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The Best Shampoos for Different Hair Types

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There’s a reason our hair is tied to our identity: Our nuclear DNA is at the root of every single strand. And by a decidedly less scientific measure, it can also be an extension of our personality and even influence how we face the world. Is it any surprise, then, that bad hair can tank our mood — and great hair can buoy it? Because hair is so personal, finding a great shampoo is essential — but also daunting. That’s where Wirecutter comes in. To find the best shampoos for a wide range of hair types, I consulted a trichologist, two board-certified dermatologists, a cosmetic chemist, and two hairstylists. Then I evaluated 92 different shampoos, tested 43 with the help of my colleagues, and sent 15 final contenders to 21 panel testers in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s with a range of hair lengths, types, and curl patterns. After three months and heaven knows how many gallons of water, we arrived at six standouts: a daily stalwart for medium and thick hair and a...
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The Best Baby Monitors

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Knowing your baby is sleeping peacefully — and that you’ll hear them when they need you — can be a great comfort in the early months of parenthood. There are several types of baby monitors to choose from. The best one for you and your family is the one that most suits your personal needs, easing any anxiety you have as opposed to increasing it. Want a simple way to see and hear your child from across the house or yard without a lot of other bells and whistles? Consider our top pick local-video monitor, the Babysense Pro Baby Monitor . Hoping to check in on them from, say, a restaurant on date night or during a work trip out of town? You’ll need a Wi-Fi–enabled monitor, which links a camera’s feed to an app on your smartphone. Our favorite in that category is the Nanit Pro Smart Baby Monitor . Want both of these capabilities? The VTech RM7766HD is a Wi-Fi and local-video monitor in one. Just want the simplest, cheapest old-school option? Our audio-only pick, the VT...
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The Best Pickles

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A sheet of ominous black clouds hung low over Teaneck, New Jersey, as bone-chilling rain came pouring down. It was a dismal spring day, but that didn’t stop some 2,000 pickle enthusiasts from showing up to Pickle Palooza in celebration of the lip-puckering snack. “Can I take a picture of your drink?” a girl in an “I Love Pickles” hoodie implored as I sipped on a “Dr Pickle,” a Dr Pepper spiked with brine and garnished with thick, crinkle-cut chips. On stage, the lead singer of a cover band — clad in a full-body pickle costume — belted out, “Sugar, we’re goin’ down pickling,” in a cheeky rendition of the Fall Out Boy anthem. Meanwhile, festivalgoers queued up at The Pickle Guys booth for horseradish pickles and small-batch sours. The pickle lore runs deep in this corner of the country. It was here, just a few miles across the Hudson River, where Eastern European Jewish immigrants brought the art of kosher pickling ashore in the late 19th century. The Lower East Si...
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The Oura Ring 4 Can Tell You How You Slept or Predict a Cold. Is It Worth It?

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The Oura Ring , a sleek fitness and sleep tracker that passes as an unassuming piece of jewelry, is seemingly everywhere. It’s on the fingers of New York Knicks , politicians (when Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey wore it during his recent 25-hour floor speech, it logged several workouts), and a prince . You might also see it on your health-oriented relatives or friends. Maybe you know someone who is using the ring to get pregnant or to track if they’re getting sick (more on that below). The Oura Ring has also been a top pick in our guide to the best sleep trackers since I first tested the Gen3 version in 2023. The newest model, the Oura Ring 4 , offers more features, and after six months of testing it, I’ve found that it’s a worthy upgrade. Top pick A stylish wearable with tons of data Oura Ring 4 This sleek ring provides highly accurate heart-rate monitoring and solid information on your sleep cycles. But it’s more expensive than many other sleep and fitness t...
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The Best Canned Cocktails

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I have a romantic vision of the kind of host I want to be: folded napkins, whimsical place settings, soft candlelight, an impeccably curated playlist. And what’s integral to that vision? A clinking, fully stocked bar cart so I can conjure up a drink tailored for each guest. Unfortunately, while I can work on my Spotify skills and buy a couple tapered candles, it turns out time, space, and money are limiting factors in the beverage department. Enter canned cocktails. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/fQkC8PE via IFTTT
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Here’s My Secret to Fitting Twice As Much Stuff in My Luggage

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I am a disorganized overpacker. I know — the worst of both worlds. I used to shove clothes into every crevice of my checked bag until it was too heavy for me to lift. I’m the person who panic-packed three sweatshirts to the Caribbean, because my brain said no, but my heart said yes. (They never left my suitcase.) Everything would emerge wrinkled, rumpled, and wrecked, and upon arrival, I would pull wads of underwear out of shoes, un-ball T-shirts, and shake out dresses in hopes of removing the deep rivers of creases that had been carved into the garments during transit. Nothing has repeatedly saved me from my worst instincts more than packing cubes. Specifically, the REI Co-op Expandable Packing Cube Set , which is purpose-built for people like me who always butt right up against our limits. But for those of you reading all of this in horror: The joy of these packing cubes is that they work equally well for those who are more buttoned up in both mind and spirit. Be...
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The Best Leaf Blower

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Of all the power tools, gas leaf blowers might have the worst reputation. They’re loud, they’re smelly, and so bad in so many ways that some cities and towns outright ban them or at least regulate the hours they can be used. But cordless leaf blowers are another story. Thanks to battery advancements, you can now get the portability and power of a gas blower, but without the emissions, maintenance, or high-pitched squeal of a two-stroke engine. We’ve been testing leaf blowers since 2014, and our current favorite is the cordless Ego Power+ 650 CFM Blower LB6504 . from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/h57WtLm via IFTTT
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