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Moving from conspicuous to conscious consumption and doing reviews along the way.  Find plenty of unsponsored reviews of Quince, Everlane, Grana, and Cuyana on the site!  I'm working towards a minimal waste lifestyle, and oh yea I love bags >.<

5 Things I'm Glad I Bought For the Last Half of 2024

I have really cooled it on my purchases for the last half of this year so unlike the first half of the year, I don’t have 10 things I’m glad I bought but just five.

Ecovac Deebot T30 Review
 

Deebot EcoVac T30 Combo

Honestly if I had to choose just one thing I was glad I bought this year, it would be this vacuum and mop robot from EcoVac. I’ve never had my floors so clean before and it’s all thanks to this small but mighty machine. I run it at least every other day. I also got a floor accessory (at a discount through the Ecovacs app) so that I can clean the floors with the handheld combo. And I have to say this is better than my Dyson (quieter, lighter, and I don’t have to keep my finger on the trigger). I feel extra efficient while vacuuming one part of the house while the Deebot vacuums and mops another part. It’s like my own little robot helper.
P.S. I love it so much I bought a second one (but not a combo version with the handheld vaccum) for my business. Now I can get my floors cleaned there overnight, every night. Also when I bought it, I was able to get it for $689, which is the lowest I’ve seen it go for.

Bosch 500 Dishwasher

I know I’m being spoiled when I say that a dishwasher is an essential and my preferred brand is Bosch. I love the 500 series for their Auto-air function (basically when the washing cycle is done, the dishwasher door pops open to vent and dry the dishes) over the super high heat of the 800 series. I’m so glad we got this household “essential” for our new house. We got ours from Lowe’s that has a 36 hour return policy (which we used to return the 800 series in exchange for the 500 series).


 

Dunst Sweatshirt

This sweatshirt from Dunst was one of the few new items of clothing I purchased this year and it’s fast become a favorite. I’ve already worn it 20 times. Even though it’s a relatively plain sweatshirt, the leather details make it special (and I’ve had no issues with just throwing this in the wash). When I got this sweater I was thinking of getting a similar one in navy blue but sadly that is now all sold out. [Edit: After righting this I took another look and saw there was still the cream colored one left so I decided to try that one out in a size down. Plus I got it for 20% off because it was my first purchase through the W Concept app. However I ended up returning it because the small was just a bit too snug for me. I’ll probably do a full review of Dunst soon since I now have two bags and two sweatshirts from them. They’re quickly becoming one of my favorite Korean brands.]

 

Vintage Bottega Veneta Hobo bag

This was my bag of the summer this year with a total of 42 wears this year. Sure it came a little dirty and worn, but I just fell for the gorgeous sea foam green color. And it was so easy to use, really light in weight, but still could fit a ton. I love it so much I wanted to get another vintage Veneta hobo in dark brown, but since that color is so popular right now it’s been hard to find one in the sub $1k range (vs. the $500 I paid for this green one). Anyway this was my first bag from Bottega and I’m so in love with the brand. I can’t wait to bring this out again in the spring.

 

Agency Skincare Future Formula

I got this anti-aging lotion awhile ago but just started using it recently and I have to say it’s the best thing for my skin since the AB Rich Cream. I’ve always heard the tretinoin (akin to retinol) is good for your skin, both for acne and fine lines. But I’ve stayed away since my skin used to be so sensitive. But since entering my 40’s my skin has finally calmed down and I find that their Future Formula is gentle enough not to cause any irritation. Since using it my skin has become a lot smoother—the smoothest it’s ever been. Now my only regret is that I didn’t start it sooner. I will say that I read reviews of Agency (now under the Curology company umbrella) and they weren’t that favorable (well other than the sponsored ones of course). But I’ve found their prescription service easy to use and easy to cancel as well (I bought my first set for $5 shipping and then discontinued the service before the next shipment went out—and they give you a heads-up about it too). I just recently went back to resubscribing for the service since their products have been working so well for me. It’s not cheap but it’s way cheaper than paying a derm out of pocket. I’m also using the Dark Spot Formula which seems good, though I can’t see any definitive results yet. But at least the Dark Spot Formula is also gentle enough for my skin. And lastly I tried the Cloud Care Cream but that was a meh for me.

I’d be interested to hear what were some of the things you were glad you bought in 2024!