Archives for April 2021

If you keep up with the blog, then you know that on Mondays I usually post The Weekly, which is a post I make every week about things that have just been on my mind. They can be products I’m using, things I have my eye on, content I’ve been consuming, news events or anything else I want to chat about.

Last week, however, was extremely busy for me. I started a new job recently, and things have really been picking up, leaving me very drained at the end of each day. I’m still getting in the swing of things with balancing work and blogging too. I only posted once last week instead of my usual three!

With that being said, I didn’t really have time to think of things to cover in The Weekly. Normally I keep a running list on my phone, but this week nothing really stuck out enough for me to write down. However, I’m bringing you a similar blog post that I’ve been wanting to write about for a while: a list of my favorite things! These are items that I use (almost) every single day and have been using for ages. They’re my tried and true items, my ride or dies. Things that have stood the test of time, or if they can run out, they’re things I’ve repurchased over and over again.

I’ve broken them up into three categories: fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Hopefully, you’ll find something new to try out, and let me know if you take any of my recs! Also, I greatly appreciate anyone who shops with my links. It allows me to make a small commission, at no additional cost to you! Without further ado, here are my all-time favs!

Fashion

Nike Air Force 1s: Ross got me these for my birthday a few years back, and I wear them so often! They’re a great white sneaker option, super comfy and matches just about everything! I wear them with athleisure outfits while running errands or with skirts and dresses for a more dressed-up look. I will say that there was a break-in period for them (seriously, my heels were bleeding at the end of the day), but after wearing them all day long for a day, the next time they were super comfy. If you’re looking for a less “chunky” option, I have a pair Nike Blazers that I love too!

Lululemon Align Leggings: They’re a bit of a splurge, but these are seriously the comfiest leggings for lounging in. I purchased a brand new pair around Christmastime that I now wear multiple times a week. A lot of times high-waisted leggings can give me stomach aches if they’re too compressive, but these don’t do that at all. They honestly feel like you aren’t even wearing anything! That might sound weird, but they truly are the comfiest leggings I own.

Gold Hoop Kendra Scott Earrings: I love jewelry, especially a good statement earring. However, I wear these multiple times a week. They’re just so easy and match any outfit. These are super lightweight too; I can wear them all day long and barely even notice they’re there. They can be worn with both dressy and casual looks, and I love the size on them.

Kendra Scott Tassel Necklace: Another great Kendra Scott piece! This was actually my first piece of jewelry from the brand. I got it in high school, and I still wear it all these years later. I have the ivory pearl stone. The white matches pretty much anything, so it pairs well with tons of different outfits. I worked at Kendra Scott for a few years in college, and this stays as one of my all-time favorite pieces from the brand!

Louis Vuitton Neverfull: This could just be a tote bag, but this is the one I use. I got my Neverfull almost two years ago, and it still looks brand new. I carry it alllllll the time. It’s the perfect size for a tote. It really is never full! I’ve used it for running errands, bringing my stuff to a coffee shop to get work done (back when that was a thing, at least) or even as an overnight bag for a quick trip to a friend’s! I love my LV bag, but there are definitely other great tote bag options at lower price points. This one from Barrington Gifts is so cute, and I also love this classic option from Kate Spade. If you’re looking to splurge, though, I can’t recommend the Neverfull enough!

Beauty

Salon Grafix Hairspray: This is my holy grail hairspray. It’s the only one I’ve used that makes my curls hold well and doesn’t give my hair that “crunchy” feeling afterwards. My curls will hold for four or five days with this stuff alone. I rarely ever re-curl my hair after I’ve done it because I prefer to not use heat on it unless I absolutely need to. This hairspray helps it last for so long, and the price point is unbeatable!

T3 Curling Iron: I am obsessed with this curling iron. I’ve had mine for years, and it’s truly my favorite of all time. It curls my hair beautifully. I can’t tell you how many of my friends said their hair never curls or holds, but they were shocked when I used this on them and it created gorgeous curls that lasted! I don’t know what magic it is, but it’s the best curling iron I’ve ever used. My favorite part is the interchangeable barrels. The one that I linked comes with three wand-style barrels. I purchased mine used from Poshmark, and the seller included an extra barrel with a clamp. I also bought another barrel with a clamp, a larger one for big curls. It might be expensive, but with all the interchangeable attachments, it’s like having multiple curling irons in one. This is honestly the only curling iron you’ll need! And a quick tip: I see them pop up on Poshmark from time to time in great condition, so check there if you want to save a bit on it.

Eva NYC Mane Magic Hair Treatment: Another hair product I love! This stuff makes my hair super soft. I spray it in while my hair is wet after taking a shower, and it makes the brush glide through it. After I’m done, my hair feels noticeably silkier and smoother. It doesn’t weigh my hair down either, which is great because I do wear it in curls a lot.

It Cosmetics CC Cream: This is my ride or die foundation. I have been told so many times how great my skin looks with it on. The coverage is awesome, and it lasts all day. It wears super well; I rarely have to reapply or touch it up. The product’s tagline is “your skin but better,” and I couldn’t agree more! I just repurchased another tube of it because I was running low on my last one, and the cashier at Ulta told me it’s formulated by dermatologists, which I didn’t even know!

Laneige Lip Glowy Balm: I’m not a big lipstick person, but I love just putting this on at the end of my makeup routine. It’s the perfect gloss with just a hint of color. It doesn’t make your lips feel sticky like a lot of glosses do. Instead, my lips feel soft and hydrated after wearing it.

Impress Nails: No joke, these kind of changed my life. I’m a chronic nail biter. Pre-pandemic, I did SNS in salons every few weeks. An expensive habit, but one that kept me from biting my nails. When all nail salons shut down at the beginning of the pandemic last year, I stopped with the SNS. I tried a bunch of at-home options, but they were all very time consuming and didn’t even look good enough to justify it. They also never lasted as long as salon nails did for me. A few months ago, someone I follow on Instagram raved about these, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to salon manicures. These are so easy to do at home, they come in a bunch of fun colors and designs, they’re a quick process AND a great price point! A set will last me over a week. I apply this nail glue beforehand to help them last even longer.

Lifestyle

Notion: I found this website on TikTok, and it kinda changed my life. It’s like an online notebook/planner/literally anything you’d need for staying organized. I use it for keeping track of my to do list, content calendar, blog post ideas and tons more. When I was job hunting, I used it to keep track of deadlines and applications. It’s hard to describe it fully, so I recommend looking up “Notion tour” on YouTube to see how other people organize theirs and what they use it for.

S’well Bottle and Straw Lid: I know Hydroflasks are the “cool” water bottle to have, but I paid a good amount for S’well bottle and it’s lasted me several years now. I don’t see a reason to buy a new one when my S’well works super well for me! It keeps my water cold all day long, which helps me drink more of it. I got a straw lid for it too, which makes it easier to drink more too. I got mine when Lilly Pulitzer did a collaboration with S’well years ago, but they have a ton of pretty colors and patterns that you can get now instead!

Laptop Stand: I didn’t think this would be as much of a game changer as it is, but this laptop stand has made my work from home life so much better. I have less neck pain since my computer is at eye-level instead of having to look down at it all day long. I got a wireless keyboard also to make typing easier, and the combo of the two is unmatched. If you spend a long time on your computer like I do, I totally recommend a getting laptop stand!

iPhone Tripod: This one is for all of my fellow content creators! I take probably 95% of my photos by myself using this baby. I plan on doing a blog post soon about how I take photos on my own, but this plus my Apple Watch are the things that help me get great shots. It’s a super affordable tripod (under $15!) with a bunch of height options, and it collapses to a pretty small compact size so it’s easy to just pop into a tote bag and take it out and about.

No Show Socks: I thought about putting these in the fashion category, but it felt a little weird so I moved them to lifestyle. Plus, you don’t really see them when I’m wearing them anyway. I wear these with sneakers or some booties and they’re seriously the best no show socks I’ve ever tried. They stay up so well and never have to be pulled up. I’ve purchased multiple packs of these over the years, and they hold up great too.

News Podcasts: If you know me well, you know that I listen to a minimum of four news podcasts every weekday morning. It’s one of the major was I stay informed! The ones in my daily rotation are the NPR Politics Podcast, NPR’s Up First, ABC’s Start Here and Crooked Media’s What a Day. When I was moving to DC, I wasn’t able to listen to them for about a week, and I just felt off the whole time. They’re an integral part of my daily routine. I can’t start my day properly without them! If you find it hard to keep up with the news, I highly integrating just listening to a daily podcast like one of these. All of them tend to be around 20 minutes or less, so I just listen to them while getting ready in the morning.

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