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. 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, two years ago 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).
2. Essence's Lash Princess mascara for *instant* length in truly one swipe — TBH, we've all wasted too many years and too much money looking for the ~holy grail~ mascara, and this one is less than $5, quick and easy to apply, and is DELIGHTFULLY sweatproof for workouts.
Hello, that is my face above, because I bought into the hype of all the 5-star reviews and now I will never look back!! Putting it on is like giving my eyelashes butterfly wings. It doesn't get clumpy, it stays put ALL the livelong day no matter how much you sweat, and you can apply it on very lightly if you don't want it to look so dramatic, or continue applying for longer lashes each time.
Promising review: "Saw this product on TikTok and thought it would be expensive looking at the results they got. I am beyond amazed with how my lashes look after about two coats. For around $5 you couldn’t ask for a better mascara! I will be buying this same one when I run out. I was not expecting to like it as much as I do! No complaints." —Kd
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
3. A super-soft Makeup Eraser to instantly wipe makeup right off your face with nothing but water and a gentle scrub — I've been using one for over a year now and it has *drastically* cut down my routine and saved money on makeup remover.
It's got two sides — one that can wipe off all your makeup with water and a light scrubbing, and another that exfoliates your skin. Plus, all you have to do when you're done using it is wet it and hang it up to dry! No more wasting money on icky washcloths that hurt your skin!!! I can hear your pores singing from here.
Promising review: "This did exactly what it claims to do, I use some warm water on a little part and my whole makeup comes off, even masacara! I used to always buy makeup wipes and this has saved me so much money. I just throw it in with the laundry and it’s perfect. I’ve been using it for over six months now and it hasn’t failed me at all, it’s worth the money!!" —Sharmin Rahman
Get it from Amazon for $20 (available in five colors).
4. A quick-drying top nail coat, because sometimes you just have to get the show on the road, nail polish situation be damned — this helps dry your wet nails within two minutes so you can get back to business (read: sticking your hand in a chip bag without fear).
Promising review: "NEVER GETTING MY NAILS PROFESSIONALLY DONE AGAIN. I love having long nails. I do not like spending fifty bucks just to get them painted. I tried the gel polish, with gel top coat; I tried the gel system with the lamps; I tried every polish out there. My hands get washed hundreds of times daily. This stuff is unbelievable. It really works the way they say it does. I applied it about one or two minutes after finishing a second coat of color and within minutes it had bonded and set and my nails stay shiny and polished for over a week. That is not the full two weeks claimed, but I am unusually hard on my nails so over a week is AWESOME. I immediately ordered several more." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $8.59.
5. A RobeCurls heatless hair curler, which is the new BFF of anyone who worries about getting heat damage from hair appliances. You can easily wrap slightly damp air in the satin-covered rod at night and then wake up the next morning and pull it out to buoyant curls.
Emikeni is a woman-founded small business that specializes in heatless hair curling tools. This rod is designed to work with all hair types, with tutorials included on their site!
Promising review: "WOW!!!!! I can’t believe how well this works!!! I’ve seen this all over Instagram and TikTok, and wanted to try it. It’s so easy to put in, takes about a minute or two. Comfortable to sleep in. Then, you take it out, and it looks like you put all this effort into doing your hair. The curls turned out gorgeous, I’m so impressed!!" —Katie Porter
Get it from Amazon for $27.99 (available in three colors).
6. A buildable Glimmer Glow Stick lipstick with a sheer, subtle glitter and a unique rosy tint formulated with ~pH technology~ so it will adapt to your own personalized shade without you having to do any extra finagling like you do with matte or regular lipsticks.
Check out a TikTok of the Glimmer Glow lipstick in action.
Promising review: "This is such a pretty pH color lipstick, viral for a reason — it's very pretty to look at, it's not sticky at all, and the more you layer it, the darker the pink shows up. The only thing I don't like is the scent in it, I can almost taste it a bit. It's nice to have in my purse if I need a quick color while I'm out in case of sudden dinner plans or a meeting, because you can control the color saturation to how light or bold it is." —Kristina Bumbelow
Get it from Amazon for $3.99.
7. 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 $9.69.
8. A pack of soft bow headbands to hold back your hair during your speediest skincare and makeup routines *without* creasing your hairstyle or messing up your curls.
9. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen that gets results from the very first use, lightening up years' worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just...you know. Existing as a human with teeth. This is great for busy routines because you only have to stand still for 30 seconds for it to set in, and you don't have to wipe it off after.
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 $15.99 (clip the $4 off coupon on the product page for this price).
10. A smudgeproof eyeliner stamp so you can finally get the perfect cat-eye on the first go without having to ~wing it~ (read: wasting eight cotton balls, half a bottle of eye makeup remover, and all of the minutes you were setting aside to make your morning coffee).
Psst — this tool is double sided, so you can choose the thickness of your wing, and comes with two stamp pens — one for each eye!
Promising review: "OMG I just got this delivered today and I am already obsessed! I have uneven eyes and this was such a breeze! I had to try three times to figure out the angle I usually like but from there it was a cinch. I have slightly oily lids and eyeliners and mascara usually transfer easily. After five hours I’ve had no raccoon eyes. I’ve already texted so many people about this lol. I hope they never stop making these." —rtownes86
Get a set of two from Amazon for $14.97 (available in four styles).
11. 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–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 $34.49 (available in two styles).
12. Plus a reviewer-beloved, aloe vera-based curl refresher spray, because you've got enough on your plate to worry about without revamping your entire wash 'n' go when you can rehydrate without frizz with this instead.
The Fro Experts is a Georgia-based, Black woman-owned natural haircare brand on Etsy formulated for type 3 and 4 hair textures.
Psst — this is meant to be used in place of water as a refresher, but per the brand, can be used right after conditioning as the “liquid” portion of the LOC method in your wash 'n' go or as a detangler.
Promising review: "OMG and AMEN ... Seriously, I have TRUE 4c hair and I have never in my 36 years experienced a true 100% natural/organic hair product, and for this to be my first time I'm beyond impressed. So pleased with my 2-year-old daughter's hair as well :-) Product does EVERYTHING its described to do :-)." —Rosanna Quinones
Get it from The Fro Experts on Etsy for $22.
13. 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). Most of all, though, it's soooo nice to sink your face into these when your room is stuffy or warm, especially when your AC is subpar (*glares at mine from across the room*).
Get a set of two from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 22 colors and four sizes).