26 Products Under $20 That Work Just As Well As The More Expensive Options

Jun 11, 2023

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Including products you can buy in *multiples* for less than the price of a single name-brand version.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "I breathe through my mouth when I sleep and I often wake up with super chapped lips. I love Laniege’s lip sleeping mask but, it gets pricy when used daily. This product is the most amazing alternative for it at a FRACTION of the price! Laniege is $24 for just one and this is less than $10 for three?! THREE? Omg take my money. Highly recommend! —Nikz

Get a set of three from Amazon for $9.90 (available in four scent combinations).

Promising review: "I got this for work originally and now use it all the time! I didn’t realize it looks exactly like a Lululemon fanny pack that’s trending right now until someone complimented me on it! My best friend has the Lulu one and it does look exactly like it! The pockets on the inside and outside! It’s super spacious and I can fit a lot in it! Definitely worth it, if you don’t want to lug your purse around all day for errands!" —Melissa

Get it from Amazon for $16.98 (available in 45 colors).

Promising reviews: "If you got here because of TikTok then just go ahead and add to cart. These babies are so much softer than the Real Techniques sponges and in my opinion better at blending than Beauty Blender." —Cassandre

"Saw this recommended from a TikTok makeup guru and never looked back. Was disappointed in the Beauty Blender’s quality and price and finally decided to make the switch. This product blends so well and doesn’t leave smudge strokes like how the Beauty Blender does. You get six sponges for the fraction of the price of a Beauty Blender! 5/5 would definitely recommend for the beauty babes!" —Michi Drinks Matcha

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $9.95.

They've got over 75,000 (!!!) 5-star ratings!!!

Promising review: "I am a big fan of Sharpie pens! Unfortunately, I keep losing them and I am now down to my last Sharpie pen. To me, these pens are the more affordable version of my beloved Sharpie pens — and they come in an assortment of colors!! So fun. Some of the lighter colors like pale yellow are very faint. But all 18 pens all work so I am very happy with this purchase." —Silver

"I'm a teacher and have been a Flair pen devotee for my entire career...until I found these pens. They're like a Flair, but with a finer point and smoother writing. They even feel better in your hand. I can't believe how great these pens are and they're less expensive than their Flair counterparts. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" —L Tibbs

Get a set of 18 from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising reviews: "I have continuously been hearing about this product and decided to finally try. I am a religious user of Olaplex and spend lots of money on it because I have thick hair that’s down my back. I ordered this, and used it once and it’s literally SOO GOOD. It’s the same thing as Olaplex for a fraction of the price! It left my hair feeling softer and less frizzy and it even felt stronger! Give this a shot, it DOES NOT disappoint. Just make sure you follow the directions and use it on damp hair not soaking wet hair so you can see the full results." —natasha

"I have 4c hair and was looking for a protein treatment. I had recently used a product in my hair that had so much alcohol in it; that wreaked havoc on my hair, leaving it pretty damaged. I was very skeptical about this product because I have never seen anyone with my hair type use it. Boy was I wrong to doubt this product, it left my hair looking and feeling beautiful. I highly recommend it to anyone natural or with curly hair." —Therese-Claire

Get it from Amazon for $7.25.

Check out BuzzFeed's full Elizavecca CER-100 Collagen Coating Hair Protein Treatment review to learn more.

Promising review: "Like many other people, I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz for a long time. I really liked it but $25+ for an eyebrow pencil is absolutely ridiculous so I started looking for an alternative and found this. I usually get the Brow Wiz in the shade Soft Brown and I bought this pencil in the Taupe shade and I love it. I did a quick swatch and I see absolutely zero difference. The design is also the exact same and the Nyx one lasts much longer throughout the day. So glad I found this product! —Dianna B

Get it from Amazon for $8.42+ (available in 8 shades).

Promising review: "These are absolutely wonderful in cleaning my thermos. I use these once a week, and doing so prevents my thermos from developing a weird, old coffee smell. Much cheaper than buying thermos cleaner tablets." —Santo Esmeraldo

Get a pack of 126 from Amazon for $5.74 (or $5.45 with the Subscribe & Save option).

Check it out on TikTok.

Promising review: "I’m gonna start off with saying that the actual lipstick case came broken. I feel it was appropriately packed but things happen in the mail so I’m not gonna take away a star for that because what actually needs to be reviewed it the product. I have the Winky Lux version of this pH color changing lip balm and I enjoy it however! This lip balm is legit 1/3 of the price and just as good. Just as moisturizing. It’s a balm so it not super long-lasting but the color actually stains a bit, which I fully enjoy. All in all exceeded my expectations and will be purchasing again!" —Tracy Medina

Get it from Amazon for $3.99.

As if that wasn't easy enough, these are also machine washable so you can use them again and again!

Promising reviews: "Amazing wash cloths! Work just as good if not better than the MakeUp Eraser cloth. Love how soft they are! Wash up great and all makeup washes out as well. All the different colors are nice too!" —Katrina

"Used this and started singing 'Do You Believe in Magic,' turns out a producer heard me, got a record deal, and now I’m a famous pop star. Ok not really but I don’t know what kind of sorcery this is, it really works like magic. Am I in an alternate dimension where waterproof eyeliner wipes off with ease? I don’t know, but it feels like it. Absolutely incredible. I actually use them for cleaning my face, fixing mess ups, and surprisingly they work for lip exfoliating. I even have one that’s just for my counters and it gets all the makeup and spots off like a magic eraser, no cleaning solution, just a slightly damp rag." —Shelly

Get a pack of five from Amazon for $6.99 (available in three color combinations).

For about the same price, you could only get half as many Magic Erasers!

Promising review: "Overall, I am VERY IMPRESSED. For me, these hold up better than a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. They got stains out of my kitchen counter tops, out of my bathroom sink, and even cleaned the shower so well it looked like I had bleached the whole thing! Very happy and will continue to buy in the future. I've even given some to my family to convince them how great they are." —SierraH

Get 20 sponges from Amazon for $14.95 (or $14.20 with the Subscribe & Save option).

Promising reviews: "Better quality than LuLaRoe. Fit perfect. They make your legs look smooth. They are a great deal and material is thick so they feel like leggings, not tights." —Priscilla

"Holy crap, these leggings are amazing. Without exaggeration, they are the most comfortable item of clothing I've ever put on my body. I'm 5'10" and I often find 'one size' to be too short, but these fit down to my ankle. The best part is, the top doesn't roll and they don't slide down. Keeping in mind I'm wearing them during winter, they also didn't make me sweat. I didn't want to take them off. I need to order a billion pairs, including a few to wear to bed." —Avery T

Get them from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in one size fits most for straight and plus sizes and in three styles, including one with pockets, and 23 colors and prints).

I looooove doing my nails at home and have since the pandemic started; it's a nice weekly self-care ritual and, since I bite my nails and they're super short, less painful than a salon mani. I've tried out several different stick-on pattern designs, and let me go on record saying I've stopped splurging on ManiMe's sets in favor of even cuter and longer-lasting $5 options on Etsy from small businesses like Sawyer and Scout and Pretty Fab Nails. They're better bang for your buck and dare I say a better product, period!

When I tried this particular set from Utah-based shop Sawyer and Scout, I was honestly blown away — I had these stickers on for over a week, and they were still over 90% intact on every finger, without a single one having fallen off since I applied them. As if that wasn't enough, they're somehow only FIVE BUCKS. They weren't hard to apply or shape to my nails at all. All of that plus the fact that this small biz makes tons and tons more designs for their wraps (which are made from real nail polish on medical-grade adhesive) = many more orders in my future. The only thing I didn't like was that there was a lot of pesky peeling involved to access each sticker, and that combined with my short nails mean that the process made a decent amount of waste. Still, I'm super excited about finding this brand, and the fact that each set comes with a few extras means you have backups if you mess up *or* you can save them for future manis to come (hello accent nails!). And psst, another tip: I finished off my mani with my favorite Orly top coat.

Get 16 wraps from Sawyer and Scout on Etsy for $4.99.

E.l.f. is cruelty-free! ❤️

Promising reviews: "I got hooked on a little 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

"Tried this for the first time today, I’ve always had trouble with my makeup staying on and looking fresh all day. I just used this for the first time. I did my makeup this morning, ran several errands and went to a festival in Atlanta where it was extremely hot and humid. I just got home and my makeup looks like I just did it. So impressed!" —Taylor Poulin

Get it from Amazon for $9.99.

Promising review: "I am totally blown away by this product! I've been using Laura Mercier's Translucent loose setting powder for about six months, and was dissatisfied with the fact that my skin appeared greasy/oily by the end of the work day. By 5 p.m., I have been wearing my makeup for about 10 hours. I also live in a warm climate and have oily skin. By the end of my work day using this powder, my face is still very matte! I am THRILLED! This way outperforms the Laura Mercier powder. I can't believe it. I'm never going back." —AlexisJulian

Get it from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in six shades).

Promising reviews: "Soooo pretty. It’s 100% a Swarovski [alternative] for so cheap. Looks exactly like the photo and I wear it every day." —Trysten Walters

Get it from Amazon for $17.95+ (available in two styles, four colors, and three sizes).

Promising review: "Had one of those old Oxo soap dish scrubbers and was doing okay with it, until it started leaking soap and then broke at the handle, which a lot of those seem to do after reading reviews. Needed a replacement and got the Scotch-Brite dish scrubber and already I think it's doing a better job. They advertise it as leak-proof; so far that seems to be the case. When you fill it up with dish soap and screw the handle back on, it seems very tight, tighter than the Oxo handle was, and nothing's leaking out, so already I think it's better constructed. Also the bristles seem stiffer so maybe that means it won't wear as fast. It has replaceable heads just like the Oxo. So far so good no problems, would recommend this over Oxo." —Deluxe Disco Sunset

Get it from Amazon for $6.47.

They're my favorite brand of pimple patch that I've tried (and as a BuzzFeed Shopping editor, I've tried several). Check out my full Nexcare pimple patch review.

Promising reviews: "These are the most effective acne patches on the market. I’ve tried others including Mighty Patch, but these work overnight and extract the most stuff." —Kristina H.

"Okay, what is this sorcery?? I can't believe I never knew these existed. I seriously felt like a teenager again last weekend. Literally days after talking about how great my skin has been, this giant, painful, bulging zit was starting to form right in the middle of my chin. A week before my cousin's wedding, naturally. It was like it wouldn't stop growing, and spot treatment solution was doing absolutely nothing. It hurt so bad, and I couldn't help trying to pop it, but it refused. Then I heard about these. I placed one on my chin the second they arrived in the mail. After a few hours, I saw the white forming and I was curious and peeled it off. Then I put a fresh one on before bed, and come the next morning...HOLY COW, the entire dot of the patch was now a giant white blob. This zit was no joke. It's amazing how much fluid/pus had to get sucked out. Like I said, this is some magic. The zit completely went away within a day." —Heather R. Weather

Get a box of 36 from Amazon for $7.65.

I don't even wear eyeshadow and this glitzy blue is tempting me....

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 $6 (available in 19 shades).

They come with three different size pads so you can get your perfect fit. I've had a pair of these for a couple of years now and they're still going strong, and I love the fun colors (I have purple)!

Promising review: "These earbuds sound better than headphones that cost hundreds of dollars! I'm a classical pianist, and I know what good sound is! I've tried so many to finally stumble upon these gems. They have such powerful crystal clear sound to feel those beautiful piano notes, but the bass to reel in the cello to enrich the sound. To date, I've never heard such beautiful sounds come from any device. I almost cry listening to the rich sounds. Honestly, I've put a few through the washer and ruined them. But they still sound better broken than others in this price range. Don't believe me. Buy these and find out! I've tried so many different brands and models with my music, and dare I say it's on par or better than Bose! Most earphones I run across sound muffled or have too much bass. These find the right balance and fit all genres of music. Please stop reading this and buy some already. You'll thank me later! Do it! As a bonus, I love the built in mic and button so I can skip songs. It's something you get used to and can't live without. Why are you still reading this? GO BUY THESE! Actually, buy a few if you accidentally put things through the washer." —Amazon Customer

Get them from Amazon for $9.35+ (available in 16 colors and with or without a mic).

BuzzFeed Shopping editor Kayla Boyd (whose lovely face is pictured above) says it really lives up to the hype! Check out her full Essence Lash Princess mascara review.

Promising reviews: "This is the best mascara I'll ever use! It adds so much volume to my lashes (without the use of false lashes) without any clumps. It doesn't smudge, is easy to wash off, and is perfect with or without eyeliner. It's affordable which is a huge plus, since it gives the same result as the more expensive Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara." —Kara

"Best mascara of all time!!! Never will I ever be without this mascara. I've got short, thin lashes and have had a graveyard of mascara that I would constantly give to my friend or daughter because they never lived up to the hype. This is amazing. I will sometimes add a fiber thing with it to make it even better, but it's great on its own. And the price makes it even more ridiculous. I seriously had my doubts but I'm a total fan now after using it. Getting ready to buy another tube now. It's lasted three months so far and I use it pretty much daily. I can't tell how much is left, but I don't want to risk being without it." —angmoore

Get it from Amazon for $4.99.

Promising review: "I love this little gadget. I used to only make cappuccinos occasionally with my Nespresso machine and matching milk frother. When my frother stopped working, I found this and decided to give it a try. I actually came to prefer this, because it's much easier to clean and doesn't require an electrical receptacle (something there are never enough of in the kitchen). It's also not a big bulky appliance that takes up a ton of room in the cabinet or countertop. The simplicity of it has actually made cappuccinos so easy that they are now something I look forward to in my daily morning routine. I just microwave a little milk in a mug, then take the this frother to it and I get a bunch of frothy goodness. I'm not a coffee snob, but for me it's the same as a cappuccino in a coffee shop." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $19.99 (available in 42 colors and prints).

Promising reviews: "Love these! Good quality for the price! I purchased them because I didn't want to pay $50 for the Quays I have been eyeballing. Perfect for a fraction of the cost!" —Paige Wernick

"A few months ago, I purchased the style that this company modeled this lens after — Quay Australia. I absolutely adored those shades but...I sat on them LOL. Snapped the left arm right off – I was crushed. Recently, I was looking for the same pair of sunglasses because nothing quite matched up to the ones I'd purchased. Found these and bought them because they were a fraction of the cost and came in 1/2 the time. They're virtually nondiscernable from the Quay brand glasses! I'm almost tempted to buy another pair just in case!" —Sarah Victor Beauty

Get them from Amazon for $9.95+ (available in six colors).

Plus, it's cruelty free! Check out BuzzFeed's full write-up on Elizabeth Mott eyeshadow primer.

Promising reviews: "I have gone through various eyeshadow primers and this is by far the best. I spent over $20 on the Urban Decay primer, which media rated best, and this puts it to shame!" —Aristea Theodoropoulos

"I absolutely love this stuff! I have extremely oily skin. At the end of the day my makeup is like melting off my face it's so oily. I have used Urban Decay and Too Faced eye primer for years, and they work well, but I actually like this stuff better. The consistency is good. It's creamy and goes on smooth. It's practically clear when it dries. I even apply it beyond my eyes up in to my brows, and then I use It Cosmetics universal brow pencil, and my eyebrows stay in place till I get home from work, which is a good nine hours. My brow pencil goes on smoother, and I feel like I have more control over the darkness and shape of my brows. No creasing at all on my shadow after nine hours. I've been using it for about a month, and it's what I will continue to use. I think it's better, cheaper, and available with Prime!" —hollyjj

Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (or $12.59 with the Subscribe & Save option).

Remember to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after use.

Promising reviews: "We like these better than Crest Whitestrips and for a fraction of the price! The Crest Whitestrips make my teeth way too sensitive, these work JUST AS WELL and no tooth sensitivity." —Travis Sheveland

"Hardly ever do I review but this time, sheesh! This product blew me away after only three uses! First off, it's easy to use! I've tried a ton of products for teeth whitening and all have been either inconvenient to use, or make you wear a mouthguard etc. This is a PEN/brush! Hold it like a writing pen and twist up for the solution, the solution feeds through onto the brush (which is actually the size of a tooth) and you just brushstroke on dry teeth as you are smiling! It dries on and you rinse off. Magical! I've seen a noticeable difference after only using this for three days!! My husband even said 'WOW your teeth look amazingly white.' I'm a smoker/tea drinker/coffee drinker too! What's even more awesome is the price! Remarkable difference and it lasts! If I could give this 1,000 stars this would have earned 1,001, know what I mean?!" —Lisa E.

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $18.95 (or $18 with the Subscribe & Save option).

Mouthwatchers is a dentist-founded small business specializing in upgraded toothbrushes. While these can't be a full substitute for flossing, they're helpful if you don't floss as much as you should (I feel you). As always, your dentist will have the best advice on the routine that's best for you!

Promising reviews: "This is the best toothbrush I have used. I have both Sonic and Oral-B electric but this manual brush is my favorite. Does not irritate my mouth. Will definitely reorder" —Dr Todd

"Seriously! I love this toothbrush, it’s the best one out there. I’ve tried all different kinds — I’m always looking for the next best one, but this is it for me. I feel like this manual brush would give any electric one a run for its money. Just buy it! You won’t be disappointed!" —Sarah T.

Get an extra-soft version from Amazon for $4.94+ (or $4.59+ with the Subscribe & Save option; available in four colors and in more styles and quantities here).

It's got over 11,000 5-star ratings!

Promising review: "This is my favorite belt! It's perfect with jeans and I get so many compliments on it. I love that the double-ring is sort of designer-inspired, but not a complete knockoff of the Gucci belt. I highly recommend! I am typically a medium and the medium was perfect." —Everyday Teacher Style

Get it from Amazon for $12.79+ (available in sizes XS–XL and in 14 styles).

The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.