Our Favorite Products: July 2019 Edition

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Welcome to Our Favorite Products, a monthly feature in which ITG's editors discuss our favorite products. They're the best things we've tried all month long, reviewed, photographed, and anthropomorphized before we have the opportunity to get sick of them and move on to something new. This month we were… kind of all over the place—blame that NYC heat wave. But desperate times call for products that work really, really well. Here are all the clean, colorful, sweet-smelling things that got us through:

Dyson Airwrap

3Q6A2083
“If you’re looking to invest in a hair tool, this is the one. Yes, it’s expensive—super expensive. But bear with me, because according to my calculations the math checks out. Say you own a nice blow dryer: that’s anywhere from $100 to $350. And even if you do own one, giving yourself a salon-level blowout is hard! So you’re probably going to want to get a few of those a year for special occasions—a blowout at Drybar in New York is $50, plus tip. A good straightening iron and curling iron can each be over $100 too, easy. For all that money, and the space three hair tools would take up in your tiny bathroom, just get the Dyson. And you’ll actually use it more often than you would use other hair tools, because it’s so incredibly easy—it takes me 15 minutes max to go from wet to dry and straight, or straight to curly. Have I mentioned it’s less damage to the hair than traditional heat tools, too? And it comes in a chic leather case that I have no qualms about keeping on display in my living room? Sorry other hair tools, the Airwrap is the tool she told you not to worry about.”
—Ali Oshinsky

Sweetgrass

3Q6A2038
“I grew up with the windows open—my mom was a big on that. It always annoyed my dad but it stuck with me. Being in the city it's kind of impossible to get 'fresh' air. No freshly cut grass smells here! Sometimes room scents go too artificial for me as well, and incense smells too incense-y, and palo santo only does so much. Enter sweetgrass. I buy it on Amazon, but the first place I found it was Whole Foods, in their incense section. You use it like a smudge stick but it smells like pure campfire—maybe with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a little bit of a hayfield. You burn a bit, smoke your house out, and when it settles, you're somewhere else.”
—Tom Newton

Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara

3Q6A2060
“I’m a different kind of a mascara-wearer: the kind of person who will apply multiple coats, flip the brush and coat behind my lashes, grab another lengthening mascara to define my lashes even further, and if I have all the time in the world, find a sharply-ended point (a bobby pin, the back of an earring) and separate my lashes. I know...I love being a lash maximalist. And I love that Lash Paint lets me take a few shortcuts with my extra-ness. It’s very black, so it immediately coats my lashes and leaves my looking more awake without a ton of layers. The brush adequately covers all my mascara needs: lengthening, volumizing, and defining in just a few swipes. It’s fine on its own, but the cherry on top is still when I layer Lash Slick on top to make my lashes feathery and full. It’s my favorite mascara duo to date.”
—Utibe Mbagwu

Linda Exfoliating Bath Gloves

3Q6A2052
“Sometimes you get so used to a product that you forget why you started using it in the first place. Case in point these scrubby gloves. I used them to wash my body every day for years, and then I moved or something, and the gloves didn’t make the cut. A few years later I basically forgot these guys existed at all, until this summer hit and I remembered: Hey, my skin used to be smooth! (Fine: smoother—it’s not exactly a cactus plant under these clothes.) So now these are back in my shower, delivering a smoother me every time I wash. The gloves are abrasive but not scratchy, and for me at least, they’re gentle enough for daily use. Like a washcloth, but better.”
—Ashley Weatherford

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Balancing Softener

3Q6A2054
“This ‘balancing softener’ is something I never would have encountered or even tried if I weren't at a job surrounded by beauty experts. And now here I am, addicted to a product that I initially scoffed at because it has the consistency of water (it's just a bit thicker) and looks like water too. It's also part of a line called WrinkleResist24 which I hate! But I love the way this feels on my skin. I use it as a moisturizer, splashing it on my face with my bare hands after I wipe it down with micellar water (sometimes after applying a serum) and it's almost as if my faces sighs with relief. I have extremely dry skin, the kind that feels tight and very angry after I get out of the shower, and this instantly makes it feel quenched and soothed in a way normal moisturizer never has. It sinks in immediately, and I think that's the key here—moisturizer never seems to get in there right away. I started looking at some online reviews and somebody decants this into a spray bottle and sprays their whole body with it post-shower. I'll probably never do that but I respect it!”
—Leah Chernikoff

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Berlin

3Q6A2065
“I haven’t tried too many NYX products! So I decided to remedy that by stopping by their Union Square storefront a few months ago. The result: uncovering the most reliable liquid lipstick I’ve come across in a while. It’s buildable and sets matte, but it layers really well on top of lip liners (like NYX’s Cocoa), lip balms and other lipsticks, when I need more moisture or feel like adding more dimension. It’s a true brown, but it doesn’t look ruddy or chalky. And for the price?! I mean you might as well give it a try yourself.”
—UM

Diana Vreeland Simply Divine Candle

3Q6A2068
“Bury me with tuberose! I love this scent so much, and I love this candle so much because it’s so magnificently fragrant. You know how you have to hover over some candles to get just the slightest whiff of the scent? Couldn’t be more impossible with Simply Divine. Rumor has it that they use three-times as much fragrance in this candle than the industry standard, and given my own experience, I’m inclined to believe that rumor. I like to burn it in my living room in the evening. And when I wake up the next day, I can still catch its lingering scent. Ahh, smells like a beauty.”
—AW

Diorshow Pro Liner

3Q6A2057
“I’ve been very into eyeliners this summer. The weird thing is that I don’t really like wearing shadow or mascara on my eyes—I’m usually uncomfortable with the way it feels and how it makes my eyes look. But eyeliner? For some reason, it’s the only eye makeup that’s fair game. Once I discovered this strange loophole, I amassed every shade, brand, and type of eyeliner. I’ve been particularly enjoying these guys, because they’re the format of a pencil with the shape of a liner brush. The beveled edge makes it super easy to drag in a straight line, and the formula’s great, too, with no smudging or melting all day. Dior just makes good eyeliners, dude.”
—AO

Erno Laszlo Black Facial Cleansing Soap Bar

3Q6A2046
“I like to try to simplify things where I can. I reference Amy Wechsler's Top Shelf in my head all the time. Just use as little as you can. Don't obsess over things. I've gone through a few different bar soaps for my face, but this is maybe my favorite. A little sudsy, leaves a little of that soapy clean film—but all in the right ways. Charcoal and mud just agree with my skin.”
—TN

Sour Cream & Onion Pringles

3Q6A2029
“Pringles are my special treat chip. I love all chips, but I save Pringles for traveling because I like how easily they can be resealed and live in a big carry-on bag without unraveling and filling your purse with chip crumbs. Everyone knows the best flavor of Pringles is Sour Cream & Onion. Original is good but that's a last resort only if Sour Cream & Onion is not available. I'm happy to debate this in the comments. Anyway, Glossier has a little snack wall and I'll never get over it. I've never worked anywhere that provided its employees with a constant snack supply and I am delighted by it! The snacks even rotate, and one day these little packs of Pringles appeared, in multiple flavor offerings. The size of these Pringles is frankly rude—one packet is not enough and it's shame-y to have to go back for more. But anyway, Pringles are great, probably not great for my skin or diet, and Sour Cream & Onion is the best flavor.” —LC

Photographed by Tom Newton.