16 Products Under $25 That Are Shockingly Effective

The Pink Stuff, Bug Bite Thing and Essence Lash Princess mascara

Seen all over everywhere, Essence's Lash Princess mascara claims to give the appearance of false lashes. In addition to its very appealing low price, the mascara's conically shaped brush picks up all of your lashes to give dramatic volume and intense color without clumping.

Promising review: "I absolutely LOVE this mascara and it's super cheap!!!! I have used just about every kind of mascara there is and nothing compares to it!! I have used the expensive brands all the way to the drug store brands, and have never found a mascara that I like as much as I do this one! You will not be disappointed!!" — Amy Toncrey

You can buy the Essence Lash Princess false lash effect mascara from Amazon for around $5. 

This wildly popular charger is incredibly slim and lightweight compared to other options and is compatible with most smartphones and devices. It has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon and over 60,000 five-star reviews.

Promising review: "I like the solid and sleek construction. Fits easily in my pocket. Most importantly it works! Fast charging, enough capacity to charge my phone multiple times over multiple days, and withstands plenty of me dropping it and yanking the cord out awkwardly and accidentally. This is the 4th Anker charger I’ve owned. I share them with my family and use all 4." — Joe Hull

You can buy the Anker portable charger from Amazon for around $22. 

With over 32 hours of total listening time (including re-charging from the case) and a dual connect feature that lets you listen to both earbuds at the same time or one by itself, this pair is a great affordable option. They come in slate blue, black, lilac, red and teal. The earbuds come with three tip sizes so you can find the one that fits snugly in your particular ears. They're Bluetooth-enabled and also water-resistant, so you can safely use them at the gym.

Promising review: "I have tried multiple brands of earbuds and these are my favorite! They were affordable, came in lavender color and the battery has been charged once in the several weeks I have owned them for and they are still going strong! 10/10 recommend." — Destiny G.

You can buy the pair of JLab wireless earbuds from Amazon for around $20-$25. 

If you find yourself going through way too many rolls of paper towels, you may want to consider switching to Swedish dishcloths. Multiple editors at HuffPost swear by these long-lasting multipurpose towels. The 10-pack from Swedish Wholesale is available in eight different colors or an assorted color pack (pictured) if you prefer a bit of variety. They're extremely absorbent, reusable and can clean a variety of surfaces.

Promising review: "I got three of them for myself, my mother and my mother-in-law. Works great!!! So easy to clean the kitchen counters with them. They even absorbed spilled milk on the table. I see these lasting for a long time." — amy may

You can buy the 10-pack of Swedish dishcloths from Amazon for around $17-$25. 

During yet another scrolling session, I came across this TikTok that not only convinced me to buy NYX brow glue, but to also give up my brow lamination appointments for a while. If you desire the clean, fluffy brow look and don't want to pay to get them done, this clear brow glue will act as your personal brow tech by keeping hair in place without gross residue.

Promising review: "My eyebrows are very hard to keep in place, and I’ve found it hard to come across products that’ll work well with my eyebrows. I’ve heard good reviews on this product and had to try it. I fell in love! This eyebrow gel keeps my eyebrows in tact for hours, and it’s easy to get off with just water or cleanser. They also don’t feel too heavy with this product on." — kara

You can buy the NYX Professional Makeup brow glue from Amazon for around $9. 

This tiny, kid-friendly tool uses suction to remove insect saliva and venom from bug bites and stings, thus reducing your body’s reaction of itching, swelling and pain. That’s it. There’s no creams, medicines or chemicals involved, just an upward extraction that pulls the irritants out of your skin.

Promising review: "I was skeptical BUT this actually works. I seem to have 'Skeeter Syndrome' where mosquitoes find me and leave others alone. I get huge welts that last for at least 3 days making sleeping hard. Well, Nextdoor neighbors recommended this. Now, my bites last about 1/2 hour and the welts are gone. I may have to use it 3 times for each bite but this is amazing. I can wear repellent and still get bit. I was skeptical but this works. (It will still itch for about an hour but goes away. The fact I don’t have welts the next day is amazing!!). Use as soon as you notice the bite for the best results!!!" — Bonnie

You can buy the bug bite suction tool from Amazon for around $10-$25. 

Weighing only an ounce and a half, this compact tool quickly sharpens dull or damaged blades, starts fires no matter what the weather conditions and can alert others in the area of your presence or scare off wild animals.  It includes a Tungsten carbide blade sharpener, a ceramic blade sharpener, a fire starter, a high-pitched emergency whistle and two additional sharpening components: a tapered diamond rod for sharpening serrated knives and gut hooks and a groove-in diamond rod for sharpening fishhooks and pointed tools. For under $10, there’s no reason not to snag one and keep it tucked away for unexpected situations outdoors.

Promising review: “Great little sharpener. In an outdoor situation, you don’t want to spend a lot of time keeping your knife sharp. This little thing will keep your blade honed with very little effort. It’s light, has a lanyard hole, and the diamond sharpener has several different uses. I attach it to my knife scabbard so I can quickly (10 strokes or less) keep my edge nice and sharp while I’m using it.” — Michael Mitchell

You can buy the six-in-one knife sharpener and survival tool from Amazon for around $10. 

Shopping writer Tessa Flores recently sang the praises of this budget-friendly moisturizer that works as a makeup primer and face cream. According to the brand, its iconic formula actually hails from the 1950s and has been virtually unchanged since. It stays true to a sensitive-skin-friendly composition that includes calming aloe vera, protective beeswax, nourishing soy proteins and skin-softening shea butter.

Promising review: "Had my makeup professionally done for a wedding. The makeup person swore by this product as a primer - said it beat all the others she had ever used. I decided to get it, based on that recommendation, and agree with her." — c l adair

You can buy the Embryolisse French moisturizer from Amazon for around $15-$30. 

As it turns out, the affordable viral sensation that is The Pink Stuff actually lives up to the hype, according to the overwhelming number of positive ratings and testimonials. This non-toxic multipurpose cleaning paste can remove everything from that burnt-on mess on the bottom of your pots and pans to difficult rust stains left on glass stovetops. It can even remove permanent marker from walls. The non-abrasive and scratch-free formula works on surfaces including glass, porcelain, marble and wood.

Promising review: "This is the only product that actually cleaned the buildup on my oven door. I tried everything from chemicals to natural cleaning products. Nothing ever worked. This was instantly removing the grime with very little paste applied to a scrub brush and just a little pressure. I LOVE this product!" — Sweetasapeach

You can buy The Pink Stuff multi-purpose cleaning paste from Amazon for around $6. 

This water-based, solvent-free carpet and upholstery cleaner claims to tackle everything from rust to grease, blood, pet messes and ink. Suitable for even colorfast fabrics, Folex instant carpet spot remover doesn't require any rinsing or vacuuming post-treatment.

Promising review: "I have no idea what surfactant is in this spray, but it's amazing. It immediately lifted some years-old hairball stains my dearly departed feline friend left on the carpet. It erased a paint stain on the same carpet. It even significantly lightened the stain from a nail polish spill! There is absolutely no scent, which I appreciate, because seemingly every scent bothers my nose. It didn't even irritate my skin. Love it." — Ashleigh M.

You can buy the instant spot remover for carpet from Amazon for around $7. 

For less than $4, this toy will keep even the most calm feline pal active and occupied. It has a safe design and is made of strong spring steel wire and rolled cardboard.

Promising review: "Such a simple little toy but my cat loves it! If your wrists/ arms get tired from the other types of cat stick toys this is perfect because the wire gives it a kind of natural bounce. I can sit on my chair while i try to work and my cat is entertained without much effort on my part. I am also able to tie other things to the end so if your pet ever did get the paper rolls on the end off you can still use it." — Amazon Annie

You can buy the Cat Dancer interactive toy from Amazon for around $4. 

This affordable emergency multitool functions as a seatbelt cutter and glass car window breaker. If you’re in an accident or your car ends up in the water, this tool can help you sever your seatbelt and break your car window to get out.

Promising review: "Works like a charm! Tested out the seatbelt cutter on thick junk mail envelopes and it sliced right through. Tested the window breaker on a mason jar and with little effort, it cracked all around and broke through. Definitely a must-have for your vehicle and a GREAT price." — Payton

You can buy the car seatbelt cutter and glass breaker from Amazon for around $10. 

This viral velvety primer is touted as a way to conceal pores and keep foundation in place all day, with an effectiveness comparable to any high-end brand. While it looks light pink in its container, it applies clear and helps create a grippy base for face makeup. Plus, it's a great option for dry skin as it contains hydrating squalene.

Promising review: "Just used this for the first time this weekend. I put this on early morning under my foundation and had a LONG hard day at work. Several times I was sweating and running around like crazy, but my makeup still looked good 12 hours later. It looked a lot better than I felt. I used the matte formula and love it. I never write reviews, but this was worth it!" — Michelle Sledge

You can buy the e.l.f. poreless makeup primer from Amazon for around $10. 

The tiny and overly bright lights commonly found on televisions, WiFi routers and alarm clocks might be impacting your ability to fall asleep at night, Sanam Hafeez, a New York City-based neuropsychologist, previously told HuffPost. Luckily, though, there are removable adhesive stickers that are perfectly sized to cover the lights on the lit-up devices in your bedroom. All you have to do is peel them off and stick them on whatever lights you find bothersome or distracting.

Promising review: "As a chronic migraine sufferer I struggle with getting my bedroom dark enough so when I saw these on Amazon (at such a great price) I figured what have I got to loose? I’m glad I bought them because they do work as intended. I thought they were easy to apply and I even gave some to my mom (who is also a migraine sufferer). While they don’t completely black out the light they definitely make it more tolerable and eliminate any glare from the light. I will say they seem to work better on white and blue lights better than red." — Leo's mom

You can buy the pack of LED light-dimming stickers from Amazon for around $6. 

This wardrobe stylist-approved tape comes pre-cut in clear, double-sided strips. You can attach Topstick to both bare skin and to clothing in order to solve anything from gaping in a button-down shirt to securing an undone hem to keeping bra pads adhered while wearing a backless dress. 

Promising review: “Used the tape to adhere two bra pads to my chest for a dress that was backless. I’ll never even try to use sticky bras again, solely sticking to this tape and foam pads against my chest. I danced and sweat tonight, was never worried about them coming off!” — Amazonuser

You can buy the Vapon boob tape from Amazon for around $10. 

The unique shape of this cost-effective handheld tool keeps garlic cloves inside while it's peeling so your hands stay free of that strong garlicky smell and your countertops stay free of mess. Cloves come out out peeled and peels stay inside. It's dishwasher-safe and easily stored in the included vented case.

Promising review: "I was skeptical at first, but this thing works GREAT! I never had to even touch the garlic. The skin came right off with no help from me! If you use a lot of garlic, you need this handy little tool!" — Tricia

You can buy the silicone garlic peeler from Amazon for around $10.