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Dear Readers,
Happy 2025! As I’ve written these newsletters the last two years, I’ve come to realize just how precious space is, not just to me, a Manhattanite in a two-bedroom condo, but to almost all of us. Things fill drawers, cupboards, and attics, and clutter up closets, counters, and coffee tables. They also take up space in our minds. More stuff means more organizing, more dusting, more spring cleaning, more returns, and more time spent hunting for this and that. Even people I know with large homes and big basements want to minimize the amount of stuff that they have.
(United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo)
In this first newsletter of the year, I want to reaffirm our commitment to you: Bluedot Living’s BuyBetter Marketplace is not just a place for stuff. As a matter of fact, I like to think of it as just the opposite. It’s a curated collection of goods and services, a place to find high-quality items that are sourced and made with the planet and its people in mind. If you buy better, with longevity and quality in mind, you buy less.
We welcome innovation as much as we respect tradition. Some of the most eco-friendly cookware, for instance, is enameled cast iron that’s been made the same way for a century. On the other hand, one of our favorite kitchen goods, the Lomi Food Recycler, provides a decidedly modern way to reduce unwanted food scraps. And I personally had doubts about national grocery delivery services until Dear Dot showed us all how important it is to prevent food waste — including through the use of services such as Misfits Market, which many of you signed up for this year.
Our aim is to (re)introduce you to items that will truly serve you. We hope that when you use something from our Marketplace, you’ll say things like:
- My hair looks so good!
- My clothes are so clean!
- This is really easy!
- I wish I'd switched sooner!
- I'm really happy I'm generating less garbage!
With that in mind, I’m sharing a roundup of the items our readers loved last year. The ones you've said make you look good and feel good, that will last a long time, and that you’ll use to the last drop.
I look forward to sharing more great items with you in the year ahead. As always, please reach out with comments, questions, and to share your favorite items. I’m always happy to hear from you.
Happy New Year, and happy shopping!
– Elizabeth Weinstein, Marketplace Editor
Top Items of 2024
Poppy & Pout
Idaho-based Poppy & Pout makes excellent, Leaping Bunny Certified lip balms using beeswax, coconut, and essential oils. The unisex balms come in entirely recyclable cardboard tubes and boast pleasant, not-too-strong flavors such as Wild Honey, Cinnamint, and Orange Blossom. Read our review.
Skin-Centric Beauty
Bluedot’s founder and editorial director both love Ilia. The mascara, SPF 40 Super Serum Skin Tint, and C Beyond Triple Serum are probably the bestsellers, while the liquid eyeshadow is my favorite way to get glam quick (despite my lack of makeup expertise). Read our review.
Waste-Free Skin and Hair Care
Ethique, a pioneer in waterless beauty products, makes shampoo and conditioner that keep even my elbow-length hair looking great. Our editorial director swears by their skincare products. Minis start at $4 and make it easy to find the best formulations. Read our review.
Super-Soft Underthings
Boody transforms bamboo-based fabrics into silky-smooth underthings, tees, and activewear for men and women. The company now offers baby and newborn clothes in addition to a collection specifically designed for postpartum comfort. Read our review.
Shirt-Jackets That Do It All
Outerknown has a well-earned reputation for making great clothes out of quality materials and compensating employees and contractors fairly. Their cult-favorite Blanket Shirt is cozy yet snazzy, the kind of garment you can wear to both a campfire and to Christmas dinner. Read our review.
Plant-Based Phone Cases
Canadian B Corp Pela makes hip, flax-based bioplastic cases for phones, AirPods, tablets, and more. Styles range from basic to trendy, and all will biodegrade in an industrial composting facility (or can be returned for recycling and a coupon for 20% off your next case).
Focus on Food Waste
Misfits offers quality produce and packaged goods at a discount. The items don’t make it to stores because of sizing, cosmetic, and packaging discrepancies, or simple supply chain issues. Our San Diego editors have shopped Misfits for years, and love the reliable service as well as the products. Read our review.
Toss Less Trash
The Lomi desiccates and dramatically decreases the volume of food waste, transforming it into something you can toss in your garden (or your trash). Either way, it will help you take out the garbage less and reduce your home’s methane emissions. Get $50 off with code Bluedot. Read our review.
Powerful, Concentrated Cleaning
Enzyme-based and plastic-free, Dirty Labs laundry detergent works really well — far better than the sheets I’d been using. Elegant scents as well as fragrance-free varieties are available. Their powdered dish detergent is great, too. Save 15% on your first purchase with code BLUEDOT. Read our review.
TP That Gives Back
I’ve been using Who Gives A Crap toilet paper and paper towels for five years, and am a huge fan. Both the bamboo and recycled paper TP feel good on the behind. The company donates an astounding 50% of profits to charities working to improve sanitation and offers clean water to communities in need. Read our review.
