1. A Neutrogena makeup-correcting stick so that you don't have to be so anxious about making a "whoopsie" during your beauty routine. This lets you effortlessly clean up smudged eyeliner or mascara, which is more sanitary than using your fingers and more eco-friendly than using cotton swabs! Psst — this is also *perfect* for taking on long trips! Promising review: "Perfect for travel or quick touch-ups.
I was looking for something nonliquid to take when I travel and this is PERFECT! It's very small and slim and works great. Easily removes makeup and works well on my sensitive skin." — sandy Get it from Amazon for $9.
99 . 2. A tube of Glossier Boy Brow that'll give your brows that textured, voluminous look without the stiffness or flakiness.
Just swipe it on like mascara and you'll be rocking a pair of chic Lily Collins brows. Promising review: "Great, easy to use product. Goes on quickly, looks natural but fills everything out.
Good for a natural makeup day or something more dramatic depending on how much you layer." — May-Rose R. Get it from Glossier or Sephora for $22 (available in seven shades).
3. A popular long-lasting eyeliner stamp so that the nemesis of your makeup routine is no longer such a hard step. Say goodbye to wasting all your cotton balls (and all those extra minutes you could've used making your coffee) on failed attempts at a flawless eyeliner flick.
This stamp will do it for you! One side is the curved wing stamp, and the other is a regular fine tip liner for defining the rest of the eye. It comes in a pack of two, one for each eye. The Flick Stick comes from New Zealand-based brand and small biz Lovoir Beauty .
Promising review: "Got this before a trip I took a few days ago. I have never been able to do wing eyeliner properly so I was excited to try this. It's very pigmented and goes on beautifully! I've tried other liquid eyeliners before and they were so watery and not close to a dark black I wanted at all but this product was great.
I did my makeup and put this eyeliner on at 9 am, traveled two hours, walked around a city for about three hours and it was warm so I was sweating, and then went to an NBA game. After all that time (about 16 hours!), the eyeliner was just as perfect as I had put it on! I love this product and can't wait to use it more often!" — Elizabeth Get a set of two from Amazon for $14.98 (available in three sizes and a combo pack).
4. A touch-up razor and dermaplaning tool that'll let you create the ~smoothest~ canvas for your glam. This lets you quickly shape your brows or remove any of those other fine facial hairs that you just don't have the time or patience to pluck out one by one.
Have no fear — it's super gentle and painless! It comes with a precision cover to help you shape your brows to the exact shape you want. Or leave them just how they are. Remember, removing facial hair (or any hair) is optional, not necessary! Promising review: "Plucking the more egregious of my thick black hairs is at least a 2–3x/week effort.
I opened these rather hesitantly — I mean, they are sharp blades going on your face — took a sip of Prosecco for courage, washed my face and started shaving. I could not believe how easy and quick it was. After a couple of swipes down my cheek, I noticed that it was done.
I thought it was going to take a lot more skill and time . First complete face shave (full cheeks, upper lip, lower lip, jawline) over and done with in less than three minutes with outstanding results. So much easier than tweezers and depilatories!! Wow.
" — Tara D . Get a three-pack from Amazon for $5.94 (also available in a pack of nine).
5. A foundation brush — you're bound to love it no matter what your level of experience is. With a perfect balance of soft and firm, it lets you achieve that hard-to-get ~flawless finish~ whether you're blending powder or liquid.
Plus, many reviewers mention how user-friendly the bristle design is (especially for beginners). Check out TikTok of the makeup brush in action. Promising review: "I saw this on TikTok.
I’m a middle aged woman, so it’s difficult for me to admit that. I. LOVE.
IT! It gives a flawless finish with little product. I have a compact foundation that comes with its own applicator sponge. I almost threw it out because I didn’t like the coverage.
I tried this brush with it, and it’s perfect! It also comes in a plastic case, which is great because I travel a lot with my work and my other brushes get damaged sometimes." — Thayel M. Caison Get it from Amazon for $7.
99 (available in 13 colors). 6. A sheer tint BB cream for anyone for prefers something lighter and easier to blend than regular foundation.
This oil-free formula gives you allover coverage while mattifying and reducing redness. And bonus! It's got a hint of salicylic acid to help clear acne. Promising review: "Personally, I never liked a liquid form of makeup it was hard to use in my opinion.
But this completely changed my mind and I love using it. Super easy to apply for first time make up users." — Rene Get it from Amazon for $7.
99+ (available in five shades). 7. Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind concealer with a cushion applicator that makes it easy for you to conceal any blemishes or dark circles before you head out for another day of making the world believe you totally did not stay up binge-watching your latest Netflix obsession.
Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping writer Emma Lord says about it: "TBH, at the start of the pandemic I started using this myself (although this is former BuzzFeeder 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: "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 BuzzFeed's full review of Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer for more deets. Get it from Amazon for $8.
80+ (available in 19 shades). 8. A dual-sided precision brow brush to help you achieve that trendy "clean girl" makeup look.
You can use the spoolie side to brush up the hairs, while the angled end lets you easily fill in your arches for a full yet natural-looking brow. Life Hack: A dry spoolie is also great for removing mascara that's transferred to your lid during application. I do this all the time! Promising review: " I don't really know how to shape and draw my eyebrows until I use this brow brush! The width of the bristle just fits my eye brow's original shape.
It's also easy to apply with brow powder for a natural effect. Love it!" — YoyoZ Get it from Amazon for $18 or Sephora for $20. 9.
Plus, an eyebrow stencil kit so that you can perform your brow powder application with confidence. This includes 30 wearable stencils that ensure your brows look ~flawless~ every time. It's also extra helpful for anyone who's ever had an over-plucking phase (the early 2000s did a number on us 🙃).
The kit comes with 30 different eyebrow stencils, a shaping razor, and a double-sided waterproof eyebrow pencil. Promising review: "Really great! Surprisingly! I bought these expecting the worst and they were awesome! There are tons of different eyebrow stencil options. I found one closest to my eyebrow shape.
I struggle with drawing my eyebrows to match. Their shapes are naturally quite different. This set did a great job.
I used my own brow pencil however because the light brown color is very crayon brown. I like a more taupe color for my brows." — Chls Get it from Amazon for $14.
99 (available in three colors). 10. Eyeshadow color removal sponges that'll help simplify the makeup process.
This lets you use your go-to eye brush for your whole eye shadow routine by instantly cleaning off even your darkest shades. Here's what BuzzFeeder Jenae Sitzes has to say about it: "I picked up this color removal sponge from Amazon after hearing about this hack on TikTok and can testify that it actually works SO well. I'm *so* bad about cleaning my brushes (I know.
..shameful) and this makes it super easy to clean a brush in a matter of seconds.
So even if I'm trying to do a *slightly* more elaborate eyeshadow look for the day, this makes the process of switching colors as quick and painless as possible. Also, it's *super* lightweight, and I've already tossed it in my bag and brought it on vacation with me. This is one of those products I won't be traveling without in the future if I plan on doing eyeshadow at any point — and it means you only need to pack one or two eyeshadow brushes !" Promising review : "This product makes it even easier for me to be lazy when it comes to cleaning my brushes.
It also allows me to use the same brush for a makeup look since I can swish away a previous shadow and move on to the next. Great buy. Super easy to wash.
I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, but when I do finally travel again, I'm sure this will be excellent to travel with and make it so that I only need to bring one or two brushes." — Azaleah Bumpus-Barnett Get it from Amazon for $5.99 (also available as a pack of four).
11. Or, a creamy eyeshadow stick if you want to add a quick pop of glow that requires almost no effort. Just swipe this across your lids — no brush required! — and you're good to go.
Plus, they're enriched with vitamins C and E, and you can choose from a variety of gorgeous shimmery, matte, and metallic shades. Promising review: "This is my fifth color. This is the best thing to happen to makeup.
I can do a smokey eye or a natural one in under a minute. I suck at makeup. This makes it so easy.
I am also 51. The Coco color has some shimmer. It does not crease or define my wrinkles.
Putty and Clay are amazing." — kristyn Get it from Amazon for $16 (available in 53 colors). 12.
A pack of self-adhesive eyeshadow shields , a.k.a.
your little helper when it comes to eyeshadow fallout or accidental smears. The best part? It also acts as a guide for the perfect winged liner or smoky eyeshadow look! Promising review: "I've been a certified makeup artist for 12 years. Used for my cousin's wedding makeup, and they worked really well as far as catching fallout and shaping goes, but taking them off, they really stick so just be gentle.
Still great." — Andrea Get a box of 120 pieces from Amazon for $6.99 .
13. Or a silicone reusable eye makeup shield to guide you through the trickiness that is winged liner while doubling as an under-eye de-puffer — you can pop it in the fridge or freezer and let it be a glorious wake-up treat for your skin in the morning! Promising review: "This moon slice is perfect and everything I’ve ever wished for. I wanted an eyeshadow shield that a) wasn’t sticky, and b) was reusable.
This particular gadget gets bonus points for being made of silicone, which is stiff yet flexible and fits comfortably — and pleasantly — under the eye. I also feel the grippy nature of the silicone helps catch eyeshadow fallout better than, say, a business card. All in all, this is an amazing little tool.
" — Kat Get it from Amazon for $14.23 (available in two colors). 14.
A creamy Maybelline matte liquid lipstick that'll feel like ~nothing~ on your lips while adding a gorgeous pop of color to your face. Plus, you'll be surprised to look in the mirror after an extra long day and realize it's still as vibrant as when you applied it. BuzzFeed editor Emma Lord is committed to this lipstick.
She writes: "Personally, I absolutely swear by this lipstick to the point that I haven't used anything else in years (my favorite is the muted pink 'Seductress'). I'm pretty bad at applying anything matte, but this formula and the applicator make it close to foolproof. It lasts a long time and my lips never feel chapped or dry.
I also like that when it does fade, it does it in a gradual way that doesn't look obvious or patchy and require an immediate touch-up." Check out our Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick review for more. Get it from Amazon for $9.
18 (available in 43 colors). 15. Or a nongreasy, agave-based tinted lip butter if you'd prefer something that gives you a more subtle touch while requiring much less focus than a more pigmented alternative.
With a nourishing mix of shea butter, vitamin E, green tea seed oil, jojoba oil, and argan oil, this'll keep your lips hydrated with a semi-sheer hint of color. Promising review: "I love these sticks. The colors are really nice and can be put on lighter or heavier for desired coloring.
They aren't too dark, which I really appreciate and they're buttery soft and don't leave my lips dried, streaked, or blotchy looking. " — Alyssa V Get it from Amazon for $13.50+ (available in 12 colors).
16. A fine-toothed eyelash comb to give your mascara-coated lashes a more "falsie" effect. With just a quick comb-through, you can ditch the gooey clumps and achieve the full, wispy lash look you've wanted forever.
Promising review: "Love brushing out my lashes with this after applying mascara. Gets rid of lumpy clumpy lashes and fluffs them to a natural voluminous finish. If you use drugstore mascara that is giving mediocre results, try out this lil device.
A huge difference for a small price." — Sierra Jill Get it from Amazon for $4.99 (available in six colors).
17. An eye primer because it'll make the eyeshadow look you created 10 hours ago look like it's only been 10 minutes. It helps keep your eyeshadow from wearing off, smudging, or creasing, and enhances your eyeshadow's color and vibrance! Promising review: "My skin is oily and at the end of the day my eye makeup looks bad.
I started using your primer and what a difference. Now my eye makeup still looks good when I get home from work. Can’t believe the difference.
I love it!" — Deb Rubin Get it from Amazon for $14.99 . 18.
An easy-to-use guide wand and eyeliner duo so that you never again have to *literally* hold your breath in order to obtain the ultimate, flawless eyeliner look. This genius wand is designed to help steady shaky hands (who knew that quad shot of espresso this morning would be so strong?) and features a flexible, replaceable silicone tip that's gentle on the eyes. Guide Beauty is a woman-owned small biz founded by makeup artist Terri Bryant after her own Parkinson's diagnosis made some once-routine makeup techniques more difficult.
So she set out to listen to the most common makeup struggles and develop tools to make application easier for everyone! Promising review: "I have extremely hooded Asian eyelids and shaky hands so eyeliner has kind of always been insurmountable to me and I had pretty much given up on it before trying this. I bought it with hopes it would work but it's now an actual game changer in my makeup routine. Upon first attempt I was able to do winged eyeliner for each eye in under five min.
and the eyeliner has not budged since application. I haven't worn it out yet, but it feels like a pretty strong hold. Overall I'm in love with this product.
" — Hailey Get it from Guide Beauty for $50 (available in black and brown). 19. A light-up makeup mirror , which will stop you from ever again having to precariously lean over your bathroom counter while you try to create the perfect brow shape.
This one has a bright LED light, 7x magnification, and brings the mirror right to you (which is *perfect* for travel, too!). Promising review: "The suction is awesome; I have moved this mirror every which way and it hasn’t come off once. I’m really pleased with how well it has held up on my vanity mirror.
Bending over the counter top to apply my makeup in the morning was driving me wild. It took me a day or two to get used to the magnification but that has actually be super helpful with applying mascara. I’m very pleased.
" — Jade Get it from Amazon for $24.99 . 20.
And a digital makeup lesson guidebook — your new makeup mentor bestie. This downloadable file comes jam-packed with expert tips, tricks, and diagrams, all designed in an easy-to-digest format so that you can become a pro at everything from skincare to color correction to knowing exactly where each product goes on your face shape. Olive and Lace Studio is a woman-owned Etsy shop run by Amanda, a wife, mom, and veteran makeup artist creating digital resources to aid your own hair and makeup journey, whether you're a hobbyist or professional.
Promising review: "I got this for my mom to provide an easy to understand foundation to makeup — she loved it! I love the design and graphics too, very elegant and streamlined." — Tara McMahon Get it from Olive and Lace Studio on Etsy for $22.20 .
You after enhancing all those beautiful features of yours: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity..
