12 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: From Lug-Sole Loafers to Water Jugs

“I’m becoming increasingly aware of themicroplasticsmaking their way into our bodies,” says Strategist senior writer Emma Wartzman. (Same.) To start ridding her kitchen of plastic, she swapped her old cutting board, the Material Kitchen reBoard, for the brand’snew plant-based version. So far, she’s a fan. “The surface looks and feels strikingly similar to the reBoard,” Wartzman writes. “It’s not so hard that it feels like I’m damaging myknives. And its subtle texture — one of my favorite features of the original as it creates friction to help with steady, controlled cutting — remains.”

Once a “functional and unsexy cream at the back of the medicine cabinet,” retinol is now in everything frombodywashestolip balmsandhand creams, reports Strategist writer Tembe Denton-Hurst. So she wondered,Is there a point where retinol gets to be too much?As it turns out, how much is too much depends on how often you use retinol and the strength of its concentration. If you’re trying to figure out your own retinol routine — specifically, how to add in a body retinol — Denton-Hurst’s advice is to start slowly. “Since it washes off in the shower, the ingredients have less time to interact with the skin barrier, which minimizes the chance of irritation,” she says.

Strategist contributor Katie Stone estimates that she wears loafers — specifically those with lug soles — approximately 250 days a year. “That said, the right lug-sole loafer is not so easy to come by,” she writes. “Some are too tight; others cause unbearable blisters. Some are far too chunky, others not chunky enough.” So she set out on her latestStrategist Hunt for “a pair of lug-sole loafers that is equal parts chic and comfortable.” After trying pairs from Madewell, Quince, and Reformation, she landed on this pair from Tory Burch. “I forget I’m wearing shoes as I’m walking in these, which to me signals peak comfort,” she says.

Inher “Strategist Brain” debut, deals writer Alexandra Polk shares, “In an attempt to buy a 64-ounce water bottle for sipping on at home, I accidentally purchased a 128-ounce, newborn-baby-size waterjug.” After getting over her initial embarrassment at having a water bottle that requires two hands to carry, she came to love the jug: “I refill it every other day and now have an always chilled, seemingly endless supply of water at the ready without having to go to the faucet twice a day.”

When shopping for flashlights, veteran product designer Kiran K. Malladi keeps one question in mind: “How quickly can I have it in my hand, shining light on stuff?” As it turns out, the one that answers this question best is this simplebattery-powered, button-operated flashlighthe has now attached to every set of keys he owns. “As a product designer myself, I don’t look at this thing and think I can make it better,” he says. “That’s exceedingly rare.”

Lymphatic drainage has been around for a while, but when Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen heard aboutlymphatic-drainageleggings, she thought “…Huh?” She decided to put the leggings — which use embedded silicone beads and compression to massage the skin — to the test, wearing them every day for a week while working out, walking her dog, and finishingIntermezzo. At the end of the week, she says, “The jury is still out on whether the silicone beads actually helped my lymphatic system flow more effectively.” Still, she found them useful for post-workout recovery: “The compression was effective enough that I will continue to wear the leggings and bra for running and hot-yoga classes and in my regular daily life.”

Strategist tech writer Jordan McMahon says he has tried “everything short of hypnosis” to avoid getting sucked into a content black hole at the end of the day. But not until he tried the minimalistLight Phone IIIwas he able to cut his daily screen time from an average of five hours to three. “Designed to offer the most functionality it can without creating any of the distractions that keep us glued to our smartphones,” he says, this phone has the essentials — such as phone, calendar, and alarm apps — but shuts out pretty much everything that could prompt a doomscroll.

As one of our beauty writers, Kitty Guo says she has tried everything from micellar water to wipes to cleansing oils “to cut through layers of SPF, foundation, and mascara.” She always goes back tocleansing balms, which she finds more gentle and soothing than the other methods. In typical Strategist fashion, she embarked on a hunt for the very best cleansing balm and turned up a few winners, including this versatile one from Banila that meets all of her criteria: “a pleasant, non-overpowering fragrance; a hydrating but not overly greasy texture; and a just-right price point.”

With alfresco dining finally on the table, Wartzman set out to find some newoutdoor tableware recommendationsfor the coming months. Her search turned up enamelware fromCrow Canyon HomeandToastalong with a whole crop of picnic-friendly essentials like these nice-looking compostable bamboo plates. They come recommended by author, forager, and cookMarie Viljoen, who organizes guided foraging walks that end with meals on these plates.

This week’s installment of “Don’t Dillydally”saw the launch of a new UGG that’s even smaller than the Ultra Minis we declaredthe best UGG heightearlier this year. “Are these even shorter ones better?” asks Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie. “They’re certainly more appropriate for the warmer weather that’s coming.”

This week, a reader wrote in to Chris Black asking forhis favorite tennis clothes that aren’t “the generic Wimbledon white.”As it turns out, Black believes, “Wearing all white to play tennis is one of those things I love in theory, but then in practice it becomes cumbersome.” He recommends going for a pop of color with this kelly-green polo Jannik Sinner wore during the French Open. “It won’t make you play like him, but maybe it will put you in a winner’s mind-set,” Black adds.

As a father of two,Andy Cohenhas many thoughts on toddler essentials, including aplay kitchen, ascooter, and this stroller that collapses into a car seat. He says it comes in handy while traveling, in particular, because “you can get off the plane and just press a button and it turns into a stroller — it’s really a lifesaver.” And like any good parent and friend, he doesn’t gate-keep. “I’ve given it to so many people,” he says.