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Introducing “Would Recommend” — a monthly collection of our shopping editors’ favorite finds on the internet, brought to you by HuffPost Finds.
There are products that make your life a little better — like this weighted blanket that lets one of our editors rest easy. There are products that make you feel like your best self — like the Glossier must-haves one of our editors swears by for an easy makeup routine. And then there are the things that you just have to have — headbands are a personal vice.
Our shopping editors at HuffPost Finds know that all too well, since, well, we do a lot of shopping for our readers and ourselves. We search the internet for products that are cult-favorites, hype-worthy and real deals.
This month, we found out what you should actually be looking for when buying a face mask online, how to do laundry at home when you don’t have a washing machine and the at-home hair-removal products for hairy situations.
It’s also the HuffPost Finds team’s collective birthday month — we’re all celebrating our birthdays. (We’re a team of two Tauruses and a Gemini.) And since “quarantine birthdays” are now an actual thing, we’ve been eating cake in bed and doing lots of shopping online. Please don’t judge us.
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So we collectively splurged this month. Of course, we had to tell you about the things we ordered that we definitely would recommend. Two of our editors even snagged the same pair of Birkenstock dupes this month.
Including embellished sandals that feel fancier than Tevas, a signet ring that makes a statement and a splurge-worthy coffee maker, these are the finds we’ve been most excited about in May.
Be sure to check out what we couldn’t get enough of back in April 2020 and March 2020, too. And check back next month to see what we’ll be recommending in June.
Below, check out what we would recommend this month:
1
A pair of sandals that feel fancier than Tevas
Anthropologie
"I have to honest: I don't really like the summer. I know. I know. It's really all about the heat. But one thing I do love: sparkly shoes. I saw these sandals right before my birthday. They're just as comfortable as Tevas but fit in with my wardrobe more — especially with the tweed straps and a big gem embellished buckle. They didn’t need any time to break in. I’ll be alternating between them and these Tory Burch platform sandals all summer. The sandals were pricey but oh, so worth it." - Ambar Pardilla, Commerce Writer
Find them for $200 at Anthropologie.
Find them for $200 at Anthropologie.
2
A pair of huggies that are quite striking
Studs
"I've been on the hunt for a new set of earrings for my second ear hole and fell in love with these Studs Lightning Bolt Huggies. They click into place and are super lightweight. STUDS has a piercing location in Downtown NYC and a variety of sparkly and quirky ear jewelry on their site that has me thinking of stepping up my ear game." - Danielle Gonzalez, Associate Commerce Editor
Find them for $20 for a single and $40 for the pair at Studs.
Find them for $20 for a single and $40 for the pair at Studs.
3
A top-rated espresso machine for small spaces
Bloomingdale's
"Listen. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and these are desperate times. In The Before Times, I could be found almost any given weekday morning grabbing a latte or cortado from my local cafe. For a while during quarantine, I was content with a cup of black French press coffee at home. But as quarantine was extended, I knew I wanted everything to make a latte at home, easily. Fortunately, we put together a guide to making your favorite espresso drinks at home, and that's where I stumbled across the Breville Bambino, a top-rated espresso machine that's designed for small spaces. What I like most about the Breville Bambino is that every step of making a quality espresso is automated, from extraction to milk frothing. I can easily make a single- or double-shot espresso and steam the milk for a creamy latte or a frothy cappuccino at the push of a button. Cleanup is remarkably easy, too. Just don't forget to buy a good burr grinder that'll give you the perfect, fine ground needed for espresso beans." - Brittany Nims, Head of HuffPost Finds
Find it for $500 at Bloomingdale's.
Find it for $500 at Bloomingdale's.
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4
A sweet-smelling face scrub
Nordstrom
"My skin's been acting weird in the last few weeks — probably a little from the existential dread and lots to do with me just not keeping up much of a skincare routine. So my face has paid the price and I've been getting lots of random blemishes. I've had my eye on this strawberry scrub from Fresh for a while and decided to try it out for myself. It's the most gentle face scrub I've ever tried on my oily skin and melts away easily. (It's got sugar crystals in it, too.) Plus, the strawberry smell is a bonus." - Pardilla
Find it for $33 at Nordstrom.
Find it for $33 at Nordstrom.
5
A cream that jiggles like pudding
Amazon
"If you know me, you know that I have a different moisturizer for morning and evening for every season. Over the years I've found my tried-and-true favorites, but I am always tempted to try something new. I'm a huge COSRX fan and have plenty of their products in my medicine cabinet, so when I was sent a sample of their new COSRX Hydrium Moisture Power Enriched Cream I was intrigued. It's unscented, has the consistency of vanilla-pudding (it jiggles when you shake the jar) and I've been smearing it on my face every night for the past month. I would compare it to a thicker, more affordable KIEHL'S Since 1851 Ultra Facial Cream (which I use during the day), it's ultra-hydrating and leaves my skin dewy and glowing." - Gonzalez
Find it for $24 at Amazon.
Find it for $24 at Amazon.
6
Loungewear to feel good in
Girlfriend Collective
"I have a love/hate relationship with loungewear and workout gear. I love a good pair of yoga pants, but oftentimes I feel like they're either not very flattering for round bellies, or rise and roll during a more involved workout. I'd heard a lot of hype for Girlfriend Collective's sustainable workout clothing and wanted to see if they lived up to it, so I purchased a pair of compressive high-waist leggings (in "sand") and a Topanga bra top (in "ivory"). The pieces are butter-soft, despite being made of recycled plastics. Most of all, I feel really good when I'm wearing them. Both the bra and the leggings are flattering and designed to smooth and shape curves. I'm eager to try the brand's best-selling Paloma bra top when it's restocked. For now, the brand just restocked its sold-out high-waist leggings with a pocket." - Nims
Find the bra for $38 and leggings for $68 at Girlfriend Collective.
Find the bra for $38 and leggings for $68 at Girlfriend Collective.
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7
The one and only, cult-favorite Good Genes
Nordstrom
"Sunday Riley's Good Genes has gained its own cult following in recent years. It's a bestseller for the brand and earlier this year, the price permanently dropped, which was good news if you've ever wanted to try it out like me. It's supposed to give you brighter-looking skin. In the last two weeks that I've tried it, I've gotten more of a glow for sure. It doesn't feel sticky at all and goes on right before my moisturizer. I got my hands on a 0.5-ounce bottle that's now sold out. You could try it out in this travel kit before buying the full-size." - Pardilla
Find it for $85 at Nordstrom.
Find it for $85 at Nordstrom.
8
A signet ring with a heart of gold
Missoma
"This Missoma Gold Round Signet Ring was a birthday gift from my parents and the perfect addition to my pointer finger. I usually prefer minimal gold jewelry, but wanted something a little flashier and glam. I like that it makes a statement without being too bulky and the engraving makes it feel extra special." - Gonzalez
Find it for $103 at Missoma.
Find it for $103 at Missoma.
9
A hype-worthy razor
Billie
"It's occasionally been hard to feel motivated in the mornings during quarantine. Without a schedule or typical routine, I feel a bit lost. So, on a bit of a whim, I purchased a Billie razor starter kit and a bottle of Billie's shave cream. I mostly wanted a fun, new product that would make me excited to jump in the shower in the mornings and get my day started. (But I also am just very bad at remembering to buy new razors when I should.) So far, I'm very impressed by my Billie razor. The shave cream has a light citrus scent and goes on creamy, and I get an extremely close shave every time when I use them together. I mostly appreciate that replacement blades will be auto-delivered like clockwork when I need a fresh one, so I never really have to worry about buying new ones again." - Nims
Find the razor kit for $9 and shaving cream for $8 at Billie.
Find the razor kit for $9 and shaving cream for $8 at Billie.
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10
The perfect pair of gold hoops
Loeffler Randall
"Loeffler Randall's disco ball-like earrings were one of my favorite buys last month. Those earrings are ideal for days when you definitely want to feel dressed up. But then there are the days when you don't really want to try so much. For those days, I've been trying to find hoops that are simple enough to go with everything but bold enough to be seen on a video call. I saw these from Loeffler Randall and had to have them. They don't weigh down my earlobes but I don't fear them falling off at all." - Pardilla
Find them for $150 at Loeffler Randall.
Find them for $150 at Loeffler Randall.
11
Colorful dupes to rubber Birkenstocks
Shopbop
"Great minds think alike. Two of our editors snagged a pair of these colorful dupes to rubber Birkenstocks this month while researching alternatives to Birks. Since then, we've noticed the Tel Aviv-based Freedom Moses sandals brand everywhere from J.Crew to Shopbop and Saks Fifth Avenue. Though they aren't necessarily more affordable than the traditional Birkenstock Arizona Essentials slides, what our editors like about these Freedom Moses slides is that they are available in many more colors and prints, including glitter, rainbow tie-dye, leopard print and snakeskin. Another thing that makes these colorful slides different from Birks is that they have textured footbeds that make them grip to the foot better. That's good news for folks who plan to wear them at pools and beaches this summer." - Nims and Gonzalez
Find this pair for $40 at Shopbop.
Find this pair for $40 at Shopbop.