Surprise Favorite Materialism of 2007
As promised (forewarned?), here are my surprise favorite items of 2007.
The rules: If I tried a new good in 2007 and it was totally awesome beyond my expectations, it's going in this post. It may not be my favorite in its class overall (e.g. book categories), but rather my favorite from this previous year.
You may decide to use this as a semi-guide to Christmas shopping (or, as my dad says, "Materialists' Day" shopping), or you can take it as insight into my psyche. Or, y'know, you can ignore it.
And now for the list:
Category 1: Beauty products
Lip gloss - CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint (2% peppermint oil) My mom got me one of these in a reddish tint, and I loved it immediately. It feels so good and tastes so minty. The Ultra Mentha version can replace the Vaseline I usually put on my lips at night in order to keep from chapping during the evening. Also, if you put on the lip gloss and then grab a square of chocolate, it's just like having an Andes mint or an After Eight. This stuff is brilliant and I love it! It's actually my favorite lip gloss, not just my favorite in the year of 2007.
Night cream - Aveeno active naturals positively ageless nightcream If you've seen my complexion, you know that I've got oil glands that work overtime, so it seems a bit silly that I've started using night cream. Especially when you take into account that I switch off night cream and 10% Benzoyl Peroxide by evening. But this stuff is great. If I can wear it without increased breakouts, that's a sure sign of non-comedogenic-ness. It makes skin smoother and (for those of us who use too many drying products) keeps from getting flaky dry skin. It also claims to reduce wrinkles because it's intended for older women who're worried about such things. I just like the way it feels, that it reduces redness and flakiness, and that it smells clean in a creamy way.
Moisturizing shampoo - Back to Basics raspberry almond reparative shampoo I used to have really shiny, pretty hair - albeit with some flyaways - back before I dyed my hair black in HS and then stripped the color out. It hasn't been the same since then. In fact, my hair does that overdried, overprocessed frizzy thing that's so annoying. Also, about 2 years ago, it stopped feeling like hair unless I put loads of product into it. So now, before I put loads of product into it, I use the awesomest shampoo of 2007 for making hair shiny and moist and softly hair-like. Also, this stuff smells like a yummy pastry dessert, but without the pastry. Be warned, however, that while the shampoo and conditioner smell great, the body wash and body lotion end up smelling funky.
Leave-in reconstructor - Graham Webb leave-in reconstructor The only thing I have to add to the ramble above is that I like this reconstructor. Reconstructor is great to use on its own as well as in conjunction with a zillion other products. The idea is that it rebuilds the hair and smooths down the shingles of the hair. Or something like that. This stuff totally keeps my flyaways from flying quite so much. Also, it comes in a very professional looking tube, so you can feel worldly about your hair care purchases.
Spray-on sunblock - Coppertone SPF-30 The concept of spray on sublock is so great! You can reach places you can't see. You can get on enough sunblock to cover adequately. Life is awesome. Life is only awesome, however, when you pick a spray can that works. I was beyond surprised to find that the working can was Coppertone. I used to be a Banana Boat devotee (because I loved Baby SPF 50 before they changed the formula), but now my cheap suncare of effectiveness will be Coppertone.
Applicator - Ulta retractable kabuki brush I needed a new blush brush which is why I tried this one. I've been using the same 2 blush compacts for 4-8 years (depending on the compact). Blush doesn't excite me, so I keep using the ones I've got. However, this means the brushes that came with them are also 4-8 years old. These brushes get squished out of shape, fall onto floors that I know exactly where they've been, and so on. I was just going to grab a goat hair brush and be done, but then I saw the miracle of retractable brushes. OMG! These things don't get squished because they're always in their tube. They don't get put out of shape. You can take them with you and not worry about how you've stacked them or how they'll come out of your suitcase. Life is grand. There are other brands that make retractable kabuki brushes, but I didn't try them, in large part because I had a coupon for Ulta brand stuff, but also because they weren't any better or worse. Actually, I love that this brush is all black (the bristles aren't dyed white or pink) because I can see if there's any remaining blush or powder on it before retracting. Retracting!
Depilatory - Sally Hansen Spray-on Shower-off There is nothing more to say about this stuff. You spray it on. You wait 5-12 minutes (depending on how recalcitrant your leg hair is). Then you wash it of with a washcloth. Voila. Hair = missing. Depilatories never work on me. I am the queen of recalcitrant, thick, dark leg hair, and I live near a beach. This depilatory is the coolest thing ever. The only drawback is how few applications are in a can, but I can keep buying for something that works. Also, my hair grew in a bit slower after using it. Achievement of science!
Category 2: Books
Fantasy novel - The Virtu by Sarah Monette Yes, I expected to like this book, but not quite so much. I go hunting for political epics in the fantasy section, but rarely find a good one. (My favorite, not started this year, is Wolfblade by Jennifer Fallon.) The Virtu is chock full of politicking and pretending, role playing and magic, doing for oneself what your station did not provide for you, and intrigue. Oh, also: completely inappropriate sexual tension. Awesome. In addition, the sections are alternating first person which I love when it's well done. I both loved and hated the main characters. I wanted their sections to end, to continue, to get a clue, to teach me. This was lovely.
Detective novel - Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher As someone else commented: "It's a book about a wizard named Harry who carries a rod. You'd think Butcher could be more original." Names notwithstanding, this is a private investigator, film noir kind of book set in modern day Chicago with Harry as the "charlatan psychic consultant" to the police department. There are hot women, gangsters, and "it was a job I couldn't refuse" moments. Totally fun. However, it took me multiple tries to get through the second book. Oh, it was equally as good, maybe better, but the schtick lost something by being too long. I doubt that I'll finish out the rest of the series. Well, maybe in a year or two I'll try the third one.
Regency romance - What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander Okay, this may not be the best romance ever, but it was chock full of a fun take on the regency tropes. Our heroine is, of course, a virgin trying to find a husband during the London Season. It's her 6th Season, and she's totally bored by the concept. Also, she sets her cap for the rake who is determined never to marry. Ever. He sleeps with plenty of women, but he's never hurt a young virgin's reputation; he only sleeps with married women and widows. His particular form of honor won't let him hurt a girl's chances, and he has never broken a promise or vow. (If the married women want to break their promises, that's their own look out.) Too bad for him, our heroine is in cahoots with his sister to make it look like he's stalking her. Poor thing is actually in love, but wants marriage less than he wants the woman. Or does he?
Category 3: Stores & Brands
Music store (physical) - HEAR music (Starbucks owned) I visited the HEAR music in Santa Monica on the Promenade. Happiness! You can listen to the complete albums, every album in the store, and we're not talking used or low quality. Oh no. This is all the stuff they play at Starbucks as well as new CDs from a zillion record companies, large and small. While you're there, you can listen to everything, mix a CD from anything they've got, drink your coffee, play with the free internet, and generally hang out. I wish I lived closer to one, but every time I'm in S.M., I'm going here.
Place to buy real jewelry affordably - Kohl's I've been to Kohl's for many fashion items, including fake jewelry because they've got a great selection of cheap earrings with surgical steel posts, sterling silver rings, and funky necklaces. However, when I went hunting for fake pearls, I couldn't find anything that looked good. So I hit the real stuff section, figuring it'd be too expensive to bother. Which it might've been if they weren't having a 60% off all pearl jewelry sale. (Later they did 65% off diamonds, so this is normal.) They've got a great selection of real jewelry, and you can try anything on under the watchful eye of the counter manager. Also, the prices can't be beat on sale days. Recently, they sent me a catalog for the real jewelry section (probably since I've bought some there). Everything in the catalog is gorgeous. The settings, the styles, the shine. And when I've seen the real thing, the gorgeousness has matched up; no "pictures better than reality". If I had more money, my jewelry would all br real now, and it'd all be from Kohl's (until I get some Tiffany on my ring finger).
Brand of knee pads - World Industries With roller blading was the realization that I really needed knee pads at least. So I hit Big 5. Now, years ago, I took skateboard lessons and had World Industries pads. I liked them for functionality, but everyone else's pads looked better than mine. Everyone else's were smaller and streamlined and shiny. **pout** Well, thought I, I'll get rollerblade pads, not skateboard pads, and they'll be small and shiny. No way. I walked out with World Industries pads. Why? Because they go on over anything. Instead of the slide on that's always too small or doesn't fit over your sweats, these things are two layers of velcro; so they stay on, but are easy to take on and off over skin or jeans. Also, the larger padded part allows for a lot more protection. When I tried on the Ultra pads, I thought I'd get more damage from falling on the misshapen pad than straight onto the ground. World Industries multi-purpose pads are way, way more funcitonal. And the matte black is classier than shiny stuff. I now know to buy these as presents for all the skaters in my life.
Bikini brand - b. On coming back, I was invited to Vegas where there was a rooftop pool; still no good bikini. So I went to a zillion stores, looking for the right fit. Finally, in a boutique I found 3 bikinis from b. that fit. (I bought 2 variations on the same one.) I've got a classic hourglass figure. This looks lovely when I'm naked and take off my glasses before looking in the mirror, but it makes finding a well fitting bikini very difficult. The stuff from b. had the right amount of fabric for coverage of a size 8-10 woman (in the large and x-large sizes, oddly; what do you do if you're a 12?) and there were ties everywhere. The sides of the bottoms tie, the back and halter of the neck tie. Thusly, the fact that I'm madly busty but with a tiny ribcage or that I have hips that could have borne 5 children by now are rendered irrelevant to the swimsuit makers. Awesome. Also, they've got classic and trendy styles. Medium coverage or seriously skimpy. For the teen or the 30 something. I love having a bikini that fits. Or two.
Cotton underwear brand - Frederick's of Hollywood Have I mentioned lately how much I love Fredrick's of Hollywood? Their bras are awesome and practical. They've got the cutest catalog. And now I know they've got great practical underwear! (I'm sure the impractical stuff is great too, but I've never tried it.) The underwear was on sale, so I gave the most practical stuff a go: 95% cotton with some spandex, looooow cut boyleg and one bikini style, fun colors. The true beauty of the Frederick's underwear that lets it overshadow the jockey g-string bikinis I usually buy is that I don't get underwear dent. If you're like me, you've got wide hips but aren't overwhelmingly fleshy. To give you an idea: My hips measure around 40" and I can feel my hipbones. For a woman of hourglass proportions, this is normal. However, it means that most cheap underwear (incl. jocky and hanes) leads to either too much fabric in the seat with elastic that fits or the dreaded underwear dent where the elastic is way too tight. The stuff from Frederick's? I tried a size M and a size L. They were both fine for non-denting. The L had a bit too much fabric, but that's too be expected on my frame; I only tried the L because I wondered if the M would provide the dreaded dent. Yes! I've found underwear that I can wear under anything. No more need for smoothing/shaping items or extra slips, simply underwear that fits. Victory for hippy women everywhere. I'm becoming a Frederick's devotee.
Category 4: Miscellaneous
Boots - Mossimo Glenna Leather, round toe, 3-1/4" heel, comfy, ankle boot with chic angled top and fold-overs at the toe. The only problem I had was a necessary replacement of the caps on the heel because they'd been manufactured with the wrong size and the soles of the heels were falling off. The local shoe repair place did this for me for $8. Whatever. I usually have a pair of boots per year (sometimes for 2 years) that I wear into the ground because they go with everything and are uber-comfy. This year, these are them. I've already used them on hills, all over Long Beach and Seattle, and to make both jeans and work-outfits look appropriate.
Cleaning product - method wood for good biodegradable wipes This is better than PineSol. It deals with rings, with problems that have been on your wood since the 70s, with shine, with waxed floors, with everything. My wood all looks gorgeous, which is a good thing because all my floors and most of my furniture are wood. Also, my door, my built in secretary desk, the sliding doors between rooms in my flat . . .
Folk/pop band - Storyhill The placard explaining this duo at HEAR says, "If you like Simon & Garfunkel and you like the Indigo Girls, you'll like Storyhill." That's about right. They do ballads ("The Ballad of Joe Snowboard"), they do California love ("Sacramento"), they do a technology-is-destroying-nature in a way that I actually liked ("Paradise is Lost"), and they do it in beautiful folk-pop harmony and acoustic guitar. Very smooth.
The rules: If I tried a new good in 2007 and it was totally awesome beyond my expectations, it's going in this post. It may not be my favorite in its class overall (e.g. book categories), but rather my favorite from this previous year.
You may decide to use this as a semi-guide to Christmas shopping (or, as my dad says, "Materialists' Day" shopping), or you can take it as insight into my psyche. Or, y'know, you can ignore it.
And now for the list:
Category 1: Beauty products
Lip gloss - CO Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint (2% peppermint oil) My mom got me one of these in a reddish tint, and I loved it immediately. It feels so good and tastes so minty. The Ultra Mentha version can replace the Vaseline I usually put on my lips at night in order to keep from chapping during the evening. Also, if you put on the lip gloss and then grab a square of chocolate, it's just like having an Andes mint or an After Eight. This stuff is brilliant and I love it! It's actually my favorite lip gloss, not just my favorite in the year of 2007.
Night cream - Aveeno active naturals positively ageless nightcream If you've seen my complexion, you know that I've got oil glands that work overtime, so it seems a bit silly that I've started using night cream. Especially when you take into account that I switch off night cream and 10% Benzoyl Peroxide by evening. But this stuff is great. If I can wear it without increased breakouts, that's a sure sign of non-comedogenic-ness. It makes skin smoother and (for those of us who use too many drying products) keeps from getting flaky dry skin. It also claims to reduce wrinkles because it's intended for older women who're worried about such things. I just like the way it feels, that it reduces redness and flakiness, and that it smells clean in a creamy way.
Moisturizing shampoo - Back to Basics raspberry almond reparative shampoo I used to have really shiny, pretty hair - albeit with some flyaways - back before I dyed my hair black in HS and then stripped the color out. It hasn't been the same since then. In fact, my hair does that overdried, overprocessed frizzy thing that's so annoying. Also, about 2 years ago, it stopped feeling like hair unless I put loads of product into it. So now, before I put loads of product into it, I use the awesomest shampoo of 2007 for making hair shiny and moist and softly hair-like. Also, this stuff smells like a yummy pastry dessert, but without the pastry. Be warned, however, that while the shampoo and conditioner smell great, the body wash and body lotion end up smelling funky.
Leave-in reconstructor - Graham Webb leave-in reconstructor The only thing I have to add to the ramble above is that I like this reconstructor. Reconstructor is great to use on its own as well as in conjunction with a zillion other products. The idea is that it rebuilds the hair and smooths down the shingles of the hair. Or something like that. This stuff totally keeps my flyaways from flying quite so much. Also, it comes in a very professional looking tube, so you can feel worldly about your hair care purchases.
Spray-on sunblock - Coppertone SPF-30 The concept of spray on sublock is so great! You can reach places you can't see. You can get on enough sunblock to cover adequately. Life is awesome. Life is only awesome, however, when you pick a spray can that works. I was beyond surprised to find that the working can was Coppertone. I used to be a Banana Boat devotee (because I loved Baby SPF 50 before they changed the formula), but now my cheap suncare of effectiveness will be Coppertone.
Applicator - Ulta retractable kabuki brush I needed a new blush brush which is why I tried this one. I've been using the same 2 blush compacts for 4-8 years (depending on the compact). Blush doesn't excite me, so I keep using the ones I've got. However, this means the brushes that came with them are also 4-8 years old. These brushes get squished out of shape, fall onto floors that I know exactly where they've been, and so on. I was just going to grab a goat hair brush and be done, but then I saw the miracle of retractable brushes. OMG! These things don't get squished because they're always in their tube. They don't get put out of shape. You can take them with you and not worry about how you've stacked them or how they'll come out of your suitcase. Life is grand. There are other brands that make retractable kabuki brushes, but I didn't try them, in large part because I had a coupon for Ulta brand stuff, but also because they weren't any better or worse. Actually, I love that this brush is all black (the bristles aren't dyed white or pink) because I can see if there's any remaining blush or powder on it before retracting. Retracting!
Depilatory - Sally Hansen Spray-on Shower-off There is nothing more to say about this stuff. You spray it on. You wait 5-12 minutes (depending on how recalcitrant your leg hair is). Then you wash it of with a washcloth. Voila. Hair = missing. Depilatories never work on me. I am the queen of recalcitrant, thick, dark leg hair, and I live near a beach. This depilatory is the coolest thing ever. The only drawback is how few applications are in a can, but I can keep buying for something that works. Also, my hair grew in a bit slower after using it. Achievement of science!
Category 2: Books
Fantasy novel - The Virtu by Sarah Monette Yes, I expected to like this book, but not quite so much. I go hunting for political epics in the fantasy section, but rarely find a good one. (My favorite, not started this year, is Wolfblade by Jennifer Fallon.) The Virtu is chock full of politicking and pretending, role playing and magic, doing for oneself what your station did not provide for you, and intrigue. Oh, also: completely inappropriate sexual tension. Awesome. In addition, the sections are alternating first person which I love when it's well done. I both loved and hated the main characters. I wanted their sections to end, to continue, to get a clue, to teach me. This was lovely.
Detective novel - Storm Front (Dresden Files #1) by Jim Butcher As someone else commented: "It's a book about a wizard named Harry who carries a rod. You'd think Butcher could be more original." Names notwithstanding, this is a private investigator, film noir kind of book set in modern day Chicago with Harry as the "charlatan psychic consultant" to the police department. There are hot women, gangsters, and "it was a job I couldn't refuse" moments. Totally fun. However, it took me multiple tries to get through the second book. Oh, it was equally as good, maybe better, but the schtick lost something by being too long. I doubt that I'll finish out the rest of the series. Well, maybe in a year or two I'll try the third one.
Regency romance - What a Lady Wants by Victoria Alexander Okay, this may not be the best romance ever, but it was chock full of a fun take on the regency tropes. Our heroine is, of course, a virgin trying to find a husband during the London Season. It's her 6th Season, and she's totally bored by the concept. Also, she sets her cap for the rake who is determined never to marry. Ever. He sleeps with plenty of women, but he's never hurt a young virgin's reputation; he only sleeps with married women and widows. His particular form of honor won't let him hurt a girl's chances, and he has never broken a promise or vow. (If the married women want to break their promises, that's their own look out.) Too bad for him, our heroine is in cahoots with his sister to make it look like he's stalking her. Poor thing is actually in love, but wants marriage less than he wants the woman. Or does he?
Category 3: Stores & Brands
Music store (physical) - HEAR music (Starbucks owned) I visited the HEAR music in Santa Monica on the Promenade. Happiness! You can listen to the complete albums, every album in the store, and we're not talking used or low quality. Oh no. This is all the stuff they play at Starbucks as well as new CDs from a zillion record companies, large and small. While you're there, you can listen to everything, mix a CD from anything they've got, drink your coffee, play with the free internet, and generally hang out. I wish I lived closer to one, but every time I'm in S.M., I'm going here.
Place to buy real jewelry affordably - Kohl's I've been to Kohl's for many fashion items, including fake jewelry because they've got a great selection of cheap earrings with surgical steel posts, sterling silver rings, and funky necklaces. However, when I went hunting for fake pearls, I couldn't find anything that looked good. So I hit the real stuff section, figuring it'd be too expensive to bother. Which it might've been if they weren't having a 60% off all pearl jewelry sale. (Later they did 65% off diamonds, so this is normal.) They've got a great selection of real jewelry, and you can try anything on under the watchful eye of the counter manager. Also, the prices can't be beat on sale days. Recently, they sent me a catalog for the real jewelry section (probably since I've bought some there). Everything in the catalog is gorgeous. The settings, the styles, the shine. And when I've seen the real thing, the gorgeousness has matched up; no "pictures better than reality". If I had more money, my jewelry would all br real now, and it'd all be from Kohl's (until I get some Tiffany on my ring finger).
Brand of knee pads - World Industries With roller blading was the realization that I really needed knee pads at least. So I hit Big 5. Now, years ago, I took skateboard lessons and had World Industries pads. I liked them for functionality, but everyone else's pads looked better than mine. Everyone else's were smaller and streamlined and shiny. **pout** Well, thought I, I'll get rollerblade pads, not skateboard pads, and they'll be small and shiny. No way. I walked out with World Industries pads. Why? Because they go on over anything. Instead of the slide on that's always too small or doesn't fit over your sweats, these things are two layers of velcro; so they stay on, but are easy to take on and off over skin or jeans. Also, the larger padded part allows for a lot more protection. When I tried on the Ultra pads, I thought I'd get more damage from falling on the misshapen pad than straight onto the ground. World Industries multi-purpose pads are way, way more funcitonal. And the matte black is classier than shiny stuff. I now know to buy these as presents for all the skaters in my life.
Bikini brand - b. On coming back, I was invited to Vegas where there was a rooftop pool; still no good bikini. So I went to a zillion stores, looking for the right fit. Finally, in a boutique I found 3 bikinis from b. that fit. (I bought 2 variations on the same one.) I've got a classic hourglass figure. This looks lovely when I'm naked and take off my glasses before looking in the mirror, but it makes finding a well fitting bikini very difficult. The stuff from b. had the right amount of fabric for coverage of a size 8-10 woman (in the large and x-large sizes, oddly; what do you do if you're a 12?) and there were ties everywhere. The sides of the bottoms tie, the back and halter of the neck tie. Thusly, the fact that I'm madly busty but with a tiny ribcage or that I have hips that could have borne 5 children by now are rendered irrelevant to the swimsuit makers. Awesome. Also, they've got classic and trendy styles. Medium coverage or seriously skimpy. For the teen or the 30 something. I love having a bikini that fits. Or two.
Cotton underwear brand - Frederick's of Hollywood Have I mentioned lately how much I love Fredrick's of Hollywood? Their bras are awesome and practical. They've got the cutest catalog. And now I know they've got great practical underwear! (I'm sure the impractical stuff is great too, but I've never tried it.) The underwear was on sale, so I gave the most practical stuff a go: 95% cotton with some spandex, looooow cut boyleg and one bikini style, fun colors. The true beauty of the Frederick's underwear that lets it overshadow the jockey g-string bikinis I usually buy is that I don't get underwear dent. If you're like me, you've got wide hips but aren't overwhelmingly fleshy. To give you an idea: My hips measure around 40" and I can feel my hipbones. For a woman of hourglass proportions, this is normal. However, it means that most cheap underwear (incl. jocky and hanes) leads to either too much fabric in the seat with elastic that fits or the dreaded underwear dent where the elastic is way too tight. The stuff from Frederick's? I tried a size M and a size L. They were both fine for non-denting. The L had a bit too much fabric, but that's too be expected on my frame; I only tried the L because I wondered if the M would provide the dreaded dent. Yes! I've found underwear that I can wear under anything. No more need for smoothing/shaping items or extra slips, simply underwear that fits. Victory for hippy women everywhere. I'm becoming a Frederick's devotee.
Category 4: Miscellaneous
Boots - Mossimo Glenna Leather, round toe, 3-1/4" heel, comfy, ankle boot with chic angled top and fold-overs at the toe. The only problem I had was a necessary replacement of the caps on the heel because they'd been manufactured with the wrong size and the soles of the heels were falling off. The local shoe repair place did this for me for $8. Whatever. I usually have a pair of boots per year (sometimes for 2 years) that I wear into the ground because they go with everything and are uber-comfy. This year, these are them. I've already used them on hills, all over Long Beach and Seattle, and to make both jeans and work-outfits look appropriate.
Cleaning product - method wood for good biodegradable wipes This is better than PineSol. It deals with rings, with problems that have been on your wood since the 70s, with shine, with waxed floors, with everything. My wood all looks gorgeous, which is a good thing because all my floors and most of my furniture are wood. Also, my door, my built in secretary desk, the sliding doors between rooms in my flat . . .
Folk/pop band - Storyhill The placard explaining this duo at HEAR says, "If you like Simon & Garfunkel and you like the Indigo Girls, you'll like Storyhill." That's about right. They do ballads ("The Ballad of Joe Snowboard"), they do California love ("Sacramento"), they do a technology-is-destroying-nature in a way that I actually liked ("Paradise is Lost"), and they do it in beautiful folk-pop harmony and acoustic guitar. Very smooth.