What a time to be alive! After four years of near-despair and what seems like weeks of anxiety, Trump is officially unelected as President. As for whether Trump will actually vacate the White House with any sort of grace and dignity, who knows. But for now, let’s spend at least a little time celebrating.

If there’s one thing 2020 has lacked, it’s joy. This year will surely go down in history as one of the gloomiest years on record. So now that we’ve been given this small inkling of good news, let’s make the most of it. How? With beauty products, of course!

I’m all about the therapeutic properties of a face mask, and there are a couple that to me scream of happiness. Smearing your face in a bright, bold color and taking some selfies never fails. The Ole Henriksen Cold Plunge Pore Mask, the Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, and the Kate Somerville EradiKate Foam Activated Blemish Mask are all perfect for this. Not only do they spark joy due to their obnoxious hues (neon turquoise, blood red, and bubblegum pink, respectively) but they bring further joy upon washing off, thanks to their immediate effects on pore size and blemishes. Win-win!

Two more undeniably happy-making skincare products are the Star Face Hydro Stars Pimple Patches and the Weleda Skin Food. The Patches are literal star-shaped stickers you apply to your face, which is cute enough as a concept—but they also help draw impurities out of blemishes and speed up healing massively. The Skin Food does what it says on the tin: it adds a thick layer of nourishing delightfulness to the complexion while smelling good enough to eat. It’s uber thick, but when worn overnight it gives skin the most gorgeously soft, bouncy feel.

There aren’t many base products I’d describe as joyful, but the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream Illumination SPF 50+makes the cut for me. Not only does it even skin tone and protect the skin, but it has a soft shimmer running through it. On the skin, it doesn’t look glittery per se, but it certainly adds a hint of dazzle that’s hard to dislike. 

For the cheekbones, I love the Frank Body Illuminator in “Rose Gold,” which gives a wet-looking sheen. But to take things up a notch, the Rituel De Fille Rare Light Creme Luminizers are magical. They come in a huge array of otherworldly shades and have multidimensional flecks that give an alienesque glow.

For maximum joy, glitter should also be applied liberally to the eyes. The Stila Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow in “Diamond Dust” is a firm favorite of mine for boosting any makeup look in seconds. 

I’m also a huge fan of the Colourpop Pressed Glitters—and their All That Glitters Pressed Glitter Palette combines two of my favorite makeup genres, glitter and pink.

For maximum glitter (and thus maximum joy) I’d go for the Lemonhead Spacecase Pro Palette. After being out of stock forever, it’s now available for preorder once more. If you’ve never tried a Lemonhead product, go for this and try them all at once. Even looking at this makes my heart soar.

If glitter’s not your bag, though, I have some other joyful eye makeup options. The Ciate Shadow Flip Liquid Eyeshadows are essentially makeup magic, changing from one distinct shade to another depending on how the light hits. The shade “Peacock” is particularly amazing thanks to its emerald green and royal purple duo-chrome. For more colorful fun, the Huda Beauty Obsessions Pressed Pigment Eyeshadow Palettes are each perfect. The shades “Neon Green” and “Neon Orange” are the most unabashedly happy, IMO.

On to lips—and is there anything more joyful than a cake-flavored lip balm packed with glitter? I think not, and therefore I have to mention the Glossier Birthday Balm Dot Com. I also find the Glossier Lip Glosses in “Holographic” and “Red” spark a sort of nostalgic joy in me, taking me back to ‘90s school discos.

For pure fun, the Too Faced Lip Injection Power Plumping Lip Gloss and the Diego Della Palma Jelly Rainbow PH Reagent must also get a mention. A lip-tingling gloss that helps give you a fuller-looking pout and a translucent lipstick that changes color when applied? What could be happier? 

My final recommendations in terms of unmitigated joy come in the form of fragrance. Smelling good always makes me happy, and two of my favorite recent options come from Tom Daxon. The perfumes in “Crushing Bloom” and “Midnight Saffron” are my current day and night wardrobe—the former floral and fresh, and the latter dark, sexy, and smoky. I’m also a huge fan of The Harmonist’s Sun Force Perfume—and looking at the ‘70s gold bottle on my dresser is another source of ongoing happiness. 

Two old favorites that always boost my mood are the Maison Margiela Replicas in “Lazy Sunday Morning” and “By The Fireplace.” The whole concept of these fragrances is fun—reminding you of “memories” while smelling downright delicious. For a cheaper thrill, the Lush Twilight Body Spray comes highly recommended by me. Isn’t life wonderful(ish)?