Life Improvers Under $50: 2025 Edition

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Maybe this is just the effect of the current internet zeitgeist, but this year has me convinced that, more than ever, January is the absolute worst conceivable month to heap all of our self-improvement fantasies upon. January, it seems to me, is for taking stock. Tidying and mending. I find myself wanting, more than anything, to busy my hands with decanting things. That feels like the right level of activity for January: a low-effort task that nonetheless yields a satisfying, vaguely utilitarian result. January is not a time for gym memberships. January is a time for The Container Store.

I say this because (in addition to hoping against hope that one year we'll all agree on this fact and fundamentally rewrite the societal expectations of January output) it's easy to feel like you're already failing yourself, a few weeks into the year. There's the inevitable comedown of the post-holiday hectivity; then there's all the "circling back!" emails you promised yourself you'd be more apt to deal with in the new year but, somehow, feel more of a psychic affront than ever; plus your targeted ads are DISPROPORTIONATELY hawking supplements and workout gear. God, can you think of a more toxic collision of ingredients for cultivating your "new year, new me!" mindset?

In a way, The Life Improvers List is a perfect tradition for this time. It's about taking stock of what worked and what didn't over the past year, and, crucially, it's about modicums of progress—not full-scale personal reinvention, which I also love in theory but often feel crushed by the expectations of in practice, but rather little bite-sized improvements to your days. Because as we know, the way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives.

So here it is: 5 things that measurably improved my life for under $50 in 2025. They're not sexy; they're pretty utilitarian; they're absolutely fucking incredible.

1) Dieux Ethereal Cleansing Oil, $28

Like any woman with an internet connection, I admit to having been convinced at various points in my life that "double cleansing" is the key to overcoming all ailments, dermatologically and psychologically. But very few cleansers of the oil or balm variety have enchanted me enough to become a permanent fixture in my routine. (I used to be fond of the classic Banila Clean It Zero, which has a nice formula and used to strike me as affordable—is this a tariffs thing?—but ultimately any cleansing balm with a little scoop you have to keep track of feels too fussy for dealing with in the shower, so I eventually stopped using it.)

Then, I met Dieux's Ethereal Cleansing Oil. The platonic ideal of cleansing oils. It pumps out beautifully and smoothly from its (recyclable) aluminum bottle. It has SO much slip, so you're not pulling or tugging your skin. It's gentle enough to go right over your eyes with, which I know everybody says about every cleaning oil but it's really not always true. It emulsifies wonderfully, and crucially, it rinses off cleanly—no filmy residue, just a nourished, hydrated feeling. So if you wanted to use it as a single cleanse, with no followup, you absolutely could. And sometimes I do.

But all of that should be table-stakes, right? But what won me over is that I began to notice my skin actually looked better the day after I wore a full face of makeup—which normally would not be the case—because that's when I would reach for this cleanser. Hydrated, balanced, calmed...my skin just seemed happier. So I repurchased this 2x and have an extra bottle stocked away in case I run out. Check back with me next year, but as far as double cleansing goes, this might be The One.

2) Gleener Fuzz Remover, $27

I am a person whose life is dominated by sweaters, and sometimes those sweaters pill. It's part of life and it really doesn't bother me that much—it's okay for things to acquire the patina of age!—but occasionally I need to go to a business-y thing and seem Obscenely Put-Together and that's when I go on a de-pilling spree.

I'd seen those little electronic sweater shaver things, which seem very satisfying to use, but seemed possibly overzealous and made me nervous from a longevity standpoint. So I consulted the only people who care about sweaters more than me: Knitters. Specifically, knitters on Reddit.

Knitters on Reddit overwhelmingly recommended this thing, called the Gleener, for safe and effective sweater restoration. It comes with a few different attachments, as you can see, for various weights of knit ranging from tissue-thin cashmere to chunky wool. It also has a sort of velcro-y lint remover thing on the other end, which works better than you'd expect and is less wasteful than the sticky-roll type. It requires no batteries, it is 100% manual. It will probably outlast us all.

This is not a sexy item, of course, and I'm sure in the afterlife I'll be mercilessly mocked for the nights I've stayed home de-pilling sweaters in front of the tv rather than, I don't know, going to underground punk shows. But this is, again, the ultimate January activity. Take care of some stuff you own, do it in a slow and quiet way, set yourself up to be Obscenely Put-Together for the rest of the year.

3) Lume Cube Edge LED Desk Lamp, $50 (eBay)

I caved and bought what is essentially a ring light for the first time this year (I know, welcome to 2020, where have you been). I did this ostensibly to get better lighting in the mix when recording content (blech), but what I didn't expect was for this lamp to take up permanent residence next to my everyday work setup. The effect has been transformative—not only do I look more alive on video calls, which is a mercy, but the warm glow of this (temperature-adjustable) light actually makes it easier for me to focus, even as it continues to get dark unreasonably early. Somehow, what was an annoying and somewhat self-indulgent purchase turned into a highly practical and beneficial one, and I love when that happens. (See also: my Norma Kamali sleeping bag coat.)

I bought my Lume Cube lamp used on eBay, because to me, niche tech gadgetry like this represents the most no-brainer category of item to buy secondhand. It works, and I literally don't care what its life before me was like. There are a couple more available on eBay if the link above is sold out, all at a fraction of the $150 retail price. Do yourself a favor and go pick one up.

4) Redken Frizz Dismiss Oil-in-Serum, $38

Okay, let me hype you guys to a little under-the-radar haircare brand called...Redken.

I feel stupid recommending this because this is probably one of the most recognizable haircare brands ever to exist, but I answer to an authority that demands I be honest about these things (me) and this product really did improve my life this year.

I tried it first by accident at a friend's house (thanks Leanne!) when I was already perilously in danger of being late to our dinner reservation and still needed to blow-dry my hair, which is a) A Whole Thing and b) requires immediate straightening afterwards or else I resemble Andy Warhol. I took a gamble and put this (or, to be perfectly honest, a now-discontinued product that was the precursor to this???) in my hair. I hastily blow-dried. I could not believe my eyes.

The floofy mess I had grown to expect was conspicuously absent. I barely needed to run a straightening iron over some select little spots. We made it to our dinner reservation.

Once home, I labored over whether to buy this ($38 feels like a lot for a non-niche brand, and one never knows if effects on vacation will be replicable back at home—what if it was about water softness and not the product at all, etcetera) but eventually I did. And I have used it diligently ever since. It's really remarkable how soft, sleek and manageable my hair is even after vigorously blasting it with max heat. Lesson learned: don't discount the old haircare mainstays. They've survived this long for a reason.

5) Stick-Um Candle Adhesive, $4.99

My final recommendation to you today can be yours for under Five American Dollars, which is really a steal when it comes to Life Improvement. As you all know by now, I am a big taper candle person. And sometimes the taper candles I swear by are not perfectly sized for whatever funky ancient candle holders I've hauled back from my sourcing journeys. But for a long time, for reasons that are now unknowable, I resisted buying one of this charming little tins of candle adhesive—I guess I felt it was silly to need to purchase something to solve such a specific problem.

But I was a fool. A fool!

Eventually, I saw on TikTok that The Locavore Variety Store carries Stick-Um, which means that it is produced within 100 miles of New York City, which also means that it's not some random mass-produced product from overseas. So that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I bought some. And y'know what? It's great.

I can't really embellish it—it just does precisely what it says on the tin. But not having your candles drifting off-center and threatening to topple is a nice feeling, and so is shopping local. For that reason, I've linked above to purchase this at your local ACE Hardware, but of course, you can also buy it on Amazon in a larger size if need be.

Anyway, happy almost-February. You made it. Straighten up your candles and de-pill your sweaters! You'll feel great, I promise.

The Life Improvers List is a January tradition—if you missed it last year, you can catch up here. Did something smallish have an outsized effect on your happiness this year? Drop a comment below. We'd love to hear about it.