My Best Buys Of 2018 (Beauty, Clothes + Food)

TGIF! Anyone else feeling a bit of a slow start into January this year? I don’t quite know what it is, but I almost feel like NOW is when I’m catching my new year swing. In any case, I wanted to share my best buys of 2018 with all of you. I bought more airfare than I did ‘things’ in 2018, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t discover a few favorites along the way. Today I’m sharing all my favorites in the categories of beauty, clothes and food, so if that sounds like something you might be interested in, I hope you’ll stick around 🙂

My Best Buys Of 2018 (Beauty, Clothes + Food)

FOOD

Siete Chips – I fancy myself a bit of a chip connoisseur, but I had been dragging my feet on trying these, because everyone said the same thing “they’re wonderful, but half the bag is air”. When I finally bit the bullet, I didn’t even care how much air was in the bag. I felt like I was tasting chip perfection. I really love that they are grain free and lime is, by far, my favorite flavor. Do yourself a favor and buy them as a treat. I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Coconut Caramel Crunch Coffee – We discovered this on a trip to Kauai after visiting the coffee plantation, but this flavor is tops. Actually, the banana bread flavor is tops, but you can really only find it on Kauai, which means this blend is #1 since I live on Oahu LOL We buy it at Costco when we see it (and buy about 5 bags at a time to be transparent). It’s DELICIOUS!

Re-usuable Coffee Pods – We’ve been using reusable pods for a few years now, but I finally took the time to calculate what we save this year. Dane and I are coffee snobs (hey, the first step is admitting it, right?), so we’ve gotten a bit spoiled with it here in Hawaii. We don’t buy cheap coffee, but even with buying the Kauai Coffee mentioned above (as well as a few other local favorites) we are saving! One bag from Costco ($20) will last us about 5 weeks with an average of 2-3 cups per day. Let’s low ball it and say that we are only having two cups per day, for a total of 70 (2 cups per day x 35 days). That’s 28 cents per cup and a heck of a lot better on the environment. It’s even lower if we are drinking more than 2 cups per day. If you aren’t using these, you should seriously consider it! They rock, are super easy to use and cost less than $10 for 4!

 

BEAUTY

Modere – I did an entire post on what I love so far about Modere and I can happily say…it’s still working. I got really nervous after our weekend in Vegas when I actually wore a bit of makeup that my face would be back to square 1 when I returned home, but you guys – my skin still looks pretty good! It’s safe to say I’ll be sticking with Modere through 2019!

Living Proof Dry Shampoo – Anyone who knows me knows that washing my hair is not one of my strong suits. Honestly, who has the time? But I also never wanted to pull the trigger on expensive dry shampoo, because hello – money. So when I finally got to try Living Proof at a bougie airport lounge and it fixed my hair after 20+ hours of flying, I thought I heard angels sing. I kind of forgot about it again until my friend Casey used it every day of our trip to Iceland and her hair still looked red-carpet ready. I bought a bottle as soon as I got home and the rest is history. I’ll never go back + I love it more than the IGK Dry Shampoo I talked about in my Sephora Haul post.

Moroccan Magic Lip Balm – You might remember this little gem from this loving lately post. My lips bear the brunt of my mid-afternoon workout and beach sunning – chapped city. I also was dealing with a little bit of nasty lip chafing residual from my Lipsense experience (full disclosure: I still wear it for events, but definitely not everyday), so when my friend Becky introduced me to this lip balm – I was excited to test it out. The first thing I noticed was the scent. I got the Rose variety and it truly smells like a rose bush. If you are averse to smells maybe steer clear of this, but I personally love it. I’ve kept it on my nightstand ever since I got it last February and it’s still an absolute favorite, plus my lips are soft as ever. 10/10 recommend!

Essential Oils – Okay, okay so these aren’t new for 2018, BUT! Me traveling with oils and using them in things other than my diffuser and for migraines is. I’ve been traveling with lemon for my water, peppermint for bug repellent and On Guard for germs/bacteria. Oils are the new black and there is no telling me otherwise – I love them!

CLOTHES

Native Slip-On Shoes – Oh where to even begin with these bad boys? They’re the most comfortable shoes I have ever slipped on my feet. I’ve worn them across Europe, on beaches and boats in Tahiti, around Las Vegas and for running errands at home. They’re easy to slip on and off, extremely comfortable (no rubbing or blisters), don’t make my feet stink and I can put them on the top row of my dishwasher to clean them. What is better? They’re less than $50 and still look as good as the day I bought them. If there was an award for the best item I bought in 2018, it’s these Native sneakers. I typically wear an 8/8.5 and the 8 fits wonderfully.

Scarf Cape – I picked this up for our trip to Italy and then I snagged a second one for our trip to Alaska. To my delight, my friend Sarah gifted me a third one for my birthday. I’m so happy to report the scarf capes continue being stocked at J.Crew + new styles come out each season! They’re extremely versatile and the arm holes make it easy to wear as a cape, but it looks equally good worn as a scarf.

7-Way Infinity Scarf – This little number saved my butt in Africa, but that’s not why I love it. I love it because it’s a sweat-wicking scarf so it’s perfect for traveling to both hot and cold locations. Need something to rest your head on for the plane? Done. Need something to cover your face on a dusty safari? Check. Need something to wrap your neck under layers upon layers in Iceland? Done. Forget a shoulder cover to visit a religious house? Also done. This 7-way scarf can be made into an infinity scarf, shoulder cover and cape with the snap of a few buttons. It’s such a good staple piece, I gifted one to my mom this Christmas.

High Rise Jeans – The award for the second best thing I bought this year goes to these high-rise jeans that don’t make ass look like a pancake. If you have shopped around for high rise jeans you understand that is a monumental win! I ordered these jeans in the distressed style, but loved them so much I ordered a second pair of white ones. They are great for travel and I consistently get asked where I bought them or if they are 7s. They’re not! In fact, they’re less than $50!

And that pretty much sums it up! I’d love to know….What products did you fall in love with in 2018?