The Strategist Haul: What the Editors Bought in March

I’ve usedNeutrogena Hydro Boostas amoisturizerfor years, but recently it just hasn’t been feeling as great as it once did (no idea why, if I’m being honest). In an effort to change it up with something equally affordable, I bought theRio-recommendedCosrx cream. I’ve been using it this whole month andlove itso far. I don’t actually have acne-prone skin (which is the skin type Rio specifically suggested it for), but I find it so hydrating and gentle. Definitely re-upping after my jar is done.

I’m getting married this year, and at the end of this month, my fiancé and I are taking engagement photos. I wanted to find a dress to wear for the pics that I could realistically rewear. This floral maxisundressfrom Dynasty George fit the romantic, cottagecore aesthetic I was searching for perfectly — and I love even more that it’s ethically made with deadstock cotton fabric. It fits so comfortably, and I can’t wait to wear it for the photos and into the rest of spring and summer. Best of all, I got it on sale.

Acidity is like catnip for me, so when I saw this salad dressing while browsing the shelves at Publix, I knew I had to try it. This brand is marketing itself as a gut-health product, which I can’t speak to — and honestly doesn’t even matter to me. Whether this dressing is healthy or not, it’s downright delicious. Sweet, tangy, with a hint of spice, and, of course, acidic, it delivers on all the flavor I want from my salad.

I’ve got a trip to Italy coming up and have no clue where my former universal adapter from 2016 is, so I bought this one from ourStrategist Travel 100. I only need it to charge two phones, no hair tools or higher-voltage items, so it should do the trick.

Also in preparation for Italy, I became consumed by the world of shoes. I am not taking a leisurely trip. I expect to walk no fewer than ten miles a day, so my priority is comfort (I’m playing the long game in life and want good knees and ankles when I’m older), but I’d also like a not-ugly shoe. I ordered these to see if they’d fit the bill. So far they’ve been pretty comfortable for hourslong walks in New York, and I like the way they look with most of my clothes. I’m not yet positive they’ll be one of the two pairs I pack. That will probably be a game-time decision based on the weather and my anxiety levels. But it’s looking likely, and regardless, I like them for my New York City wanderings.

I’d never tried packing cubes before, but our travel writer Rachel Griffiths’slatest reviewfinally convinced me to buy some by Calpak. I’ve now used them on two trips and was amazed by how much I can pack inside (six dresses in one pack, seven shirts in the other) and how much room they saved in mycarry-on bag. I wonder how much more I could pack into the even larger sizes.

I added this tech organizer to my order because it was on sale and I just simply have too many cords, but I was pleased by how many chargers, cords, and battery packs I was able to squeeze inside. I highly recommend it!

My mom is French, so I was raised to be a butter snob, with a butter addiction to match. When I came across this butter-shaped rug in a PR email full of butter-themed items, I knew I needed to have it. Though the rug was sold out for a few weeks, I bought it as soon as the site restocked it. It’s very small, which I accounted for when I bought it, so it makes the perfect accent rug and a great conversation starter. I’m in love.

I recently got over my irrational suspicion of Apple Pay and no longer need to keep all of my cards attached to my phone case for easy access when paying for the subway. Accordingly, I usedMadewell’s Insider Event Saleas an excuse to purchase myself a real wallet. I chose the brown option, whichMadewelldubbed warm cinnamon. Along with having enough space to hold all my cards and cash, the wallet matches my everyday leather backpack, which is also from Madewell.

AnEverlanesale means I have to stock up on the bestT-shirt. It’s perfect, from the face-framing crewneck down to the cropped-but-not-too-cropped hem. I have it in almost every color now — the new additions this time around are navy, red currant, and dark sea. The sale might be over, but you still get a deal: three for $60 (at $30 each regularly, one is basically free).

When Sambas started to blow up last year, I thought I’d be smart and get a pair of secondhand Gazelles instead. They look almost identical, and there were pairs for as little at $10 on Vinted. But in a recent thunderstorm, I had to admit that my battered Gazelles were past it — and that it was time to give in to the Samba. I wanted a pair of stylish everyday shoes (which translates to: suitable for the office but also for brunch), so I settled on this classic colorway. Perhaps opting for suede over leather was brave in rainy England, but they do feel a bit more sophisticated — and spring has arrived! Stay tuned next month to see if I also splash out on theAdidas SL 72, which very nearly beat the Sambas into my basket.

I cannot emphasize enough how real-looking thesefake flowersare. I was sent them by the brand and didn’t expect to be so enamored of them. The key here is to rough them up when they come out of the packet — bend some stems and make the petals look blousy. I love the arrangement so much that I carry it from room to room, preening over where it looks best.

[Editor’s note: Malone has theMaddy Maxi Bunch,but it’s currently sold out, so we’ve linked to another option.]

I purged thecable drawerin my kitchen and reassigned each cable category to one of these pouches. Bliss!

Over the past few months, I have been looking for a non-petroleum-based baby ointment to replace the Aquaphor I was using during diaper changes. Aquaphor was doing its job well as a moisture barrier on my son’s skin, but it’s not particularly ecofriendly. I was already testing a few different brands of all-natural baby ointment that were luxurious and absorbed well but expensive for the small amount you get. Then I did a deep dive on Amazon and came up with this one, which has a ton of positive reviews and comes in a ten-ounce tub for under $20. I’ve been using it for about a month now as a diaper balm and for other skin irritations like teething rash and little scrapes from sharp baby fingernails. I like that it’s made with coconut oil, jojoba oil, and vitamin E, so it smells good and is nourishing in addition to creating a good barrier.

March 23 was my birthday and it rained all day in New York City. But I dragged myself and my bestie, Margot, to the Consistency Project to try on pants — a risky move! I was measured and asked about my dream jeans and then given a bunch of options to try on. I ended up buying a mint pair of Levi’s 550s with trouserish straight legs and a custom hem included in the price. And I left very, very happy. Not only did I have a wonderfully affirming experience where everyone was nice to each other and all the butts were cute, but I also bought a cool vintage blazer and later found an NYC subway token in the pocket. Magic!

I get a lot of little pimples on my forehead if I don’timmediatelyshower after hitting the gym. Recently, I’ve been hearing some chatter online about how spritzing on an antibacterial hypochlorous-acid mist post-workout — likeTower 28’s SOS Spray— can help prevent clogged pores and breakouts. Slightly skeptical but intrigued, I purchased this $12 version first, since it’s much cheaper and has the same ingredients as the hypedSOS Spray. As a self-proclaimed mist snob, I must start off by saying that this has a very nice nozzle — the mist is powerful enough to feel like you’re actually getting product on your face, but not so strong that you feel like you just shot yourself in the eye with a water gun. And the scent is non-offensive — it just vaguely smells like a chlorine pool. After a few weeks of use, I do feel like fewer whiteheads have cropped up, but I’m more excited to put it to the test during summertime when I’m out and about and feeling suspiciously sweaty. (Or, as a saline treatment the next time I get a piercing.) Plus, it’s nice to have a little cooling treat post-workout!

You may be surprised to find out that Réalisation Par has salesalot. When I saw this tee was doubly discounted (since it was already in the sale section), I immediately nabbed it. It’s so soft and the perfect length: technically cropped but doesn’t expose too much tummy.

A reader commented on my story aboutbuying slightly too-big shoes on Cettireand said that I needed to get some lambswool, so I did. (Shout-out @politichick!) I’d never heard of it before, but apparently ballerinas use it for cushioning in their pointe shoes. It turned out to be the perfect solution. It took a couple of wears to figure out the right amount of wool to use, but all you do is stuff a little bit in the toe box of each shoe for a snugger fit. They’re better than heel pads, which never actually prevented my heels from slipping out. The only thing is that the wool sticks to your socks when you take your shoes off, but I get a kick out of seeing my snowcapped toes each time.

My friend Inyoung was wearing the cutest outfit the other day and I had to cop it. She paired this Alex Mill vest (in brown, now sold out) with a lace Dôen shirt (plusblack B Side jeans) and it was just so lovely without being too precious. I am still playing around with the right combination but imagine it will be my uniform all spring. (It’s sold out at Alex Mill, but I found it at Goop, of all places.)

A few of my larger plants had gotten root-bound and scraggly due to months (years?) of neglect, so I took advantage of a recent move and reorganization and the newfound motivation that came with those transitions to repot the saddest-looking ones. I’d gotten and liked the ten-inch version of this pot before (I like how porous terra-cotta is as well as its rustic nature), so I sized up.

Part of the aforementioned reorg involved my closet, and I finally got rid of the motley collection of hangers that took up too much space and looked a mess in all their motley-ness, replacing them with Container Store slim shirt hangers and these, which I like better than a similar, more expensive German version I tried too. I liked these so much, I got a second 20-pack.

An unexpected discovery this month: The Muji in Hudson Yards is the best one in the city. A friend and I stopped by one night after going to an event nearby and were blown away by the sheer amount of stock, including a huge wall of colorful (and cheap)socks. I picked up a few pairs, including these, which are technically lilac colored but to me look more like a black-raspberry ice-cream shade.

After I finished the podcastAcquired’sepisodeon LVMH this month, I wanted more — so now I’m reading this book, which was mentioned a couple of times over the episode. I’m only a few pages in and already hooked.

I actually first saw this cap in October, when I went to the Compleat Sculptor — a beloved sculpture-supply store in the basement level of a building around the corner from the Container Store — when I was buying poseable wire andspecial-effects siliconefor a Halloween costume. (The costume was “AI Hands.”) I loved the cap then — it has a really fun golf-grass-green color — but didn’t buy it until this month, when I got caught in the rain without an umbrella or a hat while running around to look at sofas for work. It was an emergency purchase that didn’t do much to help in the moment, but I’ve worn it a ton since. I’m picky about baseball caps; I want high-quality embroidery and an interesting design, and I want to have some connection to what the cap says. This fits the bill — I am happy to do advertising for the Compleat Sculptor. Go check it out! There’s a cat!

During a recent trip to our local botanical garden, my two daughters spent close to an hour building and knocking down various structures from a giant stack of foam blocks in the kids’ area. Once I learned they weren’t technically a toy but yoga blocks, I realized the genius at work: Yoga blocks are lightweight and unlikely to injure a kid but also super-durable, since they are made of high-density foam. I bought this bulk pack of 30 as a birthday present for my 6-year-old, and the girls have been coming up with all sorts of builds ever since.