Best Purchases of 2022
The end of the year is here and with that comes a time of reflection. But this isn’t a post on self reflection, it’s about all the stuff that changed my life this year. Like, my life is better because I discovered the Beauty Blender… and turns out high waisted jeans aren’t so bad when you get the right ones!
So enough rambling, here are my list of products (divided into categories) I will buy over and over again.
Life Style
$20
First up, THE Beauty Blender. I don’t know why it took me so long to try one but I totally get the hype now!!! This sponge is unlike any sponge I’ve used for make up application. I use to apply with fingers and brushes but I feel like this is the most flawless foundation application I’ve ever had (when doing make up myself.
OH! Also, I saw a Korean make up artist use a Makeup Spatula to glide on foundation and tap it into the skin with the Beauty Blender. LIFE CHANGING! You guys have to try this method. I swear by it now.
Another hyped up item that I decided to purchase and judge for myself was the infamous Stanley Quencher. All the influencers tote it around and it sells out so dang quick that it took a few tries to get my hands on one.
I don’t go anywhere without it now. It is my emotional support water bottle and I love it so much. The straw makes me drink so much more water, the thing is huge (1.4oz) but fits in all the cup holders, I love that it has a handle because again, the thing is huge and it keeps your drink cold for 12 hours straight.
But the downside is that this model can’t be thrown into a gym bag because it will leak. I’m thinking I gotta try the other model that has a straw that snaps down and can seal completely.
I’ll report back in 2023.
Also, I got my eyebrows ombre powdered this year and DUDEEEEE it’s actually life changing though. I use to draw them myself but they were always a little off, no biggie, but I love not having to draw them any more. I feel put together even when I just roll out of bed. I didn’t think my eyebrows would make that much of a difference but I get it now.
But wait, can I just say I discovered a life hack 3 months ago that… get this.. changed my life. (I mean this blog post is all about life changing products/ habits etc so it will be an overused phrase lol.)
I started washing my face for a full minute every night now. I use the same regular face wash in the shower but now I just divide my face into six “zones” and wash each section thoroughly for ten seconds at a time. And yes I do count.
So I divide my face into chin, corner of nose, nose, under eye, cheek, side of face and forehead. And then I gently wash my face for ten second increments.
My skin has seen an improvement and even when I break out, my pimples calm down so much faster. I mean it makes so much sense because your products need time to work and when I use to wash my face I just assumed I was doing an adequate job.
Turns out I was just washing for about 20 seconds thinking it was a minute. One full minute is a lot longer than you think. I challenge you to try it out! Thank me later.
Fashion
$42
I’m in my claw clip era but not because it’s trendy.
It was because I was BALDING in 2020 and wore my hair in a tight/ high bun all the time. I started eating vitamins to promote hair growth and in 2022 started putting up my hair exclusively in claw clips. It has been so much gentler on my hair.
I love claw clips so much that I started buying nicer ones because it’s an accessory I wear everyday after all! These ones are so nice and sturdy but I view them as jewelry.
But I also got THESE claw clips as well and they’ve been great.
$47.52 (WAS $99)
If you had told me last year I would start wearing high waisted jeans I would have said you lost your dang mind because I bloat like a cute pot belly pig and I’m not one to sacrifice comfort for looks.
Well the only pair of jeans I had left stated getting holes on my knees… and between my thighs. ahem. It was time to buy jeans. I tried on a lot of jeans this year. Nothing looked or felt right.
That was until you all peer pressured me to try Abercrombie’s line of jeans. Turns out if you wear the right size (they also had the short cut option) wearing high waisted jeans aren’t uncomfortable!
Household Items
$99.99 (WAS $145)
The self proclaimed “internet’s favourite pan” entered our lives early this year. K loves it. I get it. It’s light, it’s pretty, and it’s non-stick without the teflon finish. Even my mom wants one now.
I like it. I also have the Caraway pans I still have yet to write a comparison review on but I think subconsciously I like this one better because we ALWAYS reach for it. It’s not conclusive proof that it’s superior but I have to say, I’d recommend this pan to my mom. (I’m getting her one. Shh)
Decor
$195
Ok now to the decor category. If I had to pick one decor item that I love the most this year it would have to be this gallery rail. Those people back in the past knew what they were doing. I wonder why they ever went out of style!
I love the brass finish on mine and I love the IDEA of being able to change up our gallery wall without commitment. But let’s be real, this will probably stay the same for another year.
Runner Up: Doster End Table
$115.77 (WAS $165.99)
The surprising runner up out of all the home decor I’ve purchased this year was this itty bitty table. I love it so much.
I think quite a lot of people love it because it was much cheaper when I purchased it at the beginning of the year.
She’s small, unassuming, elegant and looks good everywhere. I picked this as my runner up decor item because I’ve put her everywhere around the house and she always looked good.
Work Related
$29.99 (WAS $39.99)(CAD)
I used to have such a stiff neck from looking down all the time but this laptop stand was a life saver! If you work from home too, do yourself a favour and get yourself a lap top stand! (or get someone you know who works from home one.)
Honestly not much to say about this one but it truly was life changing for my posture and neck. (Dang I’m old.)
Click here for the American link.
$65
The runner up on my work item is technically an Apple Watch but I wouldn’t have gotten one if it weren’t for this watch strap. What can I say? I like pretty things and didn’t think the Apple Watch was pretty. Who knew they make such beautiful accessories for tech!
This strap elevates my watch and it feels way less techy to wear it. I only got the watch for work because I shoot a lot of videos on my own and if you didn’t know, this watch has a function that allows you to see your camera from your watch! It’s been super duper handy! But now with a pretty watch strap, I actually want to wear it everyday. (Nobody is surprised I’m sure.. after all I’m pretty frivolous.)
Device of the Year
$20.97
Okay, the sleeper hit, the most random, perhaps even the least sexy of all the house hold items I bought this year was this flying insect trap but boy oh boy does it work. We even worked together on two campaigns but I did purchase them myself.
I highly recommend them especially if you have a fruit fly problem. (They use to be sold on Amazon.ca and I’ve linked them before but I don’t know why they’re no longer available in Canada.)
But if you can get your hands on them (I bought a few more at Home Depot when I was in the States) grab one.
Just note, that the blue light is strong and kinda pierces the eyes. I unplug it when the fruit fly problem dies down.
Favourite Makeover Space
Okay, time to reveal our favourite makeover space! It has got to be the patio. I think it’s because we never had a real patio space before. We’ve been fortunate enough to have a backyard space in the past but they were always shared spaces or it was too small for a patio set.
In this new house, we now have a deck and I love this extension of our home so so much! I never knew that I liked laying out in the sun or just sitting around doing nothing all day until this patio entered our lives. I feel very very lucky to be able to enjoy this space.
Sadly this patio set is discontinued and no longer on sale. It was from Article.
And the runner up favourite project this year was the guest bathroom renovation that wasn’t suppose to happen. (We sprung a leak in three places and had to rip the whole thing up because the previous person did a horrible job. Yikes)
This pushed us back on our projects because it was an unexpected cost but that means we have more projects to look forward to in 2023!
More to come on that in the new year
That concludes my year end review on the most life changing products I bought this year. It was hard to narrow down and the list turned out to be a bit more random than I thought! But yeah, I want to hear a life changing thing you bought, did or saw this year!
As always, thanks for reading!
Love,
W
