As we close out the first week of the new year, I'm finally sharing my yearly favorites! Out of a whole year of favorites, I've narrowed everything down to my top ten(ish) favorites from 2021. If you've been around here for the past couple of years, my yearly favorites post is normally made up of my most-used products of the year, but the past two years were pretty much identical, and if I were to do it that way again this year it'd probably be the same. 😂 SO this year, my favorites post is made up of my favorites that I discovered just in the last year, so they're all fresh and new! And if you want to read about my most-used products, check out last year's post which still applies a year later!
- Mattress: After a long, frustrating mattress shopping journey at the end of 2020, Kenny and I picked out an expensive mattress that we ended up HATING. After about a month of miserable sleep, we returned our pricey one and opting for this affordable mattress from Big Lots of all places! It is SO comfortable, plush, and dreamy. It has a 10-year warranty, and after a year with it we still love it as much as the first night. I never would've thought we'd love a mattress from a discount store more than one from a designated mattress store, but I've recommended this one to several people and I would repurchase it if we needed another mattress!
- SLS Free Toothpaste: This stuff *legitimately* changed my life, I am truly not exaggerating. I have a whole post on it if you're interested in reading more, but the TL;DR version is that I have suffered from canker sores for my ENTIRE life, and switching to SLS free toothpaste has cut down IMMENSELY on the number of them I get. I will still get an occasional random canker sore, but ever since I have started using SLS free toothpaste, I haven't gotten a SINGLE canker sore as a result of biting my cheek or any other sort of mouth injury. The kind I've used the most is Verve, but I've also used a Burt's Bees one which was also a lifesaver.
- Card holder (similar): I used to be an avid continental wallet user, but after using the card slots inside my bag for the past two years, I finally switched to a card holder and I can't believe I used to lug around a full-size wallet. I got this one from Ted Baker which is sold out, but I'm probably going to get this version for my mom because she loves mine and this one comes with a zippered coin pocket. The brand doesn't really matter, I just love the convenience of having a mini wallet that I can switch from bag to bag.
- Sweatshorts (similar): I got these sweatshorts to wear lounging around the house and to bed in the spring and summertime, and I love them so much I got three pairs! They have a drawstring waist and a longer inseam than most lounge shorts - they're very "your mom repainting the dining room in the 90's," but I love that! Super comfortable, and I like the way they look even though they're baggy and not the most flattering. 😂
- Juvia's Place eyeshadow palette: I use a mixture of affordable and high-end eyeshadows, and the chocolates palette from Juvia's Place has been my most-used palette this year. I'm super impressed by the formula of the shadows, especially the mattes. I'm definitely interesting in trying more eyeshadows from the brand - I have my eye on this one!
- L.L.Bean tote bag: I realized this year that I didn't have any good, huge tote bags (and I call myself a woman?!) For my birthday, my mom got me this canvas tote from L.L.Bean and it's been super handy as a beach bag, a weekender, and a "get a bunch of miscellaneous crap from point A to point B" bag. It's called the "boat and tote" and comes in four different sizes, two different strap lengths, zip-top or open-top, and several different colors. I got the zip-top XL size with the long handles, and it's massive in the best way.
- Signet ring: Whenever I'm on the hunt for jewelry, I almost always check Etsy. I discovered the Don925 shop this year when I was looking for a specific ring and developed a minor obsession! I love their pieces, especially the signet rings. My favorite is this geometric one, and I also have the heart shaped one and their skull ring. They're all super high-quality and heavy. I've gotten two of the rings resized because I didn't know what size I needed when I ordered, and they're still as beautiful as new.
- Straw bag: This bag unexpectedly became my most-used handbag of the summer. The one I have is an old style from Reformation, but this one from Etsy is almost identical and honestly looks a little nicer. It has a lining with a drawstring that you can use to secure your items, and it fits a surprising amount of stuff. It's very affordable, and you can also get an initial or name woven onto it for an extra $10, which still makes the bag under $50.
- Perfumes: I cheated a little on this one, I couldn't pick just one favorite new perfume from this year! They two I narrowed it down to are Rosie By Rosie Jane and Chloe Nomade. They're both quite different but so unique. Rosie is a wonderful everyday scent, it's one of those "smells like skin" scents like Glossier You (although I wouldn't compare the two). It's a simple fragrance that I think a lot of people would love, but it's still very nose-catching, ha. Nomade is a much more sultry, intoxicating scent that's feminine and powerful. I got a sample size of it for free with a Sephora order and I don't know if I've ever ordered a full-size of a fragrance so fast, it captured me immediately! It's a super concentrated scent, you really only need one spray.
- Route App: This app is for all of you serial online shoppers out there - it allows you to plug in the tracking info for shipments you have coming and lets you track them all in once place! It sends notifications when they ship, are out for delivery, and are delivered.
Once again (and for the last time 😂) happy New Year! In case you want to catch up on all of my monthly favorites posts from the past year, I have them all linked below!
January | February | March | April
September | October | November | December
xoxx, Laura
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