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As wild as it is to believe, we are officially in November (!), which means it’s only fitting to take a look back at the last month to share with you the products our shopping editors fell in love with. Each month, our shopping team rounds up countless deals and covers every sale imaginable. Alongside this, we’re constantly testing out new products to make sure we only recommend what’s truly worth your money. Below, you’ll see just what we shopped this October, featuring home-improvement and travel essentials to new beauty must-haves and “the ultimate fall cardigan” you just might love, too. Ana Suarez, Manager, Content Innovation I recently got four pairs of Dream Pairs boots, and it is hard to choose a favorite, but I will! Since it is fall, I am loving the Knee High Chunky Heel Square Toe Tall Boots and Knee High Chunky Platform Heel Round Toe Boots best. The square-toe boot is a really rich shade of brown that is perfect for fall. I always prefer darker colors, and this is one of the nicest shades I’ve seen. The round-toe boot is a little more platform and gives the perfect height to any outfit I wear. The platform is sturdy enough; I was able to wear these while pumpkin picking and didn’t feel like I was going to break my ankle. I’ve never really been a packing cube person, but I am a chronic overpacker. I desperately needed to squeeze everything into just a carry-on suitcase on a recent trip, so I got well acquainted with the Away Compression Packing Cubes. I knew I couldn’t squeeze my jeans, hoodies and other clothing essentials into my suitcase without a packing cube, and when I saw Away had compression cubes, I was sold. It requires a little bit of muscle (or sitting on it while you close it) to actually zip them shut to utilize the compression feature. I was able to shrink a pair of bulky jeans down to nothing, thanks to these cubes. You can check out my full review of Tarte’s CC undereye corrector (and watch it work its magic in the TikTok below), but I am really obsessed with this product. When I am tired, my undereye bags are DARK blue. I’ve had dark circles since I was a kid (thanks, chronic anemia!) and covering them up when I do my makeup has always been a chore. I have fair, olive skin and I use the light/medium CC undereye corrector. It looks so orange in the container, and when you first apply it, but the colored clay actually does seem to adjust to my skin tone almost instantly. I don’t even need to use regular concealer with this; I just apply a few layers and I’m good to go. This is also fairly weightless, so once it has settled into my skin, it doesn’t even feel like I am wearing anything under my eye. This CHI hair straightener literally made me break up with my Dyson. I’ve been using the Dyson Corrale hair straightener for years, and while I loved it a lot initially, the novelty has worn off. It is a cordless hair straightener, but you need to leave it plugged into the charger or else it dies 1/3 of the way through using it. I have not touched my Corrale ever since I got this CHI flat iron. I’m able to straighten all of my hair (which I have a LOT of) in under 20 minutes with this CHI. When I pair the CHI with my COLOR WOW Supernatural Dream Coat, my hair looks like I got a blowout and lasts for days. I can go to the gym, sleep on it and my hair won’t budge. I recently straightened my hair the first day of vacation with this CHI, took a shower every day (with a shower cap) and my hair looked as good on day five as it did on day 1. I plan to do this again on a trip to Disney World, where I will be in Florida weather and walking 20,000 to 30,000 steps a day and I trust this CHI will treat me well. Victoria Rosenthal, Associate Editor, SEO + Commerce As a renter, Command hooks and strips always save the day. As I’m adding more decor to my apartment, I want to hang a lot of picture frames and boards. Since I’m scared to use a regular nail and hammer to potentially make holes in the wrong places in a house that’s not mine, I use these picture-hanging hooks and heavy-duty adhesive strips to hang absolutely everything. Heavy-duty is an understatement. They are currently holding up all of my frames of different sizes on my wall of cat photos, along with a Hello Kitty canvas that I painted with my nephew. The strips and hooks are doing all the heavy lifting to keep my wood-framed calendar, cork push-pin board, clock and whiteboard in place over my desk with all my work computer equipment underneath them. Plus, the strips are holding on strong to three heavy 11 x 14 frames in my bedroom, one of which is hanging over a glass bedside table and one other is hanging over all of my WiFi equipment. I put them up early this month, and they haven’t fallen at all. Everything is securely in place. The hooks and strips are easy to use, by prepping the wall with alcohol first, peeling and sticking the correct size of the strips on the back of the frame or the hanger itself, and then pressing each one into the wall for 30 seconds. For the hangers, you just have to let them hang alone without holding anything for an hour before hanging a frame on them to ensure they stick. Before pressing them into the wall, you can check to make sure the frames are even and aligned. If they’re not, you can remove and adjust them, and the strips will maintain their stickiness. For me, so far so good, and my space looks much more homey now. Sarah M. Vazquez, Associate Editor, Commerce You heard it here first: the Cropped Eyelash Cardigan Sweater is the ultimate fall sweater. After embarking on the hunt for a piece that was both incredibly stylish and affordable, I stumbled upon this Old Navy find and practically gasped when I saw it. While its soft, furry-like texture and rich plum brown hue immediately drew me in, it was the purple iridescent buttons that sold me. That and the $32 price point. ‘Tis the season for vanilla scents. If you’re looking for something long-lasting and sure to garner a few compliments, pick up The Goddess Line’s Parvati Roll On Fragrance. Featuring a blend of vanilla, amber and almond, this fragrance oil essentially smells like a warm hug in a bottle. I also can’t count on one hand how many compliments I’ve received on “how delicious I smell” this month alone. Dawn Magyar, Commerce Writer If you’re tired of dragging your cooler up and down stairs, across parking lots, through crowds and over rough terrain like me, you’ll understand why I picked up the YETI Roadie 48 Wheeled Hard Cooler this month. With a fall getaway planned, the thought of lifting a heavy cooler one more time was a hard no for me. So, this last-minute wheeled-cooler purchase was made in charcoal to save my back and my sanity. Yes, the wheels and telescopic handle made this cooler a lifesaver — and did I mention you can store a bottle of wine upright inside, too? It also comes with a storage container to hold those “please do not freeze” items, and there’s a ton of space inside to get you through a long weekend. Plus, you don’t have to constantly add ice either. This is a great pickup for anyone who wants a durable cooler that doesn’t require a team of people to help you move every time. Plus, you can get it in an assortment of colors. I found mine on sale for $375, but it typically retails for $425. Danielle Hailbey, Commerce Writer I’ve been riding the belt bag train for the last few years because, as a busy mom, I rarely go out of the house in anything but leggings, sneakers, oversized pullovers, etc. It’s my uniform, and low-maintenance crossbody bags just fit the bill for what errands I need to run, whose drop-offs and pick-ups I need to handle for the day and what activities I need to usher the kiddos to and from after school. But I got an amazing opportunity to try out a stunning suede frame bag for fall, and I absolutely love it. I wrote about the viral, never-in-stock Coach Large Kisslock Frame Bag a couple of times this year, and in my “looks for less” coverage, I inevitably always stumbled across Patricia Nash. Here’s the thing, though. This brand doesn’t just have one or two or three vintage coin purse frame bags, they have a whole collection. The Serafina bag I got is crafted in soft leather and stunning cognac-colored suede — which smelled amazing when I opened the box it arrived in — and I am truly obsessed with all the mixed media/material elements. The gold hardware, the distressed floral kisslock clasp (which is so unique and feminine) and the leather detailing offer such a statement. And since I can fit an unreal amount of things inside, including my laptop, a makeup bag, chargers, phone accessories, cardigans, etc., it makes the best work bag ever. The only thing that could make this bag better (because it’s already more than $300 cheaper than Coach!) would be feet on the bottom, just to give it some extra structure and let it sit open while I filled it... like Mary Poppins. Amanda Edelman, Commerce Writer I’ve been using the Gisou Honey Milk 5-in-1 Styling Cream for the last few weeks and it surpassed all expectations. It offers a lightweight, silky hold that revives my hair between styles. In fact, it aims to hold a style for three days. The lightweight cream texture doesn’t weigh my fine hair down and also offers heat protection, which is a big bonus when I often reach for my standard blow-dry brush. As with most of Gisou’s products, there’s a light honey scent, which I think smells delightful. I look forward to using this styling cream on post-shower hair to give my strands bounce and shine. I also love using this styling cream on dry hair, as it adds a sleekness that tames frizz and dry ends. The bottle looks high-end, but the price is way more affordable at $30. In my opinion, the Gisou Honey Milk 5-in-1 Styling Cream has earned a top spot in my daily haircare routine. Nicole Iuzzolino, Commerce Writer As someone who suffers from occasional hormonal breakouts, I am always on the hunt for a new acne medicine to try. I recently got my hands on this Murad Deep Relief Acne Treatment after my sister raved about how much it helped her skin. I can confidently say that this is a product I will purchase time and time again going forward. What I love most about it is that it goes on translucent, so I can wear this treatment throughout the day! I have definitely noticed improvement in my skin upon using this product.
