We write about hundreds of products every week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites: expert-recommended essentials, life-changing stuff you didn’t know you needed, newly launched gizmos, and very good deals we uncovered while trawling the vast online-shopping universe — including a heavy-duty duffle bag with wheels for storing your artificial Christmas tree, a bendy phone stand one writer brings on flights (and uses at home), and the lip gloss Bath & Body Works customers are missing out on.
A truly last-minute gift for extreme holiday shopping procrastinators …
If you’re still shopping for Christmas gifts right now, we salute you — but your pickings for online shopping are slim. So go for the e-gift card. It’s not our best idea, but it’s better than nothing. A good way to spin is it that you’re giving your recipient a chance to pick out exactly what they want — and a gift card to Amazon means that it could be truly anything. That sounds like the best gift of all.
… And a gratitude journal for New Year’s–resolution overachievers
Kelsea Ballerini told us that she can’t live without this gratitude journal, which she’s been using for a couple of years to practice mindfulness. “I keep myself accountable by bookmarking my day, remembering where I’m at, being present with myself, and honoring the memories I’m making in the season I’m in,” she says. Plus it only takes five minutes.
A stuffed unicorn that’s most like plucking a chicken
For the first year, our senior writer and resident toy expert Liza Corsillo came up with her own toy superlatives — and though there are lots of things that would make great gifts, like a rideable horse with a detachable hoverboard and Stapelstein’s design-y stepping stones, this one is among the weirdest. This fuzzy unicorn is meant to be plucked, revealing another toy underneath. “I can see the sensory appeal, but I hate the idea of all that fur sticking to every surface of my apartment, and I can’t stop thinking of dead poultry,” Corsillo writes.
A sturdy rolling tote for storing your artificial tree post-Christmas
We know many of you bought artificial Christmas trees this year — and if you tossed the original box or didn’t receive a heavy-duty bag cover, you’ll eventually need some kind of storage. Lucky for you, writer Ambar Pardilla spoke to professional organizers for their recommendations about storing holiday decorations, which includes this rolling duffel that’ll make packing up your faux tree a breeze. The material is tear-resistant and waterproof, so what’s inside will stay well protected “for the 11 months of the year you don’t use it,” says Lisa Zaslow, owner of Gotham Organizers.
Lynda Carter’s fruit-shaped body soap
Regular bar soap is nice, but Lynda Carter prefers this lemon-shaped one. It fits easily into the palm of your hand and has a fresh, lemony scent that doesn’t smell artificial. Because it makes her feel “fresh as a daisy,” she keeps it stocked in more than one place, such as her condo in Miami. Carter says she initially found the fruit-inspired soap at the store where she gets her $1,000 sateen sheets.
A bendy piece of foam for watching TV on your flight home from the holidays
Our writer Kat Gillespie says she couldn’t commit to owning a phone stand because the options are often bulky, plasticky, or too “home office” for her aesthetic taste. That is, until she uncovered the ultra-packable Flight Flap — essentially a small sheet of aluminum encased in foam — which can contort into a phone or tablet holder. While it’s technically meant to be used above 10,000 feet, Gillespie uses her Flight Flap at home, too, and appreciates that the foam easily flattens into a discreet rectangle for easy storage. “You won’t catch me with a dining room table that looks like a WeWork,” she says.
The creamy lip gloss that one Bath & Body Works employee calls a hidden gem
In the latest edition of Retail Secrets, our writer Kitty Guo asked actual Bath & Body Works employees about the top-selling scent they’re instructed to push onto hapless boyfriends, the best places to find discontinued products, and why shopping in-store is the way to go. While nearly every associate Guo spoke to mentioned using their employee discount on home products (like hand soaps and candles), surprisingly, one worker said several items from the brand’s lip-care line are the real hidden treasure. Guo says that associate has switched from wearing nude lipstick to exclusively using Bath & Body Works’ lip tints. “It’s not as thick as a lipstick, but it still lasts a really long time and it’s much cheaper.” (And as a reminder: Their semi-annual sale opens this week, so start making your list.)
The HBO-approved white paint John Wilson uses for all his films
Fans of HBO’s How to With John Wilson will know of the white letters scrawled across the frame during episodes — but did you know John Wilson paints those himself? Wilson told us he uses this Wite-Out to make the title cards for all his movies, and he ends up going through a lot of it. “I started painting some stuff recently too — I’ve been painting mascots of companies that I call when my house needs repairs — and it’s good for covering up little mistakes I make,” he says.
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 acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.