12 Life-Changing Things To Try In June

Because we tried them for you in May!

Zoe Burnett / BuzzFeed

We hope you love the products we recommend! Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.

The BuzzFeed staff is always trying new products, apps, hacks, and DIY projects, and we decided it was time to start sharing the best of them with you. Each month, we post our recommendations for what’s actually worth it. For the sake of transparency, items under “Things We Bought” and “Tricks We Learned” were purchased with our own money and/or were not the result of a PR pitch. Those under “Things We Tried” are items that were provided to us at no cost for the sake of review. (But! We’re under no obligation to write a review of those things, let alone a positive review.)

Let us know in the comments what sorts of things you’d like us to review next month!

Zoe Burnett / BuzzFeed

1. Done, an app to help you start (and more importantly, KEEP) habits and track your success.

Rachel Wilkerson Miller / BuzzFeed

After a recent visit to the dentist, I decided I was going to start flossing again, and I thought having an app to keep track of all of the days that I flossed would be helpful/motivating. When Done appeared in my search results, I figured I'd give it a shot. And I'm so glad I did, because it's fantastic.

Done's interface is clean, elegant, and intuitive, and makes it easy to track multiple habits (though you do have to upgrade to the $3.99 paid version if you want to track more than three habits). To get started, you tell it whether you want to keep a habit or break a habit, determine how often you want to do the thing (once a day, a few times a week, etc.), and (if you want) set up reminder notifications. You can also write little journal entries if you want to and view your progress/streaks via weekly, monthly, and yearly charts.

Done is super-pleasing to use, in part because of its deeply satisfying sound effects. Whenever you tell Done that something is, well, done, the app responds with a very charming noise. But it's not always the same noise, and that mystery somehow adds to the appeal. One sound is basically the sound this emoji — 🎉 — would make. Another one signals "yep, got it, copy that." All of them are so damn friendly. I'm a 31-year-old adult, but these cute little sound effects manage to delight me every damn time. (You can also turn the sound effects off if you'd prefer to to track your habits in silence.) I'm now tracking three different habits in Done, beeping and blooping and ta-da-ing my way to my best life. I also am currently on a 69-day flossing streak! I haven't missed a day since I started using the app. 🎉🎉🎉 —Rachel Wilkerson Miller

Get it for iOS for free (or upgrade to the $3.99 version).

2. Feed and Go Automatic Pet Feeder, a genius device that lets you automatically feed your pet (up to six meals) at the time of your choosing...AND has a built-in camera so you can watch the little fluffball chow down.

Adam Davis / BuzzFeed

The best thing about having a roommate with a cat is that you've always got a fluffy companion to hang out with you on the couch and watch House Hunters late into the evening. The worst thing — for me, at least — is having to feed that cat. For whatever reason, the smell of pet food makes me incredibly nauseous; when my roommate would go out for a night and need me to feed the cat, I'd have to struggle through getting out her bowl, measuring the food, and putting the bag away. Not a big deal, I know, but frustrating! And then the Feed and Go was introduced into our lives.

It allows you to preplan your pet's meals and have them dispensed at chosen times. There are six triangular compartments, five of which are covered up at a time. At predetermined intervals, the compartments will rotate to reveal more noms for your beloved pet. The Feed and Go also comes with an app that allows you to watch your pet's head bobbing up and down as they eat, using a built-in camera. It's a great activity for parties, tbh.

Nowadays my roommate is able to fill enough compartments ahead of time that I never have to personally deal with the cat's food, and my roommate doesn't have to worry about whether or not the cat will be fed on time. There have been a couple instances where the Feed and Go compartments weren't rotating properly, but customer service got back to us about the problem extremely quickly, and aside from those few instances, the feeder has been a dream. All in all, a great feeder for a great cat. —Adam Davis

Get it from Amazon for $179 or Petco for $192.89.

3. Art to Frames, Ikea, Target, and Flying Tiger, for covering your walls in art without spending every cent in your bank account.

Mallory McInnis

I have a lot of art on the walls of my apartment, and I will *keep* adding art to the walls of my apartment until there is literally no space left to add anymore. Minimalists and/or interior decorators would probably widen their eyes in horror at this aesthetic choice I'm making, but...I am a maximalist editor for BuzzFeed.com the website, so I don't particularly care that they'd widen their eyes in horror!

That being said, I'm a maximalist editor without a lot of 💰, so in order to actually be able to pay rent on this art-filled apartment of mine, I have to buy cheap frames. If you're looking to buy some frames for gallery-style walls of your own, my go-to places (for black frames — I'm attempting some semblance of visual unity by only using black frames) are Target for 8x10, 4x6, and other "typical" frame sizes, Art to Frames for custom frames that are actually affordable, and Ikea and Flying Tiger for the record-sized frames I use to show off albums with amazing cover art from my vinyl collection (sadly, you can't order from Flying Tiger online, but if you live in New York it's worth checking in to see if it has any frames in stock). —Mallory McInnis

Get frames at a variety of price points at Art to Frames, Target, and Ikea.

If you like the look of Mallory's prints, you may want to check out the work of Chris Silas Neal, Leah Goren, Chris Turnham, Yellow Owl Workshop, Danielle Kroll, Lauren Gregg, Banquet Atelier & Workshop, Anne Benjamin, Sandi Falconer, Nolan Pelletier, Brainstorm, Beth Hoeckel, Stephen Olson, Eleni Kalorkoti, Raymond E. Biesinger, Will Bryant, Kate Miss, and Amy Walters.

4. Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil, a blend of super-moisturizing oils (like blue tansy and German chamomile) to reduce the look of fine lines, pores, uneven texture, and dry spots.

Conz Preti / BuzzFeed

I had been hearing A LOT about night oils and was starting to get curious about them. However, as someone who started moisturizing for the first time in her life last year at 33 years old, I was afraid of oils. I hate the consistencies of most moisturizers and feeling greasy. Eventually, this month, I caved in and decided to try it out. I went to Sephora and typed in my age and what I wanted the product to do. In my case, I was looking for something to moisturize and stop aging. The only product recommended was this Luna oil by Sunday Riley. It has high reviews and those who love it really, really love it. So I paid the steep price of $55 for a 0.5oz bottle and was anxious to test it.

The product itself is blue, which I kinda love, and turns see-through when you massage it into your skin. It has a strong scent, which according to my husband is like tea. He has been calling me "tea-face" every night since I started using it. I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin; the lines around my mouth and forehead are less noticeable and my face and neck feel smoother. I love it, I just hate that it's so expensive. 😩 —Conz Preti

Get it from Sephora for $55.

5. AncestryDNA Kit, a kit where you mail in your saliva to help you figure out exactly where you come from and whether you have long-lost relatives you may have never heard of.

Jeff Barron / BuzzFeed

Back when we took those aptitude tests in school, they would always have a multiple choice section for race. And I always bubbled-in Asian without hesitation. My Korean grandmother spent a large amount of my childhood raising me, and being Korean became a large part of my identity, despite only being half — my mom is Korean and my dad is a whole mix of European countries. I was told that his side was a jumble of Austrian, German, Polish, and Norwegian. Whether that was true, I didn’t know for sure. On my birthday this year, my thoughtful girlfriend bought me an AncestryDNA kit to unravel the mystery of my other half. The kit they give you is pretty simple. There’s a small tube you fill up with your saliva and a code you redeem online so that the DNA you send through the mail can be matched to your site profile.

They compare parts of your DNA to people in different regions of the world to get a sense of where you might have some ancestry. I think the biggest WTF moment I had wasn’t discovering what my ethnic background was, but the communities that are connected to you. AncestryDNA has something called Genetic Communities that they claim are "groups of AncestryDNA members who are connected through DNA most likely because they descend from a population of common ancestors."

There are people on the site who are listed as "Extremely High" in how likely they are to be related to me — a possible second or third cousin that I have never met. Now that’s a trip. I’m tempted to dig into the rabbit hole of genealogy and reach out to some of these people, to learn their stories. But maybe that’s for another time. If you’re big into tracing family trees, and have a side of your heritage that you want to learn more about, take a look into AncestryDNA. Even if your results don’t surprise you, maybe the connections you make with other people on the site will. —Jeff Barron

Get it from Ancestry for $99.

6. Albums Laptop Case, a soft and protective case to show off your love for your favorite artist — here, the incomparable Janet Jackson.

Treye Green / BuzzFeed

As a major fan of Janet Jackson, I'm always looking for fun ways to share my love for the iconic Damita Jo. And one of my favorite Ms. Jackson-themed purchases over the last year has been this Janet Jackson discography laptop case I ordered through RedBubble. I wanted to give the site a try after viewing all the dope designs I'd come across on it. And I'm so glad I settled on it instead of another plain one.

I use my case basically every day to tote why laptop to and from work. And it has held up very well to the wear and tear of a work week in the city. The inside features an extremely soft inside that protect my laptop from scratches. And the outside is made of padded polyester that is very easy to wipe off, if you happen to spill anything on it. The graphic is the perfect size and looks high-quality — not blurry, like some custom items can turn out.

The case is technically missing the first two studio albums in Janet’s discography, Janet Jackson and Dream Street, which are often overlooked when listing her legendary musical works. But if you want a simple case with tons of personality that Ms. Jackson will most definitely love, then this is the one for you! —Treye Green

Get it from Redbubble for $36.46.

Zoe Burnett / BuzzFeed

7. Le Petit Marseillais, a line of super-gentle bath products that are straight from France and cost way less than you might think.

AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed

I frequently find myself thinking things like Paris is always a good idea and I would like to have a baguette for breakfast. But my heart says Notre Dame, and my credit card says Netflix — which is why Le Petit Marseillais, an affordable line of French bath products, is almost as good as eating a warm buttered croissant while looking over the Seine.

The products start at a little over $4 and promise extra-gentle body washes and lotions for people with sensitive skin. I decided to try out the orange blossom shower cream — and unfortunately, I’m now a spoiled princess who refuses to let any other bath product come in contact with her skin. The shower cream has a great lather, smells amazing, and doesn’t leave my skin feeling like it’s in desperate need of moisturizer. I get out of the shower feeling smoother than the butt of a baby! Plus, with scents like white peach and nectarine, lavender honey, and cotton milk and poppy, you may want to take several showers a day so you could justify buying ‘em all. But speaking of moisturizer: the body lotion? It leaves my skin super hydrated and not sticky, and it smells like a flower field in heaven. AND! I sometimes break out on my back when I use a new moisturizer, but my back remained pimple-free.

This line adds a fantastic touch of luxury to your daily shower routine, and I think it’s safe to say that this is my new favorite brand. I just really louvre it. —AnaMaria Glavan

Get it from Amazon for $4.18+ (body wash) and Walmart for $5.97 (body lotion).

8. Love Goodly, a cruelty-free beauty (and more) subscription box that delivers choice goodies right to your door every other month.

Elena Garcia / BuzzFeed

If you’re anything like me, you’re pretty much set in your ways and stick to a predictable beauty routine. No need to change what ain’t broken. So, when I decided to do an overhaul of my makeup bag to only include cruelty-free products, my life, in the words of a young prince from Bel-Air, got flipped, turned upside down. I had no idea so many of the products I used were tested on animals. It’s been really hard knowing where and what to look for. But then I discovered Love Goodly, a bimonthly box delivered to your door that provides you with full-size products that are always 100% cruelty-free (and vegan, and eco-friendly)!

The box I got was AMAZING. It included undereye masks, youth serum, a bamboo and charcoal sponge, and mascara. And guys…guys. OMG. The mascara. Like. Seriously. AMAZING. I loved everything so much I subscribed, with my own money, no one giving me freebies. It’s $30 every two months, which is only $15 a month! (At least that’s how I am rationalizing it.) And the products I got are worth WAY more than that. They don’t always include JUST beauty products too — sometimes I’ll get jewelry and wellness products. I am so excited about this box! I can’t wait for my June/July installment! —Elena Garcia

Subscribe to Love Goodly for $29.95 per box (with $85+ in value inside).

9. Eyebuydirect, a place to shop for glasses online where you'll find the ~cutest~ and ~cheapest~ frames of your life.

Sarah Han / BuzzFeed, Sarah Han

My glasses have always been like a little secret of mine, only meeting the light of day during college lectures of days past and the total darkness of the movie theatre. I also hated how I looked wearing my previous glasses and truly only used them when *absolutely necessary*. I’m nearsighted and usually on my computer all day for work so I can get by without them, but anything that's not right in front of me...ha, good luck. Once I literally ordered a nonexistent boba drink because I couldn't make out the actual words on the menu.

But my eyesight is turning to shit, so I put on my big-girl pants and finally got an updated glasses prescription (I believe my first one was from high school, lol). I honestly never considered buying frames online but the choices at the optometrist's office were ugly and pricey so I decided to look elsewhere, and when I was pitched Eyebuydirect, I knew I had to try it out.

There are 356 (!) frames for women, but luckily for my indecisive self, I needed frames that have nose pads, so that factor limited my choices. I have a fairly round face so I've always steered away from round glasses, but I saw the super-cute floral Chillax frames and could not pass them up. Also, $15? Excuse me? The site has a virtual try-on feature that's really helpful, but I'm happy to report they look even better in person. ;D They're so lightweight I barely even feel them. I'd happily wear these anytime for everyone and their mother to see. Also, I feel like I'm masquerading as a well-read hipster in these babies, so brb I'm heading to my favorite organic, locally brewed coffee shop in Brooklyn. —Sarah Han

Get the Small Chillax frames (I got them in red/floral) from Eyebuydirect for $15.

Basic lens (quality 1.5 index lenses with anti-scratch and anti-reflective coatings) cost $6.95 and shipping is an additional $5.95.

10. Yummy World Rose Cake Plushie, a deliciously cute plush slice of cake that comes HIGHLY recommended by a BuzzFeeder's 8-year-old sister.

AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed

Bella Glavan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and activist, and also my 8-year-old sister. She recently received a huge plush red velvet cake and wants to tell the world about it. Her review, below:

"Patty Cake is the best pillow ever. I’m so glad she is in my life. She cheers me up and is always there for me. When I first got her, I made a huge space on my bed for her, which is very hard because I love pillow pets and have a lot of them as well. She is smooth, soft, and fluffy, and the fact that she’s red velvet makes me really happy since red velvet is my favorite cake!" —Bella Glavan, the voice of her generation. —AnaMaria Glavan

Get it from Yummy World for $29.99.

11. Lifeproof Speaker, a waterproof, drop-proof, dirt-proof portable speaker that you basically couldn't destroy if you tried.

Kevin Smith / BuzzFeed

Chances are you’ve heard of Lifeproof, which makes indestructible phone cases that promise to protect your phone no matter the conditions. The same company has now come out with a Bluetooth speaker that makes the same protection claims as its cases. The speaker is waterproof, dirt-proof, snow-proof, and drop-proof.

The Lifeproof speaker comes in three sizes, and I tried the medium version, which retails for $199. Now I know that’s a steep price for some, so before you jump out and buy, make sure that it’s the right speaker for your needs. It floats in water, can charge your phone while it plays music, and has a built in watertight box underneath it to store small items like keys or a credit card. I thought this was a cool addition. But when it came to sound quality, I was underwhelmed. With that said, not everyone is a stickler for sound quality, and if you’re looking for something that’s truly waterproof and drop-proof for outdoor excursions then you may want to consider this.

If you’re a person who:

—Spends a lot of time outdoors and near water like a beach, boat, lake, or other body of water (this one floats and is waterproof up to 3.3 feet (1 meter) for 30 minutes)...

—Is accident-prone and often drops technology...

—Wants something with a big battery (the medium lasts 13 hours)...

...this speaker could be for you. —Kevin Smith

Get it from Best Buy for $99.99+.

12. Pet House One Fur All Candle, a hard-working pet odor-eliminating candle that smells *and* looks delightful.

Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed

Residing with a 40-pounds-plus nugget with enough sass to bring down an ancient empire can take a toll on things, including upholstered furniture. Cleopatra, queen of the apartment, spends a good chunk of her time on our hand-me-down couch. As a result, it smells like eau de dog. Regular candles help some, but there was always a lingering smell.

Oh my goodness, these candles work crazy-well. They're quite fragrant from the get-go, so you don't have to keep them lit in a never-ending cycle. And they smell and look lovely, not like something that's made specifically for neutralizing odors. The Lavender Green Tea is refreshing, but I'm partial to the Ruby Red Grapefruit. Cleo is too caught up in napping and nesting in blankets to notice a difference, but I've noticed it! On top of that, the jars are cute, they're made of 100% natural soy wax and without dyes, and the company supports nonprofit, no-kill animal rescue groups. —Elizabeth Lilly

Get it from Amazon for $21.95 (available in 16 scents).