Welcome back to Your Shopping Cart, wherein we break out the top five products that you, devoted Strategist readers, all bought in droves. Think of this as the tl;dr of the Strategist: If your like-minded brethren are buying these items, maybe you’d like to, too.
We have a new number one this week, as last installment’s number two takes the top spot. The pimple patches recommended by beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton overtake the snail-slime eye patches that ruled last time. Moving up to the third spot: the non-shampoo from Hairstory beloved by writer Molly Young, followed by a $16 Korean dupe serum for the very expensive SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic that zooms up from tenth place. Taking fifth place are Kim France’s favorite VPL-fighting underwear. And rounding out the top ten, an Instagram-famous old-lady face mask, a well-reviewed beard trimmer, a compliment-receiving silk shirt, the best side-sleeper pillow, and a top white T-shirt.
1. The Google Doc I Send to People Who Ask About My Skin (Last installment: 2)
These little suckers absorb all the sebum out of broken pimples and help create a protective shield as they continue to heal. Beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton calls them a staple in her list of post-pimple-popping essentials: “These Cosrx Pimple Patches are your very best friend. If I were only allowed to select one product to use in these emergency situations, pimple patches would no doubt be my girl. However, there are certain circumstances in which the pimple patches work better than others. At the risk of once again giving TMI, the product works best on ‘open wounds’ so that it can go in and suck all the oil and bacteria out of the blemish.”
2. The 14 Products I Use for My Chronic Raccoon Eyes (1)
Last installment’s champion falls to second place, but there are still lots of you buying these snail-slime eye patches. Says Viera-Newton: “This is my favorite under-eye product, and don’t make me tell you again why I love snail so much! Its regenerative properties not only work wonders on blemish scars, but also help with any kind of hyperpigmentation, including dark under-eye circles. It’s also super beneficial for helping with wrinkles and dryness.”
3. The Shampoo Replacement I Only Have to Use Once a Week (5)
The not-shampoo beloved by writer Molly Young jumps up two spots this week: “But the results are wild. My long hair air-dries perfectly, with no ‘squeaky’ texture. It is shiny and falls in loose waves, like it did when I was a kid. I don’t need to blow-dry it. My chronic flaky scalp (sorry!) is gone forever. I customarily wash my hair every three days. With New Wash, once a week. When friends remark that my hair looks nice, it’s fun to say, ‘I haven’t shampooed in six months.’ Which is technically accurate.”
This glow-producing Korean serum from our roundup of the best (lesser-known) Korean-beauty products on Amazon jumps six spots this week, thanks to this stellar review: “I have been an aesthetician for over 20 years and am also a beauty writer, so I get to try the latest ‘It’ products for free. I was excited about this one, so I paid full price and all opinions are my own. I am in love with the Seoul Ceuticals Day Glow Serum. Have you ever had a chance to try the $160-plus Vitamin C Ferulic Serum from SkinCeuticals? I did a couple of years back and it is a lovely product. It is also ridiculously overpriced, and I can tell you that this dupe from Seoul Ceuticals is nearly identical in texture and performance.”
5. What Is the Best Women’s Underwear? (4)
Dropping one spot but still going strong are these VPL-resistant underpants. Lucky founding editor Kim France first tipped us off to these bikini briefs when we interviewed her about her favorite things, and they became even more popular when we included her pick selection of best women’s underwear recommendations: “My underwear drawer is the most boring place in the world, because all I have are dozens of pairs of the same thing: On Gossamer’s Mesh Bikinis. It is so far and away the perfect underwear that I have a hard time understanding why anybody wears anything else: It’s superlight, highly breathable, and — most importantly — hugely VPL-resistant. Seriously, it’s as VPL-resistant as a thong, but without the annoyingness of a thong.”
6. I Tried the ‘Old-Lady’ Face Mask That’s Trending on Instagram (3)
Drew Barrymore loves Hanacure, and so does beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton. She reviewed the “old lady” mask last fall: “Compared to other masks in my regimen that typically target one issue, this mask covers quite a few bases: It’s good for calming blemishes, providing a plumpness that fills fine lines, and brightening dull spots. After four uses, I noticed an elasticity in my skin that I hadn’t seen before, though the brightening effect subsided after 24 hours.”
7. What’s the Best Beard Trimmer? (6)
Writer Kurt Soller tested a dozen beard trimmers and recommended this good-looking beard trimmer from Wahl for creating that perfect stubble: “I appreciated the incredibly sharp, pro-level blade; heavy stainless-steel body; and long-lasting battery (a four-hour charge) that this one offered. If you ignore any of its bonus features and beard guides — those plastic combs that come with most of these, and usually feel flimsy and useless — this tool is right for men who want an incredibly close shave without pulling out an electric foil razor or regular razor blade.”
8. People Always Ask Me, “Where Did You Get That?” When I Wear This Silk Shirt (new entry)
Writer and Who? Weekly podcaster Lindsey Weber told us about the Everlane silk shirt she loves so much, she bought four of them, and lots of you were moved by her endorsement: “You might think the shirt’s silky texture and boxy structure would just kind of hang, like much of the shapeless pieces that are in fashion right now. If you’re a person with a certain type of body (like I am) you know that shapeless doesn’t quite work for you. But the shirt somehow doesn’t just hang. So far, the shirt flatters all bodies I’ve seen it on — all sizes and all shapes — perhaps because of its uniform shape. (I don’t really get it, either.) The hem is perfect — slightly shorter in front and longer in back — for wearing without a tuck, though you could certainly do that, too.”
9. What’s the Best Pillow for Side Sleepers? (8)
Deputy editor Jason Chen consulted sleep experts and slept on more than a dozen pillows to find the best, most supportive side-sleeper version for the 70 percent of us who sleep on our sides. The winner — one that Chen was initially skeptical of — ended up being the least expensive: “Next to every other pillow I was meant to test, the Wamsutta Extra-Firm was the least ‘luxurious’: it was lightweight, its filling wasn’t down or cotton but — hm — polyester, and, well, it was the cheapest. But as soon as I rested my head on it, I understood. Unlike other pillows that mistake plushness or fluffiness for support, the WEF didn’t sink as soon as I rested my head. Instead, it had a firm, satisfying spring — it’s a different sensation, but one I took to right away.”
10. What’s the Best White T-shirt for Women? (7)
The Everlane V-neck T-shirt that we talked about in our guide to stylish women and their favorite white T-shirts continues to be a hit, even if it’s dropped a few spots this week. Says Elizabeth Rose, a server at Cafe Gitane: “I like the Everlane V-neck because of the company’s transparency. It’s an ethical issue — I like to know where the clothing is made. And I like this specific shirt because I wear a lot of necklaces, so the depth of this V shows them.”
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 women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
