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. The cult-famous Essence Lash Princess mascara that gives truly dramatic length without clumping or flaking. It's cruelty-free, has over *200,000* 5-star ratings, and is less than $5. Makeup artists only ask that you keep this holy grail find on the DL.
Promising review: "I am a makeup artist. This mascara outperforms nearly every other mascara I have used, and I am 55 and have purchased and used an innumerable amount of drugstore and specialty mascaras. All the high priced ones are SUPPOSED to do what this very quiet, low marketed very black mascara does; coats every lash, thickens, and lengthens every time and for this price?!?! Sssshhh, don't tell anyone, lol." —Laura Price
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
And check out our full Essence Lash Princess Mascara review for more details.
2. A prescription-strength Differin retinoid gel to promote cell turnover, reduce inflammation, and help clear breakouts. Retinoids are essentially the gold standard of skincare, so this is a no-brainer for dull or acne-prone skin.
Promising reviews: "Has completely transformed my skin. I used to get hormonal acne every single month, I still get it now but far less often and severely. Differin has really made a big difference on my quality of life. I have sensitive skin, so I only use it a couple of times a week and always over a light layer of lotion. When I first started using it, my acne did get worse for about a month, and then magically one day, my skin looked amazing. It's worth a try for sure!" —Britt
"I have literally struggled with acne since I was in fourth grade. Often I'd get really deep painful cystic acne which left terrible scars, but other times, I'd get tons of smaller pimples that left their mark long after the pimple was gone. It was nonstop, and I tried nearly everything. I’ve had one blemish appear in the five months since I started Differin, and amazingly, it was gone in a day, and didn’t leave a scar!! FYI, I have sensitive, combination skin that likes to alternate between being brittle dry and baby oil slick." —Angelique
Get it from Amazon for $13.47.
3. A lip-plumping gloss set that'll make your lips so luscious and full, you'll feel like you got fillers — for a literal fraction of the price and without actually injecting anything into your bod.
You'll get one lip plumper and one minty sleeping mask for your lips.
Promising reviews: "I loved this stuff, it was magic. The evening moisturizer was fabulous. It is the first plumper that actually works for me. Will be buying more for gifts!!!!!" —Alexandra
"I love this duo!!! I am a makeup artist so I've tried almost every lip plumper on the market! This is a great value since you get two different products for lower than the cost of one tube by other brands. Keeps my lips hydrated as I live in dry Arizona. I'm so excited I came across this!" —Mandy Burden
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
4. A vegan, pro-approved Maybelline Dark Circles treatment concealer for when you were up all night watching Love Is Blind but need to look like a ~well-adjusted and rested human~ at work. It's medium coverage and wears for up to 12 hours (while simultaneously moisturizing your skin)!
It has an antimicrobial cushion applicator so you can dispense concealer and immediately apply it without a mess.
Promising review: "As a makeup artist using everything under the sun product-wise, I am extremely impressed by this concealer! I use this personally on myself and don't even have to touch the product with my fingers! Blends like a dream and is very light, does not cake in the creases AT ALL, and wears all day perfectly. Totally recommend this to everyone!" —Bioya Shopper
Get it from Amazon for $6.60+ (available in 16 shades).
5. An oil-free, microfine Urban Decay makeup setting spray that'll have your makeup looking as perfect at the end of the day as it did when you applied it that morning. It promises to extend makeup wear to 16 hours, though reviewers say it works for even longer — and lasts through sleep, sobbing, swimming, and more.
Promising review: "I fell face first into ocean water, and my makeup still looked amazing. Literally expected my makeup to be completely gone by the time I got to my car because of how completely soaked I was. NOPE! And I still got my makeup complimented after! Lives up to the hype! Ocean: 0, Urban Decay Finishing Spray: 1." —Darlyn
Get it from Amazon for $16+ (available in two sizes).
6. A popular, non-aerosol dry shampoo powder with black ginseng and biotin for folks whose roots get oily FAST. It helps soak up grease and refresh hair, without toxic ingredients like benzene. 💪
Promising review: "Best dry shampoo ever. I have been literally obsessed with finding the perfect affordable dry shampoo. I have tried plenty of sprays, none of them really do the job. I happened upon this product. Let me tell you…changed my world. I washed Wednesday. Used it Thursday, Friday and was blown away. My hair wasn’t greasy. The powder gives your hair a texture so you can get some good lift if you want. Also, I could have gone a third day no wash if I wanted. I am 100% percent happy with this." —Kristina Boddie
Get it from Amazon for $16 (also available in packs of two and three).
7. An eye primer MUAs use to make sure shadow looks on their clients can hold up for hours on end without creasing or smudging. If you don't use primers for your eye makeup yet, trust me, it's game-changing — especially if you have oily eyelids like I do.
Promising review: "I am very happy with this purchase! The primer lasted on my client for 14 hours, including 10 hours of on-camera work and running around doing interviews. Pleased as punch! This is what I needed to hear! Finding a good shadow primer is like the holy grail in the life of a makeup artist. I have used many products and wasted a lot of money and I believe I found a winner with Elizabeth Mott’s product! I am thankful and impressed!" —Miss Lilly
Get it from Amazon for $13.99.
8. An eyelash curler with over 9,000 5-star ratings that'll gently curl your lashes and is designed not to pinch skin. (Literally: The company reports it ran hundreds of experiments before deciding on this curler model because it fits most human eyes without pinching.) That's science to me!!
The curler has soft silicone pads that enhance your ability to shape your lashes with minimal pressure so it is easier on lashes. It comes with five extra replacement silicone pads and can be used on both top and bottom lashes!
To curl, clean lashes, look downward, place lashes in eyelash holder, and lightly press down on curler for several seconds. For best usage, curl your lashes before applying mascara as this will prevent the curler from sticking to the mascara.
Promising review: "I have long, full, but straight lashes. Nothing has worked. They just won't hold a curl. I have no idea what is different about this item, but my lashes look great! Gets all the lashes from outer to inner in one easy–squeezy. I FINALLY have found something that holds the curl ALL DAY! 100% recommend!!!" —Tangie4242
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
If you are an eyelash curler ~devotee,~ check out this highly rated mini travel curler.
9. A pack of reusable and DEEPLY satisfying exfoliating washcloths for scrubbing the dead skin off your body and revealing the ~baby-soft~ skin underneath. Reviewers attest: This product does not come to play.
I use these about once a week, and they are *chef's kiss*. Stay in the shower or bath for five or 10 minutes with moderately hot water before using, which will soften up your skin so that when you start scrubbing; dead skin will basically roll straight off your body. Your skin will look and feel as good as new after, and SUPER soft. One of my favorite shower products, and worth every penny.
Promising reviews: "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. These got lots of gunk off my body and left my skin feeling so soft and smooth!" —Mariah C.
"Okay, these things are AWESOME! I watched a TikTok about this gal using them and I figured why not try them. They weren’t expensive and I spend $5 on useless crap all the time. This, my friends, is NOT useless crap. This gets so much gunk off my body it’s disgusting. How can I have so much dead skin on my body!? I don’t know, but this gets it all off and leaves my skin so soft! Just throw some baby oil on your skin after using it and you are good to go!" —Emilee Brinker
Get a pack of eight from Amazon for $7.70.
10. A bestselling bottle of TikTok-famous Elizavecca hair treatment that's packed with collagen and soy protein to revive damaged, dull, or brittle hair in five minutes, revealing soft, nourished strands. This is salon-level haircare for under 10 bucks, folks!!
Promising reviews: "I have tried everything on the market to fix my damaged, bleached hair that keeps breaking off. I stumbled across this hair treatment on TikTok. I had never heard of it before but decided to give it a try. I used it for the first time yesterday and I couldn't believe how amazing it made my hair feel and look. It's sooo soft, shiny, bouncy and nourished. My bleached rats nest now looks and feels like virgin hair again. Even my boyfriend noticed a huge difference in my hair and you know it's a GOOD product when the boyfriend notices :D I’ve been really frustrated about my hair for years now because of all the damage; now I can finally relax and enjoy my new hair. <3" —Eline
"I was skeptical. I’ll admit it. I wasn’t sure this would work on my 4c hair but it made my hair so soft! And I didn’t need to use a tremendous amount of product. It made it easy to comb out and blow dry my hair. It even made it smoother after the flatiron. You can’t beat it for the price." —Niki D.
Check out BuzzFeed's Elizavecca Cer-100 Protein Treatment review for more deets!
Get it from Amazon for $6.70.
11. A lightweight yet sturdy eyelash comb to clean up your mascara so your lashes will be neat, clump-free, and look fuller. Makeup artists say it's one of their best-kept secrets.
Plus, I think we can all agree this is *major* improvement over using tweezers, bobby pins, or (god forbid) pins to separate your lashes.
The metal on the comb is anti-rust and easy to clean, and comes with a protective cover for maximum hygiene.
Promising reviews: "As a pro makeup artist, this is an excellent tool to have in my kit. Excellent for removing mascara clumps." —Lady Marina
"One of the best-kept makeup artist secrets." —Karln Savitz
Get it from Amazon for $4.49.
12. A waterproof eyeliner stamp as a hack for applying an expert wing perfectly on the first try, because even the pros admit they need help getting this notoriously tricky look right.
One side is the curved wing stamp, and the other is a regular fine tip liner for defining the rest of the eye. It comes in a pack of two, one for each eye.
Promising review: "I can’t even with the 🎉awesomeness🎊 of this product! I live in Florida with the humidity and this DOES NOT BUDGE!!! Easiest eye EVER and perfect for those who have a hard time with this look! Even we makeup artists (I personally have over 20 years experience) will take an easy way out!! Why make it hard when it doesn’t have to be?! That is what I teach in my makeup classes and this will be a STAPLE in my classes!!! Love this so much!!!" —Natalee Goehrig
The Flick Stick comes from New Zealand-based brand and small biz Lovoir Beauty.
Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in three sizes and a combo pack).
13. A post-blemish rescue balm because sometimes you're gonna pop that pimple even though you know you shouldn't. (We've all been there.) Just pat some on the popped blemish to calm irritation, help reduce hyperpigmentation, and add moisture. 💪
