I tried to keep the descriptions short since there are SO many products, but let's face it, your girl's long winded and that's just the way it is. Cut me some slack, these really are my BEST products of the year. I included everything from fashion, to beauty, to random lifestyle (my personal favorite category to talk about and hear about from others). So SIT BACK, grab a drink (seriously), and enjoy reading about my most-used products of the past year!
- Ankle strap sandals: I wear these almost daily in the summer. They're easy to walk in and surprisingly comfortable with the block heel. I have them in both black and nude. (Seen on the blog here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.)
- Black booties: These are classic and sooo sexy with the pointed toe and full-leather design.
- Black knee-high boots: I cannot emphasize how much I love these enough! They're so sleek with a narrow calf circumference, and the low-ish block heel adds some height but is still super comfortable. Seen on the blog here.
- Jack Rogers Lauren sandals: In the summer when I'm not wearing the ankle strap heeled sandals, then I'm probably wearing these. I find them much more comfortable than traditional Jack Rogers, although they have absolutely no arch support. I have them in black and white, and I want them in more neutral colors! (Seen on the blog here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.)
- Ugg slippers: More than any regular shoe, I wear THESE slippers. As soon as I get home every evening, I throw these on, and ahhhhh... They have substantial soles so you can wear them outside. I try to only wear mine inside just to keep them clean, but I'd absolutely wear them in public if I had a "street" pair.
- Wool socks: These are the best, I've been buying them since high school. And yes, they're from Costco! They're warm and comfortable and I wear them under all of my boots during the fall and winter.
- Bra: That's right people, I'm talking BRAS. This is my favorite everyday bra that I have worn and repurchased since high school. It has a little bit of push up, and I like that the straps are quite thin so you can wear it under tank tops. No fuss, and plenty of color options.
- Calvin Klein bralettes: A few years back when these became really trendy, I thought that they were just that: a trend. Boy was I wrong; I stumbled upon some at T.J. Maxx and grabbed a couple, and they're the comfiest bras ever. They're not super tight like a sports bra so they're not constricting, but they're plenty supportive for my modest C-cups. I wear them any time my neckline is a crew neck or higher so the bra isn't visible. I'm committed.
- Huggie earrings: These are my every day earrings that I wear... well, almost every day. I've been faithful to them for 3+ years. They're carefree, basically weightless, and don't stab you in the side of the head when you lay down like traditional post earrings do.
- Silk sleep mask: You may have seen my post comparing this Amazon silk sleep mask to the Slip version and y'all... the Amazon version won out. The main pro for me is that it's adjustable. I couldn't sleep without this thing. This is a heavy contender for TOP product of the year.
- Basic turtleneck: I bought a couple of these last fall and they're the BEST layering piece. The material is sturdy (doesn't pill!) and it's perfect for tucking in to skirts and layering under coats and jackets. I want one in every color! Best of all, they're only $15 full-price.
- Robe: I cannot live without my lounging robe. Every evening when I get home from work, I throw this baby on to get comfy. I'm always cold, so it's like a coat for the house. I like the longer style, so cozy!
- Shampoo and Conditioner: These have changed my hair; I tried them on recommendation from some of my favorite bloggers and it's my favorite shampoo and conditioner I've ever used. I take very good care of my hair, I rarely use heat on it and only wash it once a week. After using this combo just once, I noticed a difference in the softness and healthiness of my hair. I'll never go back!
- Dish sponge: This is one member of my dish washing dream team. Dish rags are so 1900's, I have to have this scrubby sponge to do my dishes.
- Rubber gloves: If you care about your nails AT ALL, then you've got to wear gloves when cleaning, especially while washing dishes. I try to avoid getting my nails saturated with water at all costs, and most of the wear and tear they endure used to be during washing dishes before I wore gloves. I find cleaning to be much more enjoyable when I'm keeping my hands and nails clean and dry during the process.
- Riedel wine glasses: If you've been following along over the past year, then you know my love for Riedel wine glasses. They're the only vessels worthy for my wine drinking, and I use them multiple times a week.
- Cold cup with straw: I always have a venti Starbucks cold cup at my desk at work. I drink more if I have a straw, and these are easy to carry around to meetings.
- Otterbox Defender phone case: I would not have a phone if it weren't for this case. I've had one of these cases for years and my phone has never suffered a fatal drop (knock on wood!)
- Body scrub: This is my favorite body exfoliator. It's super scrubby without feeling overly abrasive, and smells so good! Belize breeze is my favorite scent, but they have tons of others.
- Lano lip balm: Another TOP CONTENDER for my #1 product of the year, I swear by this stuff. It's especially good for overnight, but I use it all day long. Haters have called it "too thick and sticky," but that's what I love about it. It lasts forever and deeply hydrates your lips. I put it on my knuckles and around my nose too in the DEAD of winter when everything's bone dry.
- Mascara combo 1 and 2: This is my ultimate mascara combo for my top and bottom lashes. YES I have a different mascara for both my top and bottom lashes. For the top lashes, I love the Lash Paradise which is supposed to be a dupe for Too Faced Better than Sex. For my bottom lashes, I like the Telescopic mascara because the wand is super skinny and makes it easier to apply on smaller bottom lashes.
- Tangle Teezer: This baby does wonders on easily tangled hair like mine. There's a bit of a learning curve when you start using it, but it's much more gentle on knots than a regular brush. Sometimes for really gnarly tangles you do need to bring in reinforcements, but this does the trick nine times out of ten.
- Highlighting palette: UNFORTUNATELY, both of my "everyday" eyeshadow palettes appear to have been discontinued (the Morphe bronzed mocha and Urban Decay Naked ultimate basics), but my highlighter palette is still going strong, so here it is! I got this on a rec from Jaclyn Hill 2-3 years ago and it's been my favorite ever since. It's super bright and gorgeous for a drugstore palette, and at $15 for four pans (on sale for $10.50 now!), it's a great value. It says that it's online only, but I've bought it two different times in-store at my local Ulta.
WHEW, and that is IT for my most used products of 2019! I have a feeling that if I do a comparable post for 2020 it will include most of the same products again, but I'm excited to try lots of new things in the coming year and discovering some gems! Let me know what some of your ride-or-die products are, and if you fall in love with any of these.
ALSO in case you missed any of them, I did a monthly favorites post every month beginning in March last year; I'll link them all here:
- March Favorites
- April Favorites
- May Favorites
- June Favorites
- July Favorites
- August Favorites
- September Favorites
- October Favorites
- November Favorites
- December Favorites
I want to end this post off with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom! That lucky duck has the day off work so it's full-speed birthday weekend ahead. Now I know where I got it...
xoxx, Laura
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