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 a professional organizer’s all-time favorite bathroom decluttering item, the Brooklyn theater scene’s preferred pants, and a mineral sunscreen with brightening and firming capabilities.
Soft luggage that’s making a comeback
Our favorite hard-side suitcase is by Away — but interestingly, the DTC travel brand launched a new collection of soft luggage this week. According to our writer and resident travel expert Kat Gillespie, this keeps with wider industry trends: “Away rival Dagne Dover launched soft suitcases earlier this month, and carry-on duffels and backpacks from outdoor brands like Cotopaxi and Patagonia have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years,” she writes. Compared to hard-shells, soft bags are lightweight and expandable, and often feature external compartments for quick access to items like passports and chargers. If you need more convincing, Gillespie says to “take a close look at the roller boards that flight attendants and pilots use — I guarantee you’ll see soft-sided cases.”
The Puppets and Puppets founder’s just-right-amount-of-tight tank
Carly Mark has a specific formula for the way she dresses, and according to the Puppets and Puppets founder, that uniform includes this scoop-neck tank from Skims. Mark owns five of the “right amount of tight” top, which is made from a breathable cotton fabric. “I can wear them during the day and then I can wear them at night,” she says.
An e-reader that fits in your pocket
If you find it challenging to operate your Kindle (or Kobo) with one hand, consider the Onyx Boox Palma, which is about the size of an iPhone 15 Pro Max. Our tech writer reviewed the device and says the Palma’s built-in reading app is packed with thoughtful features, including auto page-turning and tabs for multiple books. But the main appeal is that it runs Android, meaning it can do much more than other e-readers; for example, you can install the Kindle app or listen to podcasts or music on Spotify.
A professional organizer’s “all-time-favorite product” for decluttering the bathroom
Clutter can easily take over any bathroom, which is why cleaning expert Jolie Kerr tapped a professional organizer to hear about the systems she recommends to clients. To better store your shower essentials, Ann Lightfoot, the co-founder of Done and Done Home, suggests this caddy, which she calls “one of our all-time-favorite products for the bathroom.” It can hold a range of bath and body products, keeping them off the floor or a ledge and preventing them from becoming grimey over time. “It’s very difficult for bottles to stay dry if they’re on the floor, whereas with a caddy the water drains right off of it and then it air dries,” Lightfoot says.
The padded $40 pants taking over the Brooklyn theater scene
It all began with musician Amy Santos, who wore the pants to a rehearsal for the play Terce: A Practical Breviary — and then suddenly, almost every cast member was wearing the lightweight, quilted, no-name Amazon pants, too. The pants are made from a summery padded cotton and feature a gingham-lined hem, and as our writer Ambar Pardilla notes, you might even mistake them for old Caron Callahan or new Cordera (a quilted version is selling for $416 — on sale — at Ssense). “One person wearing those pants is a statement — ten is a cult,” says Frances Higgins, a cast member.
The foundation stick that wowed our senior beauty editor
In last week’s edition of The Strategist Beauty Brief, each of our beauty writers shared their can’t-live-without foundations. Our senior writer Crystal Martin was “absolutely floored” when she tested the new Charlotte Tilbury sheer foundation stick. After the brand sent her a sample, Martin says she loved it so much that she bought another shade (a darker one for light contouring) the very next day. “The formula is everything I want: very glow-y, sheer but buildable, and hydrating.”
A natural sunscreen that actively reduces the appearance of UV damage
After the holiday weekend, it may be time to restock your SPF — and if you’re looking for a formula that can also combat signs of aging, look no further than Dune’s The Mineral Melt. Our junior writer Brenley Goertzen tested the skin-brightening product for our natural sunscreen guide and loved its velvety feel and how it blended into her skin without leaving behind any greasy or white residue. According to the brand, the product uses micro-dispersion technology, which is the reason it’s so sheer and fast absorbing despite containing both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (which often leave behind a strong white cast).
A powerful (and aesthetically pleasing) pepper grinder
The HexMill appears in our roundup of the best pepper mills, and though it’s on the pricier side, many experts we spoke to enthusiastically claim it’s worth it. Cookbook author Jake Cohen swears by the HexMill’s beautifully consistent performance: “The ease of the grind, the ability to change the coarseness — there is nothing I hate more than a pepper mill that obliterates peppercorns into something that is so ridiculously fine and powdery,” he says. “I need some texture.” Along with its premium grinding, there’s no doubt that the sleek, minimalist design will look nice on any counter.
Our favorite wearable breast pump (that outranked eight other models)
According to Strategist contributor Sara Gaynes Levy, over the past few years, classic horn-shaped breast pumps have faced new (more discreet) competitors known as wearables, which collect milk into a boob-shaped bra insert rather than a bottle. After putting nine devices to the test, Levy says the Willow Go is, hands down, her favorite wearable of the ones she tried (and it’s also our favorite wearable breast pump in our larger buying guide). The Willow Go is truly wireless, which allowed Levy to easily move around, plus it has comfortable suction, resulting in very consistent output, she says.
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.
