What Strategist Readers are Buying: Metallic Birkenstocks and K-Beauty Sunscreen

Thesevery affordable sandals(that have been mistaken for Margiela or Demeulemeester) are this week’s runaway hit. Only days after writer Fiorella Valdesolo shared her incredible Amazon find, they quickly became the top-selling item among our readers, with several colors and sizes quickly going out of stock. Valdesolo calls them “the ideal New York summer shoe,” because they’re “deeply comfortable [and] able to securely carry me on the spontaneous flights of fancy that tend to happen more in the summer and so often require solid walking support.”

Another newcomer making a strong debut, thismoisturizing serumcomes from Amazon’s new skin-care line and, according to Rio, is even better than a much pricier version from Drunk Elephant. Rio says, “as soon as I applied this serum, my skin looked and felt plumper and more moisturized instantly … I’ve never seen a hyaluronic acid serum show its powers quite as fast as this lovely, two-ounce, $35 serum does.”

For under $10, this USB lightning cable (an Amazon favorite) is worth keeping in your bag for emergency charging situations. Onereviewerraves, “I’ve ordered endless cables and they all work great for a week and then die. I decided to try this one since it had the lifetime warranty, and I’m so glad I did. It’s excellent and pretty much just like the Apple USB. It charges my phone in the car super fast and even faster via wall charger.” And since it’s rose gold, you’ll always know which one’s yours in a sea of white cords.

If, like writer Alison Freer, you love taking baths but are stuck with a tub that won’t get full, you’ll probably love thisdrain coverthat she calls “a giant suction cup with a hole at the top that fits over your existing overflow drain, allowing you to trick your tub into filling itself deeper.” This new-to-us product lands in fourth place, probably thanks to Freer’s very enthusiastic recommendation: “My bath water now covers my arms and shoulders completely, making my tiny, extremely old bathroom as close to a spa as it will ever be.”

Rio also recently introduced us to thisK-beauty sunscreenthat’s packed with all-star ingredients like soothing centella asiatica, brightening niacinamide, and moisturizing hyaluronic acid. “The Purito,” she writes, “almost immediately improved the texture, radiance, and moisture levels of my skin for the better.” And with “the highest possible protectant level against UV rays,” the SPF 50 sunscreen is a smart pick with summer coming up.

Making its 13th appearance on the list, this very elegant-lookinglubeis a certified Strategist reader favorite. We first learned about it from Samantha Bard, co-owner of the sex-positive shopShagin Williamsburg, who says it’s “one of the highest-quality silicone lubes out there.” Emily Morse, doctor of human sexuality and host ofSex With Emilyon SiriusXM, is impressed that it has only two ingredients: “pure silicone with a trace of Vitamin E.”

We’ve dubbed thisnatural deodorantthe “Unofficial Deodorant of the Strategist Team,” as it’s a favorite of Strategist editorAlexis Swerdloffand senior editorSimone Kitchens. We were tipped off byAubrey Plaza, who heard about it fromJudy Greer, and now our readers are following suit. How does it work? Onedermatologistexplains: “The vegetable glycerin can help to absorb excess moisture, minimizing the feeling of wetness, and aloe can have a cooling effect on the skin, which can help to reduce the feeling of heat buildup that can occur with sweating.”

Back in November, after Strategist managing editor Maxine Builder raved about how efficiently thisdrill brushattachment cleaned her bathroom tiles (“The drill did all the hard work, scrubbing faster and harder than I ever could by hand, and the results were noticeable even after the first pass”), it immediately hit our best-seller list. Now with spring cleaning in full spring, it makes a comeback.

Former Grub Street senior editor Sierra Tishgart (and co-founder ofGreat Jones) sang the praises of these comfy yet flatteringsweatpantsback in 2016, writing, “the slim fit, drawstring waist, and tapered ankle makes the sweatpants look sleek and tailored, and not bulky in the slightest.” We checked in on her again three years later and she reports, “I wear these sweatpants more than ever … They’ve remained as soft as the day I purchased them.”

Lots of you leapt on this recentdeal of the day: a pair of “just-kooky-enough”metallic Birkenstocksthat we think are unique enough to stand out in a crowd of similar sandals but “without being too insane.” And since they’re still 40 percent off, you have time to order a pair before summer starts.