Backed Hard: The Best Stuff We (Actually) Bought in August

We’re picky. (That’s pretty much our whole job.) We also can’t live without fancy, affordable chef’s knives; incense for people who hate incense; and a double-duty vibrator for monster jam orgasms, as seen in last month’s editors picks. 

But as summer neared its end, we noticed a trend amongst our picks. This month, they were the helpers. The movers. The shakers. Not necessarily in a Christ’s-Second-Appearance-way, but in a, Wow, this is exactly the container I needed to hold my 32 ounces of post-summer matzo ball tears way. We’re getting stuff that makes it easier to move apartments, declutter, and freshly crack that pepper; we’re getting rid of acne scars, and finally putting a barrier of comfort between our thigh-burning laptops and our sensitive crotches. But we’re having fun, too: taking a deep archival dive into Muppet fashion, for instance, and insisting on weirdly delicious luxury toothpaste that doesn’t taste like having a panic attack at the dentist. 

Let’s GOOO, team! We’ve got to make the most of these warm nights. Here are our editors’ fave picks, their absolute best purchases from August 2021. 

Fancy Italian toothpaste that tastes like Juicy Fruit

Toothpaste is something we don’t think about very much considering that we use it twice a day, every day (hopefully….). We hardly bat an eye at throwing down $11 for a mediocre gin and tonic at a bar, but for some reason, spending more than four dollars on a tube of something that is an absolute necessity and will last us three months seems sacrilege?! No more, y’all. I’m on the fancy toothpaste train, and I’m never getting off! Marvis is high-end Italian toothpaste that comes in a million interesting flavors that still make your teeth feel clean. (We hate Tom’s of Maine in this house.) The Jasmine Mint is a forever fave, but are you ever just, like, sick of mint? I switched it up and grabbed the Rambas flavor this time around, which is infused with the aromas of Alphonso mango, peach, and pineapple, “inspired by the beaches and exotic atmospheres of tropical islands.” You guys, this stuff is amazing—and a gazillion five-star reviews agree. “It does not taste like banana candy or children’s toothpaste, it tastes like a $100 cocktail you’d get at a five star tropical resort,” writes one fan. Couldn’t agree more. —Hilary Pollack

A peachy shirt 

I’ve always kind of wanted to dress like Leonardo DiCaprio in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 adaptation of Romeo + Juliet, with his dazzling assortment of Aloha-style printed button-ups, chains, and beachy hair, somewhere between SoCal-dwelling Everclear fan and casino romantic. Anyway, there’s a plethora of stuff out there that are the perfect pipeline from 90s Romeo to now, from straight-up knockoffs of his iconic blue chinoiserie floral button-up to Pleasures’ recent super-popular tribute to his sacred heart shirt. Stüssy’s peach shirt has a similar vibe—meant to be worn loose, open, and with a white tank under it or nothing at all. Personally, I would argue that it’s unisex and sexy on everyone. (I’m a woman—but not one who lets gender norms get in the way of my sartorial interests.) It’s almost sold out, so grab it now.  —Hilary Pollack

Patches that lessen acne scar discoloration

Who else is 30 and still busting their face up? YEAHHH [chest bump]. I got the summer cold and monstrous nose-blowing pimple (wanna make out?) a few weeks ago, but these little babies have done the lord’s work by minimizing the dark spot it left behind. Here’s how they work: Each patch has hundreds of dissolving microneedles on it, all infused with brightening ingredients like niacinamide, tranexamic acid and ferulic acid. You put a patch on the discolored ghost zone for at least six hours (or overnight) twice a week, for two weeks, and voila. Where the hell was this in junior high? —Mary Frances Knapp

Moving boxes that don’t need tape

I’m moving at the end of the month, and these classic Bankers Boxes have been a godsend. The engineering on these babies is genius, and assembling them using the various folds and perforated edges will have you scratching your head, saying Why didn’t I think of that? These come in both large and small sizes, and are perfect for packing up a room or two. —Ian Burke

For a deep dive on Muppet style

Have you looked—I mean, really looked—at the sartorial chops of the Muppets? Hot shit, dude. Earlier this month, GQ published a brilliant tribute to their ever-green and eclectic style, declaring that “Menswear Has Finally Caught Up to the Muppets.” Amen. Have you seen Kermit’s beachwear fits? It inspired me to keep digging into the imagination of Jim Henson with this archive-packed book. The guy just knew exactly how to make everyone get along, all while making Pepe the King Prawn look like a top-notch Bushwick fuckboi. Stunning. —Mary Frances Knapp

The only Tupperware you’ll ever use again

If you’ve ever ordered takeout or worked in a kitchen before, chances are you’re familiar with these bad boys. Plastic quart containers are the bomb dot com, and for good reason—they’re stackable, tall, and they hold a ton of food. They’re also great for meal prepping, pickling, reheating things in the microwave, freezing, and so much more. —Ian Burke

A lap desk so my computer will stop frying my thighs

I’d been working from home for a full year and a half before The ‘Vid came along, and this whole time I’ve never really gotten into sitting at the stupid tiny desk I bought off Craigslist. Truth is, I’m a couch girl, and the sooner I accept that about myself, the better. Anyway, my beautiful and esteemed colleagues pointed out that we should all be using lap desks so that we don’t fry our bits with hot laptop waves, and I can’t believe I’d never thought of that. I bought one and I’m using it right now! It’s cushy; separates my boiling, overworked MacBook Pro from my loins; and helps me not get neck wrinkles, and I love it.  —Hilary Pollack

Build an aesthetic wall of books

Don’t call it a bookshelf. Or do, but please acknowledge that it appears to be floating. I spend so much time perusing 1970s decor hashtags and magazines, and, man, I just really dig the whole “massive wall of books” look. Also, if you dedicate an entire wall to your books, it kind of becomes its own cool, statement piece of wall-art (at no cost, other than the shelves). I first saw the ‘spensive version of these over at TEEbooks, but this set from Wayfair does the exact same thing for a frazione of the price, and comes with refreshingly sparse, easy installation instructions.  —Mary Frances Knapp

Because my wrist hurts from holding my phone

I know, I know—sOmE pRoBleM, bUd. But I do have a jumbo iPhone, and I do spend a lot of time on it doom-scrolling/watching Frasier/ASMR vids. My putrid bird wrists were starting to ache. So when I noticed this little phone doorknob thing—sorry, PopSocket—on my friends’ phones recently, I was like wahhh? “We love them,” they told me, indoctrinating me into the cheugy, comfy cult of PopSockets, “It makes the phone way less heavy.” It also doubles as a stand for your phone when it’s on its side. Consider me converted. —Mary Frances Knapp

Grinding isn’t just for the dance floor

Sometimes, you need some freshly cracked pepper. Actually, all the time. You shouldn’t be using the pre-ground stuff if you can swing the fresh stuff—plus, after the initial investment in a pepper mill, the whole peppercorns are usually cheaper, especially if you buy them in bulk. May seem obvious, but for those who still need to hear it, grinding your pepper fresh will produce a more robust flavor and a more textually interesting bite. Plus, this OXO grinder looks cool. —Ian Burke

See ya next month. 

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The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story.