Best Early Black Friday Deals Under $50

This overnight serum combines a retinoid with hyaluronic acid and peptides. The company lists this product as free of denatured alcohol, SLS, SLES, sulfates, and synthetic colors. It also claims the treatment can help re-texturize skin in as few as 12 weeks, though, as with most retinoids, results depend on consistent use over time.

One of this product’s biggest strengths isn’t just the retinol—it’s the packaging. Each capsule contains a premeasured dose that’s sealed until use, helping protect the retinol from light and air, while ceramides help replenish the skin barrier and reduce moisture loss. 

Our evaluators found that the St. Tropez Classic Bronzing Mousse was the perfect beginner’s self-tanner, creating a light, believable golden color and being easy to apply. It was the best pick for lighter skin shades because it was too subtle to make darker skin shades pop. We didn’t notice any color transfer after the application.

The Revlon One-Step Volumizer is beloved for a reason: It just works. One tester shared this pro tip to achieve the best results: Keep tension on the hair and work in smaller sections. Otherwise, you may end up with a head full of frizz.

This was $5 less during Prime Big Deal Days in early October.

In our at-home evaluations, this straightening comb from Tymo Ring worked best for testers with curly hair. It has five temperature settings, an auto shutoff feature, and is extremely lightweight. One tester especially liked that it could straighten the hair right at the root better than the much pricier Drybar Straightening Brush it was tested against.

This was $6 less earlier this month.

The C Crest 20pc Glass Food Storage Set, which includes 10 containers, earns an excellent score for seal quality and a very good score for ease of use, meaning it won’t take a ton of effort to put on its snug-fitting lids. In our drop tests, we saw excellent durability; the worst, meanwhile, shattered into pieces.

If you’re looking for a basic toaster that will serve up perfectly consistent toast for breakfast in the morning (or anytime for that matter) the Hamilton Beach Gourmet 22996 2-Slice toaster may just fit the bill. This model earned top marks in our tests for one-slice and full-batch toasting, as well as color range. The downside? The toaster’s exterior and crumb tray may be tricky to clean, our testers warn. But that may not matter at a price this low.

The Chefman RJ38-2T air fryer is already an inexpensive model, so this sale price is exceptional. What’s more, it’s a CR Recommended air fryer. It’s exceptionally easy to clean, and it’s a whisper-quiet unit. It also earns an excellent score for ease of controls, though its convenience score is just so-so. Overall, it’s a basic model, but it comes with a shake reminder to help you distribute your food evenly, and the basket is dishwasher-safe.

We saw this air fryer sell for $39 earlier this month, but this is still a decent discount.

The Cosori Lite CAF-LI211 is perfect for anyone with limited counter space. This 1.7-quart air fryer is packed with appealing features such as a dishwasher-safe basket, preprogrammed settings, and a digital display. With a footprint of just 9x11 inches, it comes in a small package (and a fairly small price, too). What’s more, this model was a standout in our tests, receiving high marks for being easy to use and clean and remaining at a low volume while cooking. The Cosori Lite comes with a two-year warranty.

The Bedsure Electric Heated Flannel Blanket is thin and light. Though it’s cozy, it resembles an inexpensive fleece blanket you’d find at a grocery store. One side is striped flannel and the other is linty fleece. The flannel is not of the best quality, but it does get hot. And it has the lightest wires of the blankets we evaluated. This is the price for a throw-sized blanket. Other sizes vary in price.

In the words of ’80s rock legend Meatloaf, two out of three ain’t bad. A great pair of headphones does three things: 1) fits well, 2) delivers effective noise-canceling, and 3) sounds terrific. This Soundcore model hits the mark on the first two line items. Sound-wise? It’s not terrible, but it’s not great, either. The bass is a little bloated, the midrange isn’t as clear as you’d like, and the high frequencies have a sizzle that’s okay on your breakfast bacon but not ideal for your favorite music. But at this price, you can overlook those shortcomings, especially if you’re gifting the headphones to a friend or relative who’s less than picky, or using them for podcasts or a little easy listening.

With a built-in anti-theft security system, this compact sling bag can be a saving grace for those traveling with valuables. “This bag has a slash-resistant mesh barrier in front, sides, and bottom body panels, plus a slash-resistant strap. And the RFID-blocking organizer on the front locking zippered pocket is perfectly sized for a phone,” says Anne McAlpin, author of “Pack It Up: The Essential Guide to Smart Travel.” RFID, or radio frequency identification, prevents skimming theft, which can occur when illegally installed devices capture personal data like PINs for ATMs.

The Greater Goods AccuCheck Digital Bathroom Scale is an easy-to-read, non-smart scale that’s accurate and consistent. It also handles unbalanced weights well and is easy to use. It uses a light system to confirm measurements–orange when weighing, green when stable. It has a backlit display and rounded corners.

This cushion is on the firmer side, but still ranked favorably with our test panel. The foam is dense and bounces back quickly when pressed.

The Blink Mini 2 is the first outdoor version of Blink’s budget-friendly wired camera. Its features include activity zones, a built-in spotlight, voice/app control via Amazon Alexa, and the ability to use the camera’s speaker as a chime for the Blink Video Doorbell. To use the camera outdoors, you’ll need to purchase it with its outdoor power adapter, which costs an extra $10. The camera itself is on sale for 55 percent off its list price at multiple retailers.

It performs well in our tests, with high scores for video quality, response time, and data security. With a Blink Subscription Plan, you will gain person detection and the ability to store footage in the cloud, livestream your camera continuously for up to 90 minutes, save recordings of your livestreams, “instantly” watch recordings as soon as they’re done, and share recordings with others.

The BestPet 3 Wheels Pet Dog Stroller is an inexpensive, lightweight pet stroller that might be best for puppies or small cats—it’s only recommended for pets weighing 11 pounds or less and up to 18 months old. It was very easy to assemble: Just unfold it and add the cup holder and wheels. In general, this pet stroller felt flimsy. It does offer a nice padded cushion for comfort, but the plastic lightweight wheels made for the wobbliest ride among the strollers we tested.