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Only not-boring people are allowed to buy this Miffy lip balm and this “Sad Daddy” sponge, anyway.

As a Senior Shopping Writer at BuzzFeed, I specialize in a broad range of topics, including beauty, cleaning, fashion, personal care, home, fitness, and my beloved “TikTok made me buy it.” My work has been featured across lifestyle and writing publications during my ten years in the digital media space, including Bustle, HuffPost, HelloGiggles, and The Washington Post.

Promising review: "This lotion smells so good! It truly gives me confetti cake vibes with vanilla icing on top. I was hesitant to buy this lotion because I am usually an EOS girl, but I couldn't resist trying this confetti cake scent. I am very impressed with this lotion. It is moisturizing without feeling heavy or greasy. The formula is thick and creamy, which makes application a breeze. Jergens needs to reconsider making this a permanent scent! It has made me want to try the other Jergens scents." —amber

Check out a TikTok of the butter squishy in action. 

Promising review: "I absolutely love this butter stick squishy! The soft texture and slow-rising design make it incredibly satisfying to squeeze and play with. It’s perfect for relieving stress during busy workdays and keeps my hands occupied while I focus. The bright yellow color is cute and cheerful, and it has held up well with regular use. It also makes a great desk toy, party favor, or small gift for kids and adults alike. A fun, calming, and high-quality squishy that I highly recommend!" —Milagros Lopez

Get it from Amazon for $7.59+ (available in a two-pack and in gold). 

Check out the rest of Scrub Daddy's products for more fun versions!

Check out a TikTok of the rainbow Astercook knife set in action. 

Promising review: "These things are SHARP! Lol. Nice, clean, easy cutting. Have zero problems cutting into anything. Watch those fingers! I haven't worked with such sharp knives in a while, and these will bite if you're not super careful. But I also like to sharpen knives after almost every use as well. Sheath is a must-use for safety. Very durable, handles well. I haven't experienced any rust, and they're comfortable to use. And the colors are a nice contrast to the bland everyday of regular knife sets." —Shawna

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in 18 other scents). 

The kit comes with three different numbered canvas designs, seven paint pots, a mini brush, and an easel.

Promising review: "I have to admit I was skeptical because of the price and size. However, I got these for my husband for his birthday (he loves Bob Ross), and what a find!! We had so much fun mixing colors and painting. Would definitely recommend. The fact that they are small makes them even more special. I wish there were more to paint!" —slb m

Psst — you can snag a Bob Ross color-by-number coloring book on Amazon, too! 

Promising review: "This retro gumball machine is an absolute delight! It has that classic old-school look that instantly adds charm and personality to the room. The colors are vibrant, the globe is clear and sturdy, and the metal base gives it a solid, well-made feel. It works smoothly, dispenses gumballs perfectly, and is fun for both kids and adults. Whether used as decor or for actual gumball duty, it’s a fantastic conversation piece. If you love retro style and a touch of nostalgia, this gumball machine is a must-have. Highly recommend! 🍬" —Debra

Get it from Amazon for $30.24+ (available in three colors). 

Londontown is a small business that specializes in nail care products. 

Promising review: "I like a one-and-done nail product that will protect my fragile nails, but also stay put. I don’t baby my nails at all, so I like something that doesn’t show wear quickly. I’m not sure what’s in this one specifically, but it stays on so well. It’s also a nice micro shimmer/glitter. I’ve used a few other polishes from this brand, and while they are all nice, this is my favorite so far." —H. Peeples 

Promising review: "Super cute and great quality. Holding up well so far." —Amazon Customer

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $16.95 (available in four other designs).  

Touchland is a small business that specializes in scent mists and hand sanitizers. 

As the mother of a baby boy, I have made Snoopy my new religion, so I was THRILLED beyond belief at this collab. It smells just as beachy, luscious, and laid back as it says it does, and is the perfect casual scent to spray on the way out the door. I love how light and subtle it is compared to other scents, too — especially since I am snuggling that baby so much. I already love all of Touchland's body mists (the Peachy Lychee and Golden Amber are outta this WORLD), but this is like a happy summer hazy daydream! Highly recommend! 

Spongelle is a small business that specializes in self-care products. 

Promising review: "Boo-tiful! Love the design, smell is subtle and great, built-in soap has lasted over a month?!!!! Love it!" —Stephanie Pressman

Get it from Amazon for $15 (also available as a bat and a pumpkin!). 

Ban.do is a small business that specializes in quirky home and lifestyle goods. 

PLUS it's microwave- and dishwasher-safe! 

Promising review: "Cute! Adorable mug, a bit smaller than expected, but it seems to be of good weight and quality." —Abymom

Promising review: "Such a fun toy. They're easy to take to play with in a restaurant or while waiting. Very versatile. They can be made into just about anything. A fish, a bracelet, a rocket ship. They can be used many times." —Nicole Hadley 

Promising review: "Very nice sound and light, and easy to operate. I love the light settings that look like flames dancing. Bluetooth sounds good too! The sunrise feature works well and actually makes waking up easier." —Nathan

Promising review: "Great price compared to Miniso! I got a pink one there last week for twice the price. This is name-brand and exactly the same. Love The Creme Shop and all of its products. Miffy makes it even better!" —Cameron

Get it from Amazon for $10.50 (available in Marshmallow, Apple, Mango, and Rose). 

And shop the rest of The Crème Shop x Miffy collab here! 

Promising review: "These little guys sit on my desk like tiny, judgment-free therapists. Had a bad meeting? Grab a Pop-Tart. Long day? Pop-Tart. Questioning all life choices by 2:47 p.m.? Definitely Pop-Tart. They don’t solve my problems, but they do make me feel seen, supported, and slightly happier — which honestly is enough. Highly recommend for coworkers, offices, or anyone surviving adult responsibilities one day at a time." —Sherry

Get a set of six from Amazon for $16.97 (available in 18 other styles of emotional support snacks and figures). 

Promising review: "I have bought these over and over again for gifts. My own children have played with these balls repeatedly. We even left one on the ceiling to see how long it would stay for. It lasted four months before we decided to take it down. Since they are so sticky, they get dirty pretty quickly. All you have to do is a quick rinse in the sink and an air dry, then you are good to go. Great for adults and children! Will be buying again." —Valerie Young

Get a set of six from Amazon for $11.41. 

Promising review: "I love this! It’s well painted, and the solar light works great. It is the cutest thing on my patio table." —solowithpits 

Get it from Amazon for $15.58 (available in two other styles).

Psst — reviewers say to size up one size! 

Promising review: "Cute, good quality, comfortable. Just size up one size." —Osaris R. 

Get them from Amazon for $39.99 (available in women's sizes 6–11 and three colors).

FYI, depending on your situation, water may be enough to rehydrate you! Read more about electrolyte-enhanced drinks and hydration at Cleveland Clinic. 

BuzzFeeder Elizabeth Lilly tried the sugar-free Ring Pop flavor and says, "It truly does taste so much like my childhood candy aisle fave that it's a little spooky (in a good way)." 

Promising review (for Firecracker Popsicle): "Liquid I.V. does an amazing job hydrating. I purchase their product for 40+ employees who work in a construction-related industry. Hydration is so important while working in the hot Georgia Sun, and this product aids in this 100%. Now, let’s talk about the firecracker flavor! When we produced these for our crew, ages 23–60, all of their eyes lit up, and they were super excited. Many of them did not know this flavor existed. Quite honestly, I didn’t either until I came across them on Amazon. They all loved the flavor. In particular, the ones who were older kept telling me it tasted like their childhood. Seriously, who hasn’t stood outside an ice cream truck ordering the Firecracker Popsicle?" —Disney Diva

Get them from Amazon: $23.28 for 16 packets of Firecracker Popsicle and $21 for Ring Pop. 

Check out a TikTok of the projector in action. 

Promising review: "I bought this after seeing it on TikTok. I wasn’t sure how great it would be, and the price was a little high for me, but I bought it anyway. After getting it and seeing how badass it is I would definitely say it’s worth the money!! The lights are so cool and bright. My kids and husband love it!" —Shelby Fulford

Get it from Amazon for $29.74+ (available in four colors).

These include a citrus-y, mellow blend of coconut and blood orange in Midnight Margarita balm and a floral, bright blend of lemonade, rose, and lavender in the Garden Spell balm. 

Promising review: "BEST SQUISHY EVER!! It's super cute, very squishy, and very survivable lol. Had it for multiple days, and it hasn't shown any wear aside from the little antennas having the usual rub off you'd expect from its material. Once squished, it will slowly rise back like memory foam, and I personally recommend squishing it and then setting it down to watch its rise. IDK, but it's just so cute to watch lol." —Madison Gillespie

Get it from Amazon for $5.99 (available in five colors). 

Promising review: "CUTEST candles that were perfect for a dirty martini lover!!!!" —Gthair

Promising review: "I ordered this lamp because of its appearance. I didn't NEED a depressed duck lamp ... but it has totally filled a void in my life I didn't know existed. Everyone who sees it pokes it. The lamp is actually very functional. It's got a really nice set of brightness options, and the glow is yellowish, which is much nicer than white in a dim/dark room. One thing that isn't mentioned in the description is that its legs are utterly floppy. It's terrific." —Literated

Here's what BuzzFeeder Rebecca O'Connell says about it: "My husband got me this light as a gift, and I can confirm it's very cute. If you firmly tap or squeeze it, you can toggle between three brightness settings. It's not bright enough to read by, but it works quite nicely as a night-light or for mood lighting. The legs are wiggly, which is definitely a selling point for me." 

Get it from Amazon for $13.59 (available in two styles).

The OP Games is a small business that specializes in games and puzzles.  

I played this at a friend's apartment with a mix of people I did and didn't know, and we all had a BLAST. It was a fun opportunity for us to reference hyper-specific things when trying to lock down a specific shade (if memory serves, "zombie Barney" and "aggressive banana" were the ones that got thrown around) and to get to know each other's tastes and ways of looking at the world. The rules and scoring system are super easy to learn, too, so there wasn't a big hurdle in getting everyone on board. I highly recommend for some good, wholesome, often laugh-out-loud party fun! 

Demi's Colouring Corner is a UK-based business run by Demi, a mother of two who loves all things horror and coloring. 

Another psst — you can pick up a cult-fave colored pencil set on Amazon! 

Promising review: "This book is a must-have for horror lovers. So many adorable renditions of classic and newer horror movies that are a blast to color. I like the simple style because it allows me to add my own flair and techniques like a lot of the popular 'cozy' coloring books nowadays. I so hope this artist does a second version because I plan to finish every single picture in this book!" —AyemmeJay 

Promising review: "I love how big and heavy this glass is! It feels so nice in your hand and is easy to grasp. It makes it fun to sip out of a cute glass; everyone in my family has their own unique design!" —Natasha

Get it from Anthropologie for $16 (available in 10 styles). 

Promising review: "Adorable heart shape. Takes a little longer to cook since it's so thick. It's adorable for making a soup or pasta dish for the kids on Valentine's Day, or to just show love to your partner. Good quality that you'd expect from Barilla. Everyone thought it was adorable and enjoyed it." —Amazon Customer

Marée is a small business that specializes in beauty products. 

Promising review: "Gifted these masks to my sister-in-law, and she loved them. So I figured I’d try them too. What a difference in my skin. I like to leave all masks on a lot longer than most people or directions say. I let the mask gel absorb into my skin. So when I took it off, it was not wet anymore. I woke up the next day with a nice glow and dewy appearance. I will have to get more. I think it actually tightened my eyes and laugh lines, too. I love this product and will continue to buy it. Thank you, Marée!!" —Eugene Cecora 

Get a set of six from Amazon for $9.99.  

Promising review: "I have never seen a more beautiful blanket in my life. The images of the red roses crochet blanket looked exactly like an actual blanket — it was warm, high quality, and cost way less than others of the same size. Not to mention, a majority of the other crochet roses I looked at looked like rolled-up socks to me, while the roses on this blanket were detailed with little crochet leaves. Even the packaging it came in was elegant. Recently bought a second one for my mother." —Jones

Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in three sizes and 11 styles). 

Check out a TikTok of Murdle in action. 

The best part?? Once you finish "Murdling," you can use your sleuthing skills on Volume 2, Volume 3, and a whole BUNCH of other themed Murdle books — PLUS a Murdle board game and a book of Murdoku!!! 

Promising review: "The puzzles are a lot of fun, but the characters, story lines, and other details take the Murdle experience to another level. I have no idea how the author came up with all of this creativeness! You can Murdle solo or with friends. I look forward to future volumes, but this one will keep me busy for awhile!" —Liz Gately

Promising review: "This is the cutest hand cream on the planet. 🥹💖 It looks like a Tamagotchi!!! Non-greasy, fast-absorbing, long-lasting scent, AND it comes with a customizable sticker pack. You can clip it onto things like a keychain. I decorated it and hid it in my daughter’s backpack as a little surprise — she was OBSESSED." —n a r e e ˘◡˘♡

Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in five scents).

Promising review: "Worked fantastically. My wife had doubts about how egregiously dirty and caked-on the gunk in our 15-year-old microwave was (she thought we'd need serious chemicals!), but with only one pass of using this, it got 80% of all the gunk built up. A second pass a few days later got most of the rest!" —Some Hyena

Check out a TikTok of the mushroom night-light in action. 

Promising review: "I LOVE this night-light. It's in my bathroom and is a lovely addition. It turns off the second the lights go on, which is nice that I don't have to worry about accidentally leaving it on. Super cute and the little itty-bitty lighting element does a good job lighting, just enough so I don't have to turn the main lights on in the middle of the night." —1Thand

Check out a TikTok of the cloud knife in action. 

Between my job on the shopping team at BuzzFeed and being a first-time mom, I have a LOT of packages to open, and very little time to do it while my creature "naps" (air quotes because naps clearly go against his baby religion). I am also very, VERY vain about my nails, so I refuse to open packages without some kind of blade. I ordered a pack of these a few years ago, and even though I have lost all but one of them (I am very disorganized, oops), it still performs as well as it did the day I bought it! It gives super clean cuts and gets packages open instantly, and automatically retracts when you're done, so you don't have to worry about putting it in a drawer. 

Promising review: "I love these — sturdy, sharp with retractable blade. I keep them in different rooms for opening packages or breaking down boxes to recycle. Would recommend and buy again." —Amy Yasneski

Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.49. 

Promising review: "These are amazing!!! Beautiful colors, and the sparkle/shimmer is more than I imagined it would be. Mr Pen did it again! If you don’t have these pens, you need to get them!! Great addition to my journaling supplies!" —FBJH12

Get a set of eight from Amazon for $4.99 (available in four color sets).

Promising review: "I'm really happy with this rug! The coconut fiber is the best textile I've ever felt for an outdoor doormat for scrubbing off dirty or snowy shoes, and it feels very sturdy. I suspect this lil' feller and us are gonna be friends for a long time, and now we have the best doormat of the building!" —bluejay80

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.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.