10 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Corn Strippers to Cotton Suits

What do fashion designerCynthia Rowleyand New York City council memberChi Osséhave in common? Their devotion to theSalomon XT-6, a sneaker they both cited in this week’s roundup of themost comfortable shoes, according to famous people. The pair is comfortable enough to deliver on Rowley’s “obsession” with getting her steps in, and versatile enough to fulfill Ossé’s need for a shoe he can bike in and wear with a suit seven days a week.

One of the many pros of summer is abundant sweet corn. One of the cons is figuring out an easy and efficient way to de-corn your cobs. Our senior kitchen and dining writerEmma Wartzman put two corn strippers head-to-head, and Chef’n’s Cob Stripper came out on top. Circular and just about the width of an average cob, the tool did all the work for Wartzman, leaving her with an “incredibly clean stripping” after she fed several cobs of various sizes through the device, only having to gently pull and twist down. “For $10, it’s a seasonal shortcut that is, I think, worth a small amount of space in your drawer.”

We just caught up withBrooke Shields, whom we lastspoke to in 2018. She shared her new list of favorite things, but one pick that hasn’t changed is PG Tips pyramid tea bags. She first discovered them while starring inChicagoon London’s West End, and they’re still her go-to today. No frills, smooth and strong, the bags come piled in a box without individual wrapping. Shields accidentally bulk ordered them in the non-pyramid version recently, but assured us her next purchase willdefinitely“be the little pyramids.”

The Wall Street Journalart editorAlexandra Citrin-Safadihas already purchased these sunglasses twice, as she told Ambar Pardilla for the most recent update of oursunglasses guide. Clocking in at under $100, this pair is sturdy enough to “withstand the weight of a laptop and multiple sketchbooks at the bottom of my bag,” Citrin-Safadi detailed, with lenses in the shade Smoke just sheer enough to comfortably sleuth in.

While on a recent trip, makeup artistLeanna McAlpinrealized she’d forgotten to pack blush and, in lieu of spending at least $30 on yet another tube from Sephora, decided to try something inexpensive. She picked up e.l.f.’s Camo Liquid Blush and has been a fan ever since. “I love how pigmented it is at that price point,” she says. “Most times, you won’t get that kind of pigment for something that cheap.”

In her most recent “Strategist Brain,” senior editor Hilary Reid detailed her ten-day honeymoon to Austria, where she was besotted with all things “old-world elegance,” including thesemini-dressersof marzipan chocolates, which she brought back home as gifts. Other old-world finds: glassware of all shapes and sizes, like an exquisite vase from Lobmeyr, and an everlastingglass flowerin her hotel room’s bathroom, which, spoiler, she purchased too.

Theinternetjust about broke when Graza, known for its squeeze bottles of oils, released a glass-bottle option for its Sizzle (high-smoke-point cooking) and Drizzle (finishing) oils this week, whichPardilla featured in her latest Don’t Dillydally roundup. The bottles are 100 percent opaque to protect oil quality and sold with a removable pop-up spout to make pouring and refilling a little easier.

’Tis the season to overpack, underpack, struggle to pack, or all of the above. Our travel writer,Katherine Gillespie, got a lookinto the inner workings (and checked bags) of nine Strategist staffers, chronicling their summer vacation packing must-haves, from comfortable footwear galore to a mini Magic Wand. These customizable toiletry bags were a must for updates coordinatorNajwa Jamal, who “took the prize for most elegant and organized Strategist suitcase.” She used them for skin care and makeup during her trip.

WriterGloria Dawsonfirst realized her dry-eye problem two decades ago, when they “started to feel like they’d been dabbed with cotton balls.” Following an appointment with heroptometrist, she began relying on over-the-counter artificial tears as part of her daily routine, applying, on average, about five times a day. In her recent “Strategist Investigates,” Dawson unpacked the so-called “dry-eye epidemic,” consulting fellow victims and eye experts to land on some solutions, like these preservative-free eye drops from Biotrue. They reduced her average use to once a day maximum, no burning or stinging to be found.