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What Readers Are Buying: Coffee Makers, Board Games, and the Ever-Popular Amazon Coat

Photo-Illustration: retailers

Welcome to Your Shopping Cart, wherein we break out the top-ten products that you, devoted Strategist UK readers, bought in droves. Think of this as the TL;DR of the Strategist UK: If your like-minded brethren are buying these items, maybe you’d like to as well.

This month features several familiar faces in our top ten, including our readers’ favourite moisturiser, and the spray bottle, paring knife, and foaming cleanser that have been best sellers for some time. But there are some new items, too – including the the famous Orolay coat (beloved by Strategist readers both in the UK and the U.S.).

For eight months now, Neutrogena’s affordable, cooling gel moisturiser has been on our most-bought list (this is now the sixth month at No. 1). You likely know why we love it so much – it even converted staff writer Chris Mandle, who penned an ode to it last month. “I really love the gel texture, which is light and soaks into my skin instantly,” he wrote. “The cooling sensation feels like dunking my head in Tooting Bec Lido.”

Our first new entry should need no introduction – the weirdly stylish coat from Amazon that’s been a big hit on both sides of the pond. Earlier this month, Strategist UK readers got an exclusive 20 percent off the coat via our newsletter, which might explain why it’s so high on our most-bought this month.

Also in its eighth month among our best sellers is this clear spray bottle (which has gone up one place since September). Lisa Muñoz, interior plant designer and founder of Leaf and June, says this bottle is “typically something you’d see in salons,” but it’s her favourite mister for plants. “It’s small and lightweight, even when full of water, and it creates a gentle, steady mist.”

Up two places from last month, CeraVe’s foaming cleanser has clearly gained a few new fans. It first featured in our roundup of the best face washes for oily skin, where it was deemed the best overall by a number of our experts. Dr. Michelle Park, of Washington Square Dermatology, says it’s a gentle product that’s suitable for all skin types.

Meanwhile, this moisturiser from La Roche-Posay has gone down two places from last month, when it was No. 3. It was first brought to our attention by Hadley King, a clinical instructor of dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. King says it uses “sebulyse technology” to target excess oil, “the brand’s proprietary new anti-sebum ingredient” (sebum being the substance secreted by your body’s oil-producing glands).

After debuting in our most-bought last month, these wireless earbuds from Anker have gone up three places. We spotted them on sale in late September, which might explain their sudden popularity, but we first came across them on Amazon, where they were highly rated by hyperenthusiastic reviewers.

The best-rated coffee maker on Amazon (according to hyperenthusiastic reviewers) made its first appearance into our top ten this month after we spotted it on sale. One self-professed coffee snob conceded said the resulting brew was just as good as his pour-over and Aeropress coffees.

Codenames appeared for the first time last month, although it’s since dropped one place. The word-association board game is similar to the basic elements of charades; players divide into two teams with one designated spymaster providing clues. By guessing the words correctly, players unveil the other teams’ agents. The first team to unmask all of their opponents’ spies wins.

This small, affordable paring knife is now in its third month in our most-bought. When we spoke to chefs about the best chef’s knives, five of our experts chose it as a home-kitchen essential, including Arbinder Dugal, MasterChef semifinalist and founder of Dalston’s Attawa. “It’s great for day-to-day use,” he says. “But it’s especially good when you need to get down to the nitty-gritty, such as the fine chopping of garlic and green chile.”

Our third new entry this month is this board game, which came recommended by four experts when we looked into the best board games for two players. The game challenges players to strategically collect different pieces to create a quilt. Greg May, owner of The Uncommons and Hex & Company, calls it “the perfect game for couples” that is sure to delight “fans of Blokus or Tetris.”

The Strategist UK is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Read about who we are and what we do here. Our editors update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

What Readers Are Buying: Board Games, and the Amazon Coat