Welcome to a special Prime Day edition of Your Shopping Cart, wherein we break out the top ten things that you, our devoted Strategist readers, bought in droves. Think of this as the TL;DR of the Strategist (or, in this case, of the first day of the Holiday We Call Prime): If your like-minded brethren are buying these items, maybe you’d like them, too.
There was no single shopping strategy at play here. Some of our readers savvily stocked up for winter (the Orolay coat was the second-most-purchased item), while others seemed to use the holiday as an opportunity to pull the trigger on typically expensive personal care and household items (the Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser, currently 56 percent off, came in hot at number six, and the perennially popular Instant Pot, which is down to a mere $50, is at number seven). Most popular (sensibly, in this 90-plus-degree weather) were the half-off Skyn Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels. You’ll also find a painful-but-worth-it epilator, some sunscreen that our beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton strongly recommends, and, intriguingly, a cheapo pair of skinny jeans, from our megalist of the best Prime Day fashion deals.
Rio loves these patches for the plane, because they’re hydrating, cooling, and also grippier than any other eye mask she’s tried. “When you put them on,” she says, “they stay put.” We included them in our roundup of the best beauty products (from Strategist-approved brands) to buy on Prime Day.
When we first wrote about this coat in March of 2018, its price hovered just under $100. A surge of popularity (a bit of an understatement) brought that up to $140 this year. Now on Prime Day, it’s cheaper than it was before it blew up. Strategist readers had early access to this 40 percent off deal over the weekend, and it’s still on sale and (surprisingly) has not sold out.
You guys took Rio’s suggestion to invest in some Supergoop! Everyday Sunscreen to heart; it sold out before day one of the holiday came to a close. Luckily, there are some other great products from the brand on major sale, including this down-to-$24 mineral sunscreen mist and 30 percent off acai-infused lip balm.
Our marathon-running senior editor Karen Iorio Adelson decided to buy this deeply discounted Alta HR Fitbit because it is slimmer, and thus less embarrassing to wear, than her current Fitbit — the bulky Charge version. The Alta HR display, she says, gives you the same information as a larger Fitbit — the chief difference is you can stick this one discretely between a few stacked bracelets.
We rounded up all the best deals on clothing, shoes, and accessories that are, in our opinion, worth buying this Prime Day(s) — including some classic black Dansko clogs, and these, apparently very popular, Levi’s Womens Wedgie Skinny Jeans, which are down to $49.
We are not suprised to find this effective little device, which is beloved by the likes of Buzz Bissinger (“the flosser works and feels great, and after a lousy day of writing, provides me with a surprising feeling of accomplishment”) and Corky Pollan (“I always get this comment from my dentist that they love the condition of my gums, and I think it has a lot to do with the Waterpik”) in sixth place.
Writer Fiona Byrne praised this Braun Silk-épil epilator back in 2017 (“the smoothness, you guys, the smoothness! It feels like your legs have never even grown hair!”), which our readers clearly remembered. This version comes with a shaver head, and a “body and face trimmer for sensitive areas.” More importantly, it’s down to $100 right now.
We reached out to 12 men’s grooming and shaving experts (barbers, groomers, hairstylists, cosmetic retailers, and shaving-cream aficionados) back in May, to get their recommendations for the very best. And Italian brand Proraso, which is 30 percent off right now, was mentioned more than any other — and came in ninth here, on this Prime Day roundup. According to Russell Manley, owner of New York City’s Ludlow Blunt, the appeal of the stuff is its contents: “Glycerin — a key ingredient since the turn of the century in all shave creams — lactic acid, and menthol work in combination to open up the pores and raise the beard hair. This helps to ensure a close shave with lower likelihood of ingrown hairs.”
David Pogue rounded up 11 on-sale gadgets and other things that he likes that are, he says, “actually good deals — based on my years of professional deal-seeking expertise, plus some Google searches.” Number two on his list — and now number ten on ours — are these Sony Wireless Bluetooth Noise-Canceling Headphones, which he says are “supremely comfortable, wireless, and a big help on planes. And only $90!”
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.
