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 our recommendation for the beef-tallow curious, Rachel Bilson–approved setting spray, and shoes we declared “the” Blundstone boot.
The “grounding sheets” one DJ swears by …
In the latest installment of our series “How I Sleep,” Strategist writer Kitty Guo heard from DJs Tamer Malki and Rami Abousabe about how they fall asleep after “playing late-night shows to enthusiastic ravers, often until the crack of dawn.” While they both rely on a slew of supplements to bolster their health, Malki takes his pre-bedtime routine a step further with these “grounding sheets” that connect to an outlet. “The frequency of the Earth resonates through it and helps you reset your ions and cells,” he says. “It keeps your heart healthy and your blood flowing better so you don’t get clots, and that’s important since I’m flying so much.”
… and an affordable sound machine that you can set and forget
“Ask enough sleep nerds about the best sound machines and two very different front-runners will emerge: the Dohm and the LectroFan,” says Strategist sleep writer Amelia Jerden. In an attempt to declare a veritable winner, Jerden heard cases from Strategist sleep-machine users about why theirs should be the very best. The verdict? It’s a draw! “Get the Dohm if you are picky about sound quality and want set-it-and-forget-it simplicity over all else,” reports Jerden. As for those who prefer choice and appearance, go for the LectroFan.
A new boat shoe from one of our favorite comfortable shoe brands
First, we were fans of Rothy’s mary janes, then its espadrilles, and now we’re very curious about the brand’s new boat shoes, which earned a spot in this week’s edition of “Don’t Dilldally.” Guo suggests packing the shoes, which come in navy blue, baby pink, and beige-y cream, if you’re planning a warm-weather getaway.
The most Blundstone of the Blundstones …
Strategist writers Katherine Gillespie and Jeremy Rellosa set out to answer the question “Where Are We at With Blundstones Right Now?” While the Strategist team owns an impressive array of styles from the brand, it was our consensus that the 550s are the Blundstone boot. Rellosa bought his first pair in 2016. “I thought that by now — nine years later — it would have lost its oomph and support, but my feet still feel happy in them after a day of walking around the city,” he says.
… and a Khaite-esque addition to our best ankle boots guide
Speaking of boots, this week, Strategist writer Ambar Pardilla added a few new pairs to our ankle boots guide, including this suede pair that comes recommended by Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid, who says the somewhat-square toe reminded her of a pair of boots from Khaite. The very reasonable $150 price tag was part of the appeal too: “As much as I’d like to be a lifetime-investment boot person, I inevitably destroy my shoes from doing a lot of walking,” Reid explains. “So it just made sense to me to buy some in this price range.”
The final step in Rachel Bilson’s makeup routine
Actress Rachel Bilson counts this setting spray as one of the things she can’t live without and relies on it to keep her makeup from coming off during events. “Because my skin is so dry, it really helps the foundation or powder or really any makeup stay on,” she told us. “It’s the final touch I always need.” (To further combat that dryness, she uses the Goop Genes All-in-One Nourishing Cream.)
A reflective wall sconce to illuminate dark corners
This week’s installment of “Strategist Brain” brought us into the mind of Strategist senior editor Crystal Martin, who says, “During these gray, short days of winter, my mind is taken up mostly by my home.” One specific home-related thing Martin is figuring out: how to fill a corner of her living room that’s “been taunting me with its emptiness,” she told us. This reflective brass wall sconce-slash-candleholder seems like a worthy solution — so much so that she might just get two.
A non-spillable, on-the-go mouthwash
If your dental hygiene slips when you’re on vacation, try this TSA-friendly mouthwash that just landed in our brand-new Best in Class guide to mouthwash. It is recommended by Dr. Sharon Huang, founder of dentistry practice Les Belles NYC, who says she loves the bits for their cavity-preventing ingredients and because they strengthen and restore enamel. To use, just “bite and swish in your mouth with some water,” says Strategist writer Arielle Avila.
A colorful canister for storing kitchen utensils
Strategist kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman is of the opinion that “what lives on your kitchen counter should be as good-looking as possible.” That translates to throwing your miscellaneous wooden spoons and spatulas into an actually nice-looking kitchen crock rather than a random vessel. While she selected crocks that fit a variety of aesthetics, from classic country to sculptural and bold, this playful canister from Dusen Dusen is especially appealing.
The Old Navy bodysuit turning heads at one writer’s Fort Greene Pilates class
“I’m just not into expensive workout clothes. I’m convinced it’s a biological predisposition,” writes Strategist contributor Erika Veurink. Instead, she goes for the simple, stretchy, and — crucially — very affordable items that would earn an approving nod from a sensible Midwestern grandmother. This bodysuit from Old Navy is one such item. “It’s made of 77 percent polyester and 23 percent spandex, which could colloquially translate to not-quite-butter soft but sturdy enough for machine washing and hanging dry,” Veurink says. “Mine is still in as good of shape as the day I ripped it out of its plastic shipping packaging.”
The body lotion that Alison Stewart uses instead of perfume
Journalist Alison Stewart told us that “wearing perfume got to be too much in the little WNYC studio.” So instead, she starts her workday by putting some of this subtly scented body lotion on her hands. She discovered it at C.O. Bigelow, and the lotion “smells like really expensive body powder from the ’40s — the kind they would put on with a big puff and puff it all over themselves,” she says.
An entry-level beef tallow
You don’t have to be full MAHA to have heard about beef tallow, the latest trendy animal by-product that’s entered the beauty world. Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst describes it as “essentially the stuff that runs off your steak” but has a “host of benefits, from reducing dark spots to helping with inflammation and wound healing.” Denton-Hurst was initially skeptical, but she tried out several options to see if it was worth the hype. As it turns out, it is. She recommends this all-natural one: “Yes, it’s a bit beefy, but if you’re looking to get the full benefits of tallow’s anti-inflammatory and skin-healing properties, that scent is part of the deal,” 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.
