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My Desert Island Products 

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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pace chapter.

As someone who’s easily influenced but hard to impress, when I find something I like, I stick with it. I’ve seen so many products that people say changed their lives, but quite often they’re all the same products. This leaves me questioning two things: are these products that great that everyone loves them, or are they just the current products receiving the most hype? How many of these objects will remain in peoples’ go-tos or must-haves after their initial popularity is lost? I will admit that not everything on my list I sought out or discovered myself. They’ve been recommended by friends, family, and even a few through TikToks. There are few products and things that I can’t live without or, rather, wouldn’t want to imagine living without them. These five things won’t be changed after the next trend cycles come and go. They’re here for the long haul. They’re the things I would bring with me to desert island (granted I have the other resources to survive). 

Nutritional Yeast

 know this is niche and random, but it has me in a chokehold. Ever since I was a little kid, this has gone on almost every one of my meals. I seriously eat it on everything: popcorn, toast, pasta, rice, salad, bagels. You name it, and I’ve most likely tried nutritional yeast on it. When I don’t have it, I can actively feel myself missing it. It betters everything it’s on. Although this is a silly thing to not want to ever go without, I honestly can say I’d miss it more than anything. If I could have only one thing on this list, this most likely would be it. I find myself debating if I’d rather have only nutritional yeast or salt. I haven’t come up with my answer yet.

2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

I don’t know what they put in it to work so well, it’s like magic. I saw such improvements with the texture of my skin, as well as the amount of breakouts I had. I started using it once every few days in my troublesome areas, as I have hypersensitive skin. Now, I use it once a day and all over my face. I have a simple skincare routine, because I know if it exceeds more than a few steps I’ll forget about it in its entirety, and this has made it into my routine consistently. I have a hard time believing that any one product can completely alter the state and appearance of my skin, but this product made me start to question if I should evaluate my stance on that.

Carter Wide Mug

I’ve only had mine for a few months, but I use it more days than I don’t. It’s perfect for commuting because the lid has no mouth piece on it. I can toss it in my bag and not worry about any spills or leaks. So many times I’d be rushing out my door for class and having to chug the rest of my coffee. I stopped making my own coffee completely when I was running low on time, because after the process of making it, I wouldn’t have time to actually drink it. This mug has also made me buy coffee out way less. Although I will say I still frequent coffee shops often, this helps me cut back on what used to feel like an everyday expense. The insulation is also amazing. I once left an iced coffee in it for two days, and when I went to clean it there was still ice in it! It also keeps hot drinks extremely hot, which comes with its own pros and cons.

Airpods

As a chronic music-listener, I can say these are well worth their cost. I use them everyday and spend more hours with them in than out. Airpods are not a new or well kept secret, but they’re one of my best purchases to date. I have the inability to complete mundane tasks without music, and this allows for total immersion. They’re also great when I’m not carrying a bag with me in the city, as I can just toss the case in my pocket. Before I purchased them, I was exclusively using over-the-ear-headphones and would have to commit to either bringing a bag or wearing them all day. I have the first generation ones and, at times, miss the noise canceling abilities that my over-the-ear-headphones provide. Yet this could be easily remedied by getting one of the newer generations. If I purchase them again, I’ll definitely get a more recent edition. However, I can’t imagine this will happen within the next few years, as my last pair lasted from middle school to college, and I only replaced them only because I lost one of the earbuds.

Michaela Mary Jane Flat

These Mary Janes are the most comfortable pair of shoes I’ve ever owned. I’ve walked well over 10 miles with them on, and my feet never hurt. I can’t even say that about my go-to sneakers. I am able to wear them without socks and have never received a blister. They add to any outfit and are the shoes I reach for most. They’re a best seller for Sam Eldeman and I can definitely vouch for that. I believe that all of their shoes are extremely comfortable, but the Mary Janes outrank them all. Another silly thing that makes me reach for them is their click-clack ability. They make the perfect sound when you’re walking across anything that isn’t concrete. I know some people find it annoying, but the sound only brings me joy.

Cassidy Burry is originally from northern California and is a current sophomore at Pace University. She is majoring in Communications and Media, with a minor in digital storytelling and journalism, and french studies. This is her second year as a member of Her Campus Pace. Throughout her childhood she has collected various magazines, and Vogue in particular has been a great inspiration in her decision to pursue journalism. Cassidy also writes articles for a nonprofit, SisterLove, based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are the first women’s HIV, sexual, and reproductive justice organization in the southeastern United States. She feels honored to help advocate and educate people on the importance of reproductive and health care rights. These rights are extremely important to Cassidy, and ones she will not stop fighting for. Cassidy loves spending time with kids. Over the summer she is a summer camp counselor, at Camp Winnarainbow. Before that she worked at a school program. That involved taking kids, ages four through seven, to different parks, beaches, and other locations native to northern California. They would focus on teaching the kids the importance of the environment and how to leave it better than we found it. They regularly would clean up the beaches and parks they visited. Cassidy has always had a love for her community and giving back. She spent a large majority of her time in high school volunteering at a kitchen and garden that grew and produced meals for chronically ill people and their family. In her free time she works part time as a barista at a local bakery. Cassidy has a deep love for music ranging from all genres. She was actually named after the song “Cassidy '' by the Grateful Dead. She has found that being named after that legendary band has brought meaningful connections to her everyday life. For the majority of her childhood she played competitive soccer. And now that she is no longer playing herself, she looks forward to the Women’s World Cup every four years. She hopes that women in sports will gain more recognition in the future, and will not be seen as second to men’s sport.