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33 Smarty-Pants Products You’ll Wish You’d Known About Sooner
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BuzzFeed and our publishing partners may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Read More You’re gonna want to kiss the genius that discovered how to keep your bananas from browning after two days. I know I do. I'm a resident writer on the Buzzfeed Shopping team, where my love for shopping (and doomscrolling on TikTok) helps me curate lists of the most trending lifestyle, home, beauty, and fashion products. This is designed to support babies and toddlers up to 45 pounds. Promising review: "Do yourself, your hips, and your back a favor and order this baby seat carrier! This is the best thing that has ever been invented. It is so easy to use and great to use anywhere. I specifically purchased this item to use at Disneyland so that while my 15-month-old wanted to be carried in line, we wouldn't be super exhausted — well, it worked. Super easy to use and adjust. Love that it had some compartments to carry small items. We will be traveling soon, and I can't wait to use this at the airport. This is a LIFESAVER, make sure you order it!" —Celeste Montes De Oca Get it from Amazon for $84.99+ (available in three colors) There's also the option to use two bear pins, which hold hands when they cinch your jeans together. Promising review: "There are the best things ever. I have jeans that fit great, but the waist is always too loose. So I saw these on TikTok, and I was so curious to see if they worked or not. But seriously, you need to buy these, the buttons are great material and just the most useful things overall." —Alexa Botello Get a set of eight from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in eight styles and various colors). Check out the sand removal bag on TikTok! Shakalo is a small biz based in San Diego. Promising review: "We recently moved to a beach area, and we are constantly there. This item has changed our entire lives! It lasts decently long (depending on how much you use it), it smells super good (not at all like baby powder), and it's super effective. It has saved me from vacuuming my car at least 1x–2x a week. I even use it on my dogs's paws and bellies to make sure they're taken care of. I will definitely be buying another baggie to have exclusively in the car." —Gabbs Uresti Get it from Amazon for $24.99 (also available in a three-pack). BuzzFeed Editor Jenae Sitzes is a fan of these sponges: "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: "I saw these on a BuzzFeed list and was instantly sold! I hated running out of brushes when doing my makeup, and using several eyeshadow colors or wanting to use the same brush for different colors. This has saved me from having to buy 10 more brushes because now I can use my favorite handful of brushes and just wipe them off and keep going! It blew my mind how easy this sponge knocks all the eyeshadow off my brushes! I cannot recommend these enough if you don't want to shell out for more makeup brushes!" —Erica Saldivar Promising review: "Decided to give skating a try after close to 20 years, was a lil uncomfortable with even trying to ollie or anything else because the board was shooting out from underneath my feet. Got these and put them on and within the first 20 minutes I had successfully landed three perfect ollies in succession and narrowly missed a few as well, and managed to almost finish a kickflip for the first time ever (flipped the board upside down on top of my feet)…I definitely recommend this product for anyone looking to build confidence with their progression in skateboarding, whether you're just beginning, or like me decided to give it another try after a few years of not doing anything." —CJ Get it from Amazon for $28.99 (available in red or black). Promising review: "I was not expecting this brush to be so amazing. I usually use a Wet Brush, and NO MORE of that. This one doesn't pull when the Wet Brush did. Feels amazing on my scalp. Just a very refreshing brush to find. I would definitely recommend this to everybody that has a hard time brushing their hair (even kids), very soft, and the price is excellent as well. Love love love this brush. Would definitely buy again and again." —Katy Shoemaker Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (available in four colors). Promising review: "So I actually tested these bags because I’m a skeptic by nature. I took three organic bananas:• one in a Debbie Meyer bag• one in a 24/7 Fresh Pack• and one left completely unbaggedAfter 6 days, the difference was obvious:• The unbagged banana was brown and soft.• The Debbie Meyer one was slightly better but still spotty and mushy.• The 24/7 Fresh Pack banana looked the best — firm, yellow, and way fresher.I’ve repeated this with berries, greens, potatoes, avocados… same story every time. These bags are simply better quality and actually WORK. Highly recommend if you’re tired of throwing money away on spoiled produce. Plus, they are much sturdier than any other bags I tried and reusable." —Anastasia Talan Promising review: "These are the best for half of any round fruit or vegetable. I'm loving them and no more messing around with so many small plastic bags. They don't seem to pick up the smell of onions either, which is a big plus! Easy to open and close, keep food fresh, and seem to be durable. I've had it for a few months now, and I'm going to give some away as gifts to family and friends!" —Amazon Customer Get a four-pack from Amazon for $14.99 (available in two color combinations). Promising review: "I’ve used mascara for 15 years, I’ve tried a million kinds and this is by far the best. I have long eyelashes and have always had issues with getting raccoon eyes or it winding up on my eyelid throughout the day. This mascara stays on the lashes for 16+ hours, no smudging, and is incredibly easy to remove at the end of the day. Also, noting less damage to my eyelashes with how easily the product comes off. 10/10, buy this." —Shelby Droegemueller "This mascara absolutely lives up to the hype. It gives my lashes amazing length and definition without clumping, and I love how lightweight it feels compared to traditional mascaras. The tubing formula stays put all day — no smudging, flaking, or raccoon eyes even after long days — but it removes so easily with warm water at night. It genuinely gives a “lash extensions” effect while still looking natural and separated. One of the best mascaras I’ve tried and definitely worth the price!" —Courtney Get it from Amazon for $28 (available in brown and black). BuzzFeed Shopping editor Natalie Brown has these and loves them: "I bought these to wear under my wedding dress back in 2023, and have worn them consistently under all kinds of dresses every summer since. They work exactly the way they claim to: they're super stretchy for comfort, prevent chafing even on the sweatiest of days, and never feel too hot. I machine wash 'em in a protective bag and air-dry them, and they still look completely brand new." Promising review: "These are perfect for under dresses, even in the hot, humid summer. The pocket is perfect to slip my phone in so I can be hands-free. Great quality! I have two pairs, one black and one beige." —Amanda Martinez Get it from Thigh Society for $39+ (available in women's sizes XS–2XL, three lengths, and in 12 colors). Promising review: "Absolutely perfect. Easy to clean, easy to use, very sturdy. The whisk stays in the position quite well; it stows away quite flat. The perfect solution for a kitchen with limited storage!" —CMA01 "I'm so glad I found this thing. Fighting with a bulbous whisk in my kitchen drawer was so annoying, so being able to flatten it is a dream. It also makes it possible to get into the corners of my cookware, where a normal whisk could never. Not to mention it's so much easier to clean! Best whisk ever. 10/10 would recommend!!" —Whitney S. Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in green and blue and in multipacks). The lids are BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. Promising review: "I absolutely LOVE these can lids! For years, I have wasted soda. In the relentless Texas heat, I would grab an ice-cold soda, drink about half, and then either have it warm up, or insects get inside of it. Then I didn't want to finish the second half of the can. If a fly landed on the top, I had to toss it in the trash. If I put the warm can back in the refrigerator, it would not be fresh and bubbly when I went back for it. Now, I don't have to worry about the bugs or the carbonation! These caps also make taking my soda with me in the car a lot more convenient. Excellent idea!" —Michelle S. Get a set of six from Amazon for $14.97+ (available in four color combinations). This product’s packaging says to avoid using it around open food, so keep your chip bags closed and hot dogs covered (these silicone lids would cover plates easily) while you hang out. But it should be fine to pull out a hot dog and handful of chips if you’re going to eat them right away. Read more about the low dosages of pesticides in products like this at the American Mosquito Control Association. Promising review: "This thing actually works great. We started using it during outdoor markets, and it made a noticeable difference with mosquitoes. Normally, I get bitten constantly when we’re outside for long periods of time, but with this running nearby, it helped a lot. It’s also really easy to set up and convenient to bring along. We’ve used it at markets, sitting outside at home, and at other outdoor events, and have been really happy with it. It’s become one of those things we always make sure to bring with us now." —Paige Get it from Amazon for $22.94+ (available in 10 colors and packs of two). You can either use it as a scent inhaler or rub it directly on the tip of your nose for relief. Check out a TikTok of the nausea relief inhaler in action. Read more about essential oils and morning sickness at Mayo Clinic, peppermint oil and nausea in one small study at the National Library of Medicine, and aromatherapy at Cleveland Clinic. Promising review: "Took this on my first cruise. Anytime that I started to feel woozy, I’d reach for it. I’m sure the required act of deep breathing helped a lot — and breathing in the fragrance of the essential oil is very calming and effective. Worked for me! Wonderful!" —Willy&Lilly Get a pack of two from Amazon for $12.99 (also available in a pack of four). Promising review: "These are fabulous for travel — they charge three devices from just one USB port, especially [helpful] when frequenting hotel rooms. The first one is now permanently stationed bedside to help clean up the clutter, and this will go into my briefcase for future excursions. Compact, and effective!" —see2xu Get it from Amazon for $80.99 (clip the 10% off coupon on the product page for this price; available in four colors). Each small jar comes with 36 bursts, so you can throw it in your purse or tote for on-the-go moisturizing. Just be careful about leaving them in the heat, as they all may burst and leave you with a messy lotion ball. Promising review: "OK, but I love these? They smell so good, and they're so convenient. I was worried they'd be like gummy or leave a weird skin or something, but that's not a problem at all! The whole cute little lotion pop rubs into the skin. I've found they're the perfect size to get my hands and up to my elbows when I'm hecka scaly, and all the way up to the shoulders when I'm less dry. And there's no residue! No greasy feeling! Just soft and hydrated and awesome. If they come out with more scents besides this and lavender, I'm buying them for sure. And less chance of spilling in a bag and ruining things!!" —AllyBelle Get it from Amazon for $7.47 (available in two scents). Promising review: "I literally wear these covers all the time. They really are seamless, and I love the shades they have; these blend perfectly into my skin tone. As someone with small breasts, strapless bras never really were for me, as they always rode down, and I would have to adjust them throughout the day. With these, it’s just so much more comfy, and they really are sweat-proof; they do not budge. I live in California, and it’s summer right now, so it’s been like 85–95 degrees, and I can wear these with no issue!! I wash them after every wear and put them back in the casing it comes with." —Marilyn Miranda Get them from Amazon for $26.50+ (available in three sizes, five shades, and two styles). BuzzFeed Shopping editor Natalie Brown swears by these pasties! Check out her Nippies review to learn more. Check out a TikTok of the brightener in action. Promising review: "Took years off my eyes! This product is so reasonably priced. I came across a TikTok promoting this and decided to take a chance since the price was super reasonable. My eyes looked brighter in a good way, and the concealer worked so well that I felt I looked younger. I got compliments from friends asking what I did differently with my makeup. I recommend it." —Monica T. "Seriously amazing for the price. This product makes it look like I don't have a toddler who kept me up all night. Will definitely buy again." —Bethany Richardson Get it from Amazon for $6 (available in four shades). Check out a TikTok of the plug-in fly trap in action. Promising review: "I can’t say enough wonderful things about these handy little bug catchers! They are simple to use, cheap to refill, and catch a ton of small bugs and flies. I have eight of them now, all around my house! It’s a little gross how many tiny flying insects are around…but it makes me feel a lot better now that I have these!" —Chris H. Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (also available as a two-pack). The liners come with trimming guidelines so that you can cut the insert to your desired size. Promising review: "These are so comfortable! They add a little layer of softness to my little flat shoes. No need to wear socks, and yet my shoes don’t pick up any sweaty foot odor, even in the heat of summer. I haven’t washed mine yet, but I know they can be, which will extend the life of the socks."—Sheryl L. Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes [fits women's sizes 6–13] and four colors). Wad-Free is a small biz that was launched during the pandemic. Cyndi, the founder, learned CAD (computer-aided design) to create the pads. Promising review: "This does what it says. I've gone to the dryer so many times to find my sheets and blankets in a balled-up type blob. I have to unwrap everything and start the dryer again since it is all damp still...and usually had to repeat this another time to finally have the items dried. Wasting so much electricity for a number of drying cycles. The first time I used this product, it alleviated this issue. Everything was dry and not balled up. Fantastic product! I wish I would have found it sooner in my life. I think this will be stocking stuffers for my siblings this year." —Dan Smith Get a set of two from Amazon for $19.99 (also available as a set of four). BuzzFeed Shopping editor Natalie Brown loves these: "I'm a stickler for sun protection, so when I went to Aruba in 2023, these cool stickers came with me, and I've used them ever since. It's simple: you put one onto clean, dry skin (no lotion, sweat, etc.), apply your sunscreen to yourself and the dot, then watch it turn clear when you expose it to sunlight. When your sunscreen's UV protection wears off, it turns purple again. Time to reapply! Reviewers do say they work best with cream/lotion sunscreens, which is what I use, and less so with sprays. But it can be harder to apply enough spray sunscreen — the American Academy of Dermatology recommends four passes back and forth, close to your body, and then rubbing in — which I suspect might be the culprit. So make sure you're applying enough sunscreen, and that it's the AAD-recommended SPF 30 or higher." Promising review: "Just used this product on a recent trip to Florida. I made sure to wash my skin before application, and it lasted about two days on my skin without coming off. When out of the sun or behind UV glass, like in a car, the spot turns clear. As soon as you step into the sun, it turns purple. If you use sunblock, it starts to become clear or semi-clear. After being on the beach and having gone into the water a few times, the spot started seeing purple, and I applied sunblock again. In a minute, the spot was clear again. So this is very effective In alerting me when to reapply." —RGTorque Get a pack of 16 from Amazon for $16.49. Check out a TikTok of the foaming pink drain cleaner in action. Make sure you have a minimum of nine inches between your faucet and the drain for the can to fit. Promising review: "Wow! I don't think I've ever been more excited to use a cleaning product before. Who knew you could get so much satisfaction from a drain cleaner? I could probably make an ASMR video and post it, as it is that satisfying! Even though I had to angle this over my sink drain to avoid the low faucet, it worked perfectly. The foam went down the drain and up through the overflow, bringing lots of black, yucky gunk with it. I have used lots of drain cleaners before, but not one that actually came up through the overflow. I'd never even considered what stuff was in there. It did a great job of cleaning everything out, and it left the sink smelling fresh and clean as well." —Amazon Customer Promising reviews: "I would absolutely recommend this for anyone who travels, especially internationally, because of all the extra costs for going over in weight. We were among the few people in line who didn’t need to rearrange our luggage at the airport to meet the weight requirements in Milan. So easy to pack and take with you." —Addison "This little device was well worth the money spent. It saved us a lot of money on our flight home since we knew the weight was over and could pre-purchase the overage in the app instead of paying double at the airport. I’ll never travel without it!! Very easy to use." —Michael Ellis Get it from Amazon for $8.90+ (available in four colors and also as a two-pack). It's also easy to remove and washable if it gets a little dirty. Promising review: "I am constantly retrieving dog toys from under my couch. So often, in fact, I think my dog does it on purpose. THESE BLOCKERS ARE AMAZING. Every time she tries to push her ball under the couch, it pops right back. I wish I had gotten these sooner." —Evan Stark Get it from Amazon for $12.98+ (available in various sizes). Quitch is a small business founded by moms. Promising review: "These are the best for when my son gets bitten by mosquitoes. He usually welts up pretty bad. These help with the scratching." —Brenda Diaz Promising review: "Wow. Don’t waste your time with any other formulation that you found online. I’ve literally tried EVERYTHING! The soap/vinegar/baking soda, the expensive store-bought 'hard water cleaners.' I’ve scrubbed for HOURS! But this…. This product is like magic. It’s kind of like a paste that you can rub on with a microfiber towel, and the hard water stains literally just RUB OFF. Like butter! Seriously, the easiest option I have tried yet. I stopped within the first five minutes of cleaning to do this review because I’m in shock lol. Coming from someone who never writes reviews! Take that as a sign to buy this immediately. What a game changer, I’m mad I’m just now finding this stuff lol!" —_kayla_carter Promising review: "Just drop this in your humidifier, and it keeps the water pretty darn mildew and mold-free. Super easy to use, no smell, and safe. I have already repurchased and given a few to other people as well." —Kristine Get a random color fish from Amazon for $5.98 (also available in a two-pack). Former BuzzFeed writer Mallory Mower has this and says: "Finding this cup makes me feel *very in* the know, and I can't believe it's not yet a classic infant cup. Because it's absolute Glinda the Good Witch witchcraft. We originally got our baby an infant cup with a straw, but she was more interested in playing with the lid and would rarely drink from it. The day we got this she caught on instantly — her bottles were gone the same week with no tears and a healthily hydrated baby! I love that it gives her the confidence to drink from regular cups and water bottles because she now knows how to gulp. Plus, I can just throw this in a bag and go — no drips, ever! This has made our life SO easy." Promising review: "I have several colors of this cup, and they are the best sippy cups for toddlers. I love that they don't spill, and they come in fun colors and designs. They're also easy to wash. I'll definitely be buying more colors!" —Liane Menendez Promising review: "This is the definition of 'product you didn't know you needed because you didn't know it existed.' I was FOREVER pulling the wrong chain on our bedroom ceiling fan. (Want the light off? Oh no...now the fan's on high. Need to change the fan speed? Eek...now you're in the dark.) They're a much better quality than I expected. They're actually quite heavy-duty pull chains, and they add a bit of fun to the decor." —LHD Get them from Amazon for $5.88+ (available in three colors and two lengths). Promising review: "First off, if you have extremely oily skin, this. is. it. I was so tired of getting blotting powder/wipes. It felt wasteful and always left residue on my face. I saw this on TikTok and NEEDED it. It was backordered but then I got an email saying it was in stock and I was SO excited. Not only is it affordable, but it's washable, which helps you save money and be less wasteful." —Kelsey B. Promising review: "II am huge into winged eyeliner and have been wearing it close to daily for about 20 years. So much so, people are always asking me to do their eyeliner for special events, etc. Well, last week I was so frustrated doing my friend's eyeliner for a party. I could not get the wings to match, and sometimes I can’t get my own to match. Today, I am super pleased to say this is the best 10 dollars spent in quite some time. Totally worth every penny, given you get two bottles of eyeliner, one for the left eye and one for the right. Eyeliner is dark and thick and spreads evenly on the first swipe. I haven’t washed it off yet, so fingers crossed I don’t look like a raccoon for a day because it won’t come off... but a small price to pay for the quality of everything else. And my wings.... are perfect!!! Cut my eyeliner time down to two minutes versus five or so..." —Danielle L. Get it from Amazon for $14.97 (available in two sizes). BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way. The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.