Cheryl Shops

We're more than halfway through February, which means my birthday will be here very soon (it's March 2nd for the record). I do a birthday wishlist every year, and while my original intent in posting it was to drop a not-so-subtle hint for family members, it's evolved into a sort of pre-spring shopping list for myself. (For the record, I now own everything but the dining table from last year's list, and depending on what my tax return looks like, the table might be coming soon too.) Here's what I'm hoping to manifest in 2026. 

I have a friend with exquisite, poreless skin and I nearly died of shame when I found out that she never washed her face. At the time, I was—unbeknownst to me—stripping the hell out of mine every night with a harsh glycolic acid cleanser that my dermatologist had recommended to keep my acne under control. This was many years ago and while I've thankfully since figured out that my skin reacts best to a gentle cleanser, it took me awhile to learn how to actually use it effectively. But after many, many years on this planet, I've finally honed in on three life-altering tips that have transformed how I cleanse my face. 

It all starts with a good cleanse

One of my most-clicked but lowest-converting links is for my Nili Lotan Shon jeans (formerly known as Emerson jeans). I think I know why: While these jeans are truly unique-looking in terms of fit, they are definitely an investment. I feature both my Shon jeans and pants on the blog frequently because I actually wear them a lot in real life. I've been trying to buy fewer but better-quality pieces over the last few years, and while I obviously still love a bargain, when I find a truly transformative, holy grail piece of clothing, I'm willing to spend accordingly. Here's why the Shon is worth the splurge.

 Last week I shared my best fashion buys of 2025; this week we're onto beauty. While I receive a lot of products for free—I work in the beauty industry and get a lot of gratis at work, and brands send me a lot of stuff to try as well—I do actually buy a lot of things myself, so most of what I've included here is stuff I've spent my own money on (with a few exceptions that are noted below). Here are my top 10 favorite beauty buys of 2025.

It's not that I'm in denial about it being a new year—I'm always happy to welcome a new one, particularly after the roller coaster that was 2025—but in spite of having the last two weeks off and doing absolutely nothing for the last half of it, I am somehow amazed at how quickly time passed. So before I mentally adjust to 2026, I thought I'd take a look back at the last year and acknowledge some pretty solid buys. Here are my favorite things I bought in 2025.