Best Beauty & Wellness Items Of 2019

Happy holidays everyone! The past couple weeks have passed by in a blur of parties, work, and squeezing in a barre class whenever I can. At the same time, the slower pace of the season has been getting to me too—think sleeping in, eating shortbread, lounging in PJs, watching movies, and taking naps. Now that we are now officially in the twilight zone between Christmas and New Year's, I wanted to wrap up the year with a couple of final posts, including a look back at the beauty and wellness items that made the biggest difference to my 2019 routine. If I could sum up this year's beauty MO in one statement, it'd be "Makeup minimalist, skincare maximalist, and athleisure-y AF." Let's take a deep dive, shall we?

1. Hot Tools Signature Series One-Step Blowout Volumizer ($89.99 exclusively at London Drugs, gifted item, previously featured here). My hair texture is getting frizzier and curlier with age, but alas, I'm too much of a Lazy Girl to blowdry and straight-iron my hair. This tool gives me similar results in half the time.

2. MIFA and Co Eucalyptus Coco Body Wash ($32, gifted item, previously featured here). Still enjoying the spa-like vibes of this locally made, all-natural body wash.

3. Dior Brow Styler ($39, purchased by me, previously featured here) and Nude By Nature Precision Brow Mascara ($24 at Shoppers Drug Mart, gifted item, previously featured here). I am such a makeup minimalist that I've been going to work bare-faced for the most part, but in 2019 I started doing a bit of light makeup again: tinted moisturizer, brows, cream blush, tinted lip balm...just the essentials to make me look more alert and alive. For brows, this was the combo I relied on for most of the year and it worked incredibly well. So well, in fact, I got constant compliments from coworkers and questions about whether I'd gotten microblading. The only downside of this combo is that it's pretty costly, but stay tuned—I'm reviewing a more affordable alternative to both products in the new year!

4. Four years and 400+ classes later, Bar Method continues to be one of the best things I do for myself and my health. With so many classes under my belt and in anticipation of the year ahead, I figured it was time to upgrade some of my grippy socks to the newer styles with the bigger, stickier grips.

5. Evalina Beauty Dew Beauty Benefit Cream ($44, gifted item). Local, and fragrance-, paraben-, and cruelty-free. I had the privilege of attending Evalina's Vancouver launch event earlier in December, and since then I've been enjoying this BB cream's creamy, dewy finish and how it delivers sheer coverage and a "Like you, but better" complexion.

6. Pixi Rose Ceramide Cream ($24, gifted item, previously featured here). Intensely moisturizing with the soothing power of ceramides and probiotics, a rose and citrus scent, and an affordable price tag to boot. Great for protecting skin from the harsh elements.

7. Invisibobble Slim ($11, purchased by me). The slimmer, more tightly coiled version of the classic Invisibobble gives my ponytails more hold in barre, without ever pulling at or breaking hair. Pro tip: Use a hairdryer to shrink spiral hair ties that have loosened too much much.

8. Bamboo makeup remover pads ($13.99, purchased by me). I was feeling guilty about how many single-use cotton rounds were going into the garbage because of my skincare routine, so I ordered two sets of these and they've been a total game changer. I stash them in a mason jar in the bathroom and use them for micellar water and toner. The dirty ones go into the little mesh bag and into the laundry. So easy.

9. Elizabeth Arden Vitamin C Ceramide Capsules ($106 at London Drugs, gifted item, previously featured here). I didn't think a vitamin C product could deliver overnight results until I tried this one. Plus, I love the fact that the capsules are made of biodegradable gelatin.

10. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($125, gifted item, previously featured here). Another heavy-duty moisturizer, this time higher end. Magic Cream is like an Instagram filter for your face, it's that good.

11. 12. Lululemon Fringe Fighter Headband ($18, purchased by me). I literally just realized I goofed on the numbering in the graphic—oops! Let's put aside my inability to count and focus on this headband for a sec though. It's sweat-wicking and double-sided, and made of soft material that keeps hair back without tugging or pulling. I love it for securing pesky flyaways in barre class.

13. Rocky Mountain Soap Company Sport Massage Butter ($17, gifted item, previously featured here). In my 20s, I was excited about long-wear lipsticks and pigmented eyeshadows; now, in my 30s, good facial moisturizers and muscle pain relieving products pique my interest. Is this a sign that I'm getting older, more athleisure-y, or both? No matter how you look at it, this all-natural massage butter was one of my 2019 product-testing faves. As with the brow products though, stay tuned for reviews of alternatives in the new year.

14. Dior Lip Glow ($45). Tinted lip balm is a must-have for this low-maintenance girl, and Dior still makes one of the best.

15. Pixi DetoxifEYE Depuffing Eye Patches ($33, gifted item, previously featured here). A godsend on the mornings I wake up with tired, puffy eyes. I loved these so much, I bought a replacement jar the last time I was at Target.