My Favorite Products of 2019

It’s been a minute since I’ve written about beauty products, or products in general. In terms of my blog, I’ve been focusing more on personal and professional development—that’s just where my head is right now!

But that being said: we all deserve to take care of ourselves. We can’t be 100% business, goal-focused, super productive all the time. That’s unsustainable. And besides, it’s fun to take a break and talk about products that make it easier for us to live our lives with minimal hassle and maximum results. (I’m all about that life.)

And ultimately, my goal with my blog is to always push the point that you can be successful at whatever it is you choose (your job, or parenthood, or hitting that personal goal) while also taking time to pamper yourself and indulge in the things you love.

2019 was a big year for me. As Kylie Jenner so famously said, “I feel like this year is really about, just the year of realizing stuff.”

I’ve realized so much stuff.

But in all seriousness: 2019 was a big year for a lot of very good and bad reasons. I feel like I’m taking more steps towards being a better person than I was at the end of 2018, that’s for sure. I’m a lot less angry and scared this year than I was last year. More than that, I feel comfortable where I am professionally for the first time in a long time and I’ve learned how to take better care of myself.

When it comes to the products that really improved my life in 2019, I think of a few things: things that made me happy, that gave me more time, or just worked really, really well. In a year where so much was happening, especially in the 2nd half, some days I just needed things that made me feel really, really good. So, here are my top 5 products (mostly beauty-related) for 2019.

1. Apothehair by Scapes

I received a sample of Apothehair by Scapes in my Birchbox. As of right now, you can only buy it from Birchbox—which is what I did. It was fairly expensive, but you don’t use much of it at a time. It is an herbal leave-in conditioner that I highly recommend if you have dry, damaged hair. I always let my hair air dry, which can give me some flyaways… but I like that Apothehair helps calm those down, while also making my hair so dang shiny.

I got really into hair care products this year. I started keeping regular hair appointments for the first time in years (shout out to my stylist, Lindy); even though I don’t necessarily need a trim every 4-6 weeks, I like to go anyway. Sometimes, I get a scalp treatment. But mostly, I’ve realized that taking good care of my hair is one way I can take better care myself. That’s why I like Apothehair; it’s one product that helps me really feel like I’m taking care of my hair every single day without fail. It smells good. It feels good. It makes my hair look good. Honestly, it doesn’t get much better.

2. First Aid Beauty Oat & Cannabis Seed Oil

I got a (fairly large) sample of this in my most recent Ipsy bag and let me tell you: if you’re looking for a good oil to finish your skincare routine with, let me recommend this one. It’s a combination of oat-based oil and cannabis seed oil. You don’t need many drops and you can add it to your moisturizer or apply it afterwards to seal the skin.

Throughout November and December, I’ve been struggling hard with my nose being dry. I mean the skin on my nose. And around my nose. It looks awful. The skin was scaly and peeling and just kind of nasty looking. My nose is usually incredibly oily, but I actually stopped using powder because my nose was so dry. I started religiously applying the FAC oil in the morning and evening (sometimes twice in an evening, just for good measure) and it cleared up in a few days. All that hemming and hawing only for it to go away, and improve, over a few days. Sometimes, I surprise myself.

I fully plan to buy a full size of this oil once the new year starts (even though I’ll be on a mild spending ban to start hardcore saving for taxes next year) because I’m not sure I can live without it at this point.

3. It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser

I reviewed this cleanser in November and I’m not sure I have much else to say about it except that: it continues to be my favorite cleanser of the year; I still love the smell of it; and I love how moisturizing it is, especially with the dry winter air.

4. My Diffuser

I have never been much into essential oils; I don’t think they do even 10% of what some people claim and I think the consumption of them is incredibly dangerous and misguided. That being said: essential oils smell very good and I like when my house smells good. I resisted essential oils in diffusers for so long for everything I just listed, but let me tell you: my life improved dramatically when I just started using them for smell alone! This is the diffuser I bought at the beginning of the summer; I ended up buying a second one for my bedroom. I like that it came with a set of basic essential oils; however, it was about $10 cheaper when I bought both of mine, so I don’t know what to think about that!

My favorite oils to diffuser are bergamot anything; jasmine + eucalyptus; and tea tree and eucalyptus. I do find some scents help me feel better or more energized, but I think that’s just because I particularly like them—not because they hold any real medicinal properties.

5. Aveda Shampure Thermal Dry Conditioner

My hair stylist recommended this on my very first visit and I bought it right then and there. And I love it. The link above is to a similar product; I can’t find the one I actually use on the Aveda website, but you can read a blog post about it here. It is a dry conditioner that you can use on your hair when its dry to add a bit more moisture and shine, as well as to provide a small amount of heat protection (if you are curling your hair or anything). It also smells amazing. (The entire Shampure line from Aveda smells fantastic!) I like using it to refresh my hair throughout the day, or if my scalp is being particularly problematic; I spray, brush, and let dry. My hair is shinier and softer afterwards, which is always a plus.

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There you have it! My favorite products of 2019. Do you have anything you’re particularly loving from the last year? That you recently discovered? That changed your life? Tell me about it!

Beauty Review: It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser

Winter is a rough time for our skin. In the past week here in Oregon, the weather has gone from normal October weather to bitterly cold; I woke up this morning to the temperature being 22 degrees. 22 DEGREES! Fahrenheit! That’s low. My skin, of course, did not get the notice of the weather and therefore, was not fully prepared. I have thus been left with dry patches on my cheeks (typical), as well as my elbows, knees, ankles, and anywhere else that really feels like rebelling.

In short: I’m quite the sight right now, but I’m working on it.

One thing that has been helping a lot is the It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cleanser, which I’ve been using for about a month. I first got it in my Ipsy Bag as an add on sample, then decided for my birthday to buy a full size bottle. The sample size lasted me quite a while and the full size is 5 fluid ounces, which will probably last me quite a while. (This is all to say: when I talk about the price, I definitely feel like it’s worth it for the amount.)

Here’s what Confidence in a Cleanser promises:

“Developed with plastic surgeons, Confidence in a Cleanser™ is your skin-loving cleanser and serum in one game-changing product! This breakthrough one-step skincare solution gently cleanses and moisturizes while leaving your skin feeling soft, refreshed and perfectly balanced. Ideal for all skin types and ophthalmologist-tested for your sensitive eye area, this sulfate-free and soap-free facial cleanser instantly removes all traces of makeup—even waterproof eye makeup—and improves your skin’s vitality.”

Basically: if you have dry skin, oily skin, acne prone skin, or aging skin (or the very fun combination of all of the above) this is a great cleanser for you.

I have to agree. The thing I like most about this cleanser is how thoroughly it cleans my skin without feeling like I’ve just sucked all the oil off and out of it. It leaves my skin softer and smoother without being super harsh.

One thing to note: it does have fragrance, which I know is a turn off for some people when it comes to their skincare. It smells like citrus fruit to me, which I quite like. My skin isn’t sensitive to fragrance (although perfume does give me headaches), so I don’t mind.

I usually use this after I use Micellar water or jojoba oil to remove most of my makeup. As I’ve written before, this two-step process is often the best for me to get my skin actually clean.

I love how this cleanser makes my skin feel. It’s more moisturizing, which in the winter and fall can be a huge issue for lots of people. Combined with a good chemical exfoliator and a good moisturizer + sealant combo, it’s pretty much the dream cleanser.

In terms of price, a 5 fluid ounce tube (the size I’m holding) costs $29. The sample size (less than 1 fluid ounce) lasted me about 2 weeks, so I suspect this will last me 6-8 weeks, maybe up to 3 months. That’s pretty good! If you are diligent about your skincare, you end up using a lot of cleanser, so for this product, I feel like that’s not a bad price, especially as it comes from a prestige brand.

Have you tried a new product lately? Or have you wanted to try something, but haven’t? Let me know in the comments. What’s working for you lately?