I’ll admit, last year wasn’t the easiest for any of us. While I was cooped up in the house for months on end, I had to turn to some form of therapy. Unfortunately for me — and my bank account — my favorite form of therapy happens to be retail therapy.
Out of all the products I’ve tested out last year, here are my all-time faves that I’ve incorporated into my day-to-day routine.
1. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask
I know you’ve heard Instagram influencers rave about this lip mask, and you probably just figured they were doing it for that sponsorship coin, so you never gave it a second though — or at least that’s what I did.
Well I’m here to tell you they did not tell a single lie or exaggerate the benefits of this mask at all. All you have to do is put this product on before you go to bed and viola, you wake up in the morning with lip injections for just $20. It’s like magic in a little .7-ounce container.
I would recommend using the applicator that comes with it though, so your fingers don’t soak up any of the products. This way you’ll get the most for your money and it will last forever. I purchased mine back in April, use it religiously throughout the day and still haven’t even hit pan. I also bought the matching lip balm and let me tell you, the two combined is like miracle work. You can thank me later.
2. Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint + Stretch Concealer Duo
I’m going to be honest: I never felt the need to purchase Glossier products even though the entire beauty world couldn’t get enough of this innovative brand. I started looking at their website because I knew their products were high quality as well as quick and easy to use.
I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life, so the change of climate when I moved to Florida in March made me reevaluate my entire skin routine. My skin was now tan and cleared from most breakouts, so I didn’t need such full coverage products anymore.
Glossier’s skin tint and concealer duo work wonders by giving off coverage while letting your skin show through. This duo paired with other cream face products of your choosing gives such a beautiful, healthy look that I can’t get enough of.
3. ColourPop, “California Love” Eyeshadow Palette
I purchased this palette back in June and it turned into my summertime holy grail palette. For just $18 at Ulta, the shadows are creamy, pigmented and blend to perfection. It’s the perfect warm toned palette for a simple day look or a nighttime glam with rust and orange toned mattes, gold shimmers and bronze glitters.
4. Elizavecca Cer-100 Collagen Coating Hair Protein Treatment
Now, moving onto hair care. Quarantine forced me into a routine of washing my hair once a week and to my surprise, my thick curls are living for it. Well, that and this hair mask.
When I had Coronavirus back in July, I was doing some serious research on hair products and came across this $8 hair mask on Amazon. This mask has done my hair wonders, and I now use it in place of my conditioner for the most part. Since I only wash my hair once a week, I think it’s okay to do this but if you wash your hair more often than that, I would recommend only using it once or twice a week.
Even though I have curly hair, this mask is targeting hair that is damaged, so if you need a mask to restructure those split ends or fly aways, look no further!
5. Twisted Sista Curl Activator Cream and Curl Hair Spray
With curly hair, it’s important to use products that have hydrating properties. Both the Curl Activator Cream and Curl Hair Spray contain coconut, avocado and almond oils — which are all super hydrating.
The Curl Activator Cream does just what the name implies. I use it right after getting out of the shower by flipping my hair, running the product with my fingers from roots to ends and scrunching my hair from my roots all the way to my ends while my head is still flipped. This allows the hair to start developing the curl pattern when wet, and it only gets better as it dries. I continue scrunching my hair while it’s air drying and then see if I need to add any extra product to hold my curls or eliminate any frizz, but I typically don’t on the first day.
The Curl Hair Spray is not a hairspray, but it’s a reactivator. I typically use this on two or three days after my hair wash day to control frizz and reactivate the curls. After using water to scrunch this spray in, my curls pop. I get the most compliments on my hair after using this product because it’s just that good. I would recommend avoiding use at the roots because the oils in the spray will weigh the hair down at the root and make it look greasy ∏ which none of us want.
These products are about $12 each and can be found on Amazon!
6. Mainstays 3-Wick Candles
Let’s be honest, $24.50 for a three-wick candle from Bath and Body Works is a little pricey for a college student. If you’re like me and have a candle obsession, but you’re on a budget, I have found the candle spot for you! I could not believe the quality of these $3 candles from Walmart.
I had been buying cheap candles from Marshalls and TjMaxx for a while, but they weren’t giving off a smell, so I wasn’t expecting much out of these Wally World candles. But I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. They smell amazing and the scent lingers for hours after being lit.
7. Tervis Clear Tumbler with Straw Lid
Anyone that knows me knows I am a huge water drinker. Like seriously, I may be a coffee addict, but I am more of a water addict — like a chase-my-coffee-with-water-water-addict—and I’ve found that Tervis has perfected these cups.
I love my water ice cold and I drink everything with a straw, which makes these cups perfect. They keep my water cold for hours without sweating and the straw lid prevents anything from leaking. They also come in a range of colors and designs, but if you don’t like any of them you can customize your own!
8. King Size Heating Pad
This heating pad is one of my favorite purchases of all time. Okay, that might be an exaggeration because this entire article includes my favorite purchases, but I am in love with this heating pad. I mostly love it because it alleviates pain from my period cramps, which we all know can be unbearable. I tend to get them in my stomach, lower back and my thighs so this king size one allows me to wrap it around myself and hit every spot at once.
Heating pads are also great for loosening the muscles, relieving tension and soothing pain throughout the body, so I’d say the bigger the better! I got mine on Amazon for just $32, and I would say it’s more than worth it.
I would like to thank my newfound shopping addiction for helping me find these products and giving me this article. These are just eight of my most-used purchases from this year that are worth every penny in my opinion and most of them can be found on Amazon with quick shipping!