RS Recommends
From an affordable Santal 33 fragrance clone, to on-the-go cleanser wipes that dissolve in water, here are the products that come tested (and highly-recommended) by our editors in the past month
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Hundreds of products come across our desks each month, but only a few can earn the Rolling Stone seal of approval. After extensive testing and real-life use, our RS Recommends editors have put together a few of our favorite products for October.
Whether you want to ditch crate digging to get vinyl records sent straight to your door, or could use some travel face wipes that’ll dissolve in water (no really), here’s what we bought and used that you should consider shopping this month.
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Vinyl Me Please Subscription
Image Credit: Vinyl Me Please For the audiophile who’s always looking for both rare releases and must-have LPs alike, Vinyl Me Please is a collector’s dream. Here’s how it works: You can join their club and sign up for a membership (from $46 per month), and you’ll get a record sent straight to your doorstep each month.
Music fans can sign up for one month ($46), three months ($128), six months ($237), or an annual membership (435), and you’ll receive a new record based on your interests. Want to receive only the essentials, country albums, or classic hip-hop releases? Set your “Track,” and the Vinyl Me Please pros will pick something for your turntable, complete with a deluxe edition vinyl and an album notes booklet.
We’ve currently been testing out the “Classics” membership, and received albums from David Porter’s ‘…Into a Real Thing,’ to ‘Natural Boogie’ by Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers. It’s the ultimate gift for vinyl collectors who already own it all — and a welcome surprise in the mail every month. — JL
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Perfame Elixir No. 18
Image Credit: Perfame Sensual, smokey, with just a touch of lingering spice — I had been hunting for a Santal 33 by Le Labo clone for ages, but didn’t want to go broke just trying to achieve that mature allure of rugged outdoorsiness in a bottle (for reference, the last perfume I used regularly was Bath & Body Work’s American Girl “Truly Me” from 2005).
But Perfame’s Elixir No. 18 hits it right on the nose, capturing the same grounding base of woody notes of sandalwood and cedar as Santal 33, with fresh, aromatic top notes of cardamom and papyrus. Like being wrapped in a soft desert wind, it feels sophisticated yet down-to-earth, all at an affordable price point. — SA
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Redbreast 15 Year Old
Image Credit: Redbreast I’ve always been a fan of Redbreast — the world’s foremost single pot still Irish whiskey — but my appreciation was recently deepened after getting the chance to sample the brand’s entire lineup. My favorite expression was the 15-year: A fruity, slightly spicy, slightly woody liquid that I want to make a mainstay in my bar cart. — OH
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Rivet Utility New Yorker Jumpsuit
Image Credit: Rivet Utility “This is the only jumpsuit I’ve seen that doesn’t make you look like a plumber,” said my roommate. Everyone’s a critic, but everyone can also get the effortless yet utilitarian style of a New Yorker combined with a comfy fit in the Rivet Utility New Yorker Jumpsuit. The New Yorker is designed for a relaxed fit, with a mid-rise waist and wide, bow-legged, cropped pant leg. It’s got enough unique pockets and belt loops that you can slap a carabiner with your keys on and go on a quick bodega run, or dress up with some fancy heels and head out for the night. Honestly, it’s the perfect, everyday solution to closet fatigue. — SA
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Frankies 457 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Image Credit: Getty Images for Frankies 457 Frankie’s 457 is an institution in Brooklyn, with their Tuscan-inspired Italian fare and world-famous meatballs. Now, Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo (a.k.a. the Franks) are giving everyone a chance to take a piece of Frankie’s home, with the launch of their Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Presented in a generous one-liter bottle, we recommend saving this EVOO for breads, dips and dressings (the Franks even drizzle it on dessert). Frankie’s hasn’t stopped his evolution either — the guys just opened a new restaurant in Nashville. — TC
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Fig.1 Micellar Oil Cleansing Wipes
Image Credit: Joel Goldberg The only thing I hate more than trying to keep up my skincare routine while traveling is trying to pack a bunch of single-serve bottles of lotions and creams from the drugstore. They not only feel wasteful, but I inevitably will have anxiety about spilling them during the flight.
Now I’m packing Fig.1’s new Micellar Oil Cleansing Wipes for every trip, dermatologist-developed to melt away makeup and grime, revealing clean, soft, radiant skin. The best part? Each wipe dissolves within seconds when you put it in water, and they left my face glowingly clean with zero pre-packaged waste. Toss these in your dopp kit — you’ll thank us. — SA
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Baggu Horizontal Zip Duck Bag
Image Credit: Baggu I recently replaced my longtime daily tote with this Baggu’s Horizontal Zip Duck Bag, and it’s damn near perfect. It easily fits my office supplies (laptop, headphones, chargers, book), but it’s slim enough that I can use it more like a purse when cruising around on weekends or while traveling. Plus, the array of fun color and pattern options is a welcome break from all the monochrome bags I’ve had over the years. — OH
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Nespresso Vertuo Creatista
Image Credit: Nespresso Nespresso machines are familiar to most of us by now, offering some of the best capsule espresso and coffee drinks, but their new Vertuo Creatista machine is among their more luxurious offerings. In other words, you’re getting all the convenience of Nespresso in a higher-quality machine than the ones you’ll often find in hotel rooms.
The versatility to create barista-quality espresso drinks is unmatched for a pod-based machine, giving you control over milk temperature and textures. The integrated milk wand lets you froth your milk, personalize your recipes, or try your hand at latte art (which I still haven’t managed to master). Pair it with one of Nespresso’s latest collaborations — like their Blue Bottle Blend No. 1 — to create the ultimate coffeeshop in your own home. — SA
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Violets Are Blue Ultra Violet Facial Serum
Image Credit: Violets Are Blue Violets Are Blue Founder Cynthia Besteman is breast cancer survivor who was inspired to launch her clean skincare and bodycare brand after a breast cancer diagnosis brought her career from Broadway actor and real estate agent to a skidding halt over 8 years ago. This is the facial serum I wish I would’ve had during my own chemotherapy experience — since my dry skin is too sensitive for retinol, the organic Rosehip oil, Jojoba, Carrot Seed and Lavender have helped my acne scars clear up dramatically over the past month. Not to mention a percentage of each purchase gives back via product donation to patients at Mt. Sinai Dubin Breast Center. — SA
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Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Absolute Wet and Dry Vacuum
Image Credit: Dyson Earlier this month, Dyson launched their first wet-and-dry cordless vacuum cleaner, which I practically tore out of the package to start using (yes I am approaching my thirties). Engineered by Dyson to solve the challenges with existing wet-and-dry formats, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine quickly removed all the dust and dirt off our hardwood floors (with a nifty dust-illuminating light that gave us big “you live like this?” vibes). But the self-contained floor-washing head named Submarine sanitized and sucked up everything from soda spills to dried candle wax (don’t ask). Toss out your mop and bucket, because this is Dyson engineering at its finest. — SA