Best of 2021 Favorites

Hey folksickles. Here I thought I was late to the game posting these but last year I didn't do a favorites of the year until April so I'm feeling better now. Anyway, I feel like this list will be shorter than years past as I stuck to mainly the same products and things in 2021 so, there's that. But alas here are the products and things I very much enjoyed and would repurchase. I will say that I don't have photos of the products here because I've used up many of them and thrown them away but... there's always Google and in the instance that I've reviewed a product, the product name will be clickable and you can take a gander at the review.

1. Eminence Organics Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant with Lactic Acid: I love this scrub so much! It remains fairly scrubby even with water added and I love that it's a combination of physical and chemical exfoliants. It smells absolutely delicious, like really good fresh strawberries and leaves my skin feeling like a baby's bottom. It has somewhat of a hefty price tag but given how far a tiny bit of it goes I find that it's genuinely worth the money. It also provides a nice radiance to my skin and isn't irritating at all. I have to add that I bought this bottle in 2020 and it's still going strong in January so even though it's pricey, it lasts a very long time and you don't need a lot at all!

2. ColourPop Just A Tint Lip Crayons: You know I've raved about these lip crayons before and this time I'm omitting a particular color because sooner or later literally every one I own has made it to a favorites list. I love how smooth and hydrating they are while leaving a pretty pop of color behind.

3. UGG Ansley Bow Moccasins: Ok so I don't really talk about fashion at all on this blog but I just HAD TO mention this because I am so blown away by them. Now, I wasn't the biggest moccasin wearer and in fact I didn't wear them at all but one of my friends got a pair of these fuzzy moccasins in 2019 and said they were super comfy which had me wanting a pair. I mean I got my first pair of proper UGG boots (they Bailey Bow, if you're curious) in 2019 and I absolutely LOVE them, they're super cozy and warm but the slip-on, slip-off aspect of the moccasins got me curious. So when I saw that these were on sale I decided to go for it. Well, these are BEYOND my expectations. I wore them out in 30 degree (F) weather and with bare feet and they kept my feet warm and feel like sticking your feet into cuddly warm clouds, it's just wonderful. That being said, I like to wear nylons with them when the temperature falls below 35(F) just to protect my skin against the elements. They are perfect to throw on for shopping or driving or just generally when you want comfort and can't be bothered with boots (alas they're not rain or snow-friendly, I haven't really worn them in either condition but I wouldn't try it).

4. Maya Chia The Straight A Serum Advanced Gentle Retinol Treatment: This is a joy to use for nighttime. In terms of retinols I've found in the past that my skin tends to get irritated by them if I use them too frequently or, because I don't have any particularly significant signs of aging, I don't notice that retinol treatments make a difference to my skin after I spend time building up a tolerance to them. This, however, was worth the investment in my opinion. First of all, it's genuinely gentle, I can use it nightly without any issues. It has a beautiful rose scent which I find soothing - although I would suggest avoiding this product if you dislike rose scents or are allergic to roses. In addition, it just gives my skin a beautiful glow and radiance. I still don't have aging issues to comment on.

5. m-61 Hydraboost Oil-Free Sunscreen SPF 40: The reason I love this sunscreen so much, other than being a pale AF person who's also a retinol user, is its texture is just SUBLIME. Oftentimes sunscreen can be thick or sticky but this has a beautiful lotion-like texture that absorbs nearly instantly. I know this is technically not supposed to double as a moisturizer but personally I find that on top of a facial oil, this hydrates adequately enough for me to not need a moisturizer with it. 

6. Virtue Curl Line: Given how much I love Virtue, when the curl line dropped I picked up all the products in it - the shampoo, conditioner, and the curl-defining whip. I have to warn you ahead of time that while I like the products, they are intensely moisturizing so if your hair is curly and oily, this might be a skip. The line is designed to help enhance curls and give them the hydration that they're often missing, so when I purchased this I was thinking, well my hair is wavy so maybe this will help it somehow because Virtue always does the most for my hair. Friends, my hair is so curly now, as in it looks like I purposely went and curled it but I didn't, it just falls into this really lovely curl pattern. If you need something for your curls or you're someone who curls their hair and wants their hair to stay curled I would highly suggest looking into this line of products. The whip isn't my favorite though, honestly, because it's a bit heavy for my hair and my canister of it broke with plenty of product left inside, but I really love using the shampoo and conditioner!

7. Orly Nail Lacquer in Kiss The Bride: This is such a pretty pastel bridal/ballet type pink that looks elegant and is just perfect for absolutely any occasion.

8. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter: I love this primer because it creates a really beautiful, glowing finish on the skin. Everything you put on top of this just glides on beautifully and takes on that really pretty glow. I feel like it just makes the skin look really healthy. Additionally, the bottle lasted for nearly a full year of continuous use which I found impressive.

9. Trader Joe's Watermelon Facial Mist: You folks might remember how much I loved this when I purchased it last year so when I saw it again at Trader Joe's I just had to have it! This smells nice and gives the skin a wonderful, refreshing boost of hydration. For a $4 mist it is worth every penny!

10. LUSH Rose Jam Body Spray: This body spray just smells absolutely delicious! It took a while to figure out how much to spray, as a small spray can go a long way here but I've been really enjoying it. 

11. Bath & Body Works Pineapple Mango Scented Candle: It just smells so good! A wonderful candle for the summertime or for when you're longing for summertime.

12. Bath & Body Works Tiki Beach Scented Candle: A repeat favorite! I love this candle so much and have mentioned it in many favorites posts in the past. In fact I have it burning as I'm writing this, it just smells so delicious and comforting.

13. Lune+Aster 05 Porcelain Skin Tint: I have been really enjoying this lately! The way that it just glides onto the skin so beautifully, has a nice satiny glowing finish to it, and gives me good coverage without me needing to use a ton of product just makes me really happy. 

14. Juvia's Place I Am Magic Concealer: I really love the satiny, glowing finish this has (this seems to be a trend this month, ha!). I also really love that it's incredibly high coverage and a little goes a long way. I feel like this is going to last me a long time. The only complaint I have with this is that the applicator wand is gigantic and it's hard to get precision with it. I would recommend going in with another tool or even your fingers (if you're using this for yourself only) to deposit product as, like I said, you don't need a lot at all! It lasts a very long time and I think it's fantastic!

15. Essie Passport To Happiness: I really love the color mint, as many of you know so honestly it does make me genuinely happy to see this color on my nails when I use it.

16. Asakuki 300ml Ultrasonic Diffuser: So the diffuser I was using before this broke and I decided to replace it with this one. I really love having a diffuser in general but I like the design of this - I think it looks like a cute little bulb and I like the "wood" grain print on its base. These come in different shapes and sizes but something about the bulb-shaped one was really appealing to me. 

17. Trader Joe's Oatmeal & Honey Pure Vegetable Soap: I've mentioned my eczema on and off on this blog and this year it attacked my knuckles to the point of drawing blood - this soap honestly brought my skin back to normal. Granted, it took several weeks but I notice that when I'm washing my hands when my eczema is active on them, typical hand soaps tend to be extremely stripping and drying whereas this leaves my skin feeling super soft and replenished. It also foams up quite nicely. 

18. The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane: I haven't used this in a while and now that I am, I see such a difference in just the texture of my skin and a reduction in redness. I know that I always rave about squalane but the difference it makes when I don't use it and come back to it is just so noticeable to me. My skin is A LOT less inflamed or dry and its texture is so buttery smooth. Every time I put makeup on I marvel at how smoothly everything goes on and I know it's squalane's work. 

19. Soap & Glory Original Pink The Righteous Butter Body Lotion: This seems to be that magical product that keeps both the soles of my feet (although I wish it was just a TINY bit more hydrating there) and my legs feeling soft. It also just, to me at least, smells absolutely incredible! It has quite an intense sweet floral scent that I really happen to enjoy.

And now, a show I really loved. I feel like I watched so much trash anime last year that I can't say anything other than this moved me enough to recommend that others watch it:

20. A Place Further Than the Universe: It's been a while since I've talked about what I've been watching and, well, this was a re-watch but I've never talked about it here so, why not? I feel like, personally, during the holidays especially, but usually always I like to watch shows that are action-y but also wholesome and this really fits the bill. To sum it up, this show is about a group of four girls going on a trip to Antarctica, the challenges several of them overcome in order to even be able to make the journey in the first place as well as the challenges they face when there. Overall the show may look kind of random and whatnot at first glance, but it's really inspirational in a YOLO kind of way, which you know I love, and does a beautiful job of covering themes like friendship, loss, and striving toward your goals. 

Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Disclaimer: I paid for all these items with the exception of the m-61 and Lune+Aster products which were provided free for testing purposes.