One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about getting into the blogger/Instagram is world discovering new brands. There are so many products out there and having the input of the internet can really guide you in a positive direction. Lucky for me, most of the new brands and products I tried this year have been great. Here is my “Best of 2020” list. I hope it gives you all some helpful insight into the products you are considering.
Best Skincare Finds
Possibly my absolute favorite category, I am now a die-hard fan of these products. Some of them were mentioned in my mid-year round-up, but some are new to my list.
The top spot is tied between Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and the Alpha-H Vitamin A Serum with 0.5% Retinol. I have and will continue to repurchase these products and am excited to try others from each brand. Both products are highly effective, and both are gentle enough on my skin for daily use (though I do give my skin “rest days”).
A few other products I’ve mentioned before, but love too much to not mentioned are the Laneige Water Bank Moisture Cream, Lancôme’s Tonique Confort, and Lapcos sheet masks. Laneige was a brand I found for my now ex-boyfriend (thanks 2020) and has proven to be a great option for my nighttime moisturizer. It’s rich but not heavy or greasy and it doesn’t irritate my eyes like other products do. In winter I’ll use it morning and night if I need the extra hydration.
To be honest, I am not sure the Lancôme Tonique Confort is doing something a cheaper toner couldn’t do better, but it really helps calm my sensitive skin after I’ve used a cleanser. It feels great and smells great, and you don’t need much. Honestly, I love this toner so much that I think this is my favorite step in my daily skincare routines.
The Lapcos sheet masks have become a part of my weekly chill and self-care routine. My favorites so far are the vitamin C, and Collegian masks. The Aloe mask is great in summer or if I went a little too hard on a new skincare product and my skin is in need of extra soothing. They are inexpensive and I think they do a better job than the Sephora masks I used to use. Highly recommend picking of a variety pack or two .
Best Clothing Finds
2020 was the year most people cleaned out their closets. I did purge some, but mostly I bought a bunch of new clothes. To be fair, I tend to binge buy. In 2020 it was clothing and this year it will probably be home décor.
There is no real order here, but I’ll start with my Zuri Dress. I love this dress so much and suspect it will retain its favored position for several years. It’s colorful, the pattern is fun, and it’s a sustainable and ethical brand. My older sister introduced me to the brand via her friends online boutique (Mahri Mahri)). If you like a playful print, this is the dress brand for you.
Newest to my wardrobe is my Sezane Johnson coat. I wrote a post on my search for the perfect winter coat and this one was the winner. It’s great quality, a gorgeous cream/sand color, and is just so classic and stylish. I have gotten so many compliments on it in the short time I have owned it. I am absolutely in love.
Around the time I got my new coat I was rummaging through Nordstrom Rack and found two beautiful 100% cashmere turtleneck sweaters for 14th and Union. One in burgundy and the other in an oatmeal color. At the time they were only $50 each but I just checked, and they went down in price again. I wear them constantly because they are so comfortable. The beige one paired with my Sezane coat is what finally got me on board with the all neutral trend.
My last two favorites also pair well together. Kirju.Co is an Estonian streetwear brand I’ve liked since my first visit five years ago. They make a line of t-shirts with really cool, almost schematic, animal graphics on them. The Unicorn t-shirt I made my sister ship me is high quality, very comfortable, and unique. Sadly, I don’t think they ship to the US so I will have to wait to pick up anything else I like till my next visit, but if you live in the EU you can probably order from their site directly or through Tali Design, a design concept store in Tallinn that sells Kirju.Co clothing and jewelry.
I’ve been wearing the unicorn t-shirt with my red Cinq et Sept Khloe blazer, which is the blazer of my dreams. Red is my color and this blazer hits all the key points. It’s the right length, it has ruched ¾ length sleeves, it’s quality material, it’s not too tight in the shoulders, and it is the right shade of red. To give credit where it is due, I thank Chase Amie for talking up this brand and bringing my attention to it. Blazers are not cheap, but I trusted her recommendation and got it on sale. I would 100% pay full price for another one in the future.
Best Accessories Finds
No outfit is complete without the shoes, bags, and bracelets to tie it all together. Here again I did some serious exploring of new brands based on Instagram and influencers I also finally got around to trying a few known brands I’d looked at for years.
Three purchases rise to the very top of my favorites in this section. I’ll start with my Polene numero un mini bag. It’s beautiful and has really interesting, structured lines. I love it! It’s like no other bag I’ve seen out there and I would happily buy it again. I will admit that closing the bag takes some getting used to, but I’ve more or less figured it out. There is another Polene bag I would desperately love to have (numero deux) but I have not seen them announce a new round of that one yet. I literally yelled “Take my money!!” at the screen when I saw it, so fingers crossed they do another release.
Next up are my Tod’s gommino driving loafers. I have a weird love for loafers. I think they manage to look timeless, elevated, casual, and cool all at once. It’s a real accomplishment and not every loafer pulls it off, but Tod’s does. They needed a little breaking in, but they are so comfortable now. I think I may need to start collecting these things.
Tied at the top in this category is my growing Missoma collection. I am notoriously picky about jewelry and almost impossible to shop for, but I could happily buy half of the products on their website. I think I picked up five pieces from them this year and don’t really intend to slow down. I love their chain collections and the clip-on charms. I seriously think I may develop an addiction.
Coming in a little lower are my very basic but very comfortable Keds sneakers. I have no idea why I never tried Keds before, I think it was because everyone was about the Converse All Stars. Converse hurt my feet but the Keds are extremely comfortable and didn’t need any break in time. For basic sneakers I will probably be a loyal Keds buyer for here on out.
The last one on my list is very new to my closet and not at all practical. It’s purely on this list because I love it so much. My Mlouye mini Naomi belt bag is just too fun to pass up. Like the polene bag, it has structured lines and a unique shape. It’s closest to the Loewe puzzle bag, but other than that it isn’t like any other bag on the market. Mlouye is a brand I will be watching. Their bags are on the trendy side but well made and great if you want to make a statement.
Best Home Décor Finds
I love fashion, but I also love home goods and interior design so I thought I would toss this category in. I only have three finds for the year, but I promise that 2021 will include a LOT more of this stuff. I have a new condo to deck out.
I have to start with the Rosmarino’s Orchid and Sea Salt candle. I am OBSESSED with this one. I have bought it twice now and will probably order several more because I can’t stop sniffing the candle. It’s SOOOOOO good. I’m sure the other candles this one-woman indie company makes are great, but I just love this one too much. It’s kind of a problem. I found this candle company through Retrofit Home in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, a great spot for cute décor and furniture.
On the MUCH more expensive end is my beautiful Article Beau Walnut Mirror. I have been curious about Article for a few years and when I decided to start plastering Instagram with my OOTD pics I decided to invest in a mirror. Because I’m me, I can’t just buy something off Amazon. I have expensive furniture needs and never seem to be able to talk myself down a price point. To be fair, Article is not unreasonable for what you get or compared to its competitors, but it’s still not cheap. I love this mirror and if it ever breaks, I will cry, mostly because they don’t make it anymore.
Finally, I want to give a shout out to my planters from Amazon’s furniture brand, Rivet. They are quality, simple, and do their job well. The are also relatively affordable (planters are surprisingly expensive). Not much to say about planers so I’ll just leave it at that. Check them out if you are in the market and like a minimalist, mid-century, or industrial styles.
That’s my round-up for 2020, but I would really like to know what you all found this year that stood out. I’d really like to find more jewelry brands, and I would love to know what new furniture brands people found and liked. Leave me a comment to let me know what I should investigate or let me know if you tried some of the same things I did. Did you like them or have a bad experience?
Thanks for reading!
Rainy Day Rags 