News Flash: These 31 Things Will Upgrade Your Beauty Routine Without Draining Your Bank Account

Buzz Feed

04-05-2025

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.
New makeup products to play with and enough money left for lil' treats is what I call a win-win situation.
1. A lash lift kit equipped with everything you need to give your lashes a gorg curl. Reviewers love how truly easy this is to use AND the fact that you get salon-worthy results at a fraction of the cost.
This kit includes lash glue, lash perm, lash fixation, lash nutrition, lash cleanser, five silicone pads, three lash cleaning brushes, 10 lash micropores, 10 brushes, and five gel under-eye pads.
Promising review: " I'm not gonna lie, I was worried that this stuff would either not work at all or make all my lashes fall out. Thankfully, it was neither, and the results are UNREAL. I HIGHLY suggest watching some YouTube videos of other people using their perm kits before attempting to use yours. I have big fingers and small eyes, so it was difficult for me to get the lift pads in the right positions, but once that was over, the rest was a breeze. Unlike some of the other kits I've seen, this one has basically everything you need. The only other things I needed were a mirror, some tissue, and a little bit of plastic wrap to cover my lashes while waiting for the lotions to work their magic. I'm totally impressed and will definitely be buying this again! — Ryan
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
2. A painless, mint-flavored teeth-whitening pen because traditional strips are tough to use, expensive, and can leave you with teeth sensitivity that is, in my professional opinion, NO fun. With this pen you can get instant results. And the best part? No lingering sensitivity.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I bought this on a whim when I saw someone review it on TikTok. After using it several times over the course of a week, I immediately noticed the difference in the color of my teeth. I'm a smoker and a heavy coffee drinker. I'm finding that this product will be a lifesaver in terms of what my smile looks like. I would definitely recommend!!" — Mully
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $17.95.
3. A set of acne patches you can apply over a popped whitehead. Simply put the patch over a zit, let it sit overnight or throughout the day, peel it off, and watch it take all the pore-clogging gunk with it.
www.amazon.com
Read our Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch review!
I suffer from hormonal acne — it's just something that I have come to terms with and will have to deal with for many more years to come, and while it's not fun, these acne patches make it sooo much easier. When I have a pimple about to come to a head, I pop one of these babies on it before bed and then peel it off along with all the gunk it pulls out. It definitely helps speed up the process, and they're gentle on my sensitive skin!
Promising review:"OMG! It actually works! My son gets really large acne breakouts that are really hard to heal. He put these on before bed and woke up to his large white pimples being gone! Like, completely gone. I usually pay $50 a visit to the dermatologist for 30 minutes for him to get extractions, which is pretty painful for him. We will be ordering more of these and using these instead!! If I could give more stars, I would!" — Amazon Customer
Get a pack of 36 from Amazon for $12.99.
4. And because we're huge fans of letting hydrocolloid patches solve our problems, may we also recommend these overnight nose strips to help clear out zits taking up residency near your schnozz.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review: " It's gross in the most spectacular way. The amount of disgusting gunk that came out of my face was appalling and I instantly gagged. However, my nose has never felt so clean and smooth for consecutive days. If you have oily skin I definitely recommend washing your face first and apply it to the nose before moisturizing the rest of your face. If I could give this 10 stars I would. Everyone is getting this for Christmas...maybe because it's not cheap." — Justina
Get 10 patches from Amazon for $16.55.
5. A wake up eye gel formulated with hyaluronic acid and caffeine to help...well...wake up your eyes — and by that, we mean keep the skin around them hydrated while helping to cut down the appearance of puffiness and swelling. Evidence of the fact you keep going to sleep too late because you can't stop watching Real Housewives, begone!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Saw this on TikTok and decided to give it a try since the price was amazing. OMG, buy it. I've always had dark circles under my eyes and now fine lines and crow's-feet. While this doesn't completely eliminate my dark circles, the fine lines are really diminished. It wears extremely well under makeup and doesn't feel cakey, or like there's a ton of product on." — K.Grant
Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
6. An adorably packaged K-beauty serum (hello, look at the little piggy!!!) that'll help give your pores HELL! No, really, it's called Hell Pore Control Serum. This hyaluronic acid serum is meant to help tighten pores, restore moisture to your skin, and leave it feeling soft in the process.
Promising review:"If I could give this 10 stars, I would! I ran out of The Ordinary hyaluronic acid I've been using for a year, and no stores close sold it, so I gave this a try. So glad I did because it's a thousand times better!! I put it on first, then moisturizer, after I put on my primer and makeup, and it looks the best it's ever looked. My pores were smaller in just three days, and my skin was so hydrated. I have combo skin, so my T-zone gets awfully oily. The fix is to make sure your skin is hydrated. Also, the bottle is twice the size of The Ordinary! This does it all!!! So very impressed." — smnthfinch
Get it from Amazon for $8.21.
7. A nail and cuticle care solution for making your nails look fresh and healthy with consistent use over time — just apply a coat and let it wow you!
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I had peeling, weak nails for years. Tried everything. I bought this in February. This size bottle lasted a bit more than a month, with me religiously applying it two to three times a day. I was really seeing great improvement, so I bought another bottle in late March. By May, all the peeling had grown out, and my nails were getting stronger every day. I then bought the big 4-ounce refill bottle because I never want to run out of it again! Cannot recommend this stuff enough!" — Diana
Get it from Amazon for $9.90+ (available in three sizes).
8. A liquid glitter eyeshadow that'll be the star of the show in all of your fun makeup lewks! If this eyeshadow were a song it would be "Bejeweled" by Taylor Swift because when you step into the room with this pretty stuff on your eyelids, you'll definitely make the whole place shimmer.
Promising review: "I love this glitter eyeshadow. I used to use Stila and this is so much more affordable and easy to spread without spotting. Definitely recommend getting all the shades, it is worth it for a pop of shimmer." — beautyandbeast
Get it from Amazon for $5+ (available in nine shades).
9. Schick Silk touch-up tools perfect for painless, precise eyebrow shaping, cleaning up peach fuzz hairs on your face, and even clearing away dead skin. These little guys go a long way.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:" It took me a little while to figure out the right angle to use this effectively, but once I did, it worked like a charm. I've used it for shaping eyebrows and managing the little bit of blonde peach fuzz I have on my upper lip. I haven't tried it anywhere else but no bad reactions or pain, and relatively easy to maneuver with a bit of practice." — Kelly G.
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $5.64.
10. A lightweight snail essence (no snails are harmed in the making of this product, promise) that'll deliver seriously good hydration, and can help brighten your skin and may reduce/prevent acne.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews: " I caved to the TikTok hype, and now I am obsessed, lol! I have extremely sensitive skin, but this was the first product that I didn't have to go through a 'getting used to' phase." — Shelby
"I've used probably 98% of the skincare products on the market the last 20 years (for oily, aging, acne-prone skin) and bought this as kind of an 'oh no, not Gary' (from SpongeBob SquarePants) joke for my kids. Let me tell you, I have been so pleasantly surprised by this product! It smooths, hydrates, and makes the skin more plump with an even texture! Hasn't helped with occasional breakouts, but has really improved the overall texture and tone of my skin significantly! I would recommend and will buy again!" — Rachel Shafer
Get it from Amazon for $19.89.
11. An exfoliating glove that'll help slough away dead skin so easily, you'll be confused as to how you made it this long without owning this genius product.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"I could tell these mitts were going to be exactly what I needed right out of the box. Excellent quality and easy to use! I've tried them twice already, and my skin is now incredibly smooth! After I scrubbed my arm, I looked at the mitt and saw it was covered with dead skin cells. I'll be buying more of these as gifts for girlfriends (in a fun spa gift basket)!" — Danielle
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
12. A callus-removal gel so you can experience the baby-soft feet you not only want but truly deserve. Sure, you could just go to the salon and get a pedicure, but when this entire bottle costs a fraction of the price of ONE pedi...well, it's a no-brainer, isn't it? Not to mention, you can stay home and wear your pajamas. A win-win.
www.amazon.com
Just presoak your feet, apply the gel, let sit for 5–10 minutes, and rinse! It's recommended you go back in afterward with a foot file just to make sure no residue or dead skin is left behind.
Promising review:"I have the driest heels, and this is the ONLY product that has ever worked. Before I used this, my heels had some pretty deep cracks, and now they're almost baby-soft again. BUT please follow the directions. I left it on my super-dry, thick-callused heels for only three minutes, and the calluses were literally melting off! Wonderful product! So glad I don't have to go soak my feet in those tubs at the nail salon anymore." — Kiki
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
13. A pack of curly wave clip-on extensions if you've dabbled with the idea of growing out your hair or getting extensions, but you a) can't seem to grow it that long without collecting a million dead ends along the way, and b) don't want to commit time and $$ to get them at the salon. Now you can easily clip them on yourself at home at an affordable price!
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Wow! These extensions are beautiful! So easy to put on (beginner here), the color is amazing, the curls are perfect, and very thorough instructions. I didn't realize they were also including a comb, bonus hair band, extra fastener kit, and spray bottle for cleaning. I haven't tried it, but the instructions say you can straighten these as well. I can't believe the price for what you get! Highly recommend." — Jamie H
Get them from Amazon for $9.99 (available in 6 lengths and 35 colors). And check out some extensions for types 3 and 4 hair here and here.
14. A tattoo aftercare cream formulated with fatty-acid and antioxidant-rich ingredients to help moisturize and soothe newly inked skin.
www.amazon.com
Mad Rabbit is a small biz found by college friends Oliver Zak and Selom Agbitor after seeing a gap in the market for all-natural products to heal, protect and enhance tattoos. They pitched their tattoo salve in season 12 of Shark Tank.
Promising review:"Product was awesome. It rejuvenated a 5-year-old tattoo and made it look like new again. Mad Rabbit absorbed into the skin very easily without being greasy." — Janson Ward
Get it from Amazon for $18.98 (available in two scents).
15. A blackhead remover for scrubbing away sebum, blackheads, whiteheads, and other skin impurities. The little octopus is so cute, you may wanna buy it for that reason alone.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "After just two days of use, this adorable little octopus has done wonders for me, smells great too. Here's how I used it: I wore down the stick just a little to where the texture from the salt is visible, scrubbed around on my face so there was plenty of product, then I used my fingers to gently massage all the gunk away. Rinse, pat dry, and enjoy the softness. Highly recommended for people with sensitive skin like me." — LuckLocust
Get it from Amazon for $9.10.
16. A natural lip plumper made with vitamin E and collagen designed to help give your kisser a fuller look, not to mention an added boost of hydration.
You'll get one lip plumper and one minty sleeping mask for your lips.
Promising review: "I discovered this product from TikTok, and I had to give it a try. I tried the day lip plumper, and within a few seconds, there was a subtle tingling/burning that lasted for a few minutes, but as it occurred, the plumping started to happen! It made a noticeable difference and made my lips look like I had filler! I'm obsessed!! — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $9.98.
17. Bio-Oil, a cult-favorite skincare oil to help reduce the appearance of scars left behind by acne, pregnancy, injuries, or surgeries thanks to a powerful (but gentle) combo of vitamin A, vitamin E, sunflower, lavender, and chamomile oils.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"After just about three weeks of use, I've seen such a positive change in both the evenness of tone and the texture of my skin. Melasma and acne scarring have faded pretty dramatically — I don't even bother putting on foundation when I do my makeup in the morning. The oil is so lightweight and doesn't exacerbate my already oily complexion." — L T C
Get it from Amazon for $11.12.
18. A Chi thermal care kit containing shampoo, leave-in treatment, and thermal protective treatment — a trio that works together to not only help restore moisture and shine to damaged locks but to help protect them from heat and other irritants going forward.
BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Jordan Grigsby loves this kit! Here's what she has to say about it:
"You see that shine? That volume? That bounce? Babyyyy, my hair is FLAWLESS. Witchcraft, right? Oh, and if you could feel it?! HONEYYYY, so, so soft and silky. It is seriously bone-straight and looks and feels soooo healthy! And my hair is NATURAL (other than the obvious blue dye); I haven't used relaxers or keratin treatments in over 10 years. Now, I am by no means a hairstylist, and nothing tops their magical hands, but sweetieeeee, these products blow my mind. This trio does what needs to be done, and like, I did it — I delivered these results. Nothing has ever made my hair look like this unless a stylist was styling my hair. And when I step out of my house, you cannot tell me I'm not the most fabulous person in the world — I'm literally Beyoncé. My hair flows and bounces as if I have a personal fan in front of me, and I CANNOT keep my hands out of my hair. The shampoo and conditioner help get ALLLL the product buildup out of my hair and leave my hair feeling squeaky clean. Then, I add my serum (before blow-drying and again before straightening), and BAM — I'm flawless. The combo of all three is just *chefs kiss*, and they help protect my hair from heat damage. If you want a magic wand to set everything off, invest in the Babyliss straightener! My hairdresser uses it, so I grabbed one too, and now I always look like I just stepped out of the salon."
Get it from Amazon for $24.78.
19. A colorful eyeshadow palette featuring 40 matte, shimmer, and metallic shades that'll make doing your eye makeup feel like painting. If you remember the James Charles x Morphe palette but never bought it because of its $40 price tag, then this veryyy similar under $10 alternative is perfect.
Promising reviews: "Clearly time I got a new eyeshadow palette. Sargent Freddie Mercury (my not-even 4-pound bunny) made it his mission to destroy my James Charles overpriced palette. This palette is the same quality, maybe even nicer. This eyeshadow was put on at around 3 p.m., and it's almost 1 a.m. The 'highlight' stayed on my nose, even with my mask on through a whole day of work. That blew my mind." — Daniel T Adams
"Best palette I've owned, and you can't beat this price! The colors are beautiful and vibrant. They are also extremely pigmented, especially the shimmery colors, and they all seem to blend well. I'm happy to have every color I could ever want in an eyeshadow in the palm of my hands, and I've been experimenting with colors I've never worn before!!" — Mary Diamond
Get it from Amazon for $7.39.
20. A vitamin C serum crafted with an A-list roster of skincare ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, salicylic acid, and retinol. It can be used to help treat acne, brighten complexion, reduce the appearance of dark spots, and hydrate thirsty skin.
Check out our TruSkin Vitamin C Serum deep dive for more info!
Promising review:"This stuff is amazing! I am 39 and have dark spots on my face from sun damage and some scarring from cystic acne. Holy cow, this has lightened my dark spots by at least 75%. Honestly a miracle. And for the price! Other brands are four times the price. Try this out for sure. Stick to it and give it some time. I saw an amazing difference, so so happy with it. Also, some of the best customer service I've ever had." — Ashley F.
Get it from Amazon for $21.97+ (available in two sizes).
21. A fan-fave Maybelline lengthening mascara featuring bamboo extract and fibers for full and lightweight lashes that won't flake or smudge. Phew!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review: "Best mascara I've ever used. My eyes are very sensitive, and this mascara doesn't bother them at all. I can put it on at 6 a.m., and it won't flake off into my eyes or smudge at all, even at 3 or 4 in the morning after a night out. I've even slept in the mascara, which would normally cause intense pain from the flaking/smudging, but I just wake up, and the mascara still looks fresh. Not to mention the volume. The volume and thickness are amazing. I even lost a huge chunk of my natural lashes right in the center on the top of one of my lids due to a terrible lash glue when I first received the mascara, and somehow, this magical mascara found some tiny invisible lashes to grab onto and completely filled in that bald spot and made those lashes just as long as the rest of my lashes. I will continue to only buy this brand. You won't be disappointed if you buy it." — Katie Hicks
Get it from Amazon for $8.32 (available in three colors).
22. An E.l.f. gel-based primer designed to "grip" your makeup so it actually stays put all day. Plus, it contains hyaluronic acid to help moisturize your skin in the process. Basically, this is just the product your cosmetic bag has been missing and is practically begging you to purchase already!!!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews: "I [fell in love with a] sample of the Milk Hydro Grip primer, but when I went to buy it...$36 for a relatively small bottle! I wanted to find a good alternative, so I bought this. It is PERFECT! Nearly identical formula. I have sensitive skin, and this did not break me out. It really does help keep makeup on all day and makes your skin look smooth. I highly recommend this." — Allison
Get it from Amazon for $8.06.
23. A L'Oreal Paris rinse-out lamellar water treatment with a cult following that'll leave your locks looking shiny and silky in just eight seconds. Salon-level hair all day, every day, BB.
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"OMG!!! Most amazing hair treatment I've ever used in my entire life. Most hair masks weigh my hair down but since this is a water, it makes it SO soft and bouncy. I'm obsessed and will keep buying. Holy grail." — Natasha
Get it from Amazon for $10.97.
24. A pack of overnight hydrogel masks because anything that works tirelessly to improve skin while you channel your inner Sleeping Beauty is an automatic "add to cart" moment. To use, just pop it on after your nighttime skin routine, leave it on while you sleep (don't worry, it won't leave residue on your pillow), and remove it the next morning! It'll help hydrate, brighten, tighten, and lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Most reviewers recommend doing this treatment once per week.
Promising review: "Caught wind of this on TikTok and decided to give it a whirl. Honestly, it's pretty solid! It really makes my skin look tight and shiny like I just came out of a professional facial. It's an overnight mask, so yeah, it does have to stay on for a while, which is a bit of a hassle, but the payoff? Totally worth it. My skin feels more elastic, and the pores look minimized, too. If you don't mind the long wear time, this mask could be a game changer for your skincare routine!" — Nala
Get a set of four from Amazon for $19.
25. A matte liquid lipstick providing some seriously impressive pigmentation, a silky smooth texture, long-lasting wear, and some hydration in the process thanks to jojoba oil and vitamin E.
Kayla Boyd / BuzzFeed
The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler presented to the Sharks in season 6 of Shark Tank and was actually turned down. But that didn't stop her from growing a mighty beauty empire of vegan and cruelty-free products that celebrates diversity in all its forms.
This is one of BuzzFeed editor Kayla Boyd's (pictured above) go-to lipsticks:
"I use The Lip Bar's matte liquid lipsticks often, and the formula is truly incredible. It hardly budges at all throughout the day, the pigment is bomb, AND it doesn't dry out my lips at all — which is really difficult to find in a matte lipstick."
Get it from Amazon (available in 17 colors) and Target (available in 17 colors) for $12.99+.
26. A Maybelline concealer reviewers love for its excellent price point, smooth sponge applicator, and the fact that it provides great under-eye coverage on those mornings when you wake after broken sleep. It helps brighten up the area and brings a lovely glow to your gorg eyes. ✨
www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Throughout high school I never knew how to do makeup. But then I heard this product was the absolute best on TikTok. And trust me, they were not lying. It has really good coverage and hides my 'raccoon eyes.' And the best part is that a little bit goes a long way. So if you're starting out or want to try something new I definitely recommend you try this out." — Liela Lee
Check out our Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer review for more deets.
Get it from Amazon for $8.80+ (available in 28 shades).
27. A lip sleeping mask trio designed to help hydrate and nourish your kisser overnight so it feels nice and soft when you wake up. Reviewers love that these are similar to the Laneige sleeping mask and come with THREE masks for a fraction of the cost of one mask.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
For reference, the Laneige lip mask contains 20 grams of product, while each of these measures 5 grams, or 15 grams, for the entire set. So, even with product sizes taken into account, these are a much better deal!
Promising review: "[Alternative] for the Laneige lip mask. This is the most moisturizing lip treatment on the market. When my lips started getting dry due to the cold season, I was thinking of buying the Laneige lip mask, but it's soooo expensive. This is a fraction of the cost and feels just the same. Very good product." — Riya
Get it from Amazon for $9.90 (available in six combos).
28. A liquid blush boasting a deliciously creamy, pigmented formula and natural matte finish bound to make it an instant fave in your makeup pouch. Plus, it's super buildable, so you can decide just how much or little you feel like rocking on those gorg cheeks of yours.
Amazon
Promising review:"I have used mini liquid blushes and paid hefty prices. I happened to see this one on TikTok and tried it out. I have five different colors now. The packaging is super cute, and the color is pigmented, so you only need a little. This is an amazing product." — Laura
Get it from Amazon for $6.99 (available in 22 shades).
29. A smudge- and waterproof eyeliner with a formula so smooth, creamy, and intensely pigmented you'll ditch every other eyeliner you own the second this baby arrives on your doorstep. Seriously, how did you get by so long without this?!
Kulfi Beauty (named for a type of South Asian ice cream) is a woman-owned small biz that Priyanka Ganjoo founded after spending years working in the beauty industry without ever seeing herself represented. Their mission is all about creating space for self-expression, particularly within the South Asian community, and all of their products are made with the skin concerns of WOC in mind.
Promising review:"This product glides on so smoothly and stays on all day, even on oily lids. The colors also look fantastic on brown skin! I just repurchased a couple of shades; I'm never using another liner." — Devika S.
Get it from Kulfi Beauty or Sephora for $20 (available in eight colors).
30. But if you don't have time to fuss around in the morning and need a time-saving solution, this winged eyeliner stamp helps you get the perfect cat-eye in mere seconds. Just stamp it on and go, go, gooooo!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Lovoir Beauty is a small biz based in New Zealand that sells this genius winged eyeliner stamp known as The Flick Stick.
Promising review:"Eyeliner was the most tedious part of my makeup routine, but the flick stick makes me look forward to doing my liner without having the stress of messing it up with my shaky hands." — Zehra Ali
Get it from Amazon for $14.98 (available in three sizes and a combo pack).
31. A moisturizing body wash containing notes of white jasmine, red currant, and sweet amber to help make shower time a whole lot more luxurious for under $10. Reviewers say it smells JUST like Baccarat Rouge 540...without having to spend $335 on a bottle of perfume!
Amazon
Promising review:"Cremo's body wash is nothing short of exceptional. If you're a fan of luxurious fragrances, this product will quickly become your new favorite. It boasts an incredible scent that perfectly mimics Baccarat Rouge 540 — a fragrance renowned for its sophisticated and captivating aroma. What sets this body wash apart is not just its stunning scent but also its longevity. The fragrance lingers beautifully throughout the day, ensuring you stay enveloped in that luxurious aroma long after your shower." — Ralph D. Thompson II