I got the NYX hydrating primer and I really like it. It doesn’t make your face look shiny, just a little more glowy that usual. However it’s not as good an allover primer as the Monistat Chafing Relief Powder Gel. So I use the Monistat first to fill in lines and put the NYX over it for that dewy look. I also really love the bamboo cosmetics organizer. It looks so fancy on my bathroom counter filled with my serums, cleansers and creams. I have a lot of products since doing these posts and they’ve really made a difference in my skin. (My favorites: niacinamide serum and hyaluronic serum.) Here are some more things Hecate and I are looking at.

A versatile and affordable eyeshadow palette

From CB: I’ve featured this eyeshadow palette so many times because it’s my absolute favorite, I’ve bought it twice and I’m about to buy a third one. (I keep telling myself I should just switch to other colors, and I do use them but I want a full palette again.) You get 8 colors for under $14 and the quality is as good as high end palettes at twice the cost. This has over 12,000 ratings, 4.4 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. I own the Nude Exposed palette but it also comes in darker colors in the Matte palette, and in Nude Naturel. If I buy a different set of colors I won’t be wasting any so I think that’s what I’ll do. Women write “I would compare the quality and color palette to Urban Decay,” “The color payout is amazing” without much fallout and “The colors are gorgeous, rich in tone and will flatter anyone.”

A bestselling doormat to keep dirt and mud out

From CB: I’m in the market for a new doormat as I have one of those straw ones from the last person who had my house and it’s falling apart. I looked through so many mats on Target and Amazon, many of which are said to bleed color when they’re wet. These doormats by Gorilla Grip are the bestselling doormats on Amazon. They come in five different sizes and in 27 different colors and prints. They have over 10,600 ratings, 4.5 stars and a perfect score on ReviewMeta. They’re said to be great at absorbing dirt, mud and water, to stay in place and to clean up easily too. “Great rug if you have an old dog,” “works perfectly and has not moved around at all” and “ the mud and dampness seems to magically evaporate very quickly. And it vacuums up amazingly.” Some reviewers say it smells like rubber when you first get it but that this goes away after a couple of days outside.

A neck and chest firming cream you can use on your face too

From CB: I looked through so many neck firming creams and most have fake reviews, but this is one of the more affordable creams. This neck firming cream by Maryanne Organics has almost 500 reviews, 4.6 stars and a perfect score on ReviewMeta. It’s around $20 for 1.7 ounces and has a pump to avoid product contamination. It has collagen, retinol, hyaluronic acid and natural ingredients like coconut and jojoba. You can use it on your face too. Reviewers write that it’s a great overall cream “goes on like butter and feels awesome,” “has almost no smell, absorbs very well” and that it seems to work “ I already see improvements in my face, neck & my décolletage,” and “after 2 weeks I see firmness and tightness.”

A produce saver that really works

From CB: Bluapple is a little blue apple container with an absorbent activated carbon packet that absorbs ethylene gas to keep produce fresher longer. It’s $20 and comes with two apple containers and 8 replacment packets. You switch out the packets about every three months. It has 1,500 ratings, 4.3 stars and the same score on ReviewMeta. They’re said to really work to prolong fruit and vegetable life and to reduce food waste. Reviewers write “I was skeptical at first but these really work,” “My produce is lasting at least three times as long without spoilage,” and “Before we got these, our produce would go bad so quickly (sometimes in 3-4 days) but now that can easily last 1-2 weeks.” One caveat is that you’ll want to let your fruit ripen first as these will delay that process.

A pet blanket to stylishly protect your furniture

From Hecate: I saw this blanket elsewhere and thought it looked like the perfect compromise to protect furniture and serve as a pet bed. It’s a soft blanket for your pet to lie on that comes in five different colors so you can match it to your room for just under $25. I have two dogs, who each need their own bed, and it’s always a constant struggle of where to put them so the room looks good. A blanket can serve as a bed and be folded on the back of a chair when company comes over. Plus, these are pretty enough to leave out. They are also waterproof so with Winter muddy paws around the corner, you may not have to spot clean the furniture every five minutes. And since they are washable, instead of vacuuming the couch every other day, just take the fur covered blanket and toss it in the machine. The blanket has 495 ratings and 4.4 stars on ReviewMeta. One reviewer said it will blend right in with the decor, “This product looks like a nice nondescript throw blanket and functions like one too” while another said their cat’s hairballs were no longer requiring all their time, “This blanket has saved me from having to clean my sofa and wash all my bedding on many occasions.”

A portable camping lantern with a fan for cool comfort

From Hecate: This little light hangs right in your tent and serves double duty as both fan and light. It runs on D batteries and many reviewers said it lasted a full three nights on the fan’s high setting. The reviews also said it was very light and can attach to a pack, making it easy to carry. I am looking at it for my earthquake kit after I got the idea from a hurricane preparedness site. It has 12,000 ratings and 4 stars on ReviewMeta. With the fan coming in just under $20, one reviewer emphasized that it a great little piece of lightweight equipment, “I definitely recommend getting one for its price and use.” Many reviewers said it was very easy to hang and use,most able to suspend it from the ceiling of their tent with no problem, “Love it just hooks easily. Had it hooked in the top of my tent above me.” A few commenters said it looked like really cheap plastic but actually worked much better than expected. For emergency equipment, it sounds like a good bet.

A contemporary night stand and light tower with a charging port

From Hecate: I know this is a little pricier than we usually recommend but this does serve as furniture. I got a version of this standing light with shelves for my side of the bed where I have just a tiny space for a nightstand. I love that it checks both the night stand and light boxes. I was worried about such little shelf space but it has worked out well! I usually stack my unread books several deep but now I can only keep a couple on a shelf – it keeps me honest. However, I got a cheaper version than this and it is pretty shaky, I’m just lucky it’s supported by the bed and wall so it doesn’t fall over. So I am recommending this version, which is better made and reviewed. But this one also comes with built in charging ports, which I would love. It comes in three different stains and earned 4.3 stars on ReviewMeta with 2,600 reviews. One reviewer said the ports were a real selling point, “ he ports are very convenient since I can use them to charge my phone and power my Echo Dot as well as my Onyx speaker” and another just couldn’t imagine anything better, “Well if this isn’t the most perfect next to your bed lamp than I don’t know what is!” Like I said, I use this in the bedroom but I can think back on about three tiny apartments that this would have been a godsend in the living room.

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