My 2019 Favourites
As the year comes to an end I thought it would be fun to look back at 2019, see what was new & what was good. This is going to be mostly talking about things I consumed but I am thinking of doing a wrap up post-December that delves into 2019 more personally.
Beauty
To be honest, I have some holy grail products that I tend to stick to using so to break into that group is difficult. Yet there were a handful of products that did that successfully this year.
Kosas Tinted Facial Oil. No surprises here that this foundation made the list. It feels like water yet has more coverage than you expect. The only downside for me is wear time but to be honest I don’t wear foundation all day all night anyway. If you want something that feels like nothing - this is the one for you.
Clinique Even Better Pop Lipstick. I have tried to find the right nude for my lips for years. I actually had resorted to using the Clinique Chubby Stick in the shade Amp’d Up Apple to achieve my perfect nude up until now. Until Clinique came out with a range of lipsticks designed to compliment the your skin tone, based on your foundation shade. This is when I found my perfect “nude”. I’m 03 Romanced.
Clinique Clinical Smart MD Duo. This is new-ish to me but since I have already gone through my first jar and onto the next I wanted to include it. The jar is split in two with two different formulas - one for lifting and one for plumping the skin. As I am 27, I don’t notice a huge amount of lifting but when I use this at night, my skin looks and feels a lot juicier in the morning. No doubt about it.
Ultra Violette SPF 50 + Serum. One of my resolutions this year was to wear SPF 50 on my face every day. This stuff is pretty damn amazing. It super lightweight, doesn’t break me out and leaves a light glow on my skin but far from greasy!
Mecca Cosmetica Cheek Tint & Illuminating Duo If you’re looking for go-to summer product, this could be the one for you. On one side it has a Cream Cheek Tint and the other is their cult favourite Illuminating Balm. Perfect to apply with your fingers when you feel like you just need a little freshen up.
Media
Music
Let’s start with my album of the year…
For me it had to be IGOR – Tyler The Creator, as much as I loved other albums that came out this year there is just nothing I can listen to through the entire album and enjoy like this one.Some of my favourite songs are Boy is a Gun, What’s Good & Are We Still Friends? I had never listened to Tyler the Creator before this album but this is magic. Also be sure to watch some of the film clips available because the visual are perfection.
Now onto songs.. Most of you know that the National are one of my favourite bands and this year they came out with their new album I Am Easy To Find. The only thing stopping it being my favourite album this year is a couple of songs that I have to skip. My favourites from the album are: Not In Kansas, I Am Easy To Find, The Pull Of You & Where Is Her Head. Other songs that came out this year that I have been playing on repeat are.. DHL by Frank Ocean, Glitch & Can You Not by Okay Kaya, Mosquito & Beware of the dogs by Stella Donnelly
Podcasts
The Daily by The New York Times - A super informative 30 minute daily podcast that covers different newsworthy topics. My highlight episode was a two part series on the people who broke the Harvey Weinstein story & a lawyer who was known for representing the victims of sexual assault, flipped the script and used that knowledge to represent Weinstein.
Where Should I Begin – Esther Perel If you have ever wanted to be a fly on the wall during a therapy session - this is the podcast for you.
Who the Hell is Hamish? For those in Australia you may find this one super interesting. It is a story of a con man based in Sydney who stole millions from people.
To Live & Die in LA I think I was late in finding this podcast but it is definitely binge worthy. A truly horrible crime however the story has you guessing along the way.
Books
I didn’t read a huge amount this year and there were quite a few books that I liked but not enough to make a favourites list. So here are two I really loved. I read Tweak by Nic Sheff after seeing the movie Beautiful Boy at the end of 2018. Tweak is the memoir from the son, a young crystal meth addict and Beautiful Boy was the memoir from his father during that same period of time. I am yet to pick up Beautiful Boy but it is on my list. Super heavy read but really interesting. As you may be able to tell by my recommendations, I am into books with heavier subject matter and this was no exception, I couldn’t put it down. Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee is another memoir from a judge’s associate who was working on a lot of sexual assault cases while dealing with being a victim of sexual assault herself. It is an incredible read and even more interesting if you’re a Brisbane local like me as she is from Brisbane and that is where it all takes place.
Movies & Streamed
Let’s start with TV: Unbelievable, Mindhunter, Fleabag, Dirty John, Terrace House & The Great Hack. I didn’t feel like a lot of movies came out this year but there were a few that I really liked… The Joker, Marriage Story, Toy Story 4 & Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
& Other Things
Tech. I bought my Fujifilm 16-55mm lens back in January and never looked back. Has it made me take better photos? Nope but it has slightly changed how I shoot and the view points I shoot at.
I also rediscovered disposable cameras this year. My favourite mainly for events like weddings or trips to the beach to capture without obsessing over getting the right shot.
I like my Nespresso Essenza Mini but I love my Nespresso Vertuo Machine. This machine is next level. It reads a barcode on the coffee capsule you put in the machine, then extracts the coffee perfectly for that particular blend. Fool proof.
Brands. There were a couple of brands that made a regular appearance in my wish lists this year so I wanted to touch base on those. First of all, Bec & Bridge. Who knew you could shop there if you weren’t looking for a body con dress?! They are absolutely nailing it at the moment with different silhouettes. Everything I have bought in there, I have gone back to buy in a second colour and if that isn’t true love I don’t know what is.
Speaking of buying things in multiple colours, New Zealand based brand Marle has also come to the table as one of my go-to brands. They are thoughtful, easy to wear pieces that won’t fade away with trends.
Incense. Thanks to my brother I got right back into incense this year. My dad used to burn it a lot when I was young so all my hippy senses come alive when I smell incense haha. This obsession is only increased with the combination of beautiful ceramic incense holders!
Disco Ball. My mum gave me a disco ball she had in her classroom earlier this year and it has really improved my studio 110%. Would recommend.
I’d love to know your favourites from the year and if there are any categories I missed let me know in the comments!