Welcome back to Your Shopping Cart, wherein we break out the top ten products that you, devoted Strategist readers, all bought in droves. Think of this as the tl;dr of the Strategist: If your like-minded brethren are buying these items, maybe you’d like to, too.
The list took a seasonal turn this week: With insect fears buzzing (sorry) as summer approaches, a tick-repellent clothing spray shot straight to the top of the list. Many of you bought this cheery floral arrangement for Mother’s Day — but don’t worry, we won’t tell if you got one for yourself. One writer’s surprisingly positive experience with Amazon’s plant store convinced enough of you to order this fiddle-leaf fig to launch it to fourth place, and our senior editor’s beloved high-rise leggings debuted in tenth. Some classics stuck around, too: Beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton’s favorite pimple-shrinking patches dropped to second place, followed by snail-slime eye patches in third. The Seoul Ceuticals serum fell from third to fifth, while Everlane’s classic V-neck T-shirt held steady in ninth place. We also saw the return of Hairstory’s shampoo replacement and the Instragram-famous “old lady mask” from Hanacure.
1. The Most Effective Tick Repellents for Humans (and Dogs), According to Science (Last installment: new entry)
Strat writer Maxine Builder went in search of the best products for avoiding ticks and turned up this powerful insect-repellent spray for treating all of your outdoor clothing and gear: “Spraying your sneakers or hiking boots before going out into the woods is another solid tick-prevention technique. You could also spray gardening gloves, pants, shorts, or T-shirts with [insect-repellent chemical] permethrin.”
2. The Google Doc I Send to People Who Ask About My Skin (1)
Ceding the top spot to tick spray, Rio Viera-Newton’s favorite pimple patches fall to second place. Rio introduced us to the now-famous Cosrx patches last year in her epic skin-care Google Doc post: “[T]he Holy Grail. Drop everything and buy them. Not even going to explain, will just say if you pop or pick a zit, put this on immediately afterward, go to bed, and in the morning you’ll see what I’m talking about and thank me.”
3. The 14 Products I Use for My Chronic Raccoon Eyes (2)
Like Rio, many of you turned to these patches made from gold and snail mucin for soothing sensitive under-eye skin and chronic puffiness. Rio loves how snails’ “regenerative properties not only work wonders on blemish scars, but also help with any kind of hyperpigmentation, including dark under-eye circles. It’s also super beneficial for helping with wrinkles and dryness. I keep these in the fridge, so they’re nice and cold when I use them — adding another level of luxury to the experience.”
4. I Bought a Fiddle-leaf Fig From the New Amazon Plants Store (new entry)
Strat writer David Notis admitted that before he ordered his fiddle-leaf fig from Amazon, “the idea of something as complex (in the multicellular sense) and delicate as a plant being processed through Amazon’s vast shipping network in a cardboard box [made] me a little uncomfortable.” But the experience was surprisingly pleasant and his new plant arrived in perfect condition. “In short,” he wrote, “it was just about as seamless a transaction as I could’ve hoped for — as easy and hassle-free as buying a toothbrush.”
We discovered this much more affordable dupe of beauty editor favorite SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic serum during Made in Korea while searching for the best (lesser-known) Korean beauty products on Amazon, and this rave review convinced many of you to give it a try: “I have been an aesthetician for over 20 years and am also a beauty writer, so I get to try the latest ‘It’ products for free. I was excited about this one, so I paid full price and all opinions are my own. I am in love with the Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum. Have you ever had a chance to try the $160-plus Vitamin C Ferulic Serum from SkinCeuticals? I did a couple of years back and it is a lovely product. It is also ridiculously overpriced, and I can tell you that this dupe from Seoul Ceuticals is nearly identical in texture and performance.”
6. Mother’s Day Bouquets for Every Type of Mom (That You Can Order Online) (new entry)
The easiest way to make moms happy on Mother’s Day is sending a colorful bouquet, and many of you took advantage of BloomThat’s easy online ordering and gifted mom this arrangement with roses and antique carnations. The Golden Delicious, featuring six stems of golden lilies and an included box of salted caramels, was another popular purchase this week.
7. The Shampoo Replacement I Only Have to Use Once a Week (new entry)
Back on the list after a quick break, is Hairstory’s New Wash, which was created by the co-founder of Bumble and Bumble. Instead of lathering like a drugstore shampoo, New Wash operates more like a conditioner to clean your hair of grime, while leaving the good stuff that gives your hair bounce and waves. Since trying it, writer Molly Young has been converted: “My long hair air-dries perfectly, with no ‘squeaky’ texture. It is shiny and falls in loose waves, like it did when I was a kid. I don’t need to blow-dry it. My chronic flaky scalp (sorry!) is gone forever. I customarily wash my hair every three days. With New Wash, once a week. When friends remark that my hair looks nice, it’s fun to say, ‘I haven’t shampooed in six months.’ Which is technically accurate.”
8. I Tried the ‘Old-Lady’ Face Mask That’s Trending on Instagram (new entry)
Yes, it’s painfully tight, makes you look like an old lady, and costs way more than your average sheet mask, but when Rio raved about this Korean mask, it convinced us, and lots of you, to give it a try: “Compared to other masks in my regimen that typically target one issue, this mask covers quite a few bases: It’s good for calming blemishes, providing a plumpness that fills fine lines, and brightening dull spots. After four uses, I noticed an elasticity in my skin that I hadn’t seen before, though the brightening effect subsided after 24 hours.”
9. What’s the Best White T-shirt for Women? (9)
As we inch closer to summer, this warm-weather staple holds on tight to its spot on the list. Elizabeth Rose, a server at Cafe Gitane, tipped us off to this top when we went on the hunt for the best white T-shirt for women: “I like the Everlane V-neck because of the company’s transparency. It’s an ethical issue — I like to know where the clothing is made. And I like this specific shirt because I wear a lot of necklaces, so the depth of this V shows them.”
10. These Minimalist Workout Clothes Are the New Outdoor Voices (new entry)
Senior editor Margaret Rhodes loves that Girlfriend Collective’s workout clothing is sustainable (they recycle “plastic bottles in Taiwan and knit them into fabric”), affordable (“cheaper than Outdoor Voices, Nike, Lululemon, Athleta, or most other premier brands”), and inclusive (“sizes run from XXS to XXXL, and it doesn’t look like they airbrush the models”); and it doesn’t hurt that their mellow-hued (“smoke” and “apricot” are among the color options) high-rise leggings “feel silky and soft, and the pants compress your butt and thighs just the right amount.”
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
