Amazon has the best little pick-me-ups but they can be hard to find – that is, unless you know where to look. Good news: I tracked down 36 of the most popular impulse buys under $20 that are perfect for gifts or to just treat yo’self!
Unlike shopping trips to a certain store that starts with “T” and ends with “arget”, you won’t be filled with regret over these sweet little buys (and wonder how you spent $120 when you just came in for cheese sticks).
Whether it’s a gorgeous-smelling yoga mat refreshing spray (with nearly 3,000 five-star reviews!) or a wine aerator pouring spout that makes bargain bin vino taste like you splurged on a fancy bottle, here are 36 little impulse buys you didn’t know you needed but you’ll wonder how you lived without!
This 24K Face Mask Is Golden
This pretty little gold face mask feels luxurious but won’t break the bank. It goes on sparkly gold then turns white as it dries, pulling out impurities and shrinking your pores. Even reviewers with sensitive skin love it for its smoothing and brightening effect so “makeup glides on like butter”!
This Kitty Night Light Is a Cute Companion
Even if you’re technically too old to be scared of the dark, this kawaii cat night light is so cute it won’t matter! This soft silicone little guy has almost 1,000 overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon and will cozily illuminate your bedroom with soft, warm light. The best part is you can smack him gently to change between white light and six pretty colors!
These Dinosaur Cookie Cutters Are Rawr-some
Every kid goes through a rabid dino fan phase starting around age four, but even if you’re not a preschooler these dinosaur cookie cutters are a must-have. These sturdy, oversized cookie cutters make incredibly detailed dino skeleton impressions in the dough that you can later frost with white icing to highlight the bones. These would be a major hit at kids’ birthday parties or a nice alternative for Christmas cookies!
This Mini Donut Maker Cooks Up Happiness In Minutes
This mini donut maker makes weekend breakfast or brunch special but it’s fast enough to use on busy weekday mornings, too. It’s as easy to use as a waffle maker, just fill the molds with donut batter and four minutes later you have perfectly baked little bites of heaven! It comes with a recipe book to get you started, but reviewers say boxed cake mix works especially well.
This Wine Aerator Makes Your 2-Buck Chuck Taste Like A Rare Vintage
This wine aerator pouring spout uses the Bernoulli effect to instantly “infuse your wine with the optimal amount of oxygen” that makes it taste amazing, even if you’re serving bargain bin booze. This little gadget has almost 2,000 five star reviews on Amazon and fans say it makes any wine taste smoother and more flavorful, but you’re more likely to notice a big difference with cheaper wine. One more reason to stock up on 2-Buck Chuck!
These Caffeine Gummies Beat The 3PM Slump
These caffeine gummies are incredibly useful for long, boring meetings or road trips where frequent bathroom breaks from guzzling coffee are too disruptive. They’re also more portable than liquid caffeine so they’d be great for travel or marathon studying sessions. These cute little fruit-flavored gummy bears are all-natural, organic and promise “No sugar rush, No facial flush, and No toilet slush”.
These Metal Straws Are Stylishly Eco-Friendly
As more restaurants are eliminating plastic straws, these stainless steel straws are becoming essential for eco-friendly sippers. The metal straw gets super cold so every sip is so refreshing – I use them all the time for iced tea or other drinks I don’t want staining my teeth. These come in a pack of ten so you can pop one in every bag you own, and the included tiny cleaning brushes keep them sparkling.
This Travel Hairdryer Folds Up To Almost Nothing
Typically, hairdryers provided in hotel bathrooms and gym locker rooms are disappointing at best. If you’ve got to have a gorgeous blowout wherever you travel, this lightweight compact hairdryer takes up virtually no room in your bag thanks to the folding handle. Don’t let the tiny size fool you – this travel hairdryer packs a powerful punch with 3x ceramic coating for even heat distribution, ionic technology that reduces frizz, and worldwide dual voltage so you can use it almost anywhere!
This Hydrating Eye Stick Is Adorably Effective
This hydrating eye stick is a cool way to wake-up in the morning or refresh tired eyes after a long day, especially if you store it in the fridge. The cooling sensation comes from Icelandic mineral water, moisturizing effects from Icelandic moss and kelp, and brightening and depuffing thanks to niacinimide. I plan to pick one up ahead of allergy season to head off puffy eyes and dark circles.
This Blackhead Remover Kit Lets You Play Dermatologist
If you’ve spent hours watching pimple popping videos online and you want in on the action, this blackhead remover kit lets you play Dr. Pimple Popper to your heart’s content. The five piece comedone extractor kit includes popular acne removing tools like curved and straight tweezers, a double-ended extractor tool and a sharp popper tool for stubborn or deep blemishes, all in a sleek case to keep things tidy. Do your skin a favor – if you’re going to pop your zits, use sanitary stainless steel tools instead of your dirty fingers!
This Weighted Eye Mask Relieves Headaches and Sinus Pain
This extremely popular eye pillow mask (almost 2,000 positive reviews on Amazon!) works to relieve headaches, sinus pain and eye puffiness by gently compressing the area while ergoBeads help it conform to your face. You can also freeze it before using for an even more therapeutic cooling effect. All those delicious-sounding benefits sound amazing so I immediately pressed the “buy” button – now I’m stalking the shipment tracking link until it’s in my hot little hands.
These Rainbow Scratch Art Notes Are Magical
These rainbow scratch art notes are just plain fun for both kids and adults. My gradeschooler loves them for doodling or writing little notes to her friends, and they’re a great go-to gift to keep on hand for classmates’ birthdays. I love them as a stocking stuffer or little pick-me-up gift for teachers or anyone that loves creative, whimsical surprises. This set of 125 notes plus a wooden stylus will keep them busy for a while!
These Mini Squishy Stress Toys Are Purrfect
If you know any certified stress puppies or perhaps are one yourself, these mini cat squishy stress toys are just what the doctor ordered. This set of 12 adorably chubby squishies is awesome to hand out at the office or in birthday party goodie bags. Or keep all for yourself, mwahaha…
These Photo Coasters Are A Great Gift Idea
As a home decor category coasters are pretty boring, but these customizable photo coasters are a sweet gift that anyone would be happy to receive. Choose photos of favorite people, places, pets or pretty much anything meaningful and make a functional item a lot more personal. This set of four glass coasters is under $15, so it’s a guilt-free way to treat yourself, too.
This Zen Artist Board Lets You Create Mess-Free Art
Get your daily moment of zen with this mini artist board that uses only water to create gorgeous art which fades as it dries, so you can use it again and again. Maybe it’s a Buddhist commentary on the fleeting nature of life or beauty in simplicity, either way it’s a fun way to unplug and destress, and all you need is a cup of water to start painting. This mini zen artist board is small enough to keep on your desk or take with you on-the-go to relieve anxiety and bring inner calm and focus.
This Desktop Mug Warmer Is A Simple Pleasure
I usually drink iced tea year round, but when I do indulge in a hot cuppa every now and again I always forget to finish before it goes lukewarm and unappetizing. This plug-in desktop mug warmer quickly heats up to keep your beverage at just the right temperature, and also cools down quickly for safety. It’s an instant upgrade for your cubicle that’ll bring a little bit of joy everytime you use it.
These Sriracha Packets Will Spice Up Your Life
Never suffer through a bland meal again when you’re packing heat with these sriracha packets! This 50 pack of your favorite condiment in a mini to-go size is convenient, portable and doesn’t need refrigeration – just throw a few in your purse, backpack or pocket and you’ll always have scrumptious spicy sauce close at hand.
These Chic Gel Pens Double As Decor
These feather shaped gel pens are such a sweet update to prettify your desk. This set of six stylish pens write in smooth black gel ink with no skipping. Bonus – they’re so unique you won’t forget them on a coworker’s desk or lose them in the bottom of your purse!
This House Tissue Box Cover Is So Hygge
This house-shaped tissue box cover is wildly popular on Amazon, with almost 1,000 reviews! It’s an easy upgrade that’ll fancy-up a mundane tissue box in the cutest (but not twee!) way – the tissue looks like a little puff of smoke floating out of the chimney. This would look so adorable in your bedroom, bathroom or office, and the sleek white design goes with everything!
This Coloring Book For Grownups Is Awkwardly Awesome
This irreverent and highly awesome Coloring Book for Grownups is more of an activity book with engaging tasks like “Draw the person you thought you’d grow up to be before you abandoned all your hopes and dreams”, a maze where you help a guy without health insurance navigate the dangers of everyday life without getting hurt and an alphabet you can color in (K is for Khakis! L is for Loan Consolidation!). The perfect gift for anyone with a dark sense of humor or just yourself if you need a giggle!
These Wine Cooling Cups Are Adulting Goals
These wine cooling cups are great for chilling your wine to just the right drinking temperature – for reds, just pop them in the fridge for a few hours then your drink stays between 55-60F; for whites, freeze the cups and your wine will stay between 43-53F. The durable, generously sized BPA-free plastic cups are filled with proprietary cooling gel that keeps your drink cold for hours, while the silicone band near the top makes sure your fingers don’t freeze off. These smart wine glasses come in a set of two so you can share with a friend and are available in four sophisticated colors as befitting a grown-ass adult (my fave is the coral, which is Pantone’s 2019 Color of the Year, FYI).
This Fun Lunch Bag Holds A Lot of Tacos
This super cute taco truck lunch bag (donut and mushroom style also available) means no more boring desk lunch! Of course it can be used by kids, but it got major points from reviewers for enough food storage space to satisfy grown-up appetites. The sturdy sides mean your sandwich won’t get squished and the insulated interior keeps beverages nice and cold. Desk lunch just got so much more exciting!
This Bamboo Plant Stand Is Naturally Elegant
This bamboo plant stand includes three little white pots that are perfect for holding succulents or air plants (i.e. low-maintenance for brown thumbs!) and is the perfect thing to dress up your desk. You could also use it in the kitchen for fresh herbs if you’ve got a sunny windowsill. It’s cute and compact, so it’ll fit pretty much anywhere you need a dose of green!
This Dinosaur Dip and Snack Set Puts the Fun in Functional
This NACHOsaurus dip and snack set will be the hit Taco Tuesday! This cute little guy can hold more than tacos and guac though, use it for candy, veggies or chips and dip, french fries or pretty much any fun food you can think of. The bowl part is divided into two halves so you can double up on delicious dips. (Also available in TriceraTACO or TACOsaurus Rex!)
This Mitten Silicone Tea Infuser Is Cozy-Cute
On the most arctic winter days, I break down and swap my beloved iced tea for the hot version. This cute mitten-shaped silicone tea infuser is a more eco-friendly, reusable solution than the dunk-toss-repeat routine with regular paper teabags, and loose-leaf tea tastes better, anyways! Eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean lots of high-maintenance cleaning, simply rinse out the infuser after each use then you’re ready for the next round.
These Fun Socks Aren’t Cheesy
Frigid weather has me dreaming of the next time it’ll be warm enough to go without socks but until then, these fun mac n’ cheese socks brighten up dreary gray days. These super bright, well-made socks are a great way to advertise your comfort food of choice or treat your fave cook. Besides, life’s way too short for boring socks!
This Bedside Caddy Is Scandinavian Perfection
This useful and cozy felt bedside caddy holds all your essentials – think phone, TV remote, book, chapstick, water bottle – without taking up valuable floor space like a nightstand. Its minimal but handsome, unapologetically Scandinavian good looks fit with many styles of decor. You don’t even need any special tools to attach it, simply pop it on the side of your bed rail and hygge away!
This Desk Name Plate Asks The Most Important Question
If you’re not asking yourself “What would Beyonce do” at least once a day, are you really living your best life? Don’t worry, this fabulous name plate will help you remember when you display it front and center on your desk. If you have any coworkers or Boss Babe friends who need a reminder to slay all day, this would make a fierce gift, too.
These Triangle Magnets Elevate Your Fridge Decor
These versatile triangle wooden magnet look great on their own or arranged into cool geometric patterns, but my favorite way to use them is as photo or document corners to “frame” fridge decor. You get 10 large triangles and 10 smaller ones in each set and they’re strong enough to hold five pieces of paper at once! They’ll instantly make your fridge clutter look organized and intentional.
This Truffle Hot Sauce Is Good Enough For Oprah
I wait with bated breath for Oprah’s favorite things list each holiday season, and I was pleasantly surprised she included accessible products for us mere mortals like this Truffle Hot Sauce! This 6 oz bottle of spicy goodness includes ripe chili peppers, black truffle and organic agave nectar to take any meal to the next level. I’d shake some over my kids’ leftover mac n’ cheese while I’m eating it over the sink, but you do you.
This Minimalist Cross Body Bag Holds Your Essentials In Style
This affordable mini cross body bag made Oprah’s list of favorite things this year, and it’s easy to see why! You can throw on with any outfit and it’ll hold all your essentials including credit cards, bills, phone, headphones, passport, lipstick and keys! And it comes in 16 colors and multiple shapes and sizes. I can pretty much guarantee any lady on your shopping list would love to receive this cute purse!
This Faux Fur Collar Only Looks Expensive
This faux fur collar is the easiest way to glam up any outfit this winter while actually keeping you toasty warm. You can wear it over or under your jacket or coat, with sweaters or fancy dresses or even a t-shirt and jeans! Oh, and it comes in 17 fabulous colors – good luck choosing just one! (The good news it’s so affordable you don’t have to!)
This Yoga Mat Spray Is Heavenly
This 100% natural, organic yoga mat spray disinfects, deodorizes and refreshes your stanky, sweaty mat and props, and even comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth! Choose from seven gorgeous scents ranging from uplifting eucalyptus to calming citrus to peaceful lavender, or unscented if that’s your thing. This stuff really works and has nearly 3,000 (!) five-star reviews to back it up!
This Herbal Tea Sends Sniffles Packing
The only thing that could improve this Hey Girl Feel Better Tea is if it was hand-delivered by Ryan Gosling himself. If you “feel your soul completely draining out of your nose”, this all-natural decaf green herbal tea is packed full of soothing ingredients like lemongrass, ginseng, ginger, echinacea, elderberry, honey and lemon peel to send your cold packing. Reviewers report instant relief of yucky sinus symptoms, some people even drink a cup when they feel the hint of a cold or flu and nip sickness in the bud before it turns to full-blown misery. BRB, adding this to my cart now…
These Gel Pens Write Like Butta
I treated myself to this set of 48 gel pens earlier this year and love them so much I want to give them to everyone on my holiday shopping list. The colors range from neon to subtle pastels and come in metallic and glitter versions, too. All of the pens write beautifully and work for intricate adult coloring book designs, a fancy way to sign cards or just jotting down self-reminders. My daughters love them as well and are always trying to get their grubby little hands on mommy’s precious pens…they might need their own set!
This Hand Strengthener Makes Exercise Fun
This stretchy hand strengthener gadget looks like an incredible stress-busting toy, too. It comes in three tensions – light, medium and heavy – and a helpful instruction card with 8 illustrated exercises. Amazing for athletes, musicians or anyone with repetitive action strain, carpal tunnel or arthritis, it works by exercising the extensor muscles to increase strength and range of movement. Personally I’d use it as entertainment during long conference calls or to soothe my fingers after a long, hard day of typing!
The Addalock Will Make You Feel Safe and Secure
This is such an incredibly smart idea and I kind of can’t believe I haven’t heard of it before! For anyone who would like a little extra security — whether you’re staying in a hotel or an Airbnb, the Addalock is basically a must. It fits most standard doors!
All you have to do is insert the metal part into the door’s strike box, close the door, and hook the red piece onto the designated spot…OK, I realize it may seem a little complicated to explain, but it can literally be installed in a few seconds. And once it’s in, the door can’t be opened from the outside until you remove it.