Hi there gals and pals.
It's SUPERSIX time.
You know, the thing I do where I talk about all my favorite things.
Today, we are talking about my top picks from 2022.
*side note - everything I chat about in this post will be things that I found in 2022. There may be bits and bobs in my life that I like more than what I'm chatting about I this post, but these were this years favorites.
Categories in this post go like : music, hair, beauty, makeup, technology and books.
If you're interested in seeing my favorite things from last year, HERE is the post.
& in no particular order, let's hit it.
1. CHURCH IN A CHEVY BY JORDAN DAVIS
I don't know what it was about this song, but it blew me out of the water this year. It was by far my most listened to song this year. It just really made me get in my feels. You know I'm not the most religious person, but pretty spiritual. This song hit me in that space and really resonated with me.
If you'd like to hear me gush about it more and what it meant to me, read THIS supersix post. It's number four if you're interested.
*Honorable mentions would be: "The Kind of Love we Make" by Luke Combs and "What I Have" by Kelsea Ballerini.
2. DAE CACTUS FRUIT (3 IN 1) STYLING CREAM
Last year, Dae took the hair slot in my supersix too, but for their leave in conditioner. This year, THIS STYLING CREAM was my best find. I'm so obsessed with it. I bought it originally to use as a curl cream because that's what I saw the girlies on TikTok doing. But, I quickly realized it wasn't a strong enough hold for me. Not wanting it to go to waste, I started using it as a styling cream before blowdrying my hair; putting it in while wet/damp. (to see how I get my at home blowout check out THIS video on my YouTube channel.) It really tamed my frizz as I slept on it and moved though my days before the next hair wash. Then I started incorporating slicked back buns into my weekly hair routine and this was the go to. (if you're interested in how I get my slick bun, check out THIS video on my YouTube channel.) Not a big fan of hairspray or gel as it gets really crunchy. But this doesn't. It just gives your hair a nice shine, is smooth and a bit tacky to the touch. Finally I started using it to refresh my curls. I would sleep on my curls and then the next day I would get my hair damp with a spray bottle and scrunch my hair again with this styling cream. I like using it to refresh my curls so much more than what I use in my curls on the first day because it doesn't make my hair feel as heavy. Now that I have three ways to use this cream I'm moving through it fast. Big staple for me this year. I use it almost every day.
3. THE INKEY LIST RETINOL ANTI AGING SERUM
Do you know how many years I've been telling myself I'm going to add in a retinol cream to my skin arsenal. I don't think I even know myself. A long time. Longgggg time. But I absolutely avoided it because they are soooo expensive. Then I heard about this one from my favorite beauty YouTuber Allana Davison and I had to give it a whirl because the price point was superior. It's like $13. HERE is a link if you find yourself wanting to buy it. I don't really know if it's helped my wrinkles at all. I mean, I feel like over the last couple years since my diet has improved and I'm hydrated they have gotten better naturally. But, this stuff has been phenomenal at evening out my complexion. Holy smokes, Batman. & the price point makes it even better.
4. ELF CAMO POWDER FOUNDATION
I'f you've been paying attention to me this year, you will know that this stuff has been my best find of the whole year. I can't even describe how good it is. & I've never really been a powder foundation girlie. But this formula is superior. It is called "camo" for a reason; it can mask everything if you want it to. I take a lighter approach and just use it to even out my skin tone. But, damn. It's holy grail. I have not picked up any other foundation in months (even my long time favorite It Cosmetics CC cream). HERE is the link if you want to purchase it. I would if I were you. Give it a go. A good price and sure to rock your world. I can say with confidence this is my best find out of everything new I've tried this whole year.
If you want to read more about my love for it, check out THIS supersix.
& here is the video from that post if you're interested.
5. ADOBE + creative cloud
I fell into the trap this year. & oh boy has it made my life easier. I finally made the switch and run all of my business stuff with just adobe applications. I use Lightroom for recipe photo editing, premiere pro for editing videos, Lightroom for iPhone for quick instagram edits, adobe acrobat for creating business files and pdfs for my clients and illustrator for creating all my document handouts for my business + a sneaky little project I've been working on that I'll be excited to share with you this year. (hehe ☺️) I purchased the whole creative cloud so I could use all the apps and it has proven to be a very cost effective benefit to me. When I purchased it, I was paying $80 per month. Which honestly was just fine, but then they had a Black Friday special so I cancelled and redid my monthly contract for $40. (remember that if you're wanting to start using it - wait for a sale.) So happy with it all. If you're looking for something to elevate your business, I highly recommend it.
FYI : I use Canva also which is not an adobe product. But I can't get away from it. That in conjunction with the adobe programs has been superior.
6. THE GREAT ALONE BY KRISTIN HANNAH
I read 22 books this year. Not my best, not my worst. On the better side if we're looking at the years past. THIS book definitely stands out as my favorite of the year.
Here is the review I wrote for it on Goodreads
I loved this book so much. So much.
“Books are the mile markers of my life. Some people have family photos or home movies to record their past. I’ve got books. Characters. For as long as I can remember, books have been my safe place.”
-Kristin Hannah
This quote jumped out at the page to me and right into my lap.
There are so many books I remember reading at certain points in my life that were integral to my life journey at that point. I felt this.
The book was excellent. At times hard to read because of the domestic violence in it, but a beautiful story of survival and what you do for love. This book made me cry so many times. I felt so invested in the characters, especially Leni. Happy tears but mostly sad tears if I’m being honest.
This is an “I will read this book again” type of book.
A couple honorable mentions would be The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid and "The Lost Man by Jane Harper". If you'd like to see what I thought about those books, find me HERE on Goodreads and read my reviews. Or you can type in the username "kirs10kay" on Goodreads and find me that way.
YOUTUBE VIDEO
if that's more your thing
That is it.
Those are my favorites of the year!
Hope you enjoyed and can find some nugget of joy or fun in this post for yourself.
Hope you had an incredible year, but if you didn't that is okay too.
Cheers to a brand new year, choosing happiness and heading into a whole new world of possibilities for yourself.
Remember, choosing yourself and creating boundaries isn't selfish.
It's necessary.
Feel free to reach out at anytime.
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Thanks for being here.
xoxo
Kirsten ☀️