Staying home all day with hardly anywhere to go is exhaustingly boring. For better or for worse, I’ve begun to fill my empty hours with endless online shopping and a self-care regimen. 

Wash hair, style hair, repeat. Wash face, do makeup, take makeup off, repeat. 

Here’s what I’ve learned in regards to the new products I’ve bought.

One of my current favorites for a clean, voluminous blowout is the One-Step Volumizer Hair Dryer by Revlon. This hair styling tool is priced at $59.99. The hairdryer is in a round brush form, and it’s perfect for a simple, professional-looking, quick hairdo. With a normal blow dryer, I’m holding a brush and the dryer. However, with this tool, I only have one instrument in hand, resulting in the ease of my wrists. Plus, I’ve noticed a decrease in frizz, and the ends of my hair look like Cher’s from the movie Clueless: blown to perfection, shiny, and undeniably smooth. I will say that I’ve certainly heard some negativity surrounding this dryer such as “my hair gets caught in it” or “I’ve experienced slight hair loss from daily use.” However, I haven’t found either of these statements to be true. For those who take the time to blow dry their hair from root to end, add this to your Christmas list. 

Moving on from hair, I tried Kim Kardashian’s beauty collection KKW BEAUTY, and, more specifically, her creme contour and highlight sculpting sets. To say the least, I’m obsessed. These contour sticks melt into your skin. The formula is super creamy and buildable, leaving a seamless finish. The dual-sided stick sets retail for $32. The packaging is aesthetically pleasing, and the application gives a very “no-makeup makeup look,” but the amount of product given makes the price tag somewhat questionable. I’d also warn that these sticks are not full coverage, and I have noticed that they move the foundation, concealer, or really any makeup applied prior to the application of the creme sticks.

As far as skincare goes, I’ve recently tried the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion I used to use often in middle school to spot-treat blemishes again. And by no means am I impressed. The drying lotion is, obviously, drying. That’s the bottom line. I don’t feel as if this product works actively to diminish imperfections on the skin; if anything, you just notice more flakiness from how dried out your skin becomes, making the blemishes even more noticeable and more challenging to cover with makeup.

The Lash and Brow Oil from Scratch Goods is a life-changer. This product retails for $24.00, and you get a lot of product in comparison to the typical lash serum. With other eyelash products that are more chemical-based and intense, I notice discoloration on my eyelids and redness. However, this overnight treatment-oil is very gentle, and overtime, it thickens and lengthens the lashes in a healthy way.

On the topic of lashes, I’ve purchased two new mascaras over the past six weeks or so

I love several different Charlotte Tilbury makeup products, so one day when browsing in Sephora, I decided to purchase the Pillow Talk Push Up Lashes mascara for $29.00. This mascara is runny. It takes a while to dry or harden onto your lashes; while I blink it on, it transfers onto my lids and under my eyes. Also, from wearing this for full days, I’ve come home to major fallout under my eyes. To sum it up, this mascara is not worth its price and, unequivocally, does not accomplish its alleged purpose.

On TikTok, I came across a girl presenting her favorite mascaras. While in awe at her incredible lashes, I noticed that at the top of her list was the Maybelline Lash Sensational Washable Mascara. Only a few drugstore mascaras in the past have met my needs, so I was skeptical when on my way to Target. I adore it. This product is priced at $9.99 and fully fans out and thickens my entire eyelash band. The curved shape of the wand makes the application process of this product extra easy; the eyelash boost given in turn of the price makes this mascara such a steal. Ladies and gents, this mascara does wonders. 

Lastly, I have another tried-and-true product: the Buxom lip glosses.

I purchased these lip plumping glosses in a duo set called the Babes On The Go Full-On Plumping Lip Polish Set from the Ulta Beauty store. This gloss bundle includes two mini glosses—in shades Sophia and Dominique—and retails for $15.00. With lip plumpers, I typically notice a stinging feeling on my lips, but with these, I really just got that minty-type tingle. These glosses are long-lasting and super high-shine. The scent is very sweet and sugary, forcing me to reapply throughout the day. My top complaint with different lip glosses is that they’re sticky and thick, and this is one of maybe four glosses I’ve ever tried that don’t present an uncomfortable film upon my lips.

With my sensitive skin and thick, coarse hair, my opinions on beauty products are strong and harsh. My makeup and hair care routine has been and will continue to utterly improve as I test new products, brands, and formulas, stashing the goods and trashing the products that just don’t live up to the hype.