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 the repeller system to keep your backyard mosquito-free, the butter-pecan iced coffee Kylie Kelce loves, and the socks that our writer dubbed the perfect height. (Spoiler: They’re neither ankle nor crew.)
Reem Assil’s moisturizing olive-oil soap
When we spoke to San Francisco–based chef Reem Assil about her favorite things, she told us this is her go-to brand of olive-oil soap. Assil says the formula lathers nicely and works well as an all-purpose face and body soap. “I’ve used it on and off for many years, and it’s a great gift item as it’s cutely packaged,” she says.
Japanese sandals one writer discovered in the Basque country
Strategist contributor Michael Zhao didn’t know he’d been missing a sandal that combines the “freedom of a flip-flop with the sock compatibility of slides” until he discovered Montbell’s Sock-On Sandals. After learning about the shoes while living in the French surf town of Guéthary, Zhao says they are all he wears during the summer months. Compared to most flip-flops, Sock-On sandals have a unique rope design that allows them to be worn more like a minimalist slide — “perfect for when you want a sock-compatible slip-on that’s less bulky than a Birkenstock or Adilette,” Zhao says.
The bed extender that gives college students the “best bed on campus”
It may still be summer, but college students will be glad they have this ingenious bed extender come fall. During her third year at Barnard College, our junior writer, Bella Druckman, who recently graduated, uncovered DormCo’s Yak About It the College Converter. It can be installed in under ten minutes by easily attaching to a dorm-bed frame twin XL and extending enough to support a full-size mattress. While Druckman was worried about sacrificing floor space in her tiny dorm room, the extender added only about a foot to her bed’s width, which she says “was well worth it for the sleep that I gained.”
Irish self-tanner oil for complete and even coverage
Strategist contributor Fiona Byrne says Irish summer isn’t really “summer” in the sunshine sense, which means tanning isn’t exactly an option. Surprisingly, some of the best fake tanner brands, including Tan Organic, come from Ireland. Byrne swears by the oil formula, which doesn’t transfer, even on white clothes. It also doesn’t smell and leaves skin feeling moisturized but not tacky. “Within a couple of hours, my legs already get a really realistic tan; in fact, it was the color that my skin actually goes when I have a real tan,” Byrne says.
Kylie Kelce’s “unreal” Dunkin’ iced coffee
“It’s common knowledge that I have an obsession with the butter-pecan iced coffee,” Kylie Kelce told us about this Dunkin’ flavor. After the “unreal” drink was no longer available last year, Kelce says the high-school-girls field-hockey teams she coaches “mourned the loss” with her. And when the brand announced it was returning, Kelce says, “The first thing the girls said to me when I showed up to practice was, ‘It’s coming back for good!’”
Our writer’s lettuce-edge socks, which are the best sock height
You might have heard the recent discourse around sock height: “Crew-sock-loyal Gen Z is claiming they can guess your age by how low or high you wear your socks,” explains our senior writer, Liza Corsillo, adding that “millennials are racing to either justify their ankle-baring allegiance or to bid their ankle (and no-show) socks a schmaltzy adieu.” But the ideal sock height is actually the “half-crew,” Corsillo argues, a.k.a. high enough to be seen above most shoes but not so tall as to visually cut your shin in half. Corsillo rounded up a few of her favorites to show you what she means, including this six-pack of mid-weight ruffle socks.
Bartender-approved cocktail strainer
A well-stocked home bar will have at least one cocktail strainer, which removes solids like large ice chunks or fruit, creating a silky-smooth drink. Whether shaken or stirred, you can get straining with this Koriko model, which we recently crowned our top pick in the category. It was recommended by several bartenders, including Mike Capoferri, the owner-operator of Thunderbolt cocktail bar in Los Angeles. “It has a wide-enough diameter to work on both shaker tins and mixing glasses,” Capoferri says. “I’m all for any tool that helps me work more efficiently and carry less equipment.”
The key to living mosquito-free outdoors
If you’re a mosquito magnet like our writer Lauren Ro, she has thoughts on how to keep you from being eaten alive this summer. After successfully using Thermacell’s personal rechargeable repellents to keep bugs away, Ro decided to invest in the brand’s outdoor system and says “it completely changed my family’s relationship to our backyard.” Available in sets of three or five stakes, the LIV is an oversize version of the personal repellent units, which use naturally occurring repellents that are odorless and EPA-reviewed for safety. While Ro admits the Thermacell LIV system is not cheap, she says it’s absolutely worth it because it lets her enjoy her backyard.
A festive “Flock of Birds” tie (that would make a great conversation starter)
As it’s officially wedding season, Strategist contributor Erika Veurink tapped well-dressed men to hear their takes on what makes a tie the best in our new shopping guide. Two stylish experts, DJ Jason Stewart and J. McLaughlin brand manager Chase Winfrey, favor the ties from British clothier Cordings. The silk options are their favorite, and we particularly like this “Flock of Birds” tie, which features a delightful assortment of pheasants and turkeys.
A discounted Dutch oven (from the brand that invented the Dutch oven)
And finally, the Fourth of July markdowns are already rolling in, and our deals editor, Sam Daly, rounded up the best sales to shop early. Now through July 8, Strategist-favorite Crate & Barrel is offering up to 60 percent off nearly 2,000 items for the brand’s annual warehouse sale. Daly found airy summer bedding and lots of discounted dinnerware, including this Le Creuset Dutch oven.
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.
