Strategist Circular: 10 Things We Loved Last Week

10 items in this article 4 items on sale!

10 items in this article 4 items on sale!

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 "intelligent" heated gloves, soothing foot rollers, and classic cabbage-shaped servingware.

Strategist contributing editor Jessica Silvester hates the winter but loves exercising outside — which is why she was the perfect guinea pig to try Eddie Bauer's AI-powered gloves for our newest installment of My Week With. The gloves come with "an app, Bluetooth connectivity, and adjustable temperature settings just like with other battery-powered gloves on the market," Silvester reports, but they are also equipped with proprietary "intelligent technology" that collects data and "responds to your environment and body temperature in real time in order to keep you at your ideal level of warmth." She wore them on a -7 degree day, and her hands remained "positively cozy," even if the battery did die a little sooner than she expected.

Alyson Stoner can't live without these Kind detergent sheets, which a friend first introduced them to. "The packaging is biodegradable, they use more natural ingredients with no additives, and I appreciated having an unscented option," Stoner told us, adding that they’re "just as effective as the other liquid detergents — my soft sweaters are still just as soft, and my cozy sweats are still just as cozy." Plus Stoner found that tossing in a sheet and pressing start was so much quicker than having to "unscrew this, pour in that, agitate it first. It just removed so many steps and made doing laundry more efficient."

Marimekko and IKEA have teamed up to create four exclusive new prints for a 25-piece collaboration, which includes bath towels, kimonos, water bottles, and more. We’re especially fond of this fun, punchy rhubarb leaf print covering the retailer's ubiquitous shopping bag that's perfect for hauling groceries, doing laundry, or moving. The collection will only be around for a limited time, so if you’re hoping to infuse your home with a Finnish sensibility at an IKEA price point, don't dillydally.

We surveyed a panel of cool people to bring you the best platters and serving bowls, and this iconic cabbage-shaped glaze- earthenware piece by Portuguese designer Bordallo Pinheiro was recommended to us over and over. Prop stylist Bea Chatska grew up with some in her mom's kitchen and now owns her own set: "They’re playful and formal at the same time," she says, "and kind of seasonless, too. They work well with an indoor set up and casual, summer, out-on-the-patio settings."

In our roundup of what Strategist writers and editors bought in February, deals editor Sam Daly mentioned this updated version of the Machi Koro board game after being unable to play the original at a board-game café "due to the … moldy nature of some of the pieces." In Machi Koro 2, you begin with five coins and must set about "creating a bustling metropolis of sushi bars, business centers, flower gardens, and more by rolling dice and drawing cards," Daly writes. "According to online reviews, this sequel has sturdier, more detailed playing cards, plastic coins instead of paper ones (yay for no mold!), and more streamlined game play."

Every month, we take an eagle-eyed view of how Strategist readers have been shopping, and in February this foot massager was a top-purchased product. This portable foot massager was included in our guide to the best Valentine's Day gifts for him (which was also our most-read article last month — we get it, guys are hard to shop for!) as an easy, hands-free tool to relieve pain and pressure. In fact, it was first recommended to us as a gift for doctors, since "we need some relaxation at the end of a full workday," says immunologist Lina Velikova. Plus it is "small and compact and will discreetly fit under a desk."

Dermstore's Beauty Refresh event is on now and runs through March 10, so for your convenience, we’ve gone ahead and singled out everything worth buying during the sale. One of your best bets is EltaMD's UV Clear sunscreen, which we’ve crowned the best overall facial sunscreen for its fragrance-free, noncomedogenic formula that feels lightweight and non-greasy on your skin. It also contains "lactic acid, which will gently exfoliate the skin and regulate sebum buildup," to keep breakouts at bay, says Dendy Engelman of Manhattan Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery.

Though it may seem like a far-off dream if you’re currently bundling up in scarves and coats, beach season will be here soon enough. To that end, we’ve rounded up a bunch of nice-looking, on-sale cover-ups so you can get a jump on your spring break packing. One is this guayabera, a Caribbean menswear staple with distinctive pleating. The style is Coming of Age designer Amanda Lurie's cover-up of choice — she's bought many new and secondhand ones over the years. (We also named it our best white beach shirt.)

Actor and comedian Marlon Wayons has "loved Jordans since I was a kid. I always told myself I’d work hard enough to afford a pair." Now, he's the proud owner of an extensive sneaker collection, but out of all of them, "the OG Jordan 1s in black and red — or bred — are my favorite shoes," he says. Even if he's feeling sick or tired during a show, he can just look down at the Jordans on his feet "and feel like I can be the best version of me. Like, Michael Jordan once scored 38 points with the flu against Utah; there are no excuses out there. I give it my all."

L’Appartment 4F co-owner Ashley Coiffard and her husband, Gautier, drained their wedding savings account to open their popular storefront in Brooklyn Heights, where people regularly line up for their croissants. Once the shop got going, the couple turned their attention to the big day, which included building their registry. "Everything we have is something that should be used and appreciated every day," Coiffard says, including these Weck mold jars that Coiffard initially lifted from a hotel in the south of France. "I took one and it was my precious Weck jar. And then I Googled it and I realized you can just buy them," Coiffard told us. "They’re so useful. I’m anti–Mason jar and I like these so much better." She uses hers to store fresh fruit, dry grains, and vegetables, as well as picnic snacks and pickling projects.

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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.