Style

15 Smart Beauty Products For Every Grown-Ass Woman

by Taylor Fuller
Bustle / Ashley Batz

As I've gotten older, there are certain things that I find myself buying that I would have never spent the money on before — particularly in the beauty department. I'm talking fancy face washes, makeup brush cleaner, and a hair dryer that doesn't spark every time I try to plug it in. These practical beauty purchases were milestones on my personal journey to grown-ass womanhood.

Of course I still wear my fair share of glitter eyeshadow and holographic nail polish, but I also put on a daily moisturizer with SPF. Stocking an arsenal of beauty products worthy of a grown-ass women isn't about ditching the fun stuff, it's about investing in (read: splurging on) products that can keep up with your busy lifestyle, or promote healthier skin, or just to treat yo' self — because, hey, adulting is hard, and you deserve products that can pull their own weight.

Everyone's journey in to adulthood is different, and what constitutes a beauty routine varies wildly, but as you grow up, life changes and maybe so should your beauty bag. Whether you're idea of splurging is dropping serious dollars on a really good hair dryer or just buying a sheet mask, these products have you covered.

1

Get The Most Out Of Your Makeup With A Spatty Daddy

Spatty Extend Your Beauty Cosmetic Tool, $12, Amazon

Use every last bit of your bottled makeup with a spatty daddy. The makeup spatula fits into your makeup bottles and containers with ease. The shape of it allows you to scrape the sides so you know you're using all of your favorite foundation or concealer. One user said, "This is such a great tool! I use the small one to get remaining makeup (especially foundation) out of the bottles."

2

A Mini Straighter That Fits In Your Purse

Cordless Hair Straightener With USB Charging, $46, Amazon

This super compact straightener is perfect for throwing in your purse, gym bag, or your luggage. It heats up to 338 degrees Fahrenheit so it will work on all hair types. The shape of the iron, also lends itself well to lightly curling your hair. It has a safety lock button so it can't be accidentally turned on in your bag and recharges via a USB plug.

3

Touch Up Your Makeup On The Go

LiveFresh Natural Oil Absorbing Blotting Sheets, $6, Amazon

Toss a pack of oil blotting sheets into your purse for touchups on the go. The sheets are infused with antioxidants like green tea to soothe, protect, and refresh skin. The sheets will absorb oil without smudging makeup, making it the perfect quick fix to stop oily skin from ruining your day.

4

Get A Salon-Quality Manicure At Home

MelodySusie Portable LED Nail Lamp, $10, Amazon

Gel manicures are great for long-lasting, chip-free polish, but they are also super expensive and time consuming. Enter: a portable LED nail lamp. This lamp is super compact and easy to use from the comfort for you own home (or office). Because it has LED lights instead of UV lights, you never have to replace them. The lamp will cure gel polish so you can have a manicure that will last for up to three weeks.

5

Top Off Your Polish For Serious Protection

CND Shellac Original Top Coat, $16, Amazon

One enthusiastic Amazon reviewer touted "The only reason you can't get more than two weeks out of a single coat of polish is because your nails will grow out." And what else would you expect from a brand synonymous with quality polish? Take the few extra minutes to layer on a clear coat so your polish stays pristine — its the grown-ass-woman thing to do.

6

Deep Clean Skin With A Facial Brush

LumaRx Facial Cleansing Brush, $99, Amazon

Growing up means getting to know yourself — and your skin. This deep-cleaning facial brush has three speeds and comes with three inter-changeable heads (normal, sensitive and massage), so you can customize your cleansing routine to suit your skins needs as the seasons change.

7

Use A Daily Moisturizer With SPF

Juice Beauty SPF 30 Oil-Free Moisturizer, $29, Amazon

A great way to remember to do that is by using a daily moisturizer with SPF in it. This one has ingredients like organic grape, pomegranate, aloe vera, vitamins, antioxidants, and sea algae. They all work together to hydrate and protect skin. The sunscreen is zinc based to help it provide coverage.

8

Blend Makeup Without Wasting It

Silicone Makeup Spongers, $7, Amazon

I've been seeing these silicone makeup sponges everywhere. They're really great because you can flawlessly apply and blend makeup without your sponge absorbing most of it. That means that your foundation and concealer will last a lot longer. It also means that keeping your makeup applicator is a lot easier, as all you need to do is rinse it with soap and water. One user said, "It saves lots of makeup...Before I was using a nickel size amount of foundation and now I use a third of that. A little goes a long way!"

9

Treat Yourself To Luxury Eye Treatment At Home

LA PURE 24K Gold Eye Treatment Mask (Pack of 15), $22, Amazon

Get really fancy and treat your eyes to a 24K gold mask. The little under eye patches are jam packed with 24k gold, hyaluronic acid, grape seed extract, and collagen which will hydrate skin and help increase blood circulation. By doing this, harmful toxins will be expelled and wrinkles, bags, and under eye circles or puffy eyes will be a thing of the past. You'll look more awake after a long night.

10

Reduce The Time You Spend Drying Your Hair

DuraComfort Super Absorbent Anti-Frizz Hair Towel, $14, Amazon

I use a microfiber towel to dry my hair every single time I wash it. It speeds up the drying process so much, so that when I actually go to blow dry it, it only takes me a few minutes. This towel is great because it has Instant Dry technology that absorbs moisture. It's super lightweight which makes it easy to travel with or bring to the gym. Wrap it into a turban and get ready for the day. When you're done, your hair will be slightly damp and ready to be styled.

11

Use A Makeup Setting Spray So It Stays On All Day

JAPONESQUE Makeup Setting Spray, $29, Amazon

Protect your makeup from fading throughout the day with a setting spray. One user said, "Japonesque makeup setting spray absorbs quickly and prolongs the application of your makeup. It is transparent and doesn't dry skin. The product prevents fading and transfer, providing a freshly applied look." You'll be left with beautiful skin that looks airbrushed after using the continuous spray. Make sure to hold it about 10 inches from your head and mist it evenly over your face for best results.

12

Apply Your Makeup With Professional Makeup Brushes

Makeup Brush Set With Designer Case, $20, Amazon

This professional makeup brush set includes the brushes you actually use: a foundation brush, powder brush, angled liner brush, eyeshadow brush, and lip brush. All of it comes in a pretty travel case. The brushes are made with LuxeFiber which is a super soft synthetic fiber. The vegan brushes are easy to clean and last for years.

13

...And Deep Clean Them With A Cleaning Mat

KEDSUM Makeup Brush Cleaning Mat, $10, Amazon

Keep your new professional makeup brushes clean. This silicone cleaning mat is designed to deep clean your brushes. It suctions to the bottom of your skin so you can create a surface to rinse them out. The mat is separated into different areas: wash, rinse, refine, and refine plus. In the refine and refine plus sections the brushes will be deep cleaned by swirling or scrubbing them back and forth on the mat. They'll be left looking brand new.

14

A Highly Recommended Hair Dryer

BaBylissPRO Ceramix Xtreme Dryer, $60, Amazon

This blow dryer comes with an impressive backing of nearly 2,000 positive reviews on Amazon. Unlike traditional electric models, this dryer's powerful ceramic technology emits extra gentle, non-damaging infrared heat that protects hair from damage, giving you shinier, less frizzy hair.

15

... Or Treat Yourself TO The Ultimate Hair Dryer

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, $507, Amazon

Take one look at this price tag and it may scare you away, but if you've just gotten a promotion or really want to treat yourself, this is the ultimate hair dryer and it's worth the investment. It's engineered for balance and because of the control, your hair will dry so much faster. Every second the air temperature is measured 20 times to make sure it stays even and doesn't damage your hair. It has four heat settings, three airflow settings, a cool setting, and an ionizer to leave you with smooth, soft, shiny hair. One user said, "Yes, it's very expensive...but this is a lifesaver. It dries my hair in seven minutes as opposed to other hairdryers that take over 20 minutes."

Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments.