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 (the 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. 

December 2021 Arrivals

Ok folksickles! Look at me for a change, pretty much only buying essentials. 

1. ColourPop Mini Haul: Frankly this started off with me looking for who had the best Black Friday deal for setting powder and decided well, since I'm here, and running low on masks, let me replenish on the ones I like. Oh well, since I'm here, let me just treat myself to this palette. Alas:

Fourth Ray Beauty A-HA Moment exfoliating enzyme Mask

Fourth Ray Beauty The Big Detox Mud Mask oof! I forgot until I reread in my own review that this is difficult to wash off, they did change the packaging so maybe they made the formula a bit better too?

Smoke 'N Roses Palette

no filter loose setting powder in Soft Pink

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

Disclaimer: I purchased everything listed above. 

December 2021 Favorites

Hey folksickles,

Alright, all the goodies I've been enjoying in December :) 

1. bh cosmetics Weekend Festival Palette: I'd been playing with this palette in the middle of the month and I realized I was really looking forward to using it and really enjoyed creating looks with it. It's very pigmented, has a beautiful color selection, and the shades just blend beautifully. 

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

Disclaimer: My wife gave me the palette as a gift a while back.

December 2021 Empties

Happy 2022 folksickles! (I write on 12/7 lol, but alas, gotta be prepared). Wishing you all loads of wonderful makeup and skincare discoveries this year!  

1. Kiss Lash So Wispy Lashes in Pompadour x3: These are a pretty, voluminous wispy lash. They're very lightweight and fairly easy to apply which I appreciate.

2. beauty 360 100% Acetone Pro Strength Nail Polish Remover x2: This nail polish remover makes super quick and easy work of removing my nail polish, which I appreciate. 

3. Soap & Glory Scrub for Joy: This scrub has a delicious grapefruit scent and is nicely exfoliating while being gentle on the skin. It's always a joy (haha!) to use this and I am glad to have had it.

4. Fourth Ray Beauty Acai Face Milk: Alas I have finally used up the last face milk in the set! Honestly, this was the first one I tried and I loved it initially but then I kind of fell off loving it. Maybe because it's wintertime now but I feel like I prefer a product with a slightly heavier, more emollient texture and while this provided hydration to my skin I honestly wanted a bit more.

5. Nature Republic Hand & Nature sanitizer gel in Rose: This hand sanitizer has an absolutely delicious sweet rose scent and I appreciate that it sanitized the hands without drying them out.

6. Lune+Aster 05 Porcelain Skin Tint: Y'all I am SO SAD to have finished this up. I love that this product is a medium to full coverage tinted moisturizer that is super thin and lightweight. It has a slightly satiny finish to it that I'd describe as a "natural matte" - your skin just looks healthy and is neither powdery or intensely glowing. I LOVED that this product went on smooth without gathering in anyone's lines and wrinkles and thus didn't create any texture even on mature skin. The latter part obviously doesn't refer to me but I did like recommending this particular product to clients because, as I said, it gave good coverage without being heavy and just looks like skin. I would highly recommend checking it out.

7. Laneige Water Sleeping Mask: This is a very lightweight, hydrating sleeping mask with a gel consistency. I really liked the extra boost of refreshing hydration that this gave my skin.

8. Trader Joe's Hair Mask: This is a nice hydrating mask that doesn't leave my hair weighed down but definitely adds hydration, softness, shine, and manageability to my hair. I was able to get two uses out of the packet and I'm fairly happy with it. 

9. beauty 360 Original Nail Polish Remover Pad: I purchased these to use on my feet since my local CVS, unfortunately, was closing and out of the liquid remover. These work fairly decent and do a good job of removing my nail polish. I'm able to get both feet done before it dries. That being said the pad is a bit thick which, overall, is not bad but it's difficult to get it around the cuticle area to remove nail polish there. 

10. Trader Joe's Formula No. 3 Winter Citrus Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash: Honestly when I saw the name of this product I was genuinely skeptical and even a bit... uncomfortable. As someone who's spent many years in the beauty industry I can confidently say that many products that claim to do several things generally will do one thing well and the rest of them in a whatever manner. So I figured this would either be too drying to use as a hair-care product or too emollient to be a nice body wash. Color me impressed because I was in a pinch of switching shampoos and had put this in my shower so I figured YOLO, if it dries out my hair I'll throw a hair mask on or something. Now, it works nicely as shampoo and as body wash. I'd personally describe its texture as being something akin to Johnson's baby shampoo although I wouldn't recommend getting this in your eyes as I'm sure there will be tears. I would say using this as a conditioner is a stretch, it doesn't have the same slip or hydration so if you're a regular conditioner user, I'd stick with using your conditioner after. It has a very light citrusy, slightly pine-y scent. 

11. CVS Ultra-Soft Cleansing Wipes - Fragrance Free: I mean nothing really to write home about when it comes to these baby wipes. I use them to wipe down makeup and dusty furniture. These have a nice thickness and moisture content to them. 

12. Oribe Serene Scalp Exfoliating Scrub: Personally I found this just ok. This is meant to help with dandruff and has both a physical and chemical (salicylic acid) exfoliator. I will agree with its "serene scalp" claim as this is a fairly gentle scrub. That being said, I personally prefer something a bit more intense for several reasons. Firstly, my hair is long, so despite this having a little applicator tip it's still difficult to directly deposit the product on the scalp... despite me not having that much hair in the first place... Additionally, when I am afflicted with dandruff I tend to get it in... somewhat mound-like areas dispersed through the scalp and the flakes tend to be sizable instead of small, especially right around my forehead/bang area. When I use this, it just doesn't attack the flakes as aggressively as I'd like, especially for a product designed to only be used once per week. I grittier scrub tends to actually lift the flakes off my scalp. 

13. Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Too Shy: This shade is a gorgeous blue but unfortunately it's developed quite the funky scent. 

14. Dove exfoliating body polish in pomegranate seeds & shea butter: I was honestly not expecting much from this body scrub and was pleasantly surprised. I'd describe the texture as having a gentle grit - it's scrubby enough where you definitely feel something is happening but it's not as intense as say a salt or sugar crystal. This also has a really yummy scent to it. 

15. Aveeno baby eczema therapy moisturizing cream: I mainly purchased this because I figured since it's designed for babies that it would very gentle on my compromised skin. That being said, for me personally, this works best layered over cortisone. It doesn't clear up or relieve my eczema on its own. I like that it's more lightweight and quick-absorbing versus other things I've tried because most of my eczema flareups now occur on my groin/crotch area (it isn't fun!) and having that area feel wet or heavy just leads to further discomfort.

16. MAKE UP FOR EVER Lab Shine Metal Collection in M0: Unfortunately this has developed a really off scent. I've probably held onto it for too long because I honestly really loved the Lab Shine collection and this gloss in particular - the glosses came in pretty colors and finishes and were long-lasting without being sticky. They were literally the perfect gloss!  That said, it's time to let it go.

17. OVERTONE Blue for Brown Hair Coloring Conditioner: I used this over both my natural hair - which is a light to mid-tone ash brunette and then over a violet-red-brunette hair that's been highlighted. In both instances I can't say that this showed up in a way that one would definitively say my hair looked blue. Sure, there were maybe a few strands that turned definitively blue but overall the effect this had was that it made my hair overall look darker and more cooler-toned which is... fine... but it's not really what I paid for. Personally, I find that it's false advertising to say that this is meant for brunettes and it's meant to make your hair literally blue when it doesn't really do that - the only people whose hair I've seen this turn blue are those with pre-lightened hair that was blonde or extremely light brunette to begin with. Even the swatches on the website show the darker brunette hair going cooler-toned but not necessarily blue.  

18. Trader Joe's Vitamin C Serum: I like how this serum has a nice citrusy scent and feels moisturizing. I find that it gives my skin a pretty glow.

19. Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover: I really like this because, while it doesn't really remove cuticles, it softens them quickly so I can gently push them down and get nicer looking manicures. 

20. Dove refreshing cucumber & green tea nourishing body wash: I've mentioned many times that I really like these to shave with and they're available in bulk at BJ's so that's why you keep seeing them on here.

21. e.l.f. HD Powder: Personally I found this just ok and, to be fair, comparable to other HD powders on the market. That being said, my under-eye area still creased when I was using this and, based on how I currently use powder, I prefer a less "smoothing" type under the eyes because I find that this settles rather strangely and it's mostly because I tend to be a bit heavy handed with my under-eye powdering and need a powder that can settle nicely without sliding on itself or getting cake-y. 

22. Virtue Volumizing Mousse: I really loved this mousse because it gave my hair volume, fullness, and a feeling of thickness that... coming back from the damage I had in my hair from both stress and bleach it just feels so much thicker now and this definitely helped it feel healthier.

23. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter: I really liked using this as an illuminating primer - it gave my skin a beautiful glow and lasted a really long time - I used it for nearly a year before it ran out completely. Although I really like the product I feel like I can probably find something at a lower price point that would give me a similar effect. 

24. Cala 3D Faux Mink Lashes in Wisper: These were a really pretty kind of spikey-ish pair of lashes. I didn't super love their shape but they were fun to play with.

25. Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream: I was using this to give my hair a boost of hydration at the ends and this did a nice job of giving me hydration without being heavy.

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

Disclaimer: I purchased all of the above with the exception of the Lune+Aster, Oribe, and Laneige products. 

Lipstick Review: wet n wild 536A Dark Wine Silk Finish Lipstick

wet n wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 536A Dark Wine

Availability: This can be found at amazon.com, walmart.com, and wetnwildbeauty.com. It retails anywhere from $1 - $1.50.

Would I buy this again? Probably not. 

Notes: I'd describe this shade as being a rich, red wine, berry tone. This goes on opaque with a satin, balmy, almost lightly glossy finish. I think the color is beautiful but I don't necessarily love it in such a hydrating formula because, in application, this feels like it just slides all over the lips. Due to mask mandates I haven't been able to test this for wear time as of the writing of the review.

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

Disclaimer: One of my lovely friends gave me this as an early Xmas gift. :)

Lipstick Review: wet n wild 535D Black Orchid Silk Finish Lipstick

wet n wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 535D Black Orchid

Availability: This can be found at amazon.com, walmart.com, and wetnwildbeauty.com. It retails anywhere from $1 - $1.50.

Would I buy this again? Probably not. 

Notes: I'd describe this shade as being an oxblood, berry tone. This goes on opaque with a satin, balmy, almost lightly glossy finish. I think the color is beautiful but I don't necessarily love it in such a hydrating formula because, in application, this feels like it just slides all over the lips. Due to mask mandates I haven't been able to test this for wear time as of the writing of the review.

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

Disclaimer: One of my lovely friends gave me this as an early Xmas gift. :)

ColourPop Smoke N' roses Pressed Powder Palette Look

Hey folks! Today I bring you a fun, red smoky look. 

Enough blabbering, tutorial time!

I  applied the blush from the Lune+Aster Desert Moon Palette as a base for Hourglass Strobe Blush in Iridescent Rose with my Sephora Collection Pro Mini Airbrush 55.5. I also applied highlight from the Lune+Aster Desert Moon Palette using my Sephora Collection #74 PRO Small Blush and Contour brush as a base for Hourglass Strobe Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light.

As a base for my eyeshadow I applied Maybelline 24 HR Color Tattoo in Front Runner and blended it out with my Crown Pro C511 brush.

For the crease I applied Kickstart along with Pretender with the wet n wild Crease Brush and Crown Pro C511 Brush, respectively. 

For the lid I applied Twin Flame wet using e.l.f. Stay All Night Micro-Fine Setting Mist using my Crown Pro C510 brush. I also applied This Guy to the outer quarter of the eye to add depth using the same brush after wiping it off on a paper towel.

To highlight the brow-bone and the inner corner of the eye I applied Attraction and Faithfully using my no-name gigantic paddle brush from Crown and Crown Pro C528 brush, respectively.

For eyeliner I applied the Wet 'N Wild Breakup Proof Waterproof Eyeliner in Ultra Black  with a nice cat eye; I also applied Urban Decay 24/7 Junkie Glide-On Eye Pencil to the waterline.

For the lower lash line, I applied Spun Around and blended it out using my Bubbi Detail brush.

The look sans falsies. 

For lashes I used KISS So Wispy Lashes in Pompadour along with the Duo Brush On Adhesive.

For lips, I applied the wet n wild Silk Finish Lipstick in 535D Black Orchid.

Hope that you liked this! :D It was super fun for me to put together! 

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

Disclaimer: The palette used in this tutorial, Sephora 55.5 brush, Hourglass, and wet n wild (the lipstick) products were provided for testing purposes.  I paid for everything else you see here myself.