2020-21Essentials
These are a few of my favorite things…or at least things I bought or started using during quarantine and now they’re part of my life.
Below you’ll find products I swear by with a review including pros and cons.
LASH PRINCESS MASCARA
This mascara claims to give you the look of false lashes and it does! You can add many coats and it gets thicker and thicker. Apparently, a lot of beauty bloggers love this stuff, but I bought it because it was the cheapest on Amazon. I couldn’t believe how well it worked! It lasts a long time too. There’s nothing sadder in makeup land than buying an expensive mascara (DIOR) and a month later it’s dried up or empty. Lash Princess has a generous amount of product with a large applicator brush that curls and fans your lashes. It’s also cruelty and gluten-free. Yay! Who is still testing makeup on animals??? Gross!
Downside: If you’re going for a natural no-makeup look, skip this one. It really looks like fake lashes.
MICELLAR WATER
When you put on multiple coats of mascara, you need a little help getting it off. With blonde lashes, I have a hard time getting all my eye makeup off before bed. No matter how clean I get my face, I always wake up with raccoon eyes. I had been using the free Clinique samples of makeup remover for years, and they finally ran out. I first heard about micellar water from JVN on Queer Eye. It’s a gender-neutral product, which I like. My significant other and I share most of our bathroom products, so I try to keep them scent and gender-neutral. I don’t like scents at all because I have sensitive skin (wah). Micellar water is really gentle, it feels like water. It’s not oily either. You can be more liberal with it than other makeup removers, that’s why it comes in a huge bottle. And it lasts so long!
Downside: Still not as gentle as water. It burns my eyes slightly if I use too much.
RIMMEL LONDON CONCEALER
When we were in quarantine, I rarely wore makeup (and somehow my skin still aged 20 years). The makeup stores and malls were closed, or I was scared to go inside, so I found myself going back to the drugstore brands. I went through several to find one that held up on camera. I wanted to look good on Zoom calls (and comedy shows) so I looked for a concealer with good coverage. RIMMEL is my favorite by far. I have barely used foundation because this concealer does everything. I can add a little moisturizer to spread it more evenly. It erases the dark shadows under my eyes. I like the sponge on the end to dab the concealer onto your face. I’m a big fan. Honestly, it works as well as MAC concealers I’ve had in the past.
Downside: When you get to the end of the tube it can tend to squirt out! Not that bad though.
SILK PILLOWCASES
A silk (or satin) pillowcase is supposed to help keep your hair and skin smooth while your sleep. Unless you sleep like Dracula, you’re probably smashing your face into your pillow which causes wrinkles. Is that why his skin was so smooth? They’re very soft and smooth, and even if they’re not helping me look younger, they’re at least making my bed look fun and kinda shiny. I’m not advocating for switching to satin sheets. A satin pillowcase is all you need.
Downside: I don't know if it’s working or not, but now I only want to lay my head on silk and satin.
MATTY M LEGGINGS
These are my favorite leggings. They’re very elastic, very thick, and have a very wide waistband. They tuck in your tummy and lift up your booty a little (speaking as someone with no booty to speak of). I bought a pair at Costco a few years ago and never saw them there again. Luckily, I tracked them down online! They are NOT see-through when you bend over, which is a MUST. There are styles with pockets, but I haven’t tried those. They don’t stretch out, even after washing them a million times.
Downside: If you don’t like tight leggings, you may not like these.
ELECTRIC TEA KETTLE
Did you all know electric kettles made life so much easier? And you didn’t tell me? I’d been using a tea kettle on the stove all this time (or when I’m lazy a KEURIG). With all the hot beverages we were drinking to keep warm, we kept the kettle hot all winter. You can also use it for oatmeal, ramen noodles, Jell-O, soup mix…or just use it as a fast way to boil water.
Downside: I’m not sure if this saves energy or not. Using it has tripped the breaker in our kitchen a couple of times.
EMERGEN-C and METAMUCIL
Emergen-C kept me alive during the pandemic. I’m sure it helped at least. I drank it once a week, sometimes daily, as an immune system booster. Anytime I felt like I was dragging I drank a glass. I never had COVID, but I also didn’t get any other illnesses. Not even my bi-annual sinus infections. I kept packets of it in my purse and the rare occasion I traveled. Buy the jumbo pack, especially for flu season.
Metamucil, what can I say without being gross? Fiber is so very important, especially as we get older. It helps keep your intestinal tract flowing smoothly, which helps improve your mood. With all the panic and uncertainty we faced, my stomach was in knots, and I’m sure I’m not alone. If you have a glass of Emergen-C and then a glass of Metamucil every day, not only will you stay healthy and regular, but you’ll be more hydrated too! And did you know fiber is good for your heart? We gotta take good care of our hearts. Both drink mixes come in a couple of different flavors, but orange is the classic. It’s like Tang, but with vitamins. Remember Tang?
Downside: Drink Metamucil fast or it will get thicc.
BREAD PILLOW
I received this as a birthday gift in the mail and thought, “this is hilarious, but it’s huge!” As it turns out…it’s a perfect size. I usually keep it on the couch. It’s a funny conversation piece but it’s also so soft and comfortable! We can lay on it and watch movies, or use it as a body pillow. Ollie the pug has taken it over for himself. He lays on it a million different ways, then plays with it, then barks at it. The bread pillow has been a lot of fun.
Downside: I don’t know how to wash it. There’s no internal pillow, just stuffing. I guess I could take all the stuffing out and wash the case, but that sounds like a fiasco. I’ll wash the whole pillow and let you all know how it goes.
INSTANT POT
The world has moved on to air fryers, but I got an Instant Pot during quarantine. Actually, I started with an older pressure cooker and wore that out, then upgraded to the Instant Pot. What I love about this is you don’t have to heat up your whole kitchen to make a meal. With the heat waves we’ve been having, I dread using the stove/oven because it makes the kitchen so hot.
An Instant Pot definitely cooks foods faster than an oven. They work best for dishes that have a long cooking time (like a roast, oxtail, or any tougher cuts of meat). They also trap all the liquids that come out of foods while they cook instead of evaporating in a dry oven. When I meal prep I usually have one dish cooking in the Instant Pot, one on the stove, one in the oven, maybe something on the griddle. It lets me get a lot more done in less time.
Downside: Don't be fooled into thinking you’re going to have dinner ready in 5 minutes. You can cook things “under pressure” in 5 minutes, but it takes several minutes to heat up and come to pressure, then several minutes to release. Realistically, give yourself an hour to make a dish. Think of it as a quicker crockpot.
PLASTIC FOOD CONTAINERS
While I’m on the subject of meal prep, these are the containers I like. I’m very proud of the people who use the glass ones, but those things are way too heavy for me to be schlepping around. These work fine for me. I learned quickly that I needed the divided containers. Not only does it keep food from mixing, but it helps with portion control. I could fit A LOT of food into the not-divided container. I use those for salads now. I try to spend no more than $1 per container. Two for $1 is even better. Sometimes you can find them at The Dollar Tree.
Downside: The container itself can go in the microwave and dishwasher, but the lids cannot.
SOUND MACHINE and SLEEP MASK
Have you had trouble sleeping? I’ve never been good at falling asleep, so I’ve tried everything over the years. I love a sound machine, and lately, I’ve been wearing a sleep mask again. Even though my bedroom is dark, has shades, and curtains, I still get woken up by any little blinking light. I’ve noticed I wake up a lot less during the night with the sleep mask. Some of the other things I use to fall asleep are melatonin, incense, and ASMR videos.
Downside: My eyes are so sensitive to light in the morning when I wear a sleep mask.
CANDLES
If you didn’t get really into candles during quarantine, then what were you doing? Baking bread? We went through a lot of candles. We bought a candle everywhere we went. I mentioned I don’t like scents in my beauty products, but I do like scented candles. Some of my favorite scents are Coffee, Clean Linen, Ocean Scents, and some of the more subtle manly musk ones. I also love the sound the wood wick candles make. My favorite candles though are the ones that come in a cool container you can clean out and use when the candle burns up.
Downside: Do candles ever give you a headache? hmm, maybe I should look into this.
RECORD PLAYER and RECORDS
We’re staring at screens all day from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep. It’s nice to have a little analog in your life. I hadn’t had a record player since I was a kid. I forgot how fun it is to look through your records to decide what you want to listen to. You also have to get up every 20-30 minutes to change or flip the record, so that keeps you on your feet. It’s not as easy as saying, “Alexa, play party playlist” but it’s a different, more active way to experience music. I’ve also enjoyed looking for old records at thrift stores and antique stores. I’ve found several comedy albums! A lot of artists are having their albums pressed on vinyl these days. You can buy them at Wal-Mart and Target…even Cracker Barrel! Get on the record train with me.
Downside: New vinyl isn’t cheap! One record is around $20. That’s what makes hunting for used vinyl exciting.
MASSAGE GUN
Have you felt more tense than usual? I might have a solution for you. I went to a friend’s house for a BBQ. She had just bought a massage gun at Costco and used it on my back. WOAH! That thing is powerful. DO NOT use it on your head…it’ll rattle your brain, but on your back, legs, and feet it feels heavenly.
Downside: This is a really strong and powerful massage gun, so it’s not for everyone. Don’t use it on kids or pets. It comes with a hard foam ball attachment, which is mostly what I use. There are other plastic attachments, but they kind of hurt me, so I haven’t used them again. I’m telling you, it’s intense.
KARAOKE MACHINE
I would say, “who doesn’t love karaoke?” but I know some people hate karaoke. Personally, I enjoy it. What I don’t like about it is waiting my turn and listening to other people sing. Doing karaoke at home by myself during quarantine was way more fun than I thought it would be! You can find karaoke versions of just about anything on YouTube. My little brother would come over and sing with me and then he got his own karaoke machine for Christmas. I have no idea how singing covers of my favorite songs can cheer me up so much, but it does. Maybe it will cheer you up too.
Downside: If you buy extra microphones, don’t go for the cheapest ones online. They don’t last very long.
BLADELESS FAN
I have fans running all the time, in almost every room. Circulating the air is very important to me, it gets stuffy so fast. When’s the last time you cleaned a fan? It’s a lot of work, and really gross. We got this bladeless fan (and air purifier). I didn’t think it would work. I assumed it would be weak, but it puts out a lot of air. It’s also quieter than a fan with blades, so you can have it on while you’re doing Zoom calls. I’m a believer!
Downside: Not a good fan if you like a loud fan in your bedroom…but if you have a sound machine you’re covered.
STANDING DESK
After several months of working on the top of a dresser during quarantine, my significant other decided to invest in setting up a home office. It made a world of difference to him. It’s what he was used to using back at his office after an ergonomic expert gave him a consultation, and he really enjoyed it. Sitting is the new smoking, right? Make sure to get an adjustable height desk so you can sit or stand, and adjust the height according to the task you’re performing. Make sure you leave enough room for the cords when you raise the desk all the way up! If you’re working from home, and plan to continue, invest in your home office space. You’re going to be spending 40+ hours in that space, so why not make it a place that motivates and energizes you?
Downside: I wish the desk could also tilt and turn into a drafting table, but hopefully, that’s in the near future.
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