2021 has come to a close, so today I’m sharing the best of 2021. These are all my favorite products from the year. I’ve got lists for skincare, makeup, haircare, kitchen, pregnancy, staples, and baby. I am rounding up some of Ben’s favorite toys in a blog post either later this week or next week so the baby items are more things to add to your registry if you are expecting.

Without too much introduction, here are my favorite items from 2021!

Skincare

Best Eye Balm – My all-time favorite. I never leave the house without my Tula Rose Glow Eye Balm. It immediately makes a difference with my dark, puffy under eyes.

Best Face Wash – The Cult Classic earned its name for a reason. This face wash is my everyday wash. I use it morning and night and feel so clean when I use it.

Best Moisturizer –  There are a few TULA products on this list because I am genuinely a big fan of their skincare. My face gets very dry while wearing a mask and also in the winter. The combination this year has made my skin also kind of scaly. I have been using this moisturizer on my face every day.

Best Primer – I didn’t wear foundation at all this summer and this primer was the reason. Instead of foundation, I just put this on with a little mascara and left the house. This primer is like an Instagram filter for your face. I can’t say enough good things about it.

Best Makeup Remover – The Green Clean makeup remover is like butter that literally melts your makeup off your face. I use this before I wash my face with the Cult Cleanser. I love how clean this product is as well.

Best Night Serum – The Honeymoon Glow gives your skin this fantastic glow. I don’t even really know how to explain it, but it’s a resurfacing serum that works wonders on your face. It’s one of my all-time favorite products.

Best Exfoliator – I only use this one 2 or 3 times a week, but I’m a huge advocate of exfoliating your face. I actually keep this one in the shower and use it after I exfoliate my body.

Best Face Shaver – Speaking of exfoliating, removing peach fuzz and dead skin is a must. I use these little face shavers to remove everything I don’t want.

Best Puffy Eye Patch – I love these eye patches and wear them before big events or when I desperately need them. Usually, I just rock with my eye balm, but when I need extra help, I turn to the patches.

Makeup

Best Lipstick – My tried and true lipstick. I use the liner and the matte lipstick. I like the light nude, but there are several shades of Pillow Talk. It’s the best I’ve ever found.

Best Mascara – I have tried more mascaras than I can count, but this is the winner. It separates your lashes and gives fantastic length and thickness. It’s truly the best mascara I’ve ever used.

Best Eye Shadow – This palette is gorgeous and has great pigments. I love that there are shimmer options but also matte options in the same palette. You are able to create really pretty looks with just this one palette.

Best Foundation – I didn’t wear foundation much in 2021, but when I did it was this Tarte foundation. I like this one because it has buildable coverage. It also doesn’t feel too thick even though you can cover a lot.

Best Lip Mask – This sleeping mask leaves your lips looking and feeling incredible.

Best Bronzer – I have yet to find a bronzer I like more than Physicians Formula. After all these years, it’s still the best in my opinion.

Best Concealer – I like that this concealer a) works and b) is affordable. I use this on my under eyes and to cover any breakouts.

Best Foundation Brush – With 1.1k reviews, I had to check it out. This brush is worth the hype. It applies your foundation so evenly and clean. It’s awesome.

Best Setting Spray – Old reliable. It may smell like a McChicken, but man it keeps your makeup in place.

Haircare

Best Overall Product – Holy wow. This Olaplex Hair Perfecter is worth every penny. My hair has never been so smooth and strong in my life.

Best Texture Spray – Say goodbye to flat hair with this spray. Your hair will get volume, height and a little va-va-voom!

Best Dry Shampoo – I’m an avid dry shampoo user and Amika is my new brand. I love how fresh and clean my hair looks with this spray.

Best Purple Shampoo – I discovered Amika Purple Shampoo at my last haircut. My hairstylist used it while washing my hair and it looked like I had fresh highlights and was perfectly toned. I was blown away by how good it looked. I also use the conditioner.

Best Drugstore Purple Shampoo – A good, more affordable option for purple shampoo is this combination from L’Oreal. It works extremely well and the price is right.

Best Hair Dryer – I have a long to-do list every day so having a dryer and styler in one has been huge. It cuts my getting ready time way down. Plus it gives me extra volume with minimal effort.

Best Heatless Curls – You will look like Martha Washington when you use this and go to bed, but your curls will look great in the morning. This is such an easy concept and it really does work.

Best Curling Wand – This is still my favorite curling wand. I like the different options for thickness and the different looks you can achieve with each barrel.

Best Straightener – I love this straightener and actually use it to curl my hair most days as well. It’s a fantastic little tool to achieve a lot of different looks.

Pregnancy

Best Pregnancy Pillow – I wouldn’t have made it through pregnancy without this pillow. I quit using it after Ben was born and I wish I still used it haha.

Best Anti-Nausea tool – Ooof, nausea was the worst. These sea bands helped a lot by pushing a pressure point to help relieve some of the morning sickness.

Best Body Scrub – Stretch marks are also the worst. I used this body scrub every single time I showered and while I still got stretch marks, I think it made a difference with the bounce back.

Best Belly Butter – In addition to the scrub, I also used this belly butter daily. I also think it helped contribute to the bounce back.

Best Anti-Nausea Treat – When I got nauseous, I liked these Pedialyte popsicles to restore some electrolytes.

Best Prenatal Vitamins – Definitely consult with your doctor about the best vitamins for you, but I took these all during and after pregnancy.

Best Leggings – Pants were the worst, these leggings were life.

Best Water Bottle – I had to have freezing cold water. If it was even a little bit lukewarm, I got sick. I used my Hydroflask to keep my water icy cold.

Best Robe – I loved this robe before and after pregnancy. I packed it in my hospital bag and wore it all during my hospital stay as well.

Baby

Best Steamer – Ben doesn’t like cold bottles, so this steamer runs all day every day at our house.

Best Pack N’ Play – I highly recommend having a diaper changing station upstairs and downstairs in your house. We have his regular changing table upstairs and use this Pack N’ Play for downstairs changing and traveling. He sleeps in it while we travel.

Best Stroller Fan – We would not have survived an Atlanta summer without this stroller fan.

Best Sound Machine – Ben sleeps like a rock with this sound machine on in his room. We block out any other noise in the house with it. He likes to go to sleep to a lullaby and sleep with the washing machine sound.

Best Sleep Sack – Sleep sacks are life and we like these!

Best Bathtub – I was so sad that we have outgrown this tub already, this was great to put inside the larger tub. We now have a seat he kind of sits up in, but I loved this tub.

Best Stroller and Car seat – This travel set is the best. You can buy just a base for your cars and then transport the car seat from one base to the next. You can also put the car seat in the stroller.

Best Baby Dome – Don’t go to the beach or pool without this dome. Your baby will sleep soundly and safely in SPF 50.

Best Baby Carrier – I always feel like Ben is so secure in this carrier. He’s a big boy so this is important to me. I like that I can wear him and not just Stephen.

Kitchen

Best Cheese Slicer – I love to make charcuterie boards. This cheese slicer makes everything so much easier.

Best Serving Dish – I love Nora Fleming products so much. There are so many great sizes and minis to change up your serving vibes.

Best Onion Goggles – If you cut stinky things and your eyes water, you need a pair of these goggles ASAP.

Best Coffee Mugs – These double-walled mugs are so pretty and match everything in your kitchen. Plus they help control temperature.

Best Batter Dispenser – Don’t make pancakes or baked goods without this batter dispenser. It makes it so easy to control the amount of batter that you use.

Best Waffle Maker – I love the mini waffle makers from Dash. I like the seasonal ones a lot, but this is just the classic. I like the smaller-sized waffles and think this makes preparation and cleanup so much easier.

Best Appliance – We love our Air Fryer and Instant Pot combination. There are so many things to make and it cuts the time you take to make dinner down by a lot!

Best Storage Cart – The downside to the Instant Pot/Air Fryer is that it is a little bulky. We have this cart to store ours and we think it’s just great!

Best Rolling Pin – I love this rolling pin because you can control the thickness of your dough. You can change out the rings on the end to give you thicker or thinner dough.

Staples

Best Jeans – I love these jeans and buy the “short” because I have stubby legs. The price is right for these jeans and they are very flattering. I have them in several colors, but Lydia is my favorite.

Best Bra – This bra is fantastic for larger-chested gals. It shrinks your breast size but it is still comfortable. I love it because all of my clothes fit better. I bought several of these and they are my main bras. I do use a hands-free bra for pumping, but the rest of the time, I am in these.

Best Manicure – I have just been painting my nails at home over the past few years. This gel combo of nail polish and topcoat is my favorite. I am a big red nail person, and “Red Eye” is my favorite shade.

Best Sweater –  I love these cropped sweaters. I have been wearing them all fall and all winter. I have three colors.

Best Tennis Shoes – These are my all-time fave tennis shoes. Many sizes are still in stock. I like that there is a little pop on the heel.

Best Apple Watch Band – I love this watch band so much that I have purchased two. This is another one that the price is right and it looks much more expensive than it is.

Best No Show Socks – I don’t like my socks to show, so no-shows are the way to go. I like these socks to wear with my sneakers and booties.

Best Shoe Purchase – This was my favorite shoe purchase of the year. These crystal bow heels were very trendy this year and were sold out everywhere. These dupes are still in stock and come in three colors. I’ve worn them three times this month and they are so comfortable! These shoes are my favorite purchase of 2021.

Best Everyday Earrings – If you need a pair of everyday earrings, these cubic zirconia posts are perfect!

 

There you go! All of my favorite items in 2021! What were your favorite items and products this year?