Somehow, despite it all, time keeps moving — one minute we’re breathing in the end of the summer September breeze and then the next minute (in the words of Maisie Peters), we wake up and it’s October. With another month down, it’s time for a little peek into the shopping carts of team R29.
Last month we leaned into fall, loving a scented candle, a sweet gingham phone case, and a charcuterie board that’s delivered right to your door. We found solace in romance novels and floral pumpkin mugs and dove deep into all things warm and whimsical. Come along to see all our editors’ favorites for the month of September.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
This has such a yummy, rich, and indulgent scent — it’s sweet without being too cloying. Highly recommend working this into your routine as a way to add a more subtle fall scent to your day. The oxblood red shade only adds to the drama!
Lush Sticky Dates Shower Gel, $, available at Lush
Even though the earlier, darker fall evenings have me in my cozy era, I still struggle to sleep (and to sleep solidly) at this time of the year. And so, inspired by my colleague’s glowing review, I decided to invest in This Works’ best selling Sleep Spray — let me tell you, this stuff really is magic, sleepy-time, fairy dust in a bottle! I’ve been snoozing so much better in just the last few weeks after first trying, and waking up feeling more refreshed and rested.
This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, $, available at This Works
Mustard Made The Midi, $, available at Mustard Made
We use our little screens every minute of the day, but we rarely dress them well. This pink and cherry red gingham design is giving me all the happy vibes for fall, and actually keeps my phone well protected from the (many) drops it experiences daily.
Burga Cheerleader – iPhone XR Case, $, available at Burga
I’ve been using blunt kitchen knives for over a year and I can’t do it any longer. This Japanese chef’s knife promises to slice my veggies like butter and it’s so sleek it’s convincing me to go as The Bear for Halloween.
Katto 8.5″ Chefs Knife, $, available at KattoPhoto: Courtesy of Katto
Household appliances that come in aesthetic colorways is nothing new, but I can’t deny that this particular lilac shade has really caught my eye. Turning ironing and steaming from a chore into something at least visually stimulating? Yes please.
Steamery Cirrus X Handheld Steamer, $, available at Steamery
I tried these CBD tampons two years ago and I’ve honestly been thinking about them ever since. At first, they were only available in the UK — but they just recently launched in the US, so we can finally get our hands on them on this side of the pond. They’re free of plastic, dyes, rayon, fragrances, and many other things that can be found in everyday tampons, and they quite literally worked magic on my cramps — I’m actually excited to get my period again so I can use them. Is it the placebo effect? Maybe, but hey, that’s better than suffering through the pain every month.
Daye Nude & CBD Tampons, $, available at DayePhoto: Courtesy of Daye
I have seen this Free People bag quite literally everywhere — on the streets, on Pinterest, on my TikTok FYP — and I finally got my hands on it. There’s not much to say besides that it’s perfect. It’s enormous, but somehow doesn’t feel like I’m lugging around a duffle bag while it’s on my shoulder. It can, and will, hold all of your belongings and more, and one of the best parts is the numerous zipper compartments so your really important stuff doesn’t get lost in the great abyss of the bag. The colors are fabulous, it can be worn as a crossbody or on your shoulder, and it looks chic as a bag for the gym or just for your daily life. I really, really can’t think of a better bag than this right now, and I’m already scheming to get my hands on another. The green color? To die for!
FP Movement Quilted Carryall, $, available at Free People
I have never been a clean freak. My clothes are usually left strewn about my room after I get ready, I leave my water glass next to my bed for a couple of days at a time, and I generally live in a chaotic state. But this Shark vacuum has turned me from indifferent to obsessive. I live in a small New York City apartment, so this vacuum needs to be stored in plain sight at the end of my bed, which means I end up using it quite often. Have a few minutes between work calls? I vacuum. Need to stand up and stretch to clear my head? I vacuum. It has picked up so much dust and hair from my rugs that I’m truly in disbelief at the power this thing holds. The auto-empty system makes it incredibly convenient — I don’t have to empty it out or clean it after every use, which I find particularly valuable, but the vacuum can also be purchased without it.
Shark Cordless Detect Pro™ Auto-Empty System with QuadClean™, $, available at Shark
I first read this book in 2019 at the suggestion of our then-entertainment editor. She told me it had everything I could ever want — enemies-to-lovers, a secretly gay prince, a woman president with a bisexual son, an international sex scandal, and a really poignant, moving queer love story — and she was absolutely right. I read it straight through in two days, talked about it for weeks, and then let it sit on my shelf for years. So when the movie version came out a few months ago (and I watched it no less than six times), I was reminded of my deep love for Alex and Henry, and I desperately needed more. Thankfully, the author Casey McQuistion, was ready to deliver with a collector’s edition — this time with a bonus chapter written from the prince’s perspective, which was absolutely worth me running to my local Barnes & Noble to buy even though I have a perfectly good copy sitting on my shelf (sans bonus chapter, of course). The writing is beautiful and snarky, and the queer love story is everything I never knew I needed as a new adult questioning my sexuality. Red, White & Royal Blue is so much more than a love story about a president’s son falling for the Prince of England — it’s about queer joy and fear and longing and it will forever exist as one of the most important queer stories of all time.
St. Martin’s Griffin Red, White & Royal Blue: Collector’s Edition, $, available at Amazon
I love charcuterie boards and I love hosting, but I am also relatively lazy and my artistic talent is more makeup and writing and less pretty food. Thankfully, places like Boarderie and Grape & Fig exist. Coming in various sizes and arrangements (I personally went for an all cheese board because I’m allergic to pork), Boarderie delivers you a pre-made, pre-designed, fresh and delicious charcuterie board right to your door — perfect for impressing party guests or serving as girl dinner for a week (these babies last in the fridge for 7-10 days!).
Boarderie Diletto Cheese Board, $, available at Boarderie
I am a nauseous girly — I have IBS, acid reflux, and somehow my car sickness has gotten worse with age. So when a random woman at a party told me about Reliefband, a drug-free wearable made to combat nausea and motion sickness, I thought it must be too good to be true. But after spending nearly every weekend this past month going on long car drives, I can attest — the Reliefband has changed my life. Using ultrasound gel and specific, gentle pulses, the Reliefband sends a message via the body’s neural pathways to the emetic center, the part of your brain that controls nausea, counteracting the brain’s signal to the stomach and eliminating nausea. And it truly works, not only for motion sickness, but also for anxiety nausea, sickness nausea, and I even used it to fend off hangover nausea. Rechargeable and HSA-eligible (!!), the Reliefband has become an absolute essential to my life and wellbeing.
RELIEFBAND Reliefband Sport, $, available at RELIEFBAND
They’ve only gone and done it again. & Other Stories scents never miss. For fall, their new range includes my favorite, Punk Bouquet, scented with notes of vanilla, tiger orchid, and lotus flower, as well as their Taschisme Pepper Scented Candle. Light one of these, set some mood lighting and curl up with a good read, it’s Rory Gilmore season and & Other Stories does it better than most.
& Other Stories Punk Bouquet Scented Candle, $, available at & Other Stories
I’ve been on the hunt for a WFH sweater that is 1) comfy, 2) breathable, and 3) looks good, which is a lot harder than you’d think. Everything I have is either an ex-boyfriend’s hoodie (ew) or creases when I sit at my desk (who irons in 2023?). Lululemon has created a piece with the triple threat, and I can’t take it off. This soft, lightweight sweater is designed for when you’re on the move (in my case running to the post office on my lunch) and is naturally thermoregulating. If I run into anyone on my lunch break errands, at least I won’t be in my ex-boyfriend’s hoodie.
Lululemon Merino Wool-Blend Ribbed Crewneck Sweater, $, available at Lululemon
If you like logic puzzles and murder mysteries, Murdle combines the two in one addictive book that will have you feeling like the most clever detective. Much like Wordle, new puzzles are available to solve online daily (and of course, for free) but I personally prefer working through them in something physical — not least because it keeps me off my phone.
St. Martin’s Griffin Murdle: Volume 1 by G. T. Karber, $, available at bookshop.org
I’m a sucker for Arket homeware and already have the plates from this collection. So naturally, I have my eye on the mugs (and maybe bowls) too. I just love the blue splatter, and there’s nothing quite like fun homeware to make your morning coffee or WFH lunch that little bit more exciting.
Arket Stoneware Cups Set of 2, $, available at Arket
We’ve been needing to replace our towels for quite some time and this one from Baggu’s new launch has me all kinds of excited. You simply can’t go wrong with a classic stripe — and in this color combo? I’m sold.
Baggu Sunset Quilt Stripe Hand Towels, $, available at The Mercantile London
Ever feel like you want to have a candlelit dinner at home but you are afraid to burn down the apartment? Welcome to the club. I recently bought these flameless candles from Amazon that are both beautiful decor and incredibly practical (and safe!). They’re remote-controlled and can be used in both light and candle mode. Just in time for cozying up by the TV.
Antizer Flameless Candles, $, available at Amazon
One of my favorite fall activities is simply drinking my coffee in the mornings while cozying up with a good book and a blanket. Of course, the mug is essential to this fantasy. While I typically shy away from color (yes, both in fashion and my home), the pumpkin shape of this mug called for nothing other than orange. It’s super roomy to hold all the caffeine I need for a productive day.
Anthropologie Floral Pumpkin Mug, $, available at Anthropologie
Friends, colleagues, editors, stylists, writers — everyone is recommending Glossy by Melissa Meltzer. You don’t have to be a Glossier fan or even a heavy beauty consumer to enjoy it. Although, if you do know Glossier — better still, if you’re an original Into The Gloss reader — you’ll have more familiarity with the niche insider-y references (Camp Glossier, anyone?). Meltzer’s storytelling is juicy and entertaining either way. It opens with an honest profile on the deliberately-mysterious Emily Weiss and turns into a master class on branding, marketing, and scaling a business into an empire of sorts in less than a decade. As many others have noted, this is one of the first books of its kind that tells a detailed and nuanced story of a female founder and business leader and her largely-female customer base. I hope there’s more to come.
Atria Glossy By Marisa Meltzer, $, available at Amazon
My puppy is three and a half months old and I love her deeply. She is also a baby and therefore an absolute terror a lot of the time. I appreciate anything that can keep her occupied for more than 30 seconds when she’s awake and a KONG, filled with peanut butter or liver paste and frozen, is a godsend. Let me tell you, there’s a good reason why it has over 14,500 positive reviews.
KONG Puppy Toy Natural Teething Rubber, $, available at Amazon
I’ve long been a fan of Naomi Klein’s books and her latest — a deep dive into how the woman she is often mistaken for has become a loud proponent of conspiracy theories — was the most absorbing, compelling yet. While this is a book about Naomi Wolf (the author of The Beauty Myth turned conspiracy theorist), it is also about how the internet and our current crises can compel people from both ends of the political spectrum towards conspiracy and what, if anything, we can do to stop it.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Doppelganger By Naomi Klein, $, available at Amazon
A great skillet is a kitchen essential but not the easiest to find. Thankfully, Katto in the UK produces beautifully forged pans that are handmade, long lasting and (while an investment) not unbearably expensive. I have had it for only a couple of weeks and loved cooking with it every time. (A good alternative is the Le Creuset which has the bonus of really fun colorways.
Katto The Skillet, $, available at KattoPhoto: Courtesy of Katto
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