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 strengthening oil that won’t weigh down fine hair, rocks glasses that feel satisfying to hold, and the under-$200 ball gown our writer has worn from Paris to picnics.
The laminator Jason Schwartzman pushes to its limit
Jason Schwartzman is an on-the-record Strategist stan, and as it turns out, he’s very particular about his stuff, making him an ideal celebrity shopping subject. When we spoke to him about his favorite things, he told us about his Blusmart laminator, which has a paper cutter attached to it. “Both my son and I love it. We’ll just sit around, make up a fake book, print it, then laminate it,” Schwartzman says, adding that he also tries to laminate three-dimensional items you’re not supposed to laminate. “I’d like to be able to laminate a rope, but I just don’t know how to do this. I’ll always be testing.”
The grab-and-go ball gown one writer wears to weddings, picnics, and vintage markets
Last spring, our writer Rachael Griffiths visited Paris for a weekend and wanted to pack extra light — meaning one dress would have to suffice. After ordering Amy Lynn’s puffball dress in a deep burgundy color, Griffiths immediately fell in love with the princess-shaped skirt, jersey bodice, and adjustable drop-waist. “I’ve worn it to picnics, a Booker International Prize event, a wedding, parties, days shopping on Brick Lane, on vacation, and of course to strut around Paris,” she says. Although it’s a little pricier than when she first bought it, Griffiths says it’s worth every dollar: It’s “so beautiful and versatile I’m seriously considering adding a second one to my collection.”
The AI-powered mattress pad that’s like a Snoo for adults
Our sleep writer Amelia Jerden started testing the Eight Sleep Pod 4 — a fancy hydropowered mattress cover — as part of a project to try various bed-cooling systems. What sets Eight Sleep apart is that its app is equipped with an AI called Autopilot to track your sleep via sensors in the mattress pad and make automatic adjustments to improve your rest. Another nice feature is the vibration alarm, which wakes you with physical vibrations. While the Eight Sleep is great for temperature-controlled sleep, Jerden says she could honestly give or take the Autopilot membership, especially since it costs $17 a month. “But if you were going to buy both a sleep tracker and a temperature-control system anyway, it would certainly be convenient to have them bundled into one,” she says.
A graphic T-shirt for Beetlejuice fans …
If you’ve been hunting for better graphic T-shirts, Chris Black suggested his favorite, non-corny picks in his latest column. Black says creating consistently cool graphic T-shirts is one of the hardest things for a brand to pull off, but Iconic Books gets the job done with this minimal and to-the-point tee. “Show your love for an iconic ’90s actress with a simple, typography-based graphic T-shirt,” he says.
[Editor’s note: Idea Books lists its prices in GBP; the USD price listed is an approximation.]
… And seltzers for spice lovers
Add a little bit of spice to your gift giving with our new guide for spice lovers. Chef and Strategist senior editor Kiki Aranita loves showing up for a dinner party with an interesting beverage like Aura Bora’s unusual and sometimes spicy seltzers — the lime cardamom is her favorite.
A pumpkin-spice broom (also known as PSB)
In a new installment of Strategist Brain, we heard from our fashion writer Ambar Pardilla, who’s on the hunt for a jacket and has her eye on the “playful and lovely” Weekend Max Mara. She’s also spotted the annual return of Wegmans’s cinnamon-and-orange brooms. “The smell reminds me of mulled wine and makes me want to gut out a pumpkin,” she says, adding that if you’re not near a Wegmans, At Home sells a pumpkin-spice-scented one online.
Our beauty writer’s go-to mineral SPF for brown skin
In case you missed last week’s edition of The Strategist Beauty Brief: Our writer Tembe Denton-Hurst reviewed a new deep-tinted version of EltaMD UV Clear designed specifically for darker-brown skin tones. After wearing the formula for a week straight, Denton-Hurst asked her editor Crystal Martin (who has a similar skin tone) to try the formula, too, and Martin was impressed by how well it blended in. Then, Crystal’s friend, who has a skin color similar to Jodie Turner-Smith’s, agreed to test the Deep tint to ensure the non-whitening claim was genuinely accurate. “Though a non-whitening mineral formula that works on dark skin is admittedly a big deal, I’m not yet convinced EltaMD Deep will replace my go-to sunscreen altogether,” Denton-Hurst writes, but for the first time ever, her holy grail Black Girl Sunscreen has some real competition.
A no-frills rocks glass with a solid weight to it
For her roundup of the best rocks glasses, Strategist contributor Emily Price spoke to nine world-class bartenders to get their recommendations for your home bar. Striking a balance between style and functionality is this no-frills Libbey rocks glass, which Brynn Smith, bar director at West Hollywood’s Bar Next Door, likes “because its elegant design enhances the visual appeal of my cocktails,” she says. “The weight and balance of Libbey glasses provide a satisfying feel in your hand, making it my go-to choice for a premium cocktail experience.” Smith also appreciates their durability and ability to handle frequent washing.
Hair oil suitable for all hair types
We’re fans of Verb’s hair-care products (and crowned the brand’s conditioner as our favorite of all time), so it’s no surprise that Ghost Oil is our top choice in our roundup of the best hair oils. It works for all hair types (without being too heavy for fine hair), is both sealing and moisturizing, and it’s very reasonably priced. It contains common hair oil ingredients such as moringa and argan oil and the less-common bamboo extract, known for its hair-strengthening properties.
Alexa Chung’s new Madewell collection
As seen in this week’s Don’t Dillydally, after 14 years, Alexa Chung is finally collaborating with Madewell again. Her new collection features sophisticated and streamlined looks, featuring mostly denim (pants, button-up shirts, skirts, and more) as well as several pieces in rich suede, like this A-line miniskirt.
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.
