful hangnails, leaving you with thick, strong nails and nail beds you're not tempted to pick at all the livelong day.
27. A mesh body exfoliator that'll take care of your whole human self — its large size and unique texture help smooth and clean skin all over your body, including hard-to-reach places like your back, so you can get that post-exfoliation glow all over.
LuvScrub is a Black-owned beauty brand that specializes in mesh exfoliators influenced by creator Ghanaian-American Caroline Owusu-Ansah's childhood using this type of mesh like many West Africans. Her version is meant to replace loofahs and washcloths as a more full-body effective, long-lasting, and bacteria-avoidant option.
Promising review: "I've been using LuvScrub body exfoliates for about a year now and it's beaten every other loofah I've tried in the past. I get those little keratosis pilaris bumps on the backs of upper arms and thighs and this is legit the only thing that has ever helped with it, along with just making my skin nice and soft in general. It also dries out much quicker when you're done, which means less water being held on it after showering and building up nasty bacteria. Honestly, this little strip of netting is a game changer. Get yourself one!" —Chels
Get it from Ulta Beauty for $18 or LuvScrub for $18 (available in five colors).
28. A Marshmallow Whip Maker, aka a TikTok beloved product that can turn a coin-sized amount of your favorite face cleanser into a cup full of light frothy foam.
29. Maybelline's Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil, an easy-to-use, subtle eyebrow filler just as effective as the ones triple its price.
30. Plus an Onset Eyebrow Soap Kit, an eyebrow pomade that doesn't just fluff up your brows for a little extra ~drama~, but holds them in place all the live long day. It's basically like getting a whole bunch of extra eyebrow thickness without any effort!
31. A sugar lip scrub to easily exfoliate your lips with just one use, leaving them so soft and sweet you'll feel like you had a professional spa treatment done on them.
Better Living & Home is a New Jersey-based, woman-owned Etsy shop that specializes in vegetarian and cruelty free handmade bath and body products.
Promising review: "I bought these scrubs and lip balms as gifts for Christmas but I would be lying if I said I didn’t do some rearranging so I could keep one of each for myself…these are packaged so nicely and they leave my lips soooo moisturized, especially in the winter!" —Bri Wallace
Get it from Better Living & Home on Etsy for $5 (available in 11 flavors, including unscented).
32. A podiatrist-level toenail clipper to quickly and easily take care of thicker toenails and ingrown ones, so if you want to give yourself a pedicure and paint your toesies now that sandals are fair game again, you can do it right at home.
33. Plus a foot file that'll remove calluses and hard or cracked skin from your feet with some gentle, pain-free rubbing that will leave your heels feeling gloriously soft.
34. A set of satin pillowcases that create less friction for your hair, so you don't have to wake up every morning ten minutes early to work through your tangles. It's also ridiculously cooling on your skin in the summer months.
I got a set of these for my bed, and although my hair is baseline pretty wild no matter what state of existence I'm in, the overnight tangles have pretty much stopped. If I put my hair up in a scrunchie, I'll usually wake up with it more or less still intact, too (which is especially nice if I'm late for my ~morning power walk~ around the neighborhood).
Get a set of two from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 22 colors and four sizes).
35. A facial ice roller you can stash in the fridge or freezer, then pull out whenever you want to take your face for a ~chill~ ride to help reduce puffiness and under eye circles.
36. A tin of Cirepil blue wax beads that use a gentle hard wax to easily remove both the coarsest and finest of hairs in a matter of minutes, leaving you with skin so smooth that you're going to have to sit on your hands to stop yourself from stroking your underarms and legs in public.
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This stuff is used in a lot of high end salons, too, so this tin truly pays for itself in "trips not taken to get professionally waxed."
Promising review: "This is the best hard wax I have ever tried! I prefer to use hard wax over any other wax hands-down. I use it on myself and on my friends, family and clients. I have found that this works best for me when used on clean, oiled (lightly) skin. Using a light oil helps prevent the wax from sticking to and pulling on the skin, therefore only grabbing the hair. Easy to use and easy cleanup. I have found my holy grail hard wax and will be repurchasing every time I start getting low." —Stillkickin
Get it from Amazon for $23.99.
37. A set of natural bamboo charcoal oil-blotting strips to absorb up moisture and sweat, leaving your face breezy and your makeup intact.
38. Plus a makeup setting spray with a matte finish to lock your look in place in just a few seconds, even on days when the sun is trying to melt you like a Popsicle.
39. A jar of Aztec healing clay mask for "maskne" (read: acne you get after you sweat in your face mask) that might be coming out to play with the heat. This clay mask essentially sucks the gunk out of your pores like a vacuum, and will leave your skin feeling so smooth and firm you'll want to pet it.
40. A microfiber towel for anyone who prefers to air dry or is dabbling in it for the first time — this helps prevent frizz and hair breakage, so you can maintain your hair's natural texture as you let it do its thing.
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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