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 an upset! Two weeks after the crazy-popular Japanese exfoliator reclaimed its lead, a newcomer has snatched the top spot — congratulations to our new top seller, the slightly painful but incredibly worth it Braun Silk-épil, which saved one writer thousands in trips to the waxing salon. That knocks the Cure gel to second place, followed by last installment’s runner-up, the Shiseido facial razor (you guys sure like getting rid of hair). In fourth place is our fugly champ, the Charleston Monterey sandal, which, we should note, we’ve been spotting more and more in the wild, too. Rounding out the top five is another newcomer — Lucky founding editor Kim France’s absolute favorite mesh underwear, which she calls “so far and away the perfect underwear that I have a hard time understanding why anybody wears anything else.”
1. This Hair-Removal Device Has Saved Me Thousands of Dollars on Waxing
Writer Fiona Byrne introduced us to the exquisite pain of the Braun epilator, which you can run over your legs and bikini line to remove hair. Unlike a shaver, though, it plucks each individual hair out rather than cutting it. Her warning about the pain: “The enclosed leaflet does say it’s most painful the first time you use it, but that it gets subsequently less painful with frequency. I can verify that this is true.” The results, though, are worth it: “The smoothness, you guys, the smoothness! It feels like your legs have never even grown hair!”
2. My Friends Call Me “Babyface” Thanks to This Japanese Exfoliator
This has been a fan favorite since it debuted during Made in Japan week. Writer Jinnie Lee loves the Japanese exfoliator (which, legend has it, gets bought every 12 seconds in Japan) because rubbing it will cause the gel “to shed … much like the way pencil erasers leave those squiggly rubbings behind (it’s similar to a foot peel in that way).” It’s made her skin “softer, fresher, and even more youthful — never dried out or tight.”
3. The Best Facial-Hair Remover Is This Tiny Japanese Razor
Another cult Japanese product, these Shiseido facial razors have been a hit since the day we first featured them. 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.” Fun fact: The Real Housewives and Bachelor contestants swear by the technique, too.
4. These $100 Grandma Sandals Are More Comfortable Than Birkenstocks
Though these sandals first appeared during Feet Week, they were actually our inspiration for Fugly Week, too. You guys have really taken to these arty-ugly-cool sandals, so much so that Charleston Shoe Co. was nearly overwhelmed. Writer Merrell Hambleton elaborates: “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?”
5. What’s the Best Women’s Underwear?
These undergarments first came to our attention when we asked Lucky founding editor Kim France about the things she can’t live without, but they really gathered steam when we featured them in our round-up of best women’s underwear recently. France wears no other underwear because the On Gossamer mesh bikini is “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.”
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.
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