What Strategist Readers Are Buying: Unsexy Foot Cream and Jade Rollers

1. The Unsexy Foot Cream Dermatologists Swear By
For Feet Week, beauty editor and writer Hannah Morrill introduced us to a foot cream that moisturizes and exfoliates: “The best contender I’ve found for this job? CeraVe Renewing SA Cream, which itself was developed with dermatologists and contains both exfoliant salicylic acid (that’s what the SA stands for) and ammonium lactate in the first ten ingredients, meaning the concentrations are significant, not an afterthought.”

2. I Use This Jade Roller to Get Rid of Puffy Face
Writer Maria Tallarico uses this classic Chinese remedy “to help increase blood flow, with a few extra strokes on key areas such as the jawline and cheekbones.” She’s convinced us (and, evidently, plenty of you): “It really does work. After a late night or long flight, I’ll use a Korean sheet mask, lie on my bed, and carefully work the cool roller. My dark under-eye circles, which have laughed in the face of every fancy cream and facial thrust upon them, are relieved by the smooth, cool jade and repetitive motions. I swear, it’s even evened my skin tone and dampened wrinkles.”

3. These $100 Grandma Sandals Are More Comfortable Than Birkenstocks
Writer Merrell Hambleton filled us in on the latest so-weird-it’s-cool summer shoe: “The broad, elastic straps cover just enough of your feet to make them look trim and minimize any ‘side squish.’ Four of your five toes and just a hint of ‘toe cleavage’ (this is a terrible term, but trust me, it’s desirable) peek out at the front. Walk in them. Run in them. Never take a cab again in them — they really do feel like sneakers. You will get compliments on these shoes, and the compliments will be from well-dressed strangers. From time to time, you will see a particular type of arty, sophisticated young woman (usually in Greenpoint) wearing them, too. Did I mention they are $100?”

4. My Friends Call Me ‘Babyface’ Thanks to This Japanese Exfoliator
A runaway success since it debuted during Made in Japan week, Cure falls to a respectable number four this week. Writer Jinnie Lee introduced us to the joys of this Japanese facial exfoliator. The most satisfying part of using it, she says, is when “the gel will start to shed … much like the way pencil erasers leave those squiggly rubbings behind (it’s similar to a foot peel in that way).” Ever since using it, she says, her “skin has felt softer, fresher, and even more youthful — never dried out or tight.”

5. The Best Facial-Hair Remover Is This Tiny Japanese Razor
Rounding out the top five (it’s been on this list for a month now!) is the Shiseido facial razor. According to the Cut’s beauty editor, Kathleen Hou, “They’re small enough to fit under your chin, with enough of an edge to remove peach fuzz, yet not so sharp that they’ll nick you. And the fear that shaving your chin hair will make it grow back with a vengeance is unfounded. Japanese celebrity makeup artist Munemi Imai claims it’s been a long-held beauty secret in her country. ‘In Japan, we do shave our face,’ she says. ‘It brightens it up and makes it much easier to apply makeup.’ If Imai hasn’t convinced you, the Real Housewives and Bachelor contestants swear by the technique, too.”