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 gentle yet hardworking CeraVe eye cream formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening niacinamide, and nourishing ceramides to calm puffiness and reduce the appearance of dark circles. This is basically the gold standard of under-eye creams for less than $13.
Promising review: "Noticeable overnight! This product exceeded my expectations with just one use — very fair sensitive skin, over 50 and wanted something affordable but healthy for my eye area starting to build puffiness and darkness. Just put the recommended dose on at nighttime and by morning I could see a noticeable reduction in puffiness. I am already adding this to my automatic subscription — great value and result!" —Roxy - Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $19.30.
2. 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 $8.
3. 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. 💪
Promising reviews: "This product is great. It definitely speeds the healing process and minimizes the appearance of active pimples, but I am finding it is doing a good job of addressing older scars as well. I have been using this product in conjunction with CeraVe foaming acne wash, and my hormonal cystic acne is almost cleared up (after only a week), and the scars from previous breakouts are less visible. After batting hormonal cystic acne for years, this seems to be the winning combination." —Joyce Y.
"Whoever made this needs a raise. I wish I can slather my whole face with it. I've had acne for like 10 years (no joke) and recently had a terrible hormonal breakout and this really helped. I know when products work and when it does and this works. PLEASE for the love of gawd try it." —Sarah L.
Hero Cosmetics is an Asian woman-founded brand and home of the popular Mighty Patch and more. Ju Rhyu launched the brand in 2017, and it's since evolved with products such as cleansers, toners, nose strip Mighty Patches, and more!
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in two sizes).
4. A popular TruSkin vitamin C serum if you haven't incorporated vitamin C into your morning routine yet — it'll prevent dullness, make your skin look brighter, and help repair previous sun damage.
Promising review: "It’s winter and my skin has been super dry, and my serums and facials oils weren’t helping. Flaking around my nose area and neck felt a little like sandpaper. First time trying this product and it exceeded my expectations!! I use it in the am before my moisturizer with SPF. It’s made a huge difference for the 2–3 weeks I’ve been using it. My skin is glowing again, plump and hydrated. Friends have made comments about how great my skin is looking. I don’t write too many reviews on here but had to share my results with you. Huge fan now, will order again and tell my friends about it." —Traci M
Get it from Amazon for $21.97+ (available in two sizes).
5. An eyelash curler with over 9,000 5-star ratings — it's designed to gently curl your lashes without pinching skin. (Literally: The company reports it ran hundreds of experiments before deciding on this curler model because it fits most human eyes without pinching.)
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 downwards, 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+ (available in two colors).
If you are an eyelash curler ~devotee,~ check out this highly rated mini travel curler, too.
6. A pack of multipurpose dermaplaning razors you can use for shaping your eyebrows and removing peach fuzz on your cheeks, upper lip, or wherever else you please. It'll also help you apply foundation and blush *extra* smoothly.
Promising review: "I used to pay a professional to dermaplane my face once a month to remove the peach fuzz, which makes the makeup application more cumbersome. I searched for years for a home product to use to save money and time. This is the closest I have been able to get to professional dermaplaning in the convenience of my home, on my time/schedule, and at a fraction of the price. Love it!" —SEM1969
Get a three-count from Amazon for $5.94 (also available as a pack of nine).
7. Essence's Lash Princess mascara, which delivers truly dramatic length without clumping or flaking. It's cruelty-free, has over *200,000* 5-star ratings, and is UNDER $5. What else could a mascara-lover want?? Speaking as one myself: not much.
Promising review: "I rarely ever do reviews BUT I had to share how amazing this mascara is. I'd been using the same mascara for a million years but decided to switch it up after reading the reviews on this. I'm always HIGHLY skeptical of stuff (even with good reviews). But I am here to say BUY IT. It's amazing. And for $4.99!! Long story short, I'm convinced there's magic in this little container and I'm now a lifer." —Allegra
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
And check out our full Essence Lash Princess Mascara review for more details.
8. Or a tube of Maybelline Colossal mascara if ~major volume~ is your preferred look. This little bottle of magic lifts your lashes to create the appearance of falsies, and the formula is packed with collagen to plump without clumping. *swoons*
For more on how much I LOVE this mascara, check out my Maybelline Colossal mascara review.
Promising reviews: "This has been my favorite since it came out, like, 10 years ago. I've tried every other mascara, and I always come back to this one. It lasts long, has good color, and doesn't flake/clump. I prefer volume over length, and this delivers. It's the best mascara. It's easy to layer, too." —LH
"Nothing works quite as well! I've tried more expensive mascaras, and when it comes to single coats, they can do pretty well. However, this mascara's strength is in how buildable it is — a couple of coats can take me from zero to 'are you wearing false lashes?'" —S. Mcwalters
Get it from Amazon for $7.85.
9. ~Uber-satisfying~ and mega-affordable hydrocolloid pimple patches for sucking gunk out of acne that has come to a head and (crucially) for protecting deep, under-the-skin pimples from wandering or picking fingers, which can inadvertently inflame blemishes more by adding dirt and bacteria to irritated skin. As a member of the cystic acne ~club~ myself, if I had to choose only one skincare product to use for the rest of my life, it'd be these.
I have used these for years, and I literally buy them in bulk so that I'm never caught without them. I really can't sing the praises of these enough — they make my cystic acne heal faster, whether by sucking pus out of active breakouts or by curbing the beginning of pimples through keeping my hands the heck off them. I like to keep them on overnight, and they're clear and unobtrusive enough that I'll usually use them during the day when needed, too. Different sizes are included so you can customize to different blemish sizes, or simply use smaller patches during the daytime and larger ones at night, lol. This is the product I'm constantly raving to my friends about, and TL;DR: it's my desert island item. You cannot go wrong with these. Plus, they're super affordable for the amount you get, and especially for the benefit they provide.
Promising review: "I’ve bought this product multiple times over the last couple of years because they really, truly work. I’m a (now) 37-year-old who still gets breakouts, including painful cystic acne at times. I sleep with these babies on, and in the morning, the size and redness is usually 50%-75% better. If it’s a larger breakout or a cyst, I repeat the process and have been known to wear these to work — depending on location of the pimple. They really are great and makes having acne in your mid-late thirties less stressful. They’re usually gone in one to two days with these patches! Highly recommend!" —Lauren Kerley
Get a pack of three (72 pimple patches total) from Amazon for $13.50.
10. A prescription-strength (!) Differin retinoid gel (with over 52,000 5-star ratings) to promote cell turnover, reduce inflammation, increase collagen production, and help clear breakouts — basically a godsend for acne-prone skin and anyone who simply wants a skincare ~upgrade~. BTW, retinoids are kinda the gold standard of skincare, so this is a no-brainer to stock up on.
This product does increase sensitivity to the sun, so make sure to wear sunscreen!
Promising review: "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
Get it from Amazon for $13.47+ (available as a single-dose pump or a tube, and four sizes for a 30-, 60-, 90-, or 180-day supply).
11. A bestselling hair treatment mask that boasts *23,000 5-star ratings* 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!
Reviewers with all hair types recommend this treatment mask.
Promising reviews: "Hair has never been this soft and smooth before. Another gem off TikTok. This stuff is way better than Olaplex for real. Especially for the price. I have used it only a couple of times and my hair is already super soft and doesn’t get as tangled. My hair was super thin and dry from color and heat damage. It feels amazing now." —Tiffany
"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 and 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. My hair is sooo soft, shiny, bouncy and nourished. It now looks and feels like 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’m going to buy a lot more of this product." —Eline
Get it from Amazon for $7.44.
12. A waterproof eyeliner stamp so you can rock an expert wing on the first try and free yourself from the agony of redoing your winged liner over and over until both sides match.
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 reviews: "I've tried the taping method, normal liquid liner, plastic winged stamping devices, stencils, all of it! So, when I saw this, I thought, meh, why not give it a shot. Well, this gem arrived, and I immediately had to try it out, all while laughing at how terrible this would probably turn out...but to my surprise, I put the left cat-eye on first, and it was perfect aside from needing to connect it to my current liner. I thought this was a fluke and did the right eye...again, it came out clean and perfect! I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE BEEN ABLE TO DO A CAT-EYE IN UNDER 10 MINUTES...LET ALONE THE TWO MINUTES THIS TOOK TO DO! There were no sloppy streaks that I had to touch up. Just a clean crisp line. I can now do a cat eye EVERY day and look/feel like a badass and everyone thinks I spend hours doing my make-up in the morning." —LadyMeow
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).