I’ve collected a list of my quarantine buys that have stood the test of time. This is a list of things that I love, that came to me while I was bored in the house and in the house bored, BUYING EVERYTHING I COULD. Side note – am I the only one who started spending like I could afford it in quarantine? This list could be longer. I’ve bought some other stuff I love, but this is the best of the best, for the best of the best – YOU, girlfriend!!!
I *might* have put this one first because it’s my all-time favorite beauty purchase ever. (I know, bold statement) – Before I bought this product, I was the quintessential chapsticker. More specifically, I sort of panicked if I didn’t have a stick of Burt’s Bees within arm’s reach. Those days are gone thanks to this purchase. Coming in at right around $20 (depending on the retailer and sales), this stuff is gooey gold. It comes with a swanky little doo-dad applicator which has a smooth silicon tip. It makes putting this magical moisture on feel 10 times more boujee. I put it on every night religiously and I wake up with hydrated lips. Fun fact about me: I’m a nervous picker and one of the top victims of that picking has always been my lips, so if you’re like me… (or just have a different nervous tick and like hydrated lippies) you may want to pick up a tub of Laneige. I’ve been using it for about 3 months and I’m not even half way through the container yet so a little goes a long way!
You. Guys. THIS SHIRT! I swear, if I could live in one top for the rest of my life, it would be this one. That’s why I have progressively bought it in every color possible. (jk, but seriously) I have honestly bought it at prices anywhere between 13 and 20 dollars, depending on what sale is running and inventory in my size. (Anyone else shop at AE and feel like they have very low stock on things?) Anyways, it’s long enough for leggings, but not too long to tuck, if you’re into that. It definitely styles slightly baggy so if you don’t want any extra fabric, I would size down. I prefer the baggier fit, so I went with a large, which is true to size for me. The moment I took this shirt out of the plastic shipping bag, I knew it was love at first touch. There’s really no way to describe wearing it other than being draped in a cool soft sheet. It’s like being in a pajama shirt, except it looks cuter. This top is my go-to with biker shorts. Actually, these shirts on rotation with biker shorts has been my quarantine uniform.
I’ve used a lot of mascaras in my life. I’ve always compared the way I care for my lashes to the way Marsha Brady took care of her hair, gently brushing it 100 strokes every day. I do that with my lashes post mascara with my baby comb. In all honesty, this tool (although not a quarantine purchase) is one of the best things I’ve found, as it helps separate and lengthen lashes using any mascara. The reason I love Maneater by Tarte so much is that it is not clumpy and it has long wear. On nights I have mistakenly slept in it, I do not wake up with it all over my face. I usually find applicators that aren’t made with real bristles tend to clump my lashes together, which is how I started using the baby comb, but the short prongs (is that the right word?) on the Maneater brush separate my lashes beautifully. It’s also great to take the extra work out of things with the tiny comb after. Something to note is that I pair Maneater with the Loreal Voluminous Primer. I find that to be a game changer. These 3 items in combination have been my lash JAM.
4. Cinema Secrets Makeup Brush Cleanser
This was 100% an influenced/boredom purchase. I saw someone cleaning their brushes on Insta stories one day and the results they were getting were quite literally, unbelievable. So whenever it was that Sephora has some kind of sale, I pulled the trigger and got a small bottle of this MAGIC POTION. I thought for sure going into this that I would see an improvement on my brushes, but what I got was other-worldly. (See photos below) My bronzer brush went from brown back to WHITE. That just… doesn’t happen. Then I kept cleaning and sure enough, the sorcery continued. This is another product I like for the reason that a little goes a long way. If you’re cleaning bigger brushes, you may need more than the instructions indicate, but the result is worth it. The best part? You can resume use of your brushes almost immediately. With soap and water, you would have to wait overnight for everything to dry; not with Cinema Secrets. I would absolutely recommend this brush cleaner especially if you use more pricey brushes. I only have a few ‘investment brushes’ which are the ones I spent more than $3 on and I’m glad I now have this solution to take better care of them. But, if you’re buying cheaper brush sets and just replacing them every 7 or 10 years (like me), this could be a way to get a 20 year life out of your brushes!
By now I feel like the hype has reached FAR AND WIDE about this puppy. If you’ve tried it and you like it, you know why it made this list. If you tried it and you hated it, odds are it’s just not going to be a homerun for your hair type. What I will say is that I originally bought the Bed Head version of the blow dry brush. The first time I used it went well, and so did the second, but after that, I found the bristles were all out of whack and I was simply unimpressed with the quality. So I returned it and traded for the Revlon which was about $15-ish more. Worth it! I haven’t touched my regular blow dryer since I brought home the Revlon and my round brush is inching closer and closer to the trash bin. My arms still get tired when I use the Revlon and I work in a more particular way with sectioning my hair to optimize straightness. (I personally think smaller sections on low is the best strategy) That being said, if I wasn’t focused on getting the straightest possible blowout, I think my blow dry time would definitely be cut down overall. Like I said, if it’s not for you, you’ll know. But for this head of hair, I am one happy customer.
Just An Ortolani Day 