All The Lifestyle & Wellbeing Products We Tried & Loved In July
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.How gorgeous is this? Years ago, my mum gave me the makeup bag in this print as a birthday present, so when I saw they now had passport holders, I knew I had to have one. After seeing a TikTok video of a woman denied boarding because of a ratty-looking passport, I suddenly thought, Yeah, why do I not put mine in some kind of protective case? I love how big this one is — my passport slots into the slide pocket and there are other pockets for me to keep miscellaneous items like receipts in.
Elizabeth Scarlett Elizabeth Scarlett Sun Goddess Passport Holder, $, available at Elizabeth Scarlett
Designer glasses are expensive. It’s easy to stumble upon a £300+ pair as you’re browsing, fall in love with the frame, then spot the price tag. This new permanent collab between AllSaints and Boots is priced at £170 per frame, which is much more affordable than similar brands (plus if you buy one pair full-price, you have three months to get a second pair half-price). There are bold and subtle frames; I went for one of each kind and I love them both for different moods and occasions, as I wear glasses every day.
AllSaints AllSaints X Boots Elise Glasses, $, available at Boots
It’s finally gotten hot in the UK, which means turning on the oven to cook or using the hob makes an overheated high-rise flat even hotter. So I’ve turned to Our Place’s Wonder Oven for doing it all in one. It’s an air fryer and oven that can fry, bake, roast, grill, reheat and toast. I basically use it for everything now, especially if I’m only cooking for one. R29’s Humeara Mohamed is also a big fan and hasn’t stopping using hers while cooking for herself and her partner. Not only is it extremely practical, it’s aesthetic sat on top of the kitchen counter.
Our Place Our Place Wonder Oven, $, available at Our Place
Susan Devaney, Life Director
Photo Courtesy of Susan Devaney.Well, it finally happened to me: I had my phone stolen from my bag on the streets of London. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I treated myself to a new phone (after enjoying some blissful phone-free days first). It’s now encased in Burga’s leopard print phone case, to keep it both protected and pretty.
Burga Burga Player iPhone 15 Case, $, available at Burga
Unlike many of my fellow Scots, I’m not partial to drinking whisky neat. I do, however, think a whisky-based cocktail is simply delicious. So, of course, I’m trying to make them at home. To perfect my cocktail-making skills, I’ve been mixing Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey with several different ingredients. Thankfully, the brand’s website has easy-to-follow recipes, too.
Woodford Reserve Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, $, available at Woodford Reserve
Kristine Romano, Associate Editor, Photo & Design
Photo Courtesy of Kristine Romano.As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of an Aperol spritz, this is what I’ll be sipping on instead. The Black Lines Hugo Spritz is my idea ofthe perfect summer drink. Made with sparkling wine, sapling gin, elderflower, mint, lemon and soda, this cocktail is refreshingly light, crisp and very drinkable. It’s just asking to be enjoyed in the sunshine!
Black Lines Drinks Black Lines Hugo Spritz, $, available at Black Lines Drinks
I’ve been on the lookout for a sizeable tote bag that is spacious and sturdy, and this one from Kipling ticks all of my boxes. I love that it zips closed, has a built-in laptop compartment and internal and external pockets to keep things organised. It doesn’t sag when filled and the shoulder straps are also surprisingly comfortable. I think it might just replace my current work backpack.
Photo Courtesy of Humeara Mohamed.I’m finally in my AirTag era and I’m not sure how it took me so long to get here. If you, too, are late to the party, then allow me to acquaint you: AirTags can be attached to most things (keys, bike helmet, umbrella…) and they help you to keep track of everything via Bluetooth. If, like me, you’re always losing things, then these are a must. I use mine to keep track of my dog while he’s off lead; you could even use them to find your tent at a busy festival — the options are endless! They’re so convenient and you can share their locations with up to five people.
Matcha girlies, this one’s for you. This candle fills your whole home with the scent of matcha and cedar, and it comes in a really hefty, good-quality, diner-inspired mug, which can be used as an actual mug once you’ve burned the candle. At up to 70 hours, the burn time is pretty impressive too, and it doesn’t get too smoky or black as it flickers away.
Earl of East Earl of East Iced Matcha Candle, $, available at Earl of East
As someone who very much hated P.E. lessons and hid at the back of the hall at all times (if I hadn’t managed to skip the class altogether with a note from my mum), I’m on a mission to get fitter this year. I’ve decided to take it easy, introducing myself to the world of fitness with gentle, mat-based exercises first. Ergo, I needed a mat. I have hard floors in my flat so I wanted one that was grippy and wouldn’t slide about. Someone recommended Pilates by Bel to me, and the rest is history. It doesn’t slip, it’s soft and squishy, and it’s lightweight. What more could I need?
Pilates by Bel Pilates By Bel Mat, $, available at Pilates by Bel
Ebony-Renee Baker, Fashion Editor
A cleaning kit for your sunglasses is one of those things that you never think to buy (maybe you even utter the words “waste of money”) but then when your lenses are all greased up with oil from the fries you shoved down your gullet during dinner on a restaurant patio, you remember that you’re an adult who deserves nice things and you should probably care for them, too. All that to say, this little cleaning kit is well worth the £12…and your decorum.
Ace and Tate Ace & Tate Cleaning Kit, $, available at Ace and Tate
I’m a big fan of writing long-hand, especially when it comes to my daily tasks. While I do make lists in the Apple Notes app, the mere act of opening my phone can be a dangerous distraction. I’ve been using this Papier planner for over a month now and it’s helped my organisation and productivity massively. I like how there are pages for weekly summaries as well as individual planners per day. My favourite part is that the dates and calendars aren’t filled in, so if you miss a week you don’t feel like you’re wasting paper. Plus they have a million designs so you can definitely find one that matches your vibe.
Papier Papier Dasik Daily Diary, $, available at Papier
I recently walked into a Zara Home and was delightfully surprised at how nice the products are. I particularly like the glassware and furniture, and they’ve got loads of gorgeous textiles too — like this throw from their (very smart) collaboration with the fashion-forward Collagerie.
Zara Home Zara Floral Striped Cotton Throw X Collagerie, $, available at Zara Home
Esther Newman, Affiliate Writer
I am slowly but surely building a collection of Mustard Made locker furniture in my home office/craft room/music room/library/general chuck-everything-in-and-hope-it-fits room, and these plastic crates are perfect for storing bits and bobs inside each locker, tucking underneath or stacking on top. They help me organise work papers and stationery, arts and crafts tools, my vinyl collection…the works! My brain would be in a much messier state without several of these bad boys in my life.
Spesh Spesh Collapsible Storage Boxes, $, available at Amazon
I still can’t believe these earbuds are under £50 — they’re lightweight, comfortable to wear for hours on end, and they sound amazing. I haven’t picked up my old AirPods since.
Audio-Technica Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW, $, available at Audio-Technica
In case you’ve been living under a rock, it’s Brat summer. Rather than just buying every green thing in sight, I’ve had my eyes on this candle ever since Charli XCX featured it in her 24 Hours With Billboard video interview. A heady combination of rose for self-love, violet leaf absolute for self-expression, patchouli for grounding and guaiac wood for energy clearing, it sounds perfect for cleansing my soul and energy after (ahem) enjoying my own Brat summer a bit too much.
Vyrao Vyrao Rose Marie Large, $, available at Vyrao
Jessica Aureli, Copy Editor
When I go to the gym, I need my water COLD — otherwise I just can’t face it. After literally years wasted with the half-frozen bottle method (awkward) or the “cramming ice cubes into tiny bottle mouth” technique (infuriating and ineffective), I can safely say I’ve found my salvation in the Ocean Bottle GO. The top screws off so adding ice cubes is a breeze, plus I love how the flip-lid and silicone straw mean that I can dedicate all my focus to not looking like I’m about to have a meltdown on the stair machine.
Ocean Bottle Ocean Bottle Sun Orange (500ml), $, available at Ocean Bottle
St. John means different things to different people. For offal fans (there are dozens of us!), it’s a pioneer in nose-to-tail eating. Those with a sweet tooth are probably familiar with its made-to-order madeleines. And now the restaurant mini-empire is giving anxious dinner party attendees everywhere exactly what they want: own-label wines that tick all the delicious/affordable/not-embarrassing boxes. The range is designed to remove the stigma around own-label wines (love this) and it’ll be my first port of call the next time I’m looking for something a bit special.
St. John St. JOHN Blanc 2023, $, available at St. John
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