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 a stand-mixer attachment for cookie baking, the Gap sweaters our team is buying in droves, and a design-y divider to make room for guests in small spaces.
More than 100 gift ideas from Amy Sedaris — including her solution for entering shoes-off homes
“Since we launched the Strategist,” writes New York deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff, “Amy Sedaris has always been one of our North Stars in terms of someone who embodies the obsessiveness, sense of humor, and exquisite taste that we’re always striving for.” So when Swerdloff noticed that Sedaris had been posting lots of gift recommendations on her Instagram, she knew she needed to hear more. What resulted was our epic list of more than 100 delightful gift recommendations from Sedaris, including these ballet slippers, which she owns in white, black, and pink “to wear when I go to people’s houses and take my shoes off.” (Banana lip balm and a miniature wing chair made the list, too.)
The cashmere dupe taking over Strategist staffers’ closets
Strategist junior writer Brenley Goertzen first learned about Gap’s new CashSoft material, which is “made to feel like traditional cashmere but is super-easy to care for thanks to its cotton-nylon blend,” while she was working on our guide to the best cardigans. In the months since, multiple editors have added the cashmere dupe to their closets. In fact, Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio owns three of these machine-washable crewneck sweaters. The best part, Trolio told Goertzen, is that compared to cashmere’s often $100-plus price tag, CashSoft is a relative steal and is often on sale.
A design-y divider for hosting overnight guests in small spaces
“I’m certainly not the first person, or the last, who doesn’t have a room that sits empty, just waiting for guests to arrive,” writes Strategist sleep writer Amelia Jerden. So, she spoke to a number of experts on hosting and interior design in small spaces to “find out how to be the best host possible in a home the size of a shoebox.” They turned up a few tips and tricks, including adding a screen for extra privacy. (“If you don’t want to come out of your bedroom and immediately look at your friend in a stage of undress, the screen is nice,” one expert says.) This design-y screen from Anthropologie would even look nice in apartments sans guests.
The New York–themed poster one editor is coveting
This week, Strategist newsletter editor Ashley Wolfgang gave us a peek inside her brain. On her mind are some affordable curtains, ideas for planning a Brooklyn wedding on a budget, and her long-standing desire to visit Poster House. “I might not be able to make a day of it until next year, but I haven’t stopped thinking about this poster of the Empire State Building across the seasons,” she told us.
A portable lamp that’s long-lasting and good-looking …
“I was Christmas shopping last December at the MoMA Design Store, and I was like, I need these fucking lamps,” says New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé, when we asked him about the things he can’t live without. Ossé bought two — in dusty red and sky blue — and says they’re “perfect if you want to take a shower without the lights on. They’re perfect if you need a bedside table lamp,” adding, “You feel like a Victorian child with a candle moving from one place to another with this lamp.”
… And our new Best in Class smart lightbulb
As for lightbulbs themselves, Strategist contributor Michael Zhao recommends swapping your old bulbs for smart ones, which “offer you the ability to control lights using your voice (with the aid of a smart speaker or your phone), to schedule them to turn on and off (for convenience, or to make it look like you’re home when you’re not), and to experiment with your home’s ambience in an easy, low-commitment way.” The smart bulb he declared the very best is an affordable option from WiZ that provides “all the color tunability and lighting performance of the higher-end Philips Hue line, at a fraction of the cost per bulb.”
The buildable (and beautifully packaged) concealer one writer swears by
Given how many products a Strategist beauty writer tries, it’s no surprise that they’re passionate about the basics they can rely on while they test blue mascaras and sparkly setting sprays galore. In the latest installment of The Strategist Beauty Brief, the writers shared their favorite tried-and-true concealers, including this one from Gucci with pretty packaging that prompted Ambar Pardilla to say, “You can’t tell me this isn’t the prettiest tube of concealer you’ve ever seen.” She admits that “$47 for a concealer is a lot,” but she’s not sorry about it. “It’s everything you want a concealer to be. It’s buildable and blendable, and it doesn’t make you look like you actually have concealer on at all,” she adds.
A travel writer’s secret to getting cozy in coach
You may have run out of time to stuff this airplane footrest in a frequent flyer’s stocking, but it would still make a marvelous post-holiday gift for anyone with travel plans in the new year. It comes recommended by Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths, who says, “I could simply never get comfy on a flight until I discovered this footrest that loops over the tray table.” Post-discovery, though, “I’m lights out on every journey,” she reports.
The ultimate stand-mixer attachment for holiday baking
Strategist kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman set out to find “all the cookie-baking gear you could ever possibly need,” whether you’re an occasional baker or a seasoned pro. Her list includes both the expected — a KitchenAid mixer, some good cookie sheets, a Silpat — and the unexpected, most notably the BeaterBlade. It comes recommended by baker and cookbook author Shauna Sever, who says, “when you’re really cruising through cookie recipes, having to stop and scrape down the bowl is a drag.” This stand-mixer attachment imitates a squeegee, so you’ll never have to scrape down the bowl again.
The comfy onesie that Chloe Bailey wears out and about
“When you really don’t want to put thought into your outfit, this is one of the things you just kind of slip on and head out,” says singer and producer Chloe Bailey of the onesie that she can’t live without. It’s complete with heart-shaped pockets that pair nicely with her go-to accessories for the cozy outfit: a cute little wedge and some shades. When she’s at home, she says, “It’s perfect for wintertime and cuddling and being cozy.”
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.
