All The Lifestyle & Wellbeing Products We Tried & Loved In June
At least once a week — let’s face it, at least once every day — the writers and editors across Refinery29 discuss the latest and greatest products in our lives, from some cool new water bottle that’s been absolutely saving our lives to a state-of-the-art sleep product that’s changed our eight hours for the better. And gatekeeping isn’t in our vocabulary, so we’re here to share the wealth and highlight our favourite products, just for you, each month.
All linked products are independently selected by our editors. If you purchase any of these products, we may earn a commission.
Tanyel Mustafa, Senior Writer
Photo Courtesy of Tanyel Mustafa.Wow, what a book. I’m not a huge fan of short story collections generally speaking, but this book makes me think I need to reassess that. The stories are often dark, put gender power relations under a microscope, touch on early queer feelings, and always centre on young women and their relationships to others. It does all this in a “showing” rather than “telling” kind of style, which is the best kind of writing. I fell hard for this book, and have since lent it to a friend and am considering picking it for the book club I attend.
Amazon Send Nudes by Saba Sams, $, available at Amazon
Though I mostly do my workouts at the gym, during the summer my gym attendance drops because festivals, travel, and other fun things take priority in my life. So that I can still keep up with my routine in some capacity, having these weights at home makes it a little easier. I like how the material on these feels in my hands, as well as the convenience of them for a variety of exercises (lateral raises, bicep curls, dumbbell rows, tricep extension).
Adidas Adidas 4kg Dumbbells, $, available at Adidas
This has made getting ready post-shower so much easier. Though controversial (at least, in the R29 office), I get ready by doing makeup first, then hair, then clothes. To my mind, this makes the most sense so no makeup gets spilt on to clothing, but hey, each to their own. If you’re in my camp, then you’ll appreciate this towel that functions as a useful cover up. It has velcro at the top, so it will actually stay up, unlike regular towels that you might tuck in. It’s also very soft, like all things Cozy Earth.
Cozy Earth Cozy Earth Waffle Bath Wrap, $, available at Cozy Earth
Well, I feel silly for all the times I struggled with packing clothes into a rucksack for short European breaks. These packing cubes have completely changed how I travel. Now, I can fit so much more into smaller spaces, and was genuinely quite shocked at how much clothing could be compressed when I first used these. In the last month, they’ve come with me to New York, Copenhagen and a small town in Sweden. Next month, they’ll come to Seville. They’re my new travel essential!
Monos Monos Compressible Packing Cubes, $, available at Monos
Susan Devaney, Life Director
Photo Courtesy of Susan Devaney.Summer has now finally arrived, right? For me, there is nothing more refreshing than a gin and tonic in the sunshine after the working week. Not only does Silent Pool’s bottle design make you want to dive into a shimmery swimming pool to cool down, but it tastes as refreshing as it looks. Fused with touches of lavender and camomile — and made in the Surrey Hills — it’s quickly becoming my go-to drink of choice this summer.
Silent Pool Silent Pool Gin, $, available at Silent Pool
I think I’m now in possession of the most comfortable trainers I’ve ever owned. Have I had to break them in? No. Maybe I’m just lucky with my new grey New Balance 9060s, but I’ve worn them on short, slow runs on my lunch break and long evening walks after work, and they simply fit like a glove. The best part? You can easily wear them with a dress, too.
New Balance New Balance 9060 Shoes, $, available at New Balance
Kelly Washington, Senior Social Editor
Photo Courtesy of Kelly Washington.I am going all out for Glasto this year, right down to my hand sanitiser, which only means one thing! Aesop. Having Aesop at a festival is a flex. The definition of OTT. Is it ostentatious or prepared? Both, it doesn’t matter. When you’re camping in a field for five days, it’s the little things.
Aesop Aesop Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Mist, $, available at John Lewis
This dress is a game changer. In summer, there’s nothing worse than being hot, sticky and uncomfortable. With Alo’s soft and smooth airbrush material and relaxed fit, you could be on the courts or in a café. P.s. you can also wear it to a tennis match (embarrassing), I blame Zendaya and Challengers.
I am convinced we’ve peaked as a household, things will never ever top this. As proud owners of an air fryer we’ll never be burdened with preheating the oven again (will conventional ovens become obsolete?!). This new double stack XL air fryer from Ninja cooks using up to 55% less energy than an oven, and can be used to feed a family of eight. The space-saving stacked drawers fit perfectly under our kitchen cupboards and you can evenly cook four layers of food with their stacked racks. I never thought I’d get this excited about a kitchen appliance (I used to think I was too rock and roll for such gushing over appliances, a fool) but the Ninja really is the future.
Ninja Ninja Double Stack Air Fryer, $, available at Ninja
Kristine Romano, Associate Editor, Photo & Design
Photo Courtesy of Kristine Romano.There’s something about beautiful glassware that makes any drink taste better — I don’t make the rules! And while I have quite the collection already, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to add these blue drinking glasses from Arket to the mix. I love the funky shape and cobalt blue colour, I want to be sipping from them all summer long.
As both a new glasses wearer and someone with a low nose bridge, finding specs that actually fit (and comfortably!) has been nothing short of a struggle. I was cautiously optimistic when I came across Covry, whose focus is making eyewear for faces of all shapes and sizes by taking measurements from real people versus following traditional industry standards. And I have to say, I genuinely couldn’t be more happy with the fit and quality of these glasses! They don’t rest on my cheeks or touch my eyelashes and, most importantly, they sit securely on my nose bridge with absolutely no slippage — all issues I’ve had with glasses from other brands. And though they’re priced in dollars, they ship internationally.
Photo Courtesy of Humeara Mohamed.There’s simply no way around it: Picking up dog poop is not a very glamorous task. Alas, I spend much of my time doing so, which is why I need all the fun dog poop accessories that I can get my hands on — anything to make picking up Peanut’s gargantuan drops a little more bearable. This bag holder is wayprettier than those ugly plastic things you see at every pet store, and it makes things so convenient. It isn’t too big either — you could literally attach it to your keys as a keyring. I attach it to my lead though (more on that later), and it also beats having to remember to stuff poo bags in your pockets before rushing out the door. I like to fill this with a roll of biodegradable bags. Pink ones, obviously.
Caroline Gardner Caroline Gardner Mono Hearts Poo Bag Holder, $, available at Caroline Gardner
You’ll rarely find me without this dog lead. I actually think it might need to be surgically peeled from my body in case of an emergency. I take my saluki pretty much everywhere; I storm around central London with him by my side, my arms laden with press samples and cups of tea. As much as I love him, I simply have no hands for him. That’s where this gorgeous lead comes in. It allows me to be hands-free, but I can also use it as a traditional lead for more control. The colour is so gorgeous that I’ve literally had people stop me in the street to ask where it’s from, and it looks as good today as it did when I bought it one year ago.
Hiro and Wolf Inca Pink Hands Free (Coupler) Dog Lead, $, available at Hiro and Wolf
At this point, I’m fully aware that my whole personality is just “dog”, and I’m okay with that — especially when it involves wearing such chic shoes. These mini wellies from Merry People have saved my summer. My OG wellies (Arctic Muck Boots, if you must know) are far too warm and big for the climbing temps, but the parks are still a bit too mushy for regular shoes. These look just like regular Chelsea boots and go with absolutely everything, all whilst keeping your feet completely protected and dry. I went for the chocolate and black colour but I already want the all-black ones, too!
Merry People Merry People Bobbi Boots, $, available at Merry People
Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer
Photo: Courtesy of Karina Hoshikawa.
Earplugs — not the most exciting purchase, right? Wrong. I’ve been trying to cut out single-use products out of my life, so it was easy to break up with the disposable foam plugs I’d been using. These have become an absolute must at a concert, music festival, or an especially loud spin class. Hearing damage is cumulative and irreversible, so I take proper protection seriously. These also come with various tip sizes to fit comfortably into your ears, and I love that they come in a handy little case. They’re also really beautifully designed (Loop even makes metallic ones that look like jewellery), which encourages you to wear them in public. The Experience is my go-to for concerts, and is a perfect all-around premium earplug that protects your ears while enhancing and clarifying the auditory live music.
