Hand-Shaped Pillows, Chic Eggcups, and Other Recent Strategist Finds

No matter what luggage you have or where you’re traveling, you’ll shorten your prep time by using the Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Cube Set, which is beloved by Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie and many of the frequent fliers she interviewed to land on our top pick. It comes with three rectangular recycled-nylon pouches in three sizes (the largest is 14 inches long and ten inches wide; the smallest is 7.5 by 4.5 inches) to separate your tops, bottoms, and underwear. While some packing cubes Gillespie tested felt flimsy and plasticky, these proved to be lightweight, durable, and water resistant with strong zippers that withstood repeated over stuffing. (The bags even come with a lifetime warranty.) Militantly light packer Foster Kamer, a writer and editor, said the cubes have helped him condense his luggage and plan outfits in advance. He called the set an “absurdly cheap, high-yield investment.”

“I’ve played tennis since I was 9. When I saw Venus in the 1997 U.S. Open final, I said, I want to do that. I was actually ranked in Texas as a teen. Furi, a Black-owned company, sent me this racquet. I was like, Holy shit, this is amazing.”

“I like to wear these for working out and in the summer all over the city. It’s so nice not to wear a bra when it’s hot outside, and they give you full coverage. They’re so affordable and just the best.”

“I’ve upgraded from Epsom salts. These have a higher penetration. Living with my partner, Harrison Ball, an ex–principal dancer at New York City Ballet, I learn all the tricks to body recovery. I sometimes add a drop of sandalwood or patchouli oil.”

I have been ogling Haus of Hands’ incredible couch-length “hands and arms” sculpture-pillows for years but have never been able to justify a purchase. Now the brand is making throw pillows of a single hand, and it briefly offered a rare discount that the Instagram algorithm allowed me to see before it expired. I became the proud owner of this green velvet number with a bright-red manicure and sparkly gold ring. It’s the perfect pop of What? I keep it on a swivel armchair in my office, but I think it would fit anywhere a throw pillow belongs. –Jen Trolio

[Editor’s note: The exact pillow Jen got is currently sold out, but is available in blue and an olive green color.]

In the morning, I try to use products with no acids. This toner contains a resinlike substance made by bees; it’s lightweight and deeply moisturizing and has antibacterial benefits.

This is my go-to sunscreen. It’s hydrating without being too greasy when used with my Sofie Pavitt Face moisturizer, and it never pills underneath tinted moisturizer.

This balm feels sorbetlike, and it does a good job of removing makeup—my face towels are always spotless—but never leaves my skin feeling stripped or dry.

Azelaic acid is the only thing that has smoothed out my irritating textural bumps. I use this about three times a week to prevent closed comedones from forming.

This thick cream delivers an enormous surge of moisture to your skin instantaneously. It’s a cocktail of fatty acids, squalane, and jojoba and argan oils.

This is a lesser-known, much cooler Birkenstock option. The Zürich went away for a few years but is now back with that same classic cork footbed and two-buckle closure.

I have the shoe version of these: They are breathable and very easy to get on and off, and they come in several colors like cashmere blue, light jade, and almond white.

The most comfortable option. The look is unassuming and inoffensive with no holes for Jibbitz. They’re easy to clean and not as ubiquitous as Bostons or Crocs.

These are beefed up but similar to Charvet’s beloved slipper for shuffling around the house. The brand uses supple leather and a rubber sole to make them street legal.

You might have already consumed some sea moss without realizing it. Like seaweed, it’s a natural source of carrageenan, a common thickening agent in dairy products and plant-based milks. It’s also available in capsules or raw (though one of my experts says the latter tastes disgusting). “It’s a good source of fiber, which helps to keep you full for a long time,” says registered dietitian Bree Phillips. It also contains prebiotic fiber (which feeds healthy gut bacteria) and iodine. However, Phillips and Gabriella Nowicki, another registered dietitian, stress that you can get these benefits from other foods—fruits and vegetables have fiber, and iodized salt and seafood contain iodine, making it unnecessary to buy expensive sea-moss supplements. However, if you’ve already made the purchase, rest assured that sea moss is usually safe to consume. Just make sure that what you’re buying (and where you’re buying it from) is reputable—sea moss is a supplement, which means it isn’t FDA regulated.