We write about hundreds of products each 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 through the vast online-shopping universe — including an Olympic gold medalist’s favorite smudgeproof liquid liner, a 19th-century-inspired catchall from West Elm’s Halloween collection, and the phone case turning our tech writer’s iPhone into a BlackBerry.
The Mead notebook Denzel Curry uses for drawing comics
When we asked Denzel Curry about the items he can’t live without, he told us about these composition notebooks (a back-to-school essential) that he uses for drawing. Curry, who’s been drawing a comic for almost five years, says he prefers these over traditional sketchbooks. “I’m like, ‘Look, man, the lines are already on the paper when it comes down to the composition, so it’s easy for me to just draw little boxes and just figure it out,’” Curry says, adding that he draws with a regular ballpoint pen but uses Sharpies when he feels like coloring.
UV-protection gloves for your next gel manicure
Our junior writer Brenley Goertzen answered a question about whether or not the nail-curing lamps used for gel manicures are frying your hands in our latest installment of Ask the Strategist. Goertzen spoke to two dermatologists who said that regardless of the type of lamp — UV or LED — your salon uses, taking proper precautions if you’re getting frequent gel manicures is important. “While the amount of UV radiation emitted by these lamps is relatively low, frequent or prolonged exposure can add up, increasing the cumulative UV dose to the skin,” says Dr. Hope Mitchell, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Mitchell Dermatology. Those precautions include wearing UV-protection gloves — like these from Coolibar — to shield your wrists, hands, and fingers, or applying broad-spectrum sunscreen before your appointment.
The physical keyboard that’s turning our tech writer’s iPhone into a 2007 BlackBerry
Those who miss the days of BlackBerry Bolds or Motorola Droids and find iPhones loaded with tons of distractions are not alone. Since putting his iPhone in a Clicks keyboard case, our tech writer Jordan McMahon feels more productive and says it’s changed how he interacts with his phone. The Clicks is essentially a case with a physical keyboard you can use with an iPhone 14 or 15, with keys reminiscent of the BlackBerry hardware, with a satisfying click and adjustable backlight for typing in the dark. “It took a few days for me to get used to pressing actual keys with my thumbs when using my phone, but after two weeks with the Clicks, I’m as quick with the keys as I was on my old Droid,” says McMahon.
A lover’s-eye catchall for the Victorian era (or Halloween) stans
Our writer Ambar Pardilla has collected catchalls for years, so she created a list of nice-looking trinket trays and dishes for all sorts of tastes. We especially like this play on Georgian lover’s-eye miniatures, which is from West Elm’s new Halloween collection. Pardilla says the tray will look “quite haunting on a mantel.”
The perfect white button-down one writer found after testing 25 styles
Strategist contributor Mya Gelber is back with another in-depth wardrobe hunt — and this time, she tracked down her perfect white button-down. She tested 25 total styles from a range of brands (from fast fashion to higher end) and ended up with three favorites plus one winner. Surprisingly, Gelber’s perfectly crisp white button-down is from Lululemon, the maker of our favorite leggings for women. She says the shirt has a boxy, cropped fit that’s long enough to tuck into pants but still covers her bum when untucked. “I love the big stiff cuffs as well as the structured collar and a back box pleat that makes it billow really beautifully,” she explains.
Japanese-style pitcher for stirring and batching your cocktails
Your cocktail shaker is for drinks that are shaken, not stirred, but what about those spirit-forward concoctions that only require a little stirring? Well, Strategist contributor and drinks journalist John deBary consulted experts about the specialized vessel for stirring drinks, which are called mixing glasses. This mixing pitcher comes recommended by Lynnette Marrero, chief mixologist at Delola and a Masterclass teacher. DeBary notes that the name “Yarai” means “falling arrows” in Japanese and refers to the cross-hatched pattern you see on many mixing glasses like this one modeled in the Japanese style.
The liquid liner an Olympic gold medalist wore during competitions
Gymnast Laurie Hernandez counts this liquid eyeliner, which she’s used since she was a teen, among her favorite things. “Any photos from the Olympics of me as a teenager with eyeliner on, it’s this one,” says Hernandez, who’s attending the 2024 Paris Olympics as an NBC correspondent. She loves that it’s waterproof and has a felt tip. “It angles like a paintbrush, so depending on how much pressure you put, you can get that precision and that thickness,” she says, adding that she always buys the black shade, which doesn’t smudge over time.
Chef-approved microplane for shredding a chunk of hard cheese (or a pile of lemons)
As seen in our guide to the best zesters and graters, the Classic Microplane, which has a soft, easy-to-grip handle, is our best overall pick in the category. Strategist contributor Margaret Eby uses it in her own kitchen and says, “It’s a tool that feels nice in your hand, and it quickly shredded anything I threw at it, from a huge chunk of chocolate I had brought back from a trip to Oaxaca to a pile of lemons.” Another fan is chef Alexandra Holt, owner of the Philadelphia restaurant Roxanne, who says, “It’s the only one I use” and notes that she replaces hers every three months or so.
Pretend pots and pans to match your adult Always Pan
In our latest installment of Don’t Dillydally, our site’s resident toy tester, Liza Corsillo, spotted the new preschool toys from Gigglescape (Target’s in-house toy line), with a pop-goes-the-alligator and a coffee-house set for making their first latte. Our senior editor, Winnie Yang, noted that this colorful set must be the kid-friendly version of the Always Pan and the Dutchess.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
