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 microfiber towel, because it's super absorbent, anti-frizz, and cuts your hair-drying time in half — without adding extra heat damage. Plus, it keeps your wet hair out of your face while you do your makeup.
Promising review: "Love love love these! I have long hair (almost up to my waist) and I hate to have my hair dripping water right after shower, but I do not want to use my hair dryer at all times, so I just keep this wrapped up for a while and it does wonders! My hair is almost fully dry when I take this off (15–30 minutes max) and I feel relieved that I don’t have to carry the weight of a full towel around! The button is nicely placed and it’s easy to just wrap it around your head. I have one and my stepdaughter has the other, and we both love it!!" —Ana Davis
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in 18 colors).
2. Or a scrunchie-towel hybrid that'll absorb excess water in your hair and keep it out of your way while you go about the rest if your morning routine.
Promising review: "I ordered this because I was sick of keeping a towel on my head for so long while my hair dried, and if I didn't have a towel, my shirt was soaking wet from my hair after a shower. For reference, I had very long, thick hair and it takes a while to air-dry — and I'm so happy I found this scrunchie! It's a lot bigger in person than it looks in the image, which is great because it covers more of your hair to help dry it. No more heavy towels on my head or tight towel wraps." —Meghan
Get a pack of two from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in five colors).
3. A body sponge, which comes prefilled with body wash so all you have to do it grab it and give your body a quick scrub-a-dub, minus all the fumbling with clunky bottles.
Promising review: "If I could give more stars, I would. Love this sponge. It is a nice little scrubby with the best smelling suds. Best of all, when used daily, it makes your skin extra smooth. I use it all over, especially my arms that had started to look a bit crepey...I'll be 70 this year. But, with use of this sponge, my arms look and feel wonderful." —jj
Get it from Amazon for $8.55+ (available in 11 scents and multipack options).
4. Essence's Lash Princess mascara to give you a nice dramatic lash, because sometimes that's all you need to feel fabulous — and who really wants to deal with the struggle of putting on false lashes?
I also have this mascara and it is my FAVORITE! Several of my coworkers love it too (that's Emma Lord's face above). I am constantly buying more when I run out. Plus, it's so dang affordable. Check out my in-depth Lash Princess mascara review.
Promising review: "I am a 30 year old who has been wearing mascara since I was probably 15 or 16 and this is by far the best mascara ever. This beats Dior's almost-$40 mascara. A few times I made make up purchases based off of what reviewers and make up influencers hyped up and was disappointed, this surely wasn’t a disappointment." —Mary
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
5. An easy-to-use makeup-correcting stick that'll assist with any smudged mascara, out-of-place lipstick, or unruly eyeliner. No more frustration caused by having to wipe your whole eye clean and start from scratch. This genius little stick has you covered (plus, it's great for taking on-the-go).
Promising review: "Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? For years, I’ve been using Q-tips dipped in makeup remover to remove little goofs or mistakes. This is so much better and portable! Erases waterproof mascara marks around my eyes easily. Must-buy product!!" —Katherine Riordan
Get it from Amazon for $7.97.
6. A set of 10 quick-dry nail polishes for those who love a fresh mani, but can't ever seem to avoid smudging a nail (or three). These only take about 60 seconds to dry — no lamp necessary.
The formula is also non-toxic and made without formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP chemicals.
Promising review: "The set comes in various colors and they are all beautiful. The polish has a big brush that covers the nail easily. The polish is opaque but I did two coats. It didn't stain my nails or has a strong smell. The polish dried up quickly. I cook and clean, so it started to wear off on the fourth day. But I can repaint because of the easy application and fast drying." —perksofbeautyblog
Get 10 bottles from Amazon for $13.99 (available in five color combinations).
7. A set of LKE Shadow Patches that'll catch fallout while you apply your eye makeup, giving you a nice, clean under eye that you don't have to try to clean up afterwards.
Promising review: "I don’t know how I've done my eye makeup without these my whole life! They help so much with eyeshadow fallout it’s wild! There are two stickers on them, but I only do the small top ones since I like to do my foundation before eyeshadow! They’re very sticky and sometimes take off some of my foundation but I’ve found if you first tape it on your hand then onto your face it helps!" —Amazon Customer
Get a 100-pack from Amazon for $8.99.
8. A tinted lip balm so you can give your lips a subtle hint of red while hydrating *at the same time* when you don't have the extra time to apply your balm, liner, and lipstick.
Heartspring is a small Etsy shop based in Santa Monica, California.
Promising review: "I’m actually obsessed!! The color is even more gorgeous than I thought it would be, plus it’s moisturizing. All my close girlfriends have asked what I’m wearing on my lips when I use it. Highly recommend!" —Jacy
Get it from Heartspring on Etsy for $10.
9. An extremely popular Maybelline BB cream to help even out your skin tone, brighten, smooth, and hydrate with a more lightweight formula than most foundations. It even has SPF 30 to protect you from harmful rays. It's basically multiple steps wrapped up into one.
Promising review: "Where has this been all my life? So perfect for my 39-year-old mixed dry/oily skin. Definitely provides sun protection, moisture, and gentle color correction all in one with no issues ... Definitely cuts redness and blends away pigmentation issues without looking like makeup. Adds a healthy glow without being too shiny or too matte. Sheer but buildable coverage, and easy to apply and even re-apply mid-day without streaking or cakey-ness or making skin look flakey. Does not gather in fine lines and pores like others i have tried. My new holy grail." —H V
Get it from Amazon for $7.71+ (available in 10 shades).
10. An air-dry leave-in cream formulated with coconut oil and shea butter that'll help curly and wavy textures dry quicker, without adding heat. No crunchiness, just hydrated and defined natural hair.
Promising review: "I put some in my hair for the first time today and I'm impressed! I towel dried my hair and then put about a quarter size in my palm and spread throughout my hair, scrunched my hair, and then let it air dry. I think it did a good job at defining my waves and eliminating the serious frizz." —ninjamommy
Get it from Amazon for $7.97.
11. The Revlon one-step hair dryer and volumizer to assist you in getting the perfect blowout in *half* the time. More than 260,000 reviewers swear by this!
Promising review: "My hair is baby fine and thin, and most hair dryers cause me to get nasty split ends and breakage. I bought this on a whim, and the difference between this and my high-end dryer has been phenomenal! I have more volume in less time than it takes my usual routine. Plus, I've had much less breakage as well. To style, I use a volumizer and heat protector, then flip my hair over and blow-dry upside down. When I'm finished and flip my head back over, vavoom! Big hair!" —Trisha Rutherford
Get it from Amazon for $39.95 (available in nine styles).
12. OR! A wet-to-straight hair straightener with steam vents so you can straighten your damp hair without having to take the extra time to thoroughly blow-dry it.
Promising review: "I’m pleasantly surprised by this straightener! My trusty Chi finally died after seven-plus years and I really didn’t feel like forking out a ton to replace it. When I found this one, the 'wet to straight' feature seemed too good to be true, but I wanted to give it a shot because of the good reviews and extremely reasonable price. It really does work! I notice it does take a little longer than straightening dry hair (which was expected) but it’s really awesome to not have to wait until my hair is completely dry to style it. Even if it only lasts me a year I would feel as though I got my money’s worth and would gladly purchase again!" —SBCG
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
13. A leave-in conditioning spray, which basically does it all in one small bottle — it conditions, detangles, provides heat protection, prevents breakage, hydrates, smooths, softens, controls frizz, boosts shine, and strengths locks! *takes a breath* DANG, that is a lot!
Mane Club is a small business specializing in cruelty-free, vegan hair products.
Promising review: "I have fine hair that tangles very easily and has little to no volume. This stuff is a dream when it comes to untangling my hair. It is lightweight and does not weigh my hair down. Plus it smells fantastic!" —Caela D.
Get it from Mane Club for NYC for $10.
14. A detangling brush because it'll easily glide through your hair and remove knots without making you cry in the process.
Reviewers with all different hair types and textures have found this brush helpful for pain-free detangling. From people with curls and coils to people with straight hair, this brush has been a winner for them all!
Promising Review: "I'm a single dad of a 6-year-old girl and combing her hair is the hardest part of taking care of her. She gets really bad knots in her hair. This brush is the only thing that has ever worked. Thank you so much. She even likes to comb her own hair now." —Eric Phan
Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in 10 colors and two-packs).
15. A hair-finishing stick made of natural plant-based ingredients that can help turn that slept-in bun into a perfectly presentable hairstyle in seconds.
Promising review: "I don’t usually write reviews but this product blew my expectations away! I’ve always suffered from messy ponytails (thank you, baby hairs) but not anymore. I’m able to wear my hair in a pony to work without it looking messy and unprofessional." —Shannon Hurley
Get it from Amazon for $6.99.
16. Or an edge control gel to help quickly lay edges and baby hairs for a sleek look without the flaking and residue.
BUT we want to add that no one should feel pressure to lay their edges, unless they way want to! Check out "Just A Friendly PSA That You Don't HAVE To Lay Your Edges Down If You Don't Wanna."
Promising review: "Hands down! The best edge control I have ever used and I have used a lot of them. Stayed all day! No flakes and non-greasy! And this one is not even the strongest in the line. Love this product!" —Mrs.Washington
Get it from Amazon for $4.95+ (available in various scents and sizes).
17. A well-loved "defunk" spray that uses lightweight tonic and plant extracts to neutralize odors from your hair and scalp, ensuring that your head smells like lavender and chamomile no matter how many days it's been since your last wash.
Uncle Funky's Daughter is a Black woman-owned company that was acquired by Renee Morris in 2014. She has used her own 20+-year natural-hair journey to expand the natural haircare line.
Promising review: "Smells so good and is not overbearing at all. I've tried a lot on my locks and this is the best I've found in five years!" —Loe55
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
18. Or a fragrant mist to spritz all over your hair and body for a fresh smell that'll totally trick people into thinking you had time to shower in the morning.
Promising review: "I was looking for something to spray on days I didn't wash my hair. This is WONDERFUL! It smells like the tropics. I just got it and already have had so many compliments." —Meredith Coartney
Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in nine scents).
19. A waterproof eyeliner stamp so you can create the perfect cat-eye without having to redo your entire eye look about five times before finally getting those wings even.
Promising review: "I've tried the taping method, tried 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 ... It's not like my hopes were high since nothing else has been efficient or worked as it should.
"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!" —LadyMeow
Get it from Amazon for $14.98 (available in three sizes).
20. A bottle of Glossier's Perfecting Skin Tint lightly layers your face and doesn't take a bunch of blending time to get the job done! It's meant to even out discoloration and give you a dewy, skin-like finish without being as heavy as a traditional foundation.
Promising review: "I have always stayed away from foundation because I could never get the color right, it was thick, felt gross on my skin, then would look too heavy. THIS IS AMAZING! I will forever purchase this. It’s light, smooth, and matches my skin. It doesn’t cake into my fine lines and makes my skin look perfect. It’s creamy and soft and moisturizes my skin without it feeling sticky." —Ot
Get it from Glossier for $28 (available in 12 shades).
21. Or a L’Oréal illuminating moisturizer to give your skin a beautiful natural glow that'll make you feel ~radiant~ even if it's the only thing you put on your face in the morning. It's infused with glycerin and shea butter for all day hydration.
Promising review: "I love this product. It makes it look like you have a natural glow, without feeling heavy or looking cakey. Great for those with dry skin who can’t wear heavy foundation but want to smooth out their skin." —Jessica Giles
Get it from Amazon for $12.99+ (available in four shades).
22. A bestselling eyebrow pencil that'll allow you to have defined, natural-looking brows in seconds. Shape your brows with the precise teardrop tip on one end and quickly blend them out with the spoolie brush on the other end.
Promising review: "Spent years using a brow pomade but got tired of it drying out in the little pot so quickly. I avoided pencils since I could never find one that went on as saturated and with a creamy sort of consistency that I was used to. Tried this on a whim since I'd seen a few positive reviews via YouTube and thought the angled tip was pretty neat. I don't know if I'd want to use anything else ever again because I love it so much! Easy to apply, goes on smoothly and the little brush on the end is great for evenly brushing product through the brows once they're filled in. Looks so natural and precise. So very happy to get out of my comfort zone and try something new." —Shannon M Slape
Get it from Amazon for $8.54+ (available in four shades).
23. A breathable hair wrap you'll want in every color because it can complement your outfit and also save you on mornings when you're rushing and don't have time to deal with your hair. Just cover it up and call it a day!
24. Or a pack of knotted stretchy headbands for a fast way to style your hair in the morning. Just give it a quick brush or throw a product in it (depending on your hair texture), pop this on, and you're out the door.
25. A tube of the celebrity-beloved Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré that acts as a daily face cream, makeup primer, and face mask, allowing you to use less products and speed through your skin and makeup routine. A combo of shea butter, aloe vera, beeswax, and soy proteins will give your skin a smooth, soft, and firm texture.
Promising review: "Many have said this already, but this stuff is life changing! My skin was getting dried out from a new retinol routine. I used this for the fist time before bed and woke up with a GLOW, no joke. I'm addicted, and now use it every night after I cleanse and tone and every morning beneath my sunscreen." —D. Gainsbourg
Get it from Amazon for $15.30+ (available in two sizes).
26. And finally, a Lay-n-Go cosmetic bag to make clean-up a ~breeze~ when you're in a hurry to get out the door. The get-ready process can be a messy one, but now you can just scoop up your mess in a jiffy with this genius bag.
Promising review: "I was tired of fumbling around in my cosmetics case and saw this. I was skeptical, but...WOW! On my recent two-week trip to Europe, with constant laying out and packing up, this item was wonderful. I could find what I wanted quickly, right away. Packing up was just a matter of pulling the drawstring. At first I wasn’t sure about changing to this bag, but now I could not do without it." —Mojosharkey
Get it from Amazon for $29.95+ (available in four sizes and 32 colors).
Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.