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 LEGO bouquet, our brand-new favorite can opener, and a no-fuss line-a-day diary.
A not-too-little LBD
When packing for a recent trip to Colombia, Strategist contributor Mya Gelber realized that she needed a little black dress. So she placed eight online-shopping orders and eventually returned all except one: “An unassuming Free People number, which costs $50 and to an untrained eye looks like every other tank dress on the market.” Other than its perfect mid-thigh length on Gelber’s five-foot-four frame, the dress was made of a mix of viscose, polyester, and elastane, which allows it “to drape really elegantly without bunching up or laying weirdly on my frame,” she writes. And as a bonus, “It didn’t wrinkle despite being packed into my stuffed-to-the-brim suitcase.”
Our brand-new best-in-class can opener
Strategist contributor Julia Skinner cracked open dozens of cans and spoke to chefs, food writers, and other culinary experts to hear about their go-tos for our new guide to the best can openers. The top pick is from OXO: “It turns easily, stays sharp, and is easy to clean,” Skinner writes. Plus, “The hand crank is comfortable to use, the blades always give a clean and consistent cut, and the opener easily stands up to the task of opening anything from a can of beans to a big can of tomatoes.”
Chris Black’s go-to T-shirt for under $50
It seems like everybody is always on the hunt for the best basic T-shirts, and for his latest column, Chris Black weighed in with his pick for a blank T-shirt under $50 per a reader request. Though he often opts for vintage T-shirts, he says this twice garment-dyed number, which has a slightly lived-in look, is his go-to when shopping for a brand-new plain tee. “It comes in various flavors, but I stick with the white or navy,” he writes.
The key to Steve Madden’s actually delicious prison coffee
When Steve Madden went to prison (“I was involved with the Wolf of Wall Street guys, just in case you didn’t know,” he told us), he was worried about what he would do about milk for his coffee. He found a solution in Coffee Mate: “I would get freeze-dried coffee and put hot water on it and mix it with this creamer,” he says. “It was the greatest coffee I had in my life.”
A tomato-shaped cocotte just in time for summer-produce season …
Among the items that the Strategist team has been buying for themselves is this charming tomato-shaped cocotte, which Strategist junior writer Bella Druckman says “will look adorable as a serving vessel for dips and sides at future dinner parties” she hosts.
… and a picnic-themed linen apron to go with it
We clearly have summer veggies on the brain, because in her latest roundup of product launches, Strategist writer Arielle Avila writes that she’s eyeing this summery apron. Plus, she thinks the apron would “work well for a backyard dinner party.”
On-sale Mother’s Day flowers that’ll last forever
Mother’s Day is just one week away, which means you’re almost out of time to find the perfect gift that will arrive on time. If you haven’t checked out our Mother’s Day gift coverage, you may have missed these crafty flowers, which our deals editor Sam Daly included in our list of on-sale Mother’s Day gifts. “If she prefers faux flowers, here are some blooms that won’t wilt,” she writes.
The clear mascara Vivica A. Fox has been using for more than 20 years
In a recent installment of “Famous People On,” Druckman looked back in our archives to 2016, the year we started interviewing celebrities for our column “What I Can’t Live Without.” Over the years, the celebrities we’ve interviewed have recommended a number of drugstore mascaras, including this clear mascara, which Vivica A. Fox calls “the perfect drugstore buy that never disappoints.” She finds it’s particularly useful for her eyebrows and says, “I’ll use it to keep them in place and have been since I first started acting — what, 20 or 25 years ago?”
The line-a-day diary Rachel Khong uses to document her life
Author Rachel Khong is nine years and two five-year diaries into her line-a-day diary habit, a practice that she describes as “just a really beautiful way to mark time.” Though she only jots down a few sentences before bed, she says, “I’d be so sad if I lost it because it contains so many memories and facts about my life, sometimes little jokes, sometimes things that I ate.”
A pair of babyproof hoops
For her roundup of the best hoop earrings, Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla asked fashion-world insiders, brand consultants, an antiques dealer, and some fellow Strategist staffers for their favorites. When Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo’s 1-year-old son realized he could grab onto her ears, she had to make some jewelry adjustments. These topaz-adorned hoops have a strong clicker closure that withstands her son’s grip and give her the look she wants to have as a mom: “very understated and grown-up.”
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.
