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 stylist-recommended silk handbag that can fit a surprising amount, the celebrity beauty brand you shouldn’t sleep on, and a SMEG x Dolce & Gabbana toaster.
A nut-milk maker for lazy people
If you’ve tried making nut milk at home and found it to be a bit of a production, contributor Caroline Goldfarb — a self-described “modern, lazy woman looking for solutions” — suggests you try Almond Cow. It’s the nut-milk maker she’s been using since 2019, and it couldn’t be easier: Just pour water into the machine’s base, add your ingredients to the filter basket, press the tiny button, and “out comes the creamiest, freshest, most unbelievably delicious nut milk of your life.”
The balm stick that keeps Bianca Del Rio’s face dewy
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio’s get-ready routine involves shaving, exfoliating, and applying makeup — which can leave her skin a little dry in the process. That’s why she can’t live without this charmingly large twist-up stick of Aquaphor, which she calls her “new favorite version” of the classic ointment. (And note: If you’re in Australia, Del Rio suggests Pawpaw as an alternative, which she says Madonna uses.)
Lorde’s (non-Stanley) water bottle
While scrolling through Instagram, our senior editor, Ailbhe Malone, spotted a giant multicolored water bottle dangling from Lorde’s fingertips — and knew we had to investigate. As it turns out, it was the titanium aurora bottle by Snow Peak. At $170, it’s quite expensive for a water bottle, so we consulted with our writer (and resident water-bottle correspondent) Emma Wartzman about why it might cost so much. “I think the price really comes down to the material,” she told us. “It’s a mere 5.2 ounces when empty — this might be why Lorde can dangle it so easily.”
Ellen Van Dusen’s secret to turning her dark-brown hair blonde (without a trip to the salon)
Dusen Dusen founder and designer Ellen Van Dusen professionally dyed her hair exactly once (cost: $450) before turning to Sun-In (cost: $12). Nine years later, she hasn’t looked back. Van Dusen told us that her once-dark-brown hair now has a base layer that’s dark blonde, and the top layer is a mix of highlights and lowlights. “People I don’t know often compliment me on my hair color, and I take no greater pleasure in life than telling them it’s Sun-In,” she says.
The bag that one stylist has brought everywhere for a decade
Fashion stylist Becky Malinsky told us about this surprisingly versatile bag by Weekend Max Mara which, despite its petite size, somehow manages to hold “a mighty amount of on-the-go necessities.” Called the Pasticcino, the bag has a “granny-framed shape” that Malinsky loves because it looks like it’s from another era — and won’t appear dated next season.
The lip liner that makes one writer “a little emotional”
In last week’s edition of The Strategist Beauty Brief, our writer Tembe Denton-Hurst reviewed the one celebrity beauty brand she says is slept on: Victoria Beckham Beauty. After trying the lip liner in shade No. 5 she became an instant “VBB acolyte.” “The first time I applied it, I was stunned by the close color match and felt a little emotional about how seen I felt,” Denton-Hurst says.
A personalized ring embedded with a secret message
We were introduced to acrostic jewelry: a tradition that goes back as far as Marie Antoinette and uses a pattern of gemstones to spell out secret messages. Jewelry influencer Erin Paparozzi is a fan and recommends the brand Local Eclectic for high-quality (yet still affordable) rings. This one spells out P-I-Z-Z-A with the following stones: peridot, iolite, zircon, zircon, amethyst. (Cough, cough, Valentine’s Day is next week.)
The SMEG toaster that’s very Amalfi Coast
In our latest installment of Don’t Dillydally, we featured SMEG’s collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana, which includes some highly covetable maximalist appliances. We think the blue-and-white pattern of this toaster will (mentally) transport you to the Italian coast — and as our writer Kat Gillespie notes, “$700 is still cheaper than a return flight to Positano.”
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.
