Favourite products
If you’ve been following my journey for a while, you’ll know that I love products but I started buying too much, way more than I could use in my lifetime. The excess and clutter prompted me to scale back. I still love products, but instead of trying all the shiny new things, I usually stick to my favourites. Here’s my current and up-to-date list. I don’t need any of these products, but they add ease or enjoyment to my life.
Value for money is important to me, but the concept of value is relative. You may have a different interpretation, and that’s okay. Where possible, I’ve tried to include the approximate price in Canadian dollars. In some cases, the item I own may be discontinued, and I show a newer version of the one I have. This is the product I’d likely buy if I were to replace the item today.
Note: Amazon Affiliate links are included below.
Skincare + Cosmetics
Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil
This is my favourite cleansing oil. Two-step cleansing is not needed with this product but of course you can use it as part of a two-step facial cleansing routine. The last time I bought this at Sephora, it was $58 CAD but the price has gone up since. While this is still my favourite cleansing oil, I’ll be purchasing the Atomy one going forward as I find the value to price ratio more favourable.
The Ordinary 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil
I’ve tried nearly all the oils from The Ordinary and this is my favourite one. It’s very moisturizing, the texture is nice, and there’s no discernible scent. This product is currently priced at $9.90 CAD.
The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Hemi-Squalane
A super light facial oil. I think it might be a bit too light for me in the fall and winter, but it’s perfect for my skin in the spring and summer. This product is currently priced at $3.95 CAD.
The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%
I’ve been using this for years and I find it helps with the appearance of my fine lines. This product is currently priced at $7.90 CAD.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
I generally like to rotate my serums, trying one at a time and switching to a different product once I’ve used it up. I’ve used this product consistently over the years and I keep coming back to it. I notice my skin is a bit brighter and my acne scars seem to fade faster when I use this product. This product is currently priced at $5.90 CAD.
Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown
My one-and-only brow product. I use this every day to fill in my brows. I just repurchased this product from Sephora for $30 CAD. It lasts forever, so it’s well worth the price.
Heroine Make Mascara in Black
My go-to mascara — I use both the Long & Curl and the Volume & Curl formulations. I purchased a bunch of these in Japan for around $13 CAD each. I’ve also seen these at T&T for a price in the teens.
Atomy Lip Glow
I don’t often wear lipstick anymore. Instead, I prefer this sort of colour-changing product for a light wash of colour on my lips. This is a reasonable dupe for the Dior Lip Glow. Of course, the packaging isn’t as pretty, but it’s only a fraction of the price at $14 CAD for Atomy members.
PERSONAL CARE
Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses Body Lotion
My go-to body moisturizer! It’s thick and creamy but also absorbs quickly and is not greasy to the touch. If you enjoy the scent of roses, I think you’ll like this. I purchased an 8oz tube for around $14 CAD.
Tongue Scraper
Such a good way to get all that yucky stuff off your tongue in the morning. I use this after I brush my teeth and before I oil pull. It’s very satisfying and oddly enough doesn’t usually trigger my very sensitive gag reflex. This isn’t the exact one I have but it’s similar. I paid around $11 CAD for mine.
Sisal Dry Brush
Dry brushing helps to stimulate your lymphatic system and exfoliate your skin. Plus it feels so darn good! It can feel a bit prickly or painful at first but it feels AMAZING once it becomes a regular practice. The one I have is a 13” dry brush but it appears to be discontinued. I don’t remember how much mine cost but I surely overpaid. There are lots of other options that I’m sure work well in the range of $20 CAD.
The Diva Cup
It took me around 3 months to get comfortable with this but it’s 100% worth the effort. I’ve only tried The Diva Cup (I use model 1), but there are lots of different menstrual cups out there. This is currently priced at around $40 CAD but it does go on sale.
Squatty Potty 9”
It really helps! :) Hubby and I bought this for $32.99 back in 2017.
stationarY + ELECTRONICS
Zebra Mildliners
The colours that comes out of these highlighters are less in your face than regular highlighters, plus they are double-ended. There’s a regular highlighter end as well as a fine tipped end. I bought 3 sets of 5 markers for around $25 CAD.
Leuchtturm1917 A5 Dotted Notebook
I used this notebook for The Artist’s Way in my bullet journal and I fell in love with it. Yes, the pages are relatively thin and there is definitely ghosting, but I just love the way the pages feel, their creamy colour, the weight/size/spacing of the dots, and pretty much everything else about this notebook. This is priced at around $24 CAD.
Staples Letter Size Wide Ruled Pads
Perfect for morning pages! A 5-pack of 80 sheets per pack is currently priced at $12.69 CAD.
AmazonBasics 15-Sheet Cross-Cut Shredder
Hubby and I shred everything with our address on it so our shredder comes in very handy. In recent years, it’s been working quadruple duty since I also shred all my morning pages. The one I have at home is discontinued but this one is similar. Hubby bought this and I’m not sure how much he paid but this one is priced at around $150 CAD.
Ultimate Ears Boom Bluetooth Speaker
I use this bluetooth speaker every day and I love carrying it around with me when I’m doing chores. I can listen to music, podcasts, etc. when I’m cooking in the kitchen, when I’m cleaning the bathroom, or when I’m folding laundry in the bedroom. The sound quality is far better than other bluetooth speakers I’ve owned in the past and the battery lasts a long time between charges. I have the 1st model, which was a gift from hubby, and I’d aim to spend around $100 if I were to replace mine.
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
My husband bought me this microphone a few years ago and it’s proven to be such a useful item to have around! I use this for my YouTube voiceovers, to record my meditations, and to record any sort of other voice work that I’m doing. It’s also wonderful if you want a higher quality sound for your online meetings, but I don’t usually remember to use it for that. I’m not sure how much hubby paid but it looks like this costs around $180-200 CAD.
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Etekcity Lasergrip 1080 Infrared Thermometer
I love love love this handy tool to gauge the temperature of bath water, water to make tea, red wine, etc. I paid around $20 CAD for mine.
Etekcity Kitchen Scale
This kitchen scale is a must have if you tend to overindulge in snacks like I do. It also comes in so handy for baking. I have a very old scale by the brand Salter, but this one is similar. I don’t remember the price I paid but you can get a decent one for around $20 CAD.
Chemex 8 Cup Pour Over Coffeemaker
We’ve been using this Chemex for a few years now and it makes a delicious cup of coffee. We paid around $60 for ours.
Braun Immersion Blender
I had my Braun immersion blender set for well over 10 years and I’ve since upgraded to this one! I consider this to be one of my most indispensable kitchen tools. For me, the key attachments are the beaker (perfect for smoothies) and the mini chopper (so handy for hummus, fresh parmesan cheese, etc.). I very rarely use the whisk attachment. I paid around $100 CAD for my new set.
Kitchen Gadgets by Aussie Made 3 Peeler Set
These are the best peelers I’ve ever owned. They’re so easy to use and take up so little space. The black and blue ones are regular peelers (only difference is the width), and the red one is a magical shredder. I usually use the black and red ones. You can also buy these individually. These are priced at around $10 CAD each.
Microplane Zester
This kitchen tool is amazing if you enjoy any amount of cooking or even just garnishing. It’s perfect for zesting citrus, grating parmesan cheese, shaving chocolate, etc. I’ve had mine for close to 20 years and it’s still as good as new. I have the classic zester but there’s also a premium classic version now. I don’t remember how much I paid but it looks like this goes for around $15-20 CAD.
Instant Pot 6 Quart Pressure Cooker
Oh my goodness, where would I be without this small appliance? Thank you to those of you who recommended this to me — it has added so much value and deliciousness to my life. Hubby purchased this during Black Friday a few years ago. I think they’re currently priced at around $80-90 CAD.
Black & Decker 4 Slice Toaster Oven
This is a well-used small appliance in our household. It’s amazing for heating up pastries, melting cheese (hello, tuna melts!), quickly roasting some garlic or sweet potatoes, and of course for toasting bread. The best thing about toaster ovens is that they’re so tiny, you don’t even need to preheat them. I prefer the 4-slice size to save a bit of counter space, but if you have more space or a bigger household, I’m sure the larger ones are great too. I don’t remember how much I paid, but I’d likely look to spend around $50-60 CAD if I were to replace mine.
Dr. Bronner’s Soap
I love this soap and use it for a variety of different things. I’ve done a whole video on the many different uses. I usually buy a 32oz bottle for around $20 CAD, but it’s available in Kensington Market for $16.99 CAD so I try to buy it there when I can.
Atomy Dish Detergent
This stuff is concentrated and a few drops go a long way. It has a light, fresh scent. It doesn’t dry out hubby’s hands (I use gloves). It’s strong enough to take off grease and tea stains, but non-toxic so you can also wash your fruits and veggies with it. The member price is $12 CAD and one bottle lasts us nearly a year.
Atomy Latex Gloves
These super durable and comfortable latex gloves are perfect to wear while washing dishes. I have a set for dishes and a set for general household cleaning. The member price is $6.50 CAD for 2 pairs.
Atomy Scrub Sponges
As life changing as sponges can be. These are durable and work well at getting our dishes clean (as well as removing stubborn tea stains). The member price is $5 CAD for 4 sponges.