Summer Jeans, New Black Honey, and 8 More Non–Prime Day Things You Might Have Missed
We write about hundreds of products each week. Here, in our version of the Sunday circular, we’ve plucked some of our recent favorites: expert-recommended essentials, life-changing stuff you didn’t know you needed, newly launched gizmos, and very good deals we uncovered while trawling through the vast online-shopping universe — including everything you missed during Prime Day, like Mel B’s favorite leopard-print blanket, the summer jeans we can’t stop wearing, and Clinique’s new Black Honey collection.
Clinique’s new Black Honey for eyes, cheeks, and nails
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It’s been 55 years since Clinique launched the iconic Black Honey lipstick, and this week the brand released three new products in the shade: nail polish, mascara, and eye shadow. Writer Tembe Denton-Hurst tried them all, along with the classic lipstick, and indeed, the lipstick still came out on top. The polish is a pretty dark plum, she says, though ultimately too warm-toned for her preferences. But the lipstick is just right. “The ultrasheer formula gives my lips a little color but isn’t at all overpowering,” Denton-Hurst says. “Instead, they look a little like if you gave my lips a subtle tan, rosier and more blushed. It’s very emollient, and instantly my lips felt moisturized and looked more hydrated.”
We’re all wearing summer jeans
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Even updates coordinator Najwa Jamal, a true denim devotee, typically puts her pile of 20 jeans away in favor of lighter bottoms come summer. But this year, she has happily spent many warmer days in a pair of “lightweight” jeans from DL1961. And she’s not alone: Several other Strategist staffers have added what we’re calling “summer jeans” to their closets. Jamal’s pair (which many readers inquired about after spotting them in her recent ballet-mule hunt) is made from a cotton-linen blend she calls “paper-thin and airy.” Denton-Hurst’s wide-leg Abercrombie & Fitch pair is also 13 percent linen and breezy enough for a tropical vacation to Antigua. See the other pairs staffers are wearing — plus a few more Jamal is eyeing — here.
Mel B’s fluffy leopard-print blanket
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Leopard print has never not been important to Mel B, dating back to the one-piece she wore for the Spice Girls’ first Brit Awards win — and subsequent performance — in 1997 (it’s currently on display at the Barbican in London). “I’m a big fan of leopard print,” she told senior writer Liza Corsillo. I’ve got leopard-print socks on right now, and I have a leopard-print blanket next to me. I usually have leopard-print nails. I have always said it goes with everything and never goes out of style.”
There’s a new cooling sleep system in town
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Orion Sleep System
Sleep writer Amelia Jerden has tested all the major temperature-regulating sleep systems. So when Orion Sleep, a newer competitor in the space, launched its own $2,000-plus cooling sleep system at the end of last year, she started testing it to see how it compares with all the others she’s tried. After sleeping on it for three months, Jerden says it’s a good alternative to more expensive systems like the Eight Sleep Pod, with effective heating and cooling settings that have kept her warm through spring chills and effectively cool without an AC: “For those who simply want effective temperature control with a sleek system at a slightly more affordable price, the Orion beats the Eight Sleep for me.”
The bag that made our travel writer break up with Baggu
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Ahead of her summer travel plans (which include a solo hiking trip through the European Alps and days in Basque country with friends), writer Kat Gillespie made the difficult decision to break up — with her Baggu crescent bag. “She had been a loyal, near-daily companion for five years, but I wanted to replace her with a lightweight and practical cross-body bag that doesn’t look too boring or dorky or basic,” Gillespie says. She considered several other nylon classics — Topologie’s bag was too bulky, and Klättermusen’s was too small — before landing on Montbell’s “silky little Ultralight Mono Shoulder Bag.” She says, “You can wear her cross-body or as a handbag, the strap is highly adjustable, and the fabric slouches without ever looking weirdly baggy or crinkly.” It’s big enough to fit a MacBook but can fold up into a pocket when not in use.
An SPF primer that layers seamlessly under makeup and has an unmatched glow
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In her two decades of being a beauty writer — and as someone who takes sun protection very seriously — Krista Bennett DeMaio has become something of a sunscreen connoisseur. She has tried just about every SPF formulation out there. “But finding one that layers seamlessly under my makeup is always tricky,” she says. “Too many pill or alter the color of my foundation.” So she was intrigued by Indie Lee’s SPF 50 primer, which promises to melt into the skin. She tried it and was very pleased with the results: It blended well, didn’t pill, and, most impressive, left her skin looking radiant and glowy. “My skin had a beautiful glow, almost as if I’d layered a luminizer under my makeup,” she says. “It gave my complexion that fresh, radiant look that usually takes an extra step to achieve.”
A season’s worth of on-sale sunscreen
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Speaking of sunscreen, a whole bunch of it is still on sale for Ulta’s Big Summer Beauty Sale. Bennett DeMaio went through all the deals and suggests starting by stocking up on this summer staple; many sunscreens are buy one, get one half off, and you can mix and match options from different brands. Among her picks is this weightless, hydrating, white-cast-free facial sunscreen from CeraVe, which is already affordable at $17 but even cheaper when you bundle and save.
A smart calendar for $150 off
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Another sale still running (until tonight): Walmart’s Deals & More savings event. Gillespie rounded up nearly 100 of the best deals from the sale across tech, home, clothing, and more. One of our readers’ most purchased items is this digital calendar that links with any calendar app and is nearly 40 percent off. Back-to-school isn’t too far away, after all.
The stuff we saved for our newsletter readers
Secret Strategist is giving away a USM Haller Side Table
This is big, guys — we’ve got one USM Haller side table to give away to a lucky Secret Strategist subscriber, and you get to pick from one of seven colors. The table (O118) is part of the modular-furniture system designed by Fritz Haller and Paul Schaerer in the 1960s, and its powder-coated-steel panels and chrome tubing are built to last. Enter the sweepstakes by entering your email address here.
Want more? Sign up for Secret Strategist here.
The Strategist’s daily newsletter shared a few of Mel B’s favorite things
Mel B’s favorite neutral is leopard print. “I’ve got leopard-print socks on right now, and I have a leopard-print blanket next to me. I usually have leopard-print nails,” she says. “I have always said it goes with everything and never goes out of style.” She also shared some Spice Girls lore: “I dressed myself for the ‘Say You’ll Be There’ and ‘Wannabe’ videos. The skort and leopard-print bustier top were mine. For the ‘Wannabe’ video, I treated myself to a pair of John Paul Gaultier trousers, but then I wore a £1.99 bright-green tank top.” Read about everything she can’t live without here.
Want more? Sign up for the Strategist’s daily newsletter here.
The Strategist Beauty Brief shared an ode to a summer-friendly body butter
When I first tested the Vaseline body butter a few months ago, I wasn’t super-impressed. I was trying it out as part of a bigger story for which I tested a bunch of different options. At the time, I said it wasn’t for me personally, citing its thin, quickly disappearing texture, but four months later, I am here to amend that statement. It’s actually great. Now that it’s warmer, the thin texture actually works in the body butter’s favor. It’s plenty moisturizing and leaves my skin glowy, which is great for this time of year now that my skin is on full display. I also like that I can add many layers of sunscreen without my skin looking greasy or feeling heavy, which wouldn’t be the case with the thicker, richer body butters in my stash. —Tembe Denton-Hurst, writer
Want more?Sign up for The Strategist Beauty Brief here.
The Strategist Kids’ Department shared its favorite new launches this week
In this week’s Strategist Kids’ Department, senior editor Jen Trolio rounded up some of this week’s best new releases. One highlight: “The Jellycat hits keep coming with the brand’s latest drop. Bretti Yeti, will you marry me? And summer just started, but Bartholomew Bear is killing me with his dashing fall hiking sweater and toasty sleeping bag. The very in-demand rainbow-scale Sky Dragon and frowny Timmy Turtle are also back in stock for the first time in a while.”
Want more? Sign up for The Strategist Kids’ Department here.
This week’s top saved items
It’s very easy to save products we’ve written about so you can refer back to them later or be notified when they go on sale. (Find a step-by-step here.) This week, readers were curious about the sauce spoon that changed Eddie Huang’s life, the best de-puffing under-eye patches contributor Katie Stone has ever tried, and plenty of sunscreen, hair care and K-beauty that was on sale for Prime Day.
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More From The Strategist
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- The Strategist Fall 100
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
