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My Favorite Purchases of 2018.

By: Jen Shoop

I feature a ton of amazing finds on the blog, so I thought I’d share some of my favorite purchases thus far this year:

+Bumble & Bumble Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner.  I love the scent, feel, and aftermath of this shampoo and conditioning set.  It truly works, and it leaves my hair soft and fragrant.  Mr. Magpie and I will probably never switch to another product!

+SZ Blockprints Kitty Dress.  So many of you have written to express equally rave reviews — but these dresses are the absolute best.  They are comfortable, lightweight, chic, and versatile.  I wear them while out in Central Park chasing mini, running errands, or just lounging at home.  My mom mentioned that when she comes back from playing golf with my dad in the early evening, she doesn’t feel like putting together a whole new outfit — this dress is just the ticket.  Casual, easy to throw on, stylish.

+Aerin Lauder Evening Rose perfume.  This heady, floral scent makes me feel sophisticated and romantic.  It smells like a rose dangling off a trellis in the moonlight in a garden party surrounded by candles and a live jazz band playing Ella Fitzgerald.  AKA THE STUFF OF DREAMS.

+ProSource Accupressure Mat.  Mr. Magpie uses this daily — sometimes twice daily.  I’ve used it when I’ve had knots in my back or just need a release.  Maybe the best $20 I’ve spent in a long while.

+Nicola Bathie Flower Earrings.  I wear these constantly — they go with everything, and can elevate a straight-forward white blouse to a serious statement look.  (Also adore these.)

+Outdoor Voices Dipped Leggings.  So fun and different and chic — and such great colors!  These do run very small, though — word to the wise.

+Lululemon Back Into Tee.  You can’t tell from the way it’s styled on the site (blech, I’d never have bought it if I’d only seen it online!), but this is a super flattering and comfortable workout top.  The sleeves are cut trim and snug but the body of it is flowy and relaxed.  Love.  I own it in the space dye color.

+Chanel Beaute Des Cils mascara base.  This keeps selling out everywhere, and it is truly a wonderful product.  I hate adding an extra step to my daily routine, but it’s worth it for feathery, full lashes.

+Golden Goose Sneakers.  It sounds silly to spend so much on a pair of sneakers, but they’ve gotten a lot of wear and they make me feel just that tiny bit cooler when I’m wearing something straight-forward, like jeans and a button-down.  They’re comfortable (a bit heavy, though) and stylish and I like them equally with jeans or a dress.  (See how I style them here.)

+Invisibobble.  A total upgrade from the Goodys I’ve used forever.  These never fall out and don’t leave a kink in my hair.  I’m also always shocked that they return to their original coil if you leave them out for ten or fifteen minutes.

+Acrylic Drawer Organizers.  These are in virtually every drawer in my house.  A tidy drawer does wonders for the mind — I’m not joking.  I’ve turned into a complete believer in keeping things super organized and even labeled with my label maker.  It simplifies life!  Any shortcuts welcome…

+Rowenta Steamer.  Powerful, easy to use, small enough to throw in a suitcase.  If I’m really short on space, I use Crease Release, which does a pretty darn good job in a pinch.

+Ole Henriksen Truth Serum.  This just flat out changed my skin.  I cannot live without it.

+Kule striped tees.  These are well-made, come in great colors, and are super soft.  I like to layer them under joveralls or with a pair of chino shorts and my GG sneaks for a day of adventures with mini.

+Saloni dresses.  I know I talk at length about this designer, but I absolutely adore each and every dress I own of hers (and I now own five I believe).  The shapes are elongating and elegant — they somehow make me feel tall and I’m only five feet.  My most recent acquisition is the Ruth Dress, which I wore on my anniversary and Mr. Magpie loved.

+Soda can organizer.  A game changer for an often over-stuffed fridge.  It just love having all of the cans out of the cardboard boxes, lined up neatly.  This one is genius because it includes a top so you can stack additional cans on there or use it to stow other items.

+Goyard iPhone cover.  Inexpensive and so fun.  I got one in white.

+Hinza totes.  More on these wunderproducts here.

+Snaplock storage.  Such high quality tupperware!

 

Not purchased this year, but used heavily of late…

+Annabel Ingall tote and Parker Thatch tote.   I use a Goyard bag as my diaper bag, but when the nanny is here or I just need to jet out on my own to walk Tilly or run some errands, I don’t want to have to unload everything, so I tend to just throw a few essentials into a spare tote, and it’s typically my Annabel Ingall or my Parker Thatch.  These are such great bags.  The Ingall is very well-made and comes in wonderful colors (mine is pastel pink).  The Parker Thatch is heavy-duty canvas and looks so chic with my racer stripes and initials.  I actually used the latter in the Hamptons quite a bit because I found it was easy to transport from a sandy beach to the chic eateries in Sag Harbor.

+Prada card case.  If I am not traveling with the diaper bag, I’d prefer to pack just a credit card and ID and be on my way with this.

+Le Specs Sunglasses.  I know I’ve featured these about 34008908 times, but I just love the styling of these affordable shades.  I own pairs by higher end designers, but always gravitate towards these — possibly, if I am honest, because I know that if I lose them or they are scratched or crushed by my daughter, I won’t lose my mind…

+Essie Gel Couture in Rock the Runway (bright coca cola red) or Pre-Show Jitters (pinkish-white).  This is not “gel” per se — but it lasts a good two or three days longer than the regular Essie formula, which is totally worth it.  My salon has a great selection of all the gel couture colors, but these are my favorites.

+My Kindle.  I simply cannot live without it.  (See what I’m reading.)

P.S.  These loafers for a little boy are TOO DARLING and such a good price!  They look like they are from Tod’s!  I also think this tutu dress in the gray/white combo is an affordable and darling little look for a mini ballerina…

P.P.S.  Just ordered this.  I think it will look super chic with a pointed toe loafer like this this upcoming fall. (Or get the look for less with these.)

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20 thoughts on “My Favorite Purchases of 2018.

  1. I have just spent the last hour browsing and shopping your posts. It’s been so nice and relaxing – thank you! I was wondering if you have a kindle case especially for traveling that you recommend.
    Also, wishing you a speedy healing!

  2. We’re Le Spec sunnies twins! I always reach for them before my more expensive pairs as well for the same reasons (minus the little one, but one day!).

    Dying to try out those hair bands. Do you think they’d work on curly hair?

    1. YES! Those Le Specs are LE BEST. I do think the hair bands would work on curly hair; I read something in the reviews about it working for literally any hair type from thin to curly. Try them!

  3. I think you’ve sold me on the Invisibobbles! I looked for them at a couple of beauty supply stores in NYC when I was there for a week earlier this month, and no luck … they’ve been added to my next Amazon order!

    Love your GG sneaks as well. I have quite a sneaker collection & haven’t been able to justify dropping the cash on a pair, but I’ll keep my eyes out for pairs on sale! They aren’t as ubiquitous yet in Boston (wait until 2021, haha) so I’d love to try them out. xo!

    1. HAHA re: Boston fashion. I remember a long time ago, when I was in my early 20s, I visited some friends in Richmond, VA, and the bar scene there was decidedly more casual than I’d come to expect in DC. I was wearing a gray maxi dress and a huge statement necklace and people thought I was going to a ball or something. One of my friends saw me and said: “Oh…it’s just a very different vibe here.” HA! Eh well, I’ve always preferred dressing up and standing out over feeling sheepishly underdressed. Not that it has anything to do with wearing GG sneaks — but just a little vote of confidence if you do decide to rock them 🙂

      Invisibobbles YES

    2. I know what you mean, and I fully agree re: being overdressed vs. being underdressed. I will keep my eyes out for GGs on sale and I’ll let you know, of course, if/when I go for it!

  4. Love Olehenriksen! I got their starter kit and love the truth serum and moisturizing night cream (the citrus scent is amazing). I’ve tried a couple different creams and this is by far my fave!

    Also a recent invisibobbles convert!

    1. Love Ole Henriksen products, too! Will have to check out their moisturizer soon. I just tried a sample of a face mask of theirs and was obsessed. You put it on and you look like a Smurf/member of the Blue Man’s Group (it’s like neon blue) and it feels like a blast of wintry icy air. It’s amazing.

      Invisibobbles! Will never turn back!!!

  5. This is slightly off topic, but I (used to) read your blog thru Flipboard and recently, it has refused to load your feed. Have you any idea why?

    1. Hmm you know what it might be? I just installed a security certificate on my site so the URL is actually now HTTPS instead of HTTP. This is a fairly standard security convention that has been implemented in the last year or so across most major sites. I wonder if you need to re-enter the name of my blog as HTTPS or if that could be somehow at the root??

    2. Interesting, but that didn’t help. It’s not picking up on the RSS feed I guess. Can you add the RSS info to your site? I could cut and paste that into Flipboard perhaps.

  6. Yes forever to the SZ Blockprints Kitty dresses. I told my husband I was entering the “muumuu/caftan” phase of my life after buying several of these. Love the prints, love how light and airy they are, love everything about them.

    I’ve heard good things about Bloch leotards/tutus for little ones. I have some Bloch flats and they are so comfortable – don’t know why I didn’t think of them for children’s ballet gear.

    1. YAAAS that caftan life! 🙂 Good thought on the Bloch leotards. I just discovered that there is a Bloch shop a few blocks from my apartment, close to Lincoln Center. May pop in to check out what they have! xo

  7. I was very much in need of one of your “best purchases” posts – thank you! I am now unpacking the sea of boxes in my new apartment and quickly realizing that the kitchen is not quite as big as my previous one, and the entire place does not have as much storage space. Remembering your struggles with Louise, I went back and read your organization posts and ordered a few products I hope will help (I particularly liked one magpie’s suggestion for the laundry over-the-door iron organizer – grateful for this community!) Love the rest of the recommendations here as well!

    1. Yay!!! I’m so glad those posts were helpful. You wouldn’t BELIEVE how much we managed to cram into our NYC apartment owing to some of those storage solutions. We also have the over-the-door iron organizer! The shelf risers were also money. xoxo

    2. Yep, got some shelf risers, too! And some stick-on hooks for inside the cabinet doors. I found it particularly hard to balance cabinets/shelves for food and for dishware…there’s no pantry, so I have to make it all work…

  8. My brother has four daughters. He recently bought $100+ of Invisibobbles because he was sick of the girls fighting over the “good” hairties. I’m pretty sure he would qualify that as his best purchase of 2018!

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