10 Super-Useful Things That Made Us Say, “Why Didn’t I Buy This Sooner?”

How did I live this long without a clothes-drying rack???

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1. This miracle hair tie that really, truly puts an end to pesky little bumps and creases.

Gyan Yankovich

I'm a hair-up kinda gal. If I'm writing, eating, doing my makeup, commuting, or JUST EXISTING, I absolutely need to have my hair tied back. That said, I also like to wear it down whenever I want to feel like my best self. But as we all know, hair ties leave creases — and that makes it harder to go from hair up to hair down without my straight hair being compromised.

Enter: the Invisibobble. Thanks to its spiral design, this hair tie doesn't leave any bumps in your hair at all. None! I sleep with my hair in a wrapped into a bun and in the mornings I unravel and have the same straight hair I got ready for bed with. The Invisibobble is also made of plastic, so keeps your hair in place but somehow (magic? idk?) doesn't ever snag. Basically, it's a wonder product and I can't believe I used regular hair ties for so long. —Gyan Yankovich

Get a three-pack from Amazon for $6.49 or Walmart for $4.85.

2. A Bluetooth mouse to release you from the tyranny of cords (and trackpads).

Rachel Wilkerson Miller

I love my Macbook Air but I can't deal with the trackpad; after 10 minutes with it, my wrists are like, Good old-fashioned mouse or GTFO!!! So for years I used a corded mouse, and lugged it (and a mousepad!) to meetings, on planes, and to coffee shops — basically everywhere I took my laptop. It wasn't cute but every Bluetooth mouse I'd ever tried just...didn't...quite...work for me. So even though using a corded mouse was the adult equivalent of carrying your schoolbooks in a rolling backpack, I did it.

But when I saw a $10 Bluetooth mouse recommended by a BuzzFeed reader, I decided I'd give it a try. Turns out, it's AMAZING. It's easy to pair, the battery lasts forever, it's survived my dropping it on concrete approximately a dozen times, and it lets me right-click and scroll like it's no big deal. I actually bought a second one for my home computer. I love it, my wrists love it...everyone's happy. I can't believe it took me so long and so many attempts to officially ~cut the cord~. —Rachel Wilkerson Miller

Get it from Amazon for $9.99 or Walmart for $23.90.

3. Some exfoliating gloves, because no one needs to live with ingrown hairs for the rest of their life.

Kayla Suazo

I, like plenty of people, do not like unwanted hair. I regularly get waxes and shave in the shower so I can feel ~fabulous~, but — and I am about to get a lil' personal here — I always get ingrown hairs. This annoys to no end because what's worse than unwanted hair? A bunch of little red bumps on the back of your legs! I’ve tried different soaps and wipes but I swear nothing has ben as effective as these cheap exfoliating gloves at preventing them. A couple days after waxing or shaving, I’ll gently wash my body with them using whatever soap I have at the time…and that’s it! If I go a week without using these gloves, I can expect ingrown hairs. I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to buy these! The best part is they’re easy and cheap to replace. Win-win all around. —Kayla Suazo

Get a pack of four pairs from Amazon for $8.99 or a pack of five pairs from Walmart for $9.99.

4. An eye mask for helping you to make up all the sleep you've lost over the years.

amazon.com, Amazon User / Fashion Blawger / amazon.com

I always thought it was normal that I'd wake up at the crack of dawn and not be able to fall back asleep once I saw the teeniest bit of light creep through my curtains. But then a friend bought me this Bucky eye mask and I can't believe I'd lived my whole adult life without one. The eye mask is super lightweight and thin, so you hardly feel it when you put it on. It's comfortable and soft, and it molds to your face so that it doesn't let any light in. I go to bed with my Bucky on every night and bring it on every vacation, and I sleep so much better now. —Hannah Loewentheil

Get it from Amazon for $12.99 or Jet for $9.99.

5. A clothes-drying rack that'll make your desk so happy to get a break from holding wet clothing for you.

Anjali Patel

I have been struggling to find a way to dry my clothes ever since I moved into my current apartment (so...almost two years). I’ve tossed my clothes over closet doors, my desk stool, and even my electric keyboard to get them to dry. The thing is, that approach...sucks? I’ve dreaded doing laundry because I don’t want to find homes for soggy sweaters that can’t go in the dryer, and I’ve put off hand-washing some of my clothes for nearly a year (including a pair of corduroy overalls!) because I didn’t want to deal with finding a way to dry them.

So imagine the force of my facepalm when I realized I could JUST GET A FOLDABLE DRYING RACK. Since it collapses into an accordion, I can tuck it into my bathroom corner when it’s not in use and easily unfurl it when I need to drip-dry some laundry. It’s convenient, takes up little space, and my god does it make my life easier. Now laundry isn’t a daylong event where my room looks like the aftermath of a high school party in a teen movie, with clothes strewn everywhere — and I get to wear my corduroy overalls again. —Anjali Patel

Get it from Bed Bath & Beyond for $19.99 or Jet for $28.52, or a similar one from Amazon for $23.15.

6. Some black washcloths for stain-free makeup removal.

amzn.to, Terri Pous

I like having white towels because they keep me accountable — seeing them every time I go into the bathroom is a constant reminder to stay on top of my laundry. White towels, however, are not a practical investment for anyone who wears makeup and is anything less than obsessive about removing it all before wiping their face. It wasn't until I stayed in a hotel that was far too swanky for my own good that I realized the beauty of black makeup towels. There, in the gorgeous, spotless bathroom, were two black hand towels with the word "makeup" stitched into them, and the moment I saw them, I had a lightbulb moment. Of course I should have a dark-colored washcloth that will gladly hide all of my eyeliner and mascara stains! I'd always known they were a thing, but it had never clicked that they were the thing that would solve my face-washing problems. After gleefully using them all weekend, I immediately ordered my own set of makeup towels.

I picked this 12-pack of black hand towels for $20.99, and I already don't know how I managed before I had them. That picture on the right is how the towel looked after two thorough eye-rubbings — as fresh and clean as can be! Plus, they're very soft and plush, and the quality has held up magnificently after several washes. Even though they aren't emblazoned with the word "makeup," they do their job more than adequately. —Terri Pous

Get a 12-pack from Amazon for $20.99 or Jet for $16.49.

7. A laptop sleeve so you can finally treat your computer with the TLC it deserves.

Jessie Gaynor

I have a list of things that, for reasons of pure obstinance/selective stinginess, I refuse to buy. These include pot holders (just use a dish towel!), a rolling pin (just use a wine bottle!), and, until recently, a laptop sleeve (just use the power of prayer!). When I started carrying my work computer around with me, though, I decided to suck it up and get a protective sleeve, because while I'm happy to be cavalier with my own property, I'm much more cautious with other people's.

The first time I used this AmazonBasics laptop sleeve, I realized I was a complete dope for not getting one sooner. My computer feels so much more secure in this snug little case, protected from dings and scratches and whatever weird stickiness might be lurking in my bag. Also it only costs $10! I'm still not buying a rolling pin, though. —Jessie Gaynor

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in four sizes and four colors) or a similar one from Jet for $10.48.

8. A knife sharpener, because you deserve an easy (and cheap) solution to dull knives.

Elizabeth Lilly

Graduating to adult-ish dinners that require cutting more than a gooey grilled cheese means that my knife game was seriously lacking. I knew that I needed to do something about my poor hand-me-down knives since my old roommate moved out and took her super-sharp set with her. But I put off investing in new knives for longer than I'd care to admit (like, a year) before I saw this story and finally bought this little knife sharpener instead.

The inexpensive tool comes with detailed instructions and actually fits in my knife drawer so I won’t have to scare the dog while yelling, "WHERE IS IT?" I pulled out my assortment of knives and gave it a go on a Rachael Ray knife (similar to these). It’s a pretty handy knife, but wasn’t what it used to be back in the day. I set it on the edge of my cutting board and pulled it through the coarse notch three times, per the instructions. Even though mushrooms aren’t notorious for being tough to slice through, they’re oddly shaped and move around: with my newly sharpened knife I was able to slice through them with no effort…even the stem! I also manhandled an onion and it was sooo easy slicing through the skin.

Yes, I should probably invest in a decent set of kitchen knives, but this little sharpener is making my hand-me-downs way more useful. And it’s so easy to use in comparison to the menacing sharpening rods that you see villains in cartoons using when they’re thinking about eating the Roadrunner or a cute protagonist. —Elizabeth Lilly

Get it from Amazon or Jet for $5.99.

9. A Bluetooth transmitter to bring your old car into the 21st century.

Rebecca O'Connell

I am a New Yorker, so I don't spend a lot of time in cars, let alone own one. But my boyfriend does, so I've become acquainted with some interesting car ~accessories~.

His car, a Chevy Uplander, is used for touring around the country (as you might have heard, there's not a lot of money in small-time Brooklyn bands, so instead of a luxurious tour bus, there is an aging minivan from the early '00s). When we first met, I was surprised to find out that he's spent literally hundreds of hours in this car listening to CDs and radio because it's too old for an auxiliary cord. Maybe it's charming for a band to rely heavily on only CDs while on the road, but sometimes someone reaches for Sublime and all hell breaks loose. If you also have this problem, you have probably wondered if there's device that can bring your car into the future. There is! It's a transmitter you can put in your charging port that connects your phone to the radio. Suddenly you can access the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, podcasts — the world is your audible oyster.

The best part is how easy it is to use. You just stick it into a charging port and connect it to your phone with the auxiliary cord. Using the arrows, you can pick a radio station (one with lots of static) on the screen to connect to. Then, like magic, you can hijack the radio station to play your phone's audio. Considering that you're conducting a personal pirate radio show in the car, it's amazing how clear the sound comes through. It also gets pretty loud when you crank the volume on the phone. The model I bought is pretty straight to the point, but you can also invest in one that charges devices at the same time. I have a hunch that most older-car owners already have one of these babies, but my boyfriend had no clue they existed...so maybe not! It's definitely a game-changer for long car rides and podcast binges. —Rebecca O'Connell

Get it from Amazon for $12.74.

10. And a blow dryer that can solve all the hair problems you've been battling your whole damn life.

Maitland Quitmeyer

If you're a regular reader of our review posts, you may have seen my glowing one (it's number 8 here) about my very favorite hair product: Moroccan Oil's Intense Curl Cream. But the cream would get me nowhere without my trusty Conair ceramic hair dryer and (most importantly!) the diffuser attachment that comes right with it. I have had it for seven years (since I was a freshman in college), but by golly, do I wish I had this sucker in high school. Back then, I did the brushed-out Hermione Granger thing, and the wet-looking, crunchy gelled curls thing; if you have curly hair, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

A few months into my freshman year of college, my dorm next-door neighbor let me borrow her hair dryer and diffuser — the very same model I have now. And let me borrow it again. And again. And again, until I finally just bought my own. All you have to do is apply your product of choice, and pop the diffuser attachment onto the dryer. Then, just let the spikes of the diffuser gather one section of your hair toward your scalp, scrunching it up into its natural curl pattern, turn the dryer on, and sit with the diffuser in the same place until dry (or, since I'm impatient, mostly dry). Then repeat with another section until it's done. It's insanely easy, only takes about 20 minutes total, depending on the length and thickness of your hair, and seriously cuts down on frizz.

And it works on all hair lengths! When I first tried it, my hair was long (like, to-my-lower-back long), and it worked. Two years later, I got it chopped into the bob/lob I have now, and it still work works perfectly. And since I wash my hair approximately never (okay, every four to five days) and it takes only 20ish minutes, it's a surprisingly low-maintenance hair routine. For anyone who has ever stopped me in the street/subway and asked me how I do my hair, this is it. Ridiculously easy. If only 14-year-old Maitland could have known. —Maitland Quitmeyer

Get it from Amazon or Walmart for $27.78+.