My 23 Best and Worst Purchases of 2023
By Audrey Pettigrew
November 3, 2023
THE GOOD:
The Kindle Paperwhite. Love of my life. Going on vacation? Bring a Kindle. Going out and only carrying a purse? Bring a kindle. It takes up much less space than any book, it's cheaper, and it's less wasteful! 8 hours of phone screen time per day no longer. Having a Kindle makes it so much easier to choose reading over other less productive activities (i.e., TikTok). Yet, the Kindle still feels more like the traditional physical book experience than reading on a phone, laptop, or iPad.
Straightening Iron. This one I've owned for over a year now, but I didn't actually bother learn how to use it until recently. I was attempting to use one of those knockoff-Dyson Airwrap blow dry brushes to style my hair but realized flat irons are a much more effective, quick, and precise tool. Even for a curl or a blowout look.
Clown Kitty Phone Case. I had a clear, boring case for a couple years and finally upgraded to this cutie. It just spoke to me, and I love that it makes my phone feel more me. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it gets compliments wherever I go.
Second-hand Alo/Lulu/Outdoor Voices Athleisure. As I approach my mid-twenties, my desire for mini skirts decreases while my desire for comfort increases. I have eschewed the athleisure trend for almost a decade, but I am finally a late band-wagoner since discovering a new realm of athleisure that includes comfy lounge or athletic clothes that still reflect your own personal style (See: my Top 8 Trends post). But also, I'm cheap and athleisure is everywhere on the secondhand market, even the nicer brand items.
AirPod AirTag + Case. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have panicked because I could not find a minuscule white box, namely, my AirPod case/AirPods. The AirPod tracker itself is always extremely inaccurate (yes, I'm sure my right AirPod is in the lake while the other AirPod is at home). Thus, attaching an AirTag as backup has given me a new found sense of security. Additionally, getting a colored case for my AirPods has made me less inclined to lose them altogether. It's a lot easier to sport a small pink rectangle in a mess of stuff.
Mindy's Hot Chocolate. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. Literal crack. Could be a best or worst purchase depending on whether you measure my happiness levels or my sugar levels.
A brown, felt-tip eyeliner pen. I like to think I'm pretty artistic, but when it comes to eyeliner, I have never been able to get it quite right. I always end up looking like a 10-year-old who tried to do their own winged-eyeliner for the first time based on some tutorial they saw on Youtube. The brown, felt-tip pen has been a game-changer because 1. It's less harsh and thus more forgiving, 2. It doesn't smudge/shed below my eyes throughout the day, and 3. it's easier to control.
Eyebrow pencil. They say eyebrows are sisters not twins, but what if you're eyebrows look more like distantly-related 2nd cousins? Really good eyebrows are criminally underrated.
Castor oil and MILK Makeup lash serum for hair growth. My lashes are no longer sad nubs. Alas, they are still shorter than my boyfriend's eyelashes :(
Zara mid/low-rise jeans (one or two sizes-up). These are literally the perfect low-rise baggy jean, being somehow simultaneously baggy but still having a thigh gap somehow. Plus, I'm fairly tall but you still have enough extra length to cuff the bottoms (or otherwise hem them) if desired.
Thermal tights, turtlenecks, layers, etc. I'm a constantly cold girly. In the office? Cold. Outside? Cold. If you're like me, just layer yourself up in thermals and you'll be good to go. The ones from Uniqlo are some of my personal favorites.
Self tan instead of natural. For who know what dumb reason, I've spent the past decade trying to tan myself using only the sun's UV rays. And what did I get? A wrinkle at 23. I recently tried self-tanner, and boy let me tell you that stuff is glorious. It looks great without any of the sun damage! Plus you can basically do semi-permanent makeup, using the self tan as contour. Pro tip: use rubber gloves instead of tanning mittens in order to maximize the longevity of your bottle.
Sewing machine. Every person, yes, not just every girl should have to take sewing lessons. It is literally such a useful skill. Hand sewing is great, but knowing how to use a sewing machine is basically a superpower. I can alter all my clothes to fit me exactly, transform pieces I never wear anymore into something new,and create my own halloween costumes from scratch. I've had a sewing machine for over a decade now, but it remains one of my most-used possesions.
Fancy panini press. I love a good panini. I also love not waiting for my food. If you are like me, then a luxurious sandwich heater is well worth the money.
THE BAD (and also the ugly, I guess):
Random nail polish colors that I impulse bought. Every time I walk into TJ Maxx, or Target, or a drug store my eyes are drawn to the pretty pretty sparkly colors aka the nail polish shelves. I always see a new pretty color that I want to buy, yet rarely can ever paint my nails because of how damaged they get. Plus, the amount of nail polish I've thrown away over the years, gone barely used is egregious. Don't fall for it!
50% of the clothes I thrifted. Have you ever heard of the cheerleader effect? You know, where a bunch of semi cute girls, all put together appear hotter than do any of them individually. Well thrifting is kind of like that. Everything is so goddamn ugly, that you end up buying the least ugly shit you can find, thinking it's treasure. Sometimes it actually is treasure, but sometimes it's complete garbage. And it's really hard to tell until you've gotten home.
50% of the things I bought while roaming TJ Maxx. TJ Maxx is basically the same as thrifting, except add in things that smell good, cheap jewelry, and unnecessary snacks and home goods. Actually, the snacks are usually pretty good, I recommend those. Also, never fall for that one designer item you find at your local TJ/Marshalls/etc. Just because it's brand name DOES NOT mean it's cute.
Jackets. I love jackets. I have way too many jackets. I wear the same 3 or 4 most of the time.
Crafting supplies I never ended up using (e.g., fabric dye, buttons for denim, etc.). Now I'm not super down on this, because I do like to support my artistic inclinations. However, I've gotten a bit ambitious with the various crafts and diys I have planned to do this year, resulting in miscellaneous art supplies that has yet to be touched.
Way too much protein powder during my bulking lifting era that I promptly never revisited. Self-explanatory. While great in theory, odds are you will not love going to the gym every day to lift weights. Try smoothies and yoga instead.
White eyeliner. Makes me look creepy tbh. This was just one of those trends that did not really hit. A smokey eye is hotter. Especially if you (I do) already have bug eyes.
Lunch from work every day. Unless you're making bank (in which case your company probably provides you with food anyways) you should just make your own lunches. I wasted so much money on $12 bowls of 10 pieces of chicken and some rice.
Literally anything from Forever 21 (or your preferred super cheap fast-fashion retailer *cough* Shein *couch*). Except maybe their hair accessories, which can actually be kind of cute. This is especially true if you're someone who loses their accessories frequently, since you're probably only losing $10 max.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (because this list had to only have 23 things):
(bad) Chicago Mac & Cheese crawl. Ok this is a random one, but let me tell you, the Mac and Cheese was not that good. Plus, bars in the middle of the day with very little drinking? Not very fun.
(good) Cayumas mary jane ballet flats (secondhand). So cute, so versatile, and so comfortable! I can't believe I thrifted these. It feels like being a dainty ballerina while also getting to walk barefoot. Plus they go with every outfit. I got mine in brown.
(good) Snowboard boots. Expensiveeee but you know what? They're cute and they bring me joy. I love these suckers.
(good) Nishiguchi Kutsushita socks. These cashmere/wool blend socks are expensive, but your feet carry you everywhere so they deserve this little bit of extra love. Splurge on your footwear and never go back.