Table of Contents
- 1 1. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen for sensitive teeth and gums that can help lighten up years’ worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just … you know. Existing as a human with teeth.
- 2 2. E.l.f.’s Poreless Putty Primer, a TikTok-famous lightweight base primer that reviewers swear by for reducing the appearance of pores and helping their makeup apply more smoothly and evenly.
- 3 3. A bottle of Peripera Ink Velvet Lip Tint that comes complete with an applicator shaped to your lip, so application is *that* much more foolproof. Reviewers love this for how buildable and long-lasting it is, and how it doesn’t crack or leave skin feeling dry.
- 4 4. Essence’s Lash Princess mascara, because TBH, we’ve all wasted too many years and too much money looking for the ~holy grail~ mascara. This one is less than $5 and will give you such instant length you’ll feel like your eyelashes are about to pull a Butterfree and take flight.
- 5 5. A firming eye cream that uses vitamin C, vitamin E, rosehip seed oil, and hibiscus flower extract to brighten and firm that sensitive skin around your eyes and neck not just on a day-to-day basis, but a long-term one, too.
- 6 6. A shampoo scalp massager you can use in the shower to massage and exfoliate your scalp, so you can get all of the relaxing decadence of feeling like someone is massaging your head without physically going to a salon. Psst — a lot of reviewers mention this has also helped with psoriasis, dandruff, and scalp tenderness!
- 7 7. An Onset soap eyebrow kit, an eyebrow pomade that doesn’t just fluff up your brows for a little extra ~drama~, but holds them in place all the livelong day. It’s basically like getting a whole bunch of extra eyebrow thickness without any effort!
- 8 8. An internet-beloved set of makeup sponges for expert-level blending and coverage that reviewers have crowned a Beauty Blender dupe. It works for foundation, BB cream, powder, *and* concealer, plus wet or dry, so basically it’s working harder than I have for *checks watch* my whole life.
- 9 9. A bottle of Meltdown acne oil for anyone who’s cycled through a bunch of harsh prescription acne treatments from dermatologists that never *quite* do the trick. With its soothing rosehip oil and its redness-combatting black cumin seed, literally *thousands* of reviewers swear by this stuff.
- 10 10. A bottle of Elizavecca Hair Treatment, an Olaplex “dupe” repairing mask infused with collagen ingredients and protein extracts that will help restore hair health and reduce shedding. All you gotta do is apply it on wet hair after a shampoo, wait five minutes, and rinse it out.
- 11 11. A vitamin C-based face serum for brighter, firmer skin with muuuuch faster results than most of its competitors. A lot of reviewers could see a difference within just a few days of use.
- 12 12. An acne patch made with hydrocolloid, tea tree oil, and calendula oil to help draw out the gunk from acne like it’s luring it into a sticky lil’ trap, not only helping clear spots up faster, but making the redness and bumps less painful to deal with.
- 13 13. A bottle of nail and cuticle repair oil that you simply brush on your nail beds once a day to condition and strengthen all those brittle spots and painful hangnails, leaving you with thick, strong nails and nail beds you’re not tempted to pick at all the livelong day.
- 14 14. A moisturizing, sweat-resistant sunscreen designed not to leave a white cast on darker skin tones, so you can keep your cheeks safe from the sun without spending 20 minutes rubbing your sunscreen in first.
- 15 15. A dual hair dryer and brush to dry your hair as you style it and give your ‘do an incredible amount of volume and shine, without the cost of a pricey blowout.
- 16 16. Or a well-loved diffuser attachment for drying curly hair — it’s built with an extra-large design for quicker drying, and 360-degree air flow to diffuse hair evenly and gently, so hair can maintain its natural curl and bounce.
- 17 17. A suuuper popular Bio-Oil made with vitamins A and E, chamomile, and lavender — you may recognize it as a product a lot of people use to help fade scars (both old and new), soothe cracked and dry skin, and help moisturize without affecting your pores, but people are also using it in quarantine to help with dry and painful skin on their hands from hand-washing and sanitizing.
- 18 18. Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind concealer, an inexpensive lightweight concealer for anyone who wants to quickly touch up before Zoom calls or walks around the neighborhood, but doesn’t want to commit to a whole layer of foundation. This also helps cover dark circles without caking and reduces puffiness.
- 19 19. Dr. Jart+’s Mini Cicapair Tiger Grass Color-Correcting Treatment, a formula you’ve probably seen before if you’re on Beauty TikTok — reviewers swear by not just for reducing redness and uneven texture, but for skin protection, since this bb has SPF 30 built in.
- 20 20. A set of satin pillowcases that not only have a cooling effect, but are soft on your skin and create less friction for your hair so it won’t get as tangled while you sleep.
- 21 21. A reviewer-beloved Mane Club 10-in-1 leave-in spray that honestly deserves its own theme song, for the amount of work it’s putting in. Its unique formula of cannabis sativa seed oil helps it condition, detangle, heat protect, prevent breakage, hydrate, smooth, soften, control frizz, boost shine, and strengthen your hair, and keeps it nongreasy to boot.
- 22 22. A set of itty-bitty dermaplaning razors you can use to take care of those lil’ unibrow hairs that keep dodging your tweezers or work whatever face fuzzies you might want to take care of in a gentle way.
- 23 23. Or a painless battery-charged hair remover you can simply glide over super fine hair like the hair above your lip or between your brows instead of going into a full “YIKES” mode with wax.
- 24 24. A Marshmallow Whip Maker, which can turn a coin-sized amount of your favorite face cleanser into a cup full of light, frothy foam — not only does this help your cleanser last longer by giving it more suds and surface area to cover for a smaller portion, but the bubbly texture can help reduce friction on your face. Also…it’s just a whole lot of fun??
- 25 25. A jar of Aztec healing clay masks that essentially suck the gunk out of your pores like a vacuum, and will also help reduce the redness and ache of acne lickety-split.
- 26 26. A tin of Cirepil blue wax beads, which is actually a wax a ton of professional salons use anyway — skip the $$$ and do it yourself. This uses a gentle hard wax to easily remove both the coarsest and finest of hairs in a matter of minutes, leaving you with skin so smooth that you’re going to have to sit on your hands stop yourself from stroking your underarms and legs in public.
- 27 27. The Queen of Hearts eyeshadow palette, a high-pigmentation, bold-colored set of six matte and six foil eyeshadow shades you can seamlessly blend for any occasion.
- 28 28. A detangling brush with an easy-to-hold handle that’s so effective on all hair types that it’s amassed over 31,000 5-star reviews on Amazon — people swear by it for detangling fast without pulling on or damaging hair, so you can skip the time-consuming “ow OW Ow ow” in the a.m.
- 29 29. A blow-drying spray designed for faster drying, so you can cut your hair-drying time by as much as HALF. It’s also heat protective and helps detangle, smooth, and soften hair.
- 30 30. A CurlCap, a satin-lined backless adjustable cap designed with natural hair and updos in mind, so you never have to worry about your hair snagging or getting damaged when you’re shielding your face from the sun.
- 31 31. A smudge-proof eyeliner stamp so you can finally get the perfect cat-eye on the first go without having to ~wing it~ (read: wasting eight cotton balls, half a bottle of eye makeup remover, and all of the minutes you were setting aside to make your morning coffee).
- 32 33. Or an eyebrow tint to semi-permanently dye your brow hairs for up to six weeks, helping either fill them in or to dye over gray hairs just as effectively as a salon tint would — a lot of reviewers swapped this for doing brow makeup completely, saving a whole step in their morning routine.
- 33 34. Glossier’s Cloud Paint blush, which I personally love because it feels like fingerpainting your face. It’s thick enough for a noticeable glow, but subtle enough that you don’t have to be super precise about it — basically every time I complained about makeup being too hard, a friend rec’d it to me, and I’ve neeeever looked back.
- 34 35. A super-soft Makeup Eraser to wipe makeup right off your face like a human whiteboard, using nothing but water and a gentle scrub. I’ve been using one for about a year now and it has *drastically* cut down my routine (and saved money on makeup remover!).
- 35 36. A foot file just as effective — if not more so! — than going to a salon. This will remove calluses and hard or cracked skin from your feet with some gentle, pain-free rubbing, whether your feet are dry or wet at the time.
- 36 37. A conditioning and healing castor oil full of vitamins and fatty-acids that won’t just strengthen weak hair, but will help you maintain hair health over time. Reviewers mention seeing improvements in growth and strength within a week, with noticeable results within a few months.
- 37 38. A gel nail polish kit complete with everything you need for professional-level manicures without ever once interrupting the sacred flow of your Netflix queue.
- 38 You on your way to yell about poreless primer to all your friends:
- 39 Need A Shopping Buddy?
You and this ~ink velvet~ lip tint are a match made in makeup heaven.
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1.
A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen for sensitive teeth and gums that can help lighten up years’ worth of stains from coffee, tea, wine, or just … you know. Existing as a human with teeth.
2.
E.l.f.’s Poreless Putty Primer, a TikTok-famous lightweight base primer that reviewers swear by for reducing the appearance of pores and helping their makeup apply more smoothly and evenly.
LOL, allow me to be the one to shout to GRAB THIS WHILE YOU CAN. I’ve been trying to snag it for weeks and thanks to TikTok, it’s constantly out of stock. Now is finally our chance!
Promising review: “You need this. This primer is better than the high end product I purchased for triple the price in a boutique. Definitely recommend! It’s oh, so smooth and easy to apply, feels like butter (only better) for your skin!” —Rebecca Manning
Get it from Amazon for $9.
3.
A bottle of Peripera Ink Velvet Lip Tint that comes complete with an applicator shaped to your lip, so application is *that* much more foolproof. Reviewers love this for how buildable and long-lasting it is, and how it doesn’t crack or leave skin feeling dry.
Promising review: “I have a brownish/Middle Eastern skin so it’s really hard to find the perfect light rosy shade for me. Especially because I have a brownish rim around my lips, which I’m not a fan of. I got no. 18 and was too pink on my skin but I am shocked from no. 17. I’ve never used a shade like that and it is so perfect on my skin. If you’ve got brown skin I promise you, you need it! And you can thank me later sis.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.90 (available in seven shades).
4.
Essence’s Lash Princess mascara, because TBH, we’ve all wasted too many years and too much money looking for the ~holy grail~ mascara. This one is less than $5 and will give you such instant length you’ll feel like your eyelashes are about to pull a Butterfree and take flight.
Emma Lord/BuzzFeed
Hello, that is my face above, because I bought into the hype of over 134,000 5-star reviews and now I will never look back!! Putting it on is like giving my eyelashes butterfly wings. It doesn’t get clumpy, it stays put ALL the live long day (I spent all of last year’s ridiculously hot pandemic summer wearing it, so I can speak to that), and you can apply it on very lightly if you don’t want it to look so dramatic, or continue applying for longer lashes each time.
Promising review: “You need to buy. It does not disappoint. I have tried many mascaras, expensive to cheap. This mascara is the best one I have ever purchased. For the price, it really shocked me how well it does. My eyelashes are not long. When I apply this, it looks like I have beautiful fake lashes on. This really does the trick. Super impressed with this mascara. This is my go-to.” —Daney
Get it from Amazon for $4.99.
5.
A firming eye cream that uses vitamin C, vitamin E, rosehip seed oil, and hibiscus flower extract to brighten and firm that sensitive skin around your eyes and neck not just on a day-to-day basis, but a long-term one, too.
6.
A shampoo scalp massager you can use in the shower to massage and exfoliate your scalp, so you can get all of the relaxing decadence of feeling like someone is massaging your head without physically going to a salon. Psst — a lot of reviewers mention this has also helped with psoriasis, dandruff, and scalp tenderness!
Emma Lord/BuzzFeed
I started using one of these a few months ago and WOWZA, it really helps you get extra mileage out of your shampoo. I have a whole lot of hair on my head so sometimes it’s a struggle to feel like I’ve soaped up my whole scalp thorough, but this was a very effective way to spread out the suds and really get them to the roots. I was worried it might tangle in my hair, but it was totally fine on that front, too. I’ve noticed that my hair has been a little less greasy at the roots since I started using it. And I’m echoing a ton of reviewers here when I say it just feels reeeeeally, really nice.
Promising review: “YOU NEED TO BUY. I ordered one because of TikTok and it was the best choice ever!! It’s like someone is giving you a head massage.” —Aryana
Get it from Amazon for $6.98 (available in three colors).
7.
An Onset soap eyebrow kit, an eyebrow pomade that doesn’t just fluff up your brows for a little extra ~drama~, but holds them in place all the livelong day. It’s basically like getting a whole bunch of extra eyebrow thickness without any effort!
Promising review: “AMAZING. If you have thick brows you NEED THIS.” —Sara
*Another* promising review: “Saw this on TikTok and after looking around where I live for some clear soap and coming up short I decided to try these out. They are a great value for the price. Super easy to use and give a great effect on the brows.” —Linds
Get a set of two from Amazon for $7.99.
8.
An internet-beloved set of makeup sponges for expert-level blending and coverage that reviewers have crowned a Beauty Blender dupe. It works for foundation, BB cream, powder, *and* concealer, plus wet or dry, so basically it’s working harder than I have for *checks watch* my whole life.
Promising review: “Let me tell ya — I have seen these highly highly recommended by major beauty influencers on Instagram so I purchased. I am SO glad that I did. I use them every single day! Have washed three times now and it shapes right back up perfectly. All the makeup washes off so easily. I have used Ecotools sponge as well as others from Walmart/Walgreens, etc and these are by FAR better. Get them!! They perform HIGH END but are priced extremely reasonable. Plus, you get five!! WOW! I’ll never use another beauty sponge since these work perfectly for me! Again, You get five cute colors, wash easily, perform high end, and are so reasonably priced. YOU NEED TO GET THEM AND TRY FOR YOURSELF!! I recommend for sure.” —Taylor
Get a set of five from Amazon for $8.99.
9.
A bottle of Meltdown acne oil for anyone who’s cycled through a bunch of harsh prescription acne treatments from dermatologists that never *quite* do the trick. With its soothing rosehip oil and its redness-combatting black cumin seed, literally *thousands* of reviewers swear by this stuff.
Blume
Blume is a women-owned, POC-owned small business based in Canada that specializes in cruelty-free, vegan, and environmentally-friendly products for skin, body, and period care.
Psst — you can use this oil to either spot treat acne or mix it with your moisturizer or a clay mask, *plus* you can wear it under your makeup, so it’s super versatile to your needs, too.
Promising review: “You need this in your life. After being on Accutane for six months and all of my acne clearing up EXCEPT the hormonal acne I get on my cheeks and chin occasionally I need something that would clear up my skin right away. I started to see results within one week of using meltdown. My little breakouts were disappearing and I now have no pimples. Just a few drops in your problem areas every morning and night and within weeks your skin will feel glowy and your hormonal acne will be gone! I swear by this stuff and will continue to buy it.” —Charlotte S.
Get it from Blume for $28.
10.
A bottle of Elizavecca Hair Treatment, an Olaplex “dupe” repairing mask infused with collagen ingredients and protein extracts that will help restore hair health and reduce shedding. All you gotta do is apply it on wet hair after a shampoo, wait five minutes, and rinse it out.
This is designed to work on all hair types, with reviewers with 2b to 4c curls mentioning it worked for them!
Promising review: “You need this stuff. I bleached the bejeezus out of my incredibly stubborn, unruly hair this summer — it was curly, down to the middle of my back, and dark brown, and I went icy blonde. At home. It wasn’t a horrible mess, but my curls vanished overnight. I’ve been doing fairly regular treatments with this stuff and my hair has gone through an astounding transformation. My curls are returning, my frizz is going away, and my hair is stronger and back to its stubborn, unruly self. And no breakage from all the bleaching. It’s a freaking miracle in a tube.” —Theone Wallace
Check out BuzzFeed’s full review of the Elizavecca hair treatment for more deets!
Get a bottle from Amazon for $14.25.
11.
A vitamin C-based face serum for brighter, firmer skin with muuuuch faster results than most of its competitors. A lot of reviewers could see a difference within just a few days of use.
Promising review: “YOU NEED THIS ON YOUR FACE! I had Covid this last fall, followed by viral pneumonia and numerous other complications, needless to say, my face received zero attention for months! I have been combing the reviews and ingredient lists of Amazon products looking for a good vitamin C serum because my dermatologist recommended that one would be beneficial. I stumbled upon TruSkin and I am SO THANKFUL I DID! The difference a few short weeks can make! The vibrancy and glow has returned to my skin! The many fine lines that had appeared over the last six months are gone! My cheeks are rosy! TruSkin has earned a loyal customer! I am also loving their eye cream. I love the fact that I was able to read the ingredients list and I knew what everything on it was! It is wonderful on my sensitive skin and I only need a few drops. You cannot beat the price especially considering the incredible quality! I would give it 10 stars if I could!” —WickedKate
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
12.
An acne patch made with hydrocolloid, tea tree oil, and calendula oil to help draw out the gunk from acne like it’s luring it into a sticky lil’ trap, not only helping clear spots up faster, but making the redness and bumps less painful to deal with.
Promising review: “I started using these last year and have kept reordering since then because I cannot be without these!! These patches have helped me finally stop picking at my skin. Before I couldn’t stand a stubborn pimple (or 10) on my face, chin, or neck, and kept trying to fix it by trying to pop them but obviously that only made the situation worse. These are a lifesaver. Now, most of my pimples are gone in one night, the stubborn ones in two, max. I’m not obsessing over it anymore. And the germs aren’t spreading and causing more breakouts. I cannot say enough what a huge difference these have made in my overall skin routine. They stay in place all night, all day, or as long as you need. You can easily cut the larger patches into smaller pieces and they work perfectly. You could wear it during the day and put makeup over it if you have to but honestly, I think you can still see it or tell that there is something on the face so just use your best judgment. Everyone needs these!! Do yourself a favor and order a pack, or three.” —Allison
Get 40 round patches from Amazon for $8.50 (also available in XL square patches).
Check out of review of Avarelle’s acne patches for more deets!
13.
A bottle of nail and cuticle repair oil that you simply brush on your nail beds once a day to condition and strengthen all those brittle spots and painful hangnails, leaving you with thick, strong nails and nail beds you’re not tempted to pick at all the livelong day.
14.
A moisturizing, sweat-resistant sunscreen designed not to leave a white cast on darker skin tones, so you can keep your cheeks safe from the sun without spending 20 minutes rubbing your sunscreen in first.
Target
Black Girl Sunscreen is a Black woman-owned business established in 2016 with products that are cruelty-free and formulated without parabens or other harmful chemicals (psst — they also have sunscreen for kids on their site!).
Promising review: “You need this sunscreen!!! It has zero white cast. It blends in like a dream it literally just feels like a moisturizer!! If you’ve been thinking about getting this, this is your sign to buy it. You won’t regret it!” —Taylor
Get it from Target for $15.99 or from Black Girl Sunscreen for $18.99.
15.
A dual hair dryer and brush to dry your hair as you style it and give your ‘do an incredible amount of volume and shine, without the cost of a pricey blowout.
Unlike other hair dryers, this one can be held closer to the roots and scalp for a higher volume and lift and helps you curl hair at the end while it dries. It comes with three heat settings and is designed to work on all hair textures — reviewers with 2a through 4c hair mentioned it working for them, and especially noted that it helps cut down on drying time!
Promising review: “YOU NEED ONE OF THESE! My hair never looks this good. I was done in under eight minutes first time I did it. I need more practice but this is the best tool I’ve used in years. It leaves your hair silky, light, salon fresh looking. It gives it volume and purpose. I’m getting it for my mother in law and sisters in law.” —Karla
Get it from Amazon for $44.99+ (available in three styles).
16.
Or a well-loved diffuser attachment for drying curly hair — it’s built with an extra-large design for quicker drying, and 360-degree air flow to diffuse hair evenly and gently, so hair can maintain its natural curl and bounce.
Promising review: “The BEST diffuser on the market! I have naturally wavy hair and have struggled with finding the right diffuser to keep my trusses curly while drying my hair. Using the Black Orchid Hair Diffuser is what you need if you have wavy to curly hair! You’ll still have your curl and won’t have frizz after using the Black Orchid!” —BMRGirl
Get it from Amazon for $16.87.
17.
A suuuper popular Bio-Oil made with vitamins A and E, chamomile, and lavender — you may recognize it as a product a lot of people use to help fade scars (both old and new), soothe cracked and dry skin, and help moisturize without affecting your pores, but people are also using it in quarantine to help with dry and painful skin on their hands from hand-washing and sanitizing.
FWIW re: scars, though, this stuff really works. I had thyroid surgery a few years ago and Bio-Oil took me from looking like I’d stumbled out of the Red Wedding to virtually no detectable scar within a few months. All I did was apply it once in the morning and once at night.
Promising review: “OMG if you haven’t tried Bio Oil you need to! After I took a shower I applied it to my growing baby belly and and it instantly felt so silky and it absorbed so well. I also applied it to my face because, between the weather and these baby hormones my face is breaking out and getting extremely dry. It did feel oily when I first applied to my face but it also absorbed really well. Okay this is the best part, this morning after I woke up my face is seriously the clearest it’s been since finding out I was pregnant! Everywhere I applied the Bio Oil feels so soft, I really feel like it’s going to help the elasticity in my skin. Thank you to all the people that recommended this product! It’s definitely worth trying!” —Bailee
Get it from Amazon for $8.92+ (available in four sizes).
18.
Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind concealer, an inexpensive lightweight concealer for anyone who wants to quickly touch up before Zoom calls or walks around the neighborhood, but doesn’t want to commit to a whole layer of foundation. This also helps cover dark circles without caking and reduces puffiness.
Kayla Suazo / BuzzFeed
TBH, at the start of the pandemic I started using this myself (although this is BuzzFeed editor Kayla Suazo’s lovely human face above), and I am mad that I wasted time with other concealers for so long. I am a deeply impatient person who likes to look good and does not like to put in effort in any way, shape, or form, and Maybelline created this so that people like me could gracelessly slap it on in the morning and be like “OKAY, REFLECTION, YOU GOT THIS” before being on their merry way. It never cakes, I look way more awake than I have any right to, and I never struggle to blend it the way I do with other concealers. 11/10 subscribe.
Promising review: “You need to buy this. You get the exactly color you see on the image and it works perfectly. You do have to spin it for a bit, but the formula is amazing. It’s by far worth the buy.” —Premarital
Check out BuzzFeed’s full review of Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Concealer for more deets.
Get it from Amazon for $5.29+ (available in 18 shades).
19.
Dr. Jart+’s Mini Cicapair Tiger Grass Color-Correcting Treatment, a formula you’ve probably seen before if you’re on Beauty TikTok — reviewers swear by not just for reducing redness and uneven texture, but for skin protection, since this bb has SPF 30 built in.
Promising review: “The real MVP! If you have from any facial redness like I do, then you need this in your life ASAP! I’ve never used a product that claimed to hide redness because I just didn’t believe it would work. I will be purchasing a full sized jar of this. All I need is a little bit to put on cheeks and it completely hides my redness.” —SarahSebastian
Get a mini from Sephora for $19.
Psst — you can watch TikTok’s @BauerBeauty use the color corrector in action on Sephora’s product page!
20.
A set of satin pillowcases that not only have a cooling effect, but are soft on your skin and create less friction for your hair so it won’t get as tangled while you sleep.
Amazon
Promising review: “You need at least one set of these. I have fine curly hair and live in the Ohio river valley which means we get the HUMIDITY. For yearsss I’ve been trying to figure out how to combat the frizz that comes with the humidity. I had heard of using satin pillowcases and was skeptical but if it means less product in my hair I figured it was worth a try and boy oh boy was I surprised. Had them for close to six months now and my hair is doing AMAZING. I even got a compliment the other day (80% humidity). I’ve washed a few times by themselves on delicate and they seem to be just as good as when I got them!” —Janet Guinn
Get a set of two from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 23 colors and three sizes).
21.
A reviewer-beloved Mane Club 10-in-1 leave-in spray that honestly deserves its own theme song, for the amount of work it’s putting in. Its unique formula of cannabis sativa seed oil helps it condition, detangle, heat protect, prevent breakage, hydrate, smooth, soften, control frizz, boost shine, and strengthen your hair, and keeps it nongreasy to boot.
Mane Club
Mane Club is a New York City-based small business established in 2019 that specializes in affordable haircare products.
Promising review: “Must-need. I actually can’t go out without this, it’s great though.” —Isaac A.
*Another* promising review: “I’m a hairstylist, so I’ve tried just about every leave-in conditioner out there, and I was amazed at how soft my hair felt after one use. My curls were so happy! The smell is amazing too!! I will definitely be repurchasing.” —Allison S.
Get it from Mane Club for $8.
22.
A set of itty-bitty dermaplaning razors you can use to take care of those lil’ unibrow hairs that keep dodging your tweezers or work whatever face fuzzies you might want to take care of in a gentle way.
amazon.com, Amazon
This tool also helps soften skin by gently exfoliating as you use it!
Promising review: “YOU NEED THESE. I seriously just got them an hour ago and can’t begin to tell you how obsessed I am. I used them to shape my eyebrows and woOW. They’ve never looked so good. Super easy to use and the perfect size. I’ve used mini razors like this before (including Tinkles) and these are by far the best. Do yourself and your brows a favor and buy these!” —Kaylee Frederickson
Get a set of three from Amazon for $4.99.
23.
Or a painless battery-charged hair remover you can simply glide over super fine hair like the hair above your lip or between your brows instead of going into a full “YIKES” mode with wax.
Promising review: “You NEED this in your life!! This is my first experience with any type of product like this. I am 35 years old and this was a game changer for me!! I have a mole above my lip that coarse hair grows out of. For my entire adult life I have used fingernail clippers to get as close of a cut as I could. I have tried shaving it in the past-BIG MISTAKE, also tried Nair once — WORSE mistake. It scabbed and looked huge for weeks. This product is safe to go over moles! It leaves my face feeling baby smooth! Be sure to use a good moisturizer after!” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
24.
A Marshmallow Whip Maker, which can turn a coin-sized amount of your favorite face cleanser into a cup full of light, frothy foam — not only does this help your cleanser last longer by giving it more suds and surface area to cover for a smaller portion, but the bubbly texture can help reduce friction on your face. Also…it’s just a whole lot of fun??
amazon.com, Amazon
To use this, all you have to do is put a pearl-sized drop of your favorite cleanser at the bottom, fill with water up to the dotted line, and pump it until it creates foam.
Promising review: “YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE. I wasn’t sure if it would foam up my gel cleanser (I use the La Rosche Posay medicated gel cleanser) and it doesn’t foam up too well or for long, so when I tell you, this thing made so much foam from two drops of the cleanser, I almost fell in the shower out of surprise. It is so easy to use, and I would recommend anyone planning to use/purchase that this does not need a lot of water. The smallest amount of water and cleanser will make more than enough foam for your face. I had so much foam left over after generously applying it to my face that I ended up using the rest on my body, and even after that, there was still more remaining.” —lili
Get it from Amazon for $7.
25.
A jar of Aztec healing clay masks that essentially suck the gunk out of your pores like a vacuum, and will also help reduce the redness and ache of acne lickety-split.
People in the reviews are also singing its praises for reducing the appearance of their pores! Many of them advise mixing the mask with apple cider vinegar for best results.
Promising review: “You need this product, trust me. I have been skeptical about this for MONTHS. But it’s 100% the real deal. A friend of mine tried it and said it had worked wonders for her, so I finally took the plunge and ordered it. The first time — FIRST TIME — I used this product, two pimples that I’d had for over a week were gone the next morning. Gone as in no longer anywhere to be found. My skin felt super smooth and had a glow. PSA — for me, it worked better with the apple cider vinegar than the water. I’ve used it once a week since then and have noticed an absolute change in my pore size. I still have an occasional breakout, but nothing like before. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you get this. Your skin will thank you.” —K. Wallace
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
26.
A tin of Cirepil blue wax beads, which is actually a wax a ton of professional salons use anyway — skip the $$$ and do it yourself. This uses a gentle hard wax to easily remove both the coarsest and finest of hairs in a matter of minutes, leaving you with skin so smooth that you’re going to have to sit on your hands stop yourself from stroking your underarms and legs in public.
Promising review: “Have no doubts, this is the wax you need. Cirepil took off about 90-95% of the hair, was easy to apply, and a little bit goes a long way, so even though a bag is $20, I’m actually paying about the same amount as I would for other brands. I had success on my legs, armpits, and bikini line. I still have half a bag left (!!), whereas I used THREE CANS of the Yeelen for crap results. You can also apply it in thin or short strips (for painful areas) and it still works really well- something my other waxes could never do.” —Erin
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
27.
The Queen of Hearts eyeshadow palette, a high-pigmentation, bold-colored set of six matte and six foil eyeshadow shades you can seamlessly blend for any occasion.
Coloured Raine
Coloured Raine is a California-based, Black woman-owned cosmetics that specializes in100% cruelty-free, high pigmentation makeup to suit all skin tones.
Promising review: “If you don’t have this, you need this, NOW!!!! Seriously though!! If you are debating on getting this just do it. You will not regret it. It is a gorgeous palette!!!” —Tiffany L.
Get it from Coloured Raine for $42.
28.
A detangling brush with an easy-to-hold handle that’s so effective on all hair types that it’s amassed over 31,000 5-star reviews on Amazon — people swear by it for detangling fast without pulling on or damaging hair, so you can skip the time-consuming “ow OW Ow ow” in the a.m.
This brush is designed to work on all hair types, but reviewers with 2c through 4c hair say it has worked well for them. It also works on wet *and* dry hair, so you don’t have to time out your brushing.
Promising review: “Do you have hair? Then you need this hairbrush. It’s a miracle worker! I have longish, very thick, very straight, sleek hair that gets tangled and knotted very frequently. I usually use a regular hairbrush with the metal tines tipped with the teeny rubber/soft plastic balls, and rather than take the time to slowly and gently work through the knots, I would just yank the brush through my hair, ripping the knots out and hurting my scalp in the process. I was skeptical about buying this brush, but gave it a chance for the affordable price and good reviews. And I am so glad I did!!! When my hair is really tangled, it does pull a little, but gets the knots out a lot quicker and easier and with less pain. And when it doesn’t get the knot out on the first try, it at least pulls the knot to the bottom of my hair so I can hold the top of my hair to brush it out without it pulling and hurting my scalp. Not only does it work at detangling, but it’s got a cool unique look that I really like and I was able to get one in my favorite color. I recommend this brush to everyone with hair.” —Brittney
Get it from Amazon for $11.88 (available in five colors).
29.
A blow-drying spray designed for faster drying, so you can cut your hair-drying time by as much as HALF. It’s also heat protective and helps detangle, smooth, and soften hair.
Promising review: “You need this! Super soft hair and cuts drying time! This stuff is seriously magic. I have thick hair and I hate drying it because it just takes so long. I separate it, pin it up and spray the bottom half and dry and then do the top. It’s perfect! Agree with some of the other folks that said you need to find the perfect amount… too much you could be greasy. But you’ll only do that once. Regardless it smells amazing and your hair will be so soft! Get this!” —Alex Jones
Get it from Amazon for $13.
30.
A CurlCap, a satin-lined backless adjustable cap designed with natural hair and updos in mind, so you never have to worry about your hair snagging or getting damaged when you’re shielding your face from the sun.
Amazon
CurlCap is a Black-owned apparel company founded by Britney Sade that specializes in caps designed for natural hair with an open back and flexible scrunchie design.
Promising review: “It saves your edges. If you have naturally curly hair you need this. Protects your hair and your face! Twofer!!!!!!” —Anthony Marshall
Get it from Amazon for $19.06+ (available in 11 styles).
31.
A smudge-proof eyeliner stamp so you can finally get the perfect cat-eye on the first go without having to ~wing it~ (read: wasting eight cotton balls, half a bottle of eye makeup remover, and all of the minutes you were setting aside to make your morning coffee).
Amazon, amazon.com
Psst — this tool is double sided, so you can choose the thickness of your wing, and comes with two stamp pens — one for each eye!
Promising review: “You need this stamp! I have never in my life been able to draw a wing properly. Ever. I kept seeing this advertised everywhere and thought, what the heck. Super easy to use, you don’t need a lot of practice. I love that it’s highly pigmented as well. I originally wanted the medium (classic) size but it’s on backorder. I opted for the 8 mm mini size instead, and I’m glad I did. I think the size is appropriate for the shape and size of my eye. All in all, great purchase!!!” —SaraPo
Get a set of two from Amazon for $14.97 (available in two colors and four styles).
Amazon
The tool comes with two ends, one a small eyebrow brush and the other a specially-edged eyebrow pencil.
Promising review: “It’s kinda magical. Not gonna lie, I’m not good with my eyebrows. I have numerous eyebrow tints, crayons, stamps etc… I usually look like I have small caterpillars on my face for my lack of artistic flair with eyebrows. This is a game changer! I put this thing in my hand and suddenly I’m advanced level in my eyebrow shaping skills. You want bold eyebrows? Do it! You want something on the thinner side? Go for it! This is seriously a miracle brow maker. You honestly can’t really mess things up while using this. It lasts allll day and still looks good. You need this in your makeup arsenal.” —Rhonda
Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in four shades).
33.
Or an eyebrow tint to semi-permanently dye your brow hairs for up to six weeks, helping either fill them in or to dye over gray hairs just as effectively as a salon tint would — a lot of reviewers swapped this for doing brow makeup completely, saving a whole step in their morning routine.
Promising review: “You need this!! Bought this as I HATE filling in my eyebrows after many years of over plucking. I decided to give this a try and absolutely love it!! It was easy to use. I used an angled eyeliner makeup brush to apply it and let it sit way longer then it recommend. I let it sit until it was just about dry and then added a bit more to my ends of my eyebrow since that’s where I needed the most coverage. I continued doing so until all the product was gone (I only used one pack of tint) then i wiped off and this was the result. Not as dark as i wanted but for my first time using it i know next time to get a darker color for my tail end of my eyebrows. Will definitely buy again!!” —kirsten lavender
Get it from Amazon for $12.95 (available in four colors).
34.
Glossier’s Cloud Paint blush, which I personally love because it feels like fingerpainting your face. It’s thick enough for a noticeable glow, but subtle enough that you don’t have to be super precise about it — basically every time I complained about makeup being too hard, a friend rec’d it to me, and I’ve neeeever looked back.
Glossier
Promising review: “Amazing. Dreamy. You need it. I have a bunch but my favourite by far is Storm. I have very pale skin and I thought it might be too much, but it’s gorgeous. Very pigmented, looks lit form within and so fresh. Just make sure you use very little and build it up as needed! I also like Dusk and Puff.” —Tania
Check out BuzzFeed’s full review of Glossier’s Cloud Paint for more deets!
Get it from Glossier for $18 (available in six shades).
35.
A super-soft Makeup Eraser to wipe makeup right off your face like a human whiteboard, using nothing but water and a gentle scrub. I’ve been using one for about a year now and it has *drastically* cut down my routine (and saved money on makeup remover!).
amazon.com, Amazon
It’s got two sides — one that can wipe off all your makeup with water and a light scrubbing, and another that exfoliates your skin. Plus, all you have to do when you’re done using it is wet it and hang it up to dry! No more wasting money on icky washcloths that hurt your skin!!! I can hear your pores singing from here.
Promising review: “Everyone needs one of these! if all of us switched to this product we would eliminate the need for makeup wipes completely! I was skeptical if it would take off my high quality gel eyeliner or not. I can’t find anything to take that stuff off unless I use an oil-based makeup remover, and I hate using oily stuff around my eyes. So I made sure that I applied it extra heavy yesterday so I could give the makeup eraser a whirl. It literally lifted the makeup right off of my face with very little effort on my part. It’s super soft on your skin and it doesn’t feel like you are rubbing yourself raw, which is another thing I was worried about. The exfoliating side that you use afterwards is pretty fantastic as well. After I got done taking off my makeup I didn’t even feel the need to wash my face (though I did just because it’s part of my routine), but when looking in the mirror, I could tell that the pores on my nose looked extra clean and my skin was incredibly smooth and soft. I will definitely be recommending this to my friends and family. And to all of you! Seriously, just buy one already!” —Adeana W.
Get it from Amazon for $19.20 (available in nine colors).
36.
A foot file just as effective — if not more so! — than going to a salon. This will remove calluses and hard or cracked skin from your feet with some gentle, pain-free rubbing, whether your feet are dry or wet at the time.
Promising review: “Heels look like day-old pizza crust? You NEED this. ?Since I was about 11 years old, my heels have cracked and had calluses. I’ve spent hundreds (perhaps thousands?) on products promising to fix my heels including other filing boards. So imagine my skepticism when I got this super affordable board for less than $9. It arrived today and I honestly didn’t expect much. I soaked my feet in warm water for about 10 minutes and then gently used the file on my left foot. I was literally speechless as this file powered away the layers of dead, cracked and split skin that grossly resembled a day old pizza crust. It didn’t take me 60 seconds for my foot to be pristine! The next foot I decided to use a slight bit of pressure to see if I could get rid of the calluses in less time. Don’t do that. It works way better when you don’t use pressure. I finished up with some high quality organic lotion and now my feet look like they did when I was in kindergarten! So soft and smooth are these feet that it’s as if I’ve swapped feet with a toddler. You will NOT regret this purchase! Just take it easy and don’t use pressure and you’ll be wearing sandals without looking like you drug your heels through oatmeal in no time.” —Lynn Mitchell
Get it from Amazon for $9.95.
37.
A conditioning and healing castor oil full of vitamins and fatty-acids that won’t just strengthen weak hair, but will help you maintain hair health over time. Reviewers mention seeing improvements in growth and strength within a week, with noticeable results within a few months.
FWIW, it also helps condition and strengthen eyelashes, eyebrows, and skin, so it really just shows up for you no matter what the task.
Promising review: “This product is just as described and it truly gets the job done. I am amazed at how effective it is, you need to get it!” —Laura Munoz
*Another* promising review: “I am so happy I bought this product! I took steroid pain injections (from age 21–23) and the doctor failed to tell me it may cause you to lose hair. That’s exactly what happened to me, I started to lose my hair and its thickness. I tried everything from Biotin, B-12, repairing shampoo and conditioners, hair masks, medicated shampoos and nothing was filling in my scalp or giving my hair the thickness like it used to. I decided to try this and it works! My scalp is filling back in and my hair is getting thick! It’s a wonderful miracle! I started crying when I saw the results I was so happy! The oil is thick but it does not mean you cannot apply it you just need to really work it in. I usually leave it in overnight because it’s easier to get out that way. You can also use other oils if it is too thick for you. It does have a slight smell but I think because it’s all organic, but it is not overpowering or that noticeable. I am going to buy this product again and recommend it to other people!” —Angel of Light
Get it from Amazon for $15.99.
38.
A gel nail polish kit complete with everything you need for professional-level manicures without ever once interrupting the sacred flow of your Netflix queue.
Each kit comes with a UV LED nail lamp, six colors of gel polish, three bottles of base coat, cuticle oil, a toe separator, a nail file, a buffer, nail clippers, a brush, two cuticle tools, and a brush duster.
Promising review: “Easy to use and my nails look so much better than they did with regular polish. With more practice I will probably save money and a trip to the nail salon. LED light is great and does dry polish and the kit came with so many things needed to make your nails look amazing! The colors are super cute! And the solution isn’t thick, it’s easy to build. Definitely gives me something to do while quarantined during the corona virus pandemic. Stop debating and buy this, you need it.” —Mostafa J.
Get it from Amazon for $33.99 (clip the “$3 off” coupon for this price; available in 16 styles).
You on your way to yell about poreless primer to all your friends:
Ariana Grande/VEVO
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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