8 Things That Delighted Us Last Week: Pink Hiking Pants and Olivia Tiedemann’s Tomato Paste

Among thebeauty Advent calendarswriterTembe Denton-Hurstpredicts will be the best this year is Anthropologie’s, a massively popular one that is quick to sell out long before Christmas. “This year’s is packed with Strategist-approved products including Verb Ghost Oil, Supergoop Play lotion, Vacation’s nice-smelling sunscreen oil, and Salt & Stone’s deodorant,” she writes. If you’re looking for something more affordable,Anthropologie also sells a 12-day version(with different products), which will be available to preorder next week.

WriterKatherine Gillespiehas been delighting in the Pacific Crest Trail journey of 22-year-old content creatorKamryn Renae, who is making a point of completing the hike in nearly entirely pink gear. It made Gillespie realize how manyoutdoor brand offerings now come in shades of magenta, coral, and baby pink.She rounded up 51 of the best pants, hats, tents, backpacks, and more that she found in those colors, including these “Barbie barrels” by Aerie (which are 30 percent off now).

Contributors and professional craftersAmanda KingloffandSuzy Altmantold us about the17 art supplies to keep aroundto encourage kids to spontaneously create art. At the top of their list are these scissors, perfect for older children and adults too. “Most scissors can make your hands cramp after five minutes of crafting, but these are so comfy to hold,” they said. “The ergonomic grips add ease as you transition smoothly from the delicate snipping of tiny paper-doll hands to more powerful cutting needed for cardboard boxes.”

For beauty writerKrista Bennett DeMaio, in-showerexfoliationhas always been a bit of a struggle. Scrubs that come in tubs tend to get watered down in her small shower. And she avoids shower puffs or loofahs that don’t fully dry because they tend to harbor bacteria.Cleanlogic’s line recently caught her attention. Color-fading tech built into its pads and cloths indicates when it’s time for a fresh replacement (at around 60 days of use). This cloth was one of her favorites: generously sized and perfect for reaching her back and other tricky spots. “The cloth itself feels a bit scratchy, but my skin was supersmooth after using it. I especially like to use this one before I get aspray tanto ensure I get all the dead skin off,” she says.

WriterDiksha Basuis a firm believer thatevery kitchen needs a masala dabba, a round metal two-tier container “meant to store your most-used spices; instead of getting out multiple individual containers, you open just use the large one to get what you need,” she says. You can pick and choose the spices you decant into the un-lidded smaller containers grouped on the bottom depending on what you cook most. For Basu, that’s a bevy of Indian spices. She keeps whole cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks on the top tray. The masala dabba has helped her become a more instinctual cook, relying more on her senses than on measuring spoons. Not having to rummage through a spice cabinet has also resulted in her cooking more frequently. And besides holding spices, you can easily use the masala dabba to organize buttons, pins, jewelry, and more.

On the heels of its last collaboration withMalbonless than a month ago, the Gap is back with a 37-piece collection with A.P.C. Senior writer Ambar Pardilla was pleasantly surprisedby most of the nine items she tried out. Among her recommendations is this “very Mary Quant” denim miniskirt: Not a bad deal “consideringA.P.C. women’s jeansstart at $340,” she says. It’s made ofnonstretch100 percent regenerative cotton, similar to most of A.P.C.’s rigid Japanese denim. And it’s one of few pieces still in stock.

Denton-Hurst first brought attention to Prequel’s gel cleanserlast fall, writing about its hydrating effects and that it generally left her skin happier. Just under a year later, senior writerDominique Parisodiscovered thatseven Strategist staffers were converts. Pariso has “never been more enamored with a cleanser before,” switching over shortly after hearing Denton-Hurst’s and Bennett DeMaio’s recommendations. It’s thoroughly cleansing without stripping skin, thanks to the 50 percent glycerin it contains. And it can be repurposed as a tween-friendly bodywash and irritation-free shaving gel.

Senior kitchen and dining writerEmma Wartzmanchatted with private chef and author ofEat (Like) the RichOlivia Tiedemannfor this week’s installment of “What I Can’t Cook Without.” Her pantry staples include this triple-concentrated tomato paste that she sneaks into everything, including ragus that need more depth. “A little goes a long way,” she says. “If you realize near the end of cooking a ragu that the dish needs more depth or acidity, you can cheat by squeezing in a bit of tomato paste at the end and bringing it back to a boil.”