10 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Fish Flip-Flops to Banana Lip Balms

RuPaul’s Drag Race season-13 winner Symone is no stranger to the drugstore makeup aisle — stocking up on everything from Maybelline foundation and concealer to NYX lip gloss and setting spray — and so it’s only natural that she has some skin-care picks, too. Top of mind is this alcohol-free toner: “Some toners can kind of dry out your face,” she says. “This feels like I’m putting moisture back in. It’s the second thing I do.”

A trusty $20 Lodge skillet will get the job done, but Strategist senior kitchen and dining writer Emma Wartzman says it’s worth shelling out for a higher-end cast-iron skillet if you’d like to minimize the hassle of cleaning, maintaining, and reseasoning the surface. Her shortlist includes Yeti’s cast iron and this option from Field Company. After using it for a few months, Wartzman reports, “It’s apparent to me that the positive features — how smooth the surface is, and how easy it is to maintain — are the same as with the Yeti,” just for $45 less.

“I have several chore coats from the French company that has been making them for 200 years, and I think it will take the rest of my life to wear them in to where the Imogene and Willie ones kind of start out,” Andrew Zimmern told us. With deep pockets and a light canvas that feels like “your favorite cardigan,” the utility coat works just as well for running errands as it does for actually doing chores. And if he’s wearing some loafers and pants, he says, “I don’t feel bad walking into a Michelin-starred restaurant” with it, too.

Ahead of this month’s Coney Island Mermaid Parade, Strategist writer Dominique Pariso was hunting for a getup that would be comfortable enough to wear during a long day of standing in the sun while also feeling festively aquatic. And so: She bought a pair of Coddies. “I got a ton of compliments from the other revelers, and the clogs were actually quite easy to walk in,” she wrote in this month’s Strategist Haul. “Overall, I would say I got more than my money’s worth.”

“When I first started making matcha at home, I foolishly assumed I had no option but to buy the expensive stuff to produce café-level lattes,” writes Strategist contributor (and former Food & Wine drinks editor) Oset Babür-Winter. Don’t be like her, she says — instead, buy this single-origin matcha that’s affordable enough that it can be underwhisked or burnt while you’re learning. “Its smooth, nutty flavor plays especially nicely with oat or almond milk,” she adds.

Though Strategist writer Jordan McMahon’s current water bottle of choice is an Owala, he’s finding that it’s not a good fit for kickboxing: “Breaks between sets are quite short, and it’s a hassle to pull off a glove, grab my bottle, and drink enough water before the next set,” he says. And so this squeezable water bottle with a long straw and a cap you can yank off with your teeth is on his Strategist Brain. While it hasn’t arrived yet, he says, “I have high hopes that it’ll be the right fit.”

Butter yellow yields to banana yellow in this week’s installment of “Don’t Dillydally” — specifically in the form of this lip balm from Prada. Contrary to what the name implies, says Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths, “It won’t tint your lips Simpsons-yellow, instead leaving a brightening golden tint along with a fresh, juicy banana scent as it hydrates and restores the lip barrier — for up to 24 hours per application.”

“I’m on my phone and constantly texting, and my thumb literally hurts, which is not a great thing. I’m aware,” the host of SubwayTakes, Kareem Rahma, told us. With this in mind, he counts a thumb massager as one of the items that he can’t live without. “I kind of blast my thumbs with it, but particularly the right thumb, and it feels a lot better,” he says. “I think anyone who uses their phone should have one.”

“A good-looking table lamp can pull double duty as a decorative element while casting your space in a warm glow,” says Strategist writer Lauren Ro. And while many of the options in her guide to the lamp variety will run you a few hundred dollars, this option from Ikea gives off a vintage vibe for less than $100. “It’s made of an orange glass that gives off a glow-y aura that’s soft and extremely mood-setting,” she adds.

“When I’d sleep at my grandparents’ Florida apartment as a child, my grandma would check if I was awake on her way to get a midnight snack in her cotton nightgown,” writes Strategist contributor Hannah Resnick. In an attempt to re-create the chic look in her own life, Resnick embarked on a hunt for an old-fashioned, cozy, grandmother-esque nightgown that was cheeky, romantic, and delicate yet comfortable. This one, with its tie-together open sides, came up as a winner for its “delicate balance between modesty and sexiness.” “If you have naturally curly hair like me, I’d also recommend wearing your curls with this gown,” she adds.