Just 11 Things To Try In June

Because we tried them for you in May.

This post features a mix of items that we purchased with our own money and those that were provided to us at no cost for the sake of review. (But! We’re under no obligation to write a review of those things, let alone a positive review.)

1. An air fryer (from the makers of the INSTANT POT!!) so you can crisp up leftovers, make homemade versions of your favorite fried foods (without having to deal with hot oil), and more.

Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

"I'd been contemplating buying an air fryer for quite some time, but it wasn't until I found myself cooking every night with my family due to COVID-19 that I finally decided it was the right time to get one. Friends of mine were raving about their new Instant Vortex Plus 6-in-1 Air Fryer, so after reading similar feedback on Amazon, I decided it looked like a winner. And it happens to be made by the same company that makes the crowd-favorite Instant Pot. I figured I would be using this appliance primarily as air air fryer, but as an added bonus, it can also roast, broil, bake, re-heat, and dehydrate food.

I've had this air fryer for about three weeks now, and I can honestly say it's become the hero of my kitchen. It preheats quickly, it's large enough to a good amount of food at once, it's easy to clean, and it makes food taste crispy on the outside and moist on the inside without any oil. I've been using my air fryer to make vegetables just about every night and it makes them taste so good. If you're cooking for kids, picky eaters, or you just don't get so excited about eating vegetables, the air fryer could be perfect for you. If you like chicken, the air fryer might change your life, and I don't mean that to be dramatic. The air fryer produces restaurant-quality chicken that tastes absurdly decadent, except there's no oil involved in the cooking — just air. We also tried making sesame chicken in the air fryer using boneless skinless chicken thighs. The sesame chicken tasted almost identical to my favorite Chinese takeout, and it had nothing to do with my cooking skills. Thanks to the air fryer, the chicken gets so crispy. I couldn't believe I made this at home!!" —Hannah Loewentheil

Get it from Amazon for $119.99.

Check out the full review, plus some air fryer recipe suggestions for more!

2. A grooming glove designed with nodules on the fingers and palms to make brushing the excess hair from your cat, dog, or even horse more like petting — so your pet won't fidget or get uncomfortable, and your sofa (and clothes!) won't be constantly covered in hair.

AnaMaria Glavan / BuzzFeed

"My dog is perfect in every way, but he has recently started to shed and I am finding that all my clothes are covered in his fur. (According to his vet, it’s common for Frenchies to go through more shedding in the fall and spring to make way for a new ~seasonally-appropriate~ coat.) I had seen this pet grooming glove all over the internet, so I figured I’d give it a try. And boy oh good boy, it genuinely works.

The glove is super comfortable and using it couldn’t be more foolproof: just put it on and run your hands through your pet’s fur. That’s it! The silicone grooves pick up so much fur with ease. Like, my dog looks close to hairless. HOW is he shedding so much!?!? After a few runs, I found that I would have to remove fur from the glove before continuing (you can pick up the fur with your other hand or run the glove under water — either works) but it’s no biggie. The silicone actually makes it really easy to keep this clean.

We got Rockie when he was five and he’d been riddled with skin issues and allergies, so I was pretty nervous to use anything that could potentially aggravate his conditions. However! Not only does this *not* bother his skin, but he….loves this. A lot. He starts snoring after exactly two run-throughs on his back. Also, his coat looks SO shiny after each use!

TL;DR: this is one of those inexpensive add-ons that any pet owner should have on hand." —AnaMaria Glavan

Get it from Amazon for $8.99 (available in left-handed, right-handed, and double-sided versions).

3. A tube of Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint if you love a bold lip look (or a subtle one, you can choose from 20 shades!) but are tired of flaking, fading, and smudging.

Kayla Boyd / BuzzFeed

"One of my biggest problems with liquid lipstick if that a lot of them will flake and peel. This Tarteist Quick Dry Matte Lip Paint does not! It dries super fast and then you can barley feel it on your lips at all. It can be a tad dry so I just like to make sure my lips are moisturized before I apply it. It stays on all day long and I'm obsessed with the neutral shades 'Exposed' and 'Festival.' They both have a pinkish tint and make great everyday lip colors." —Kayla Boyd

Get it from Tarte for $20 (available in 25 shades)

4. A set of truly wedgie-proof underwear you can lounge, move around, and walk comfortably in, without having to pluck fabric from between your cheeks every five minutes.

amazon.com, Amazon

"I am a very wedgie-prone individual: I run long-distance, I sit like an antsy toddler when I work from home, and I am, in general, a human magnet for embarrassing situations. Enter this five-pack of full-coverage underwear you can get on Amazon. They are not messing around when they use the words 'full coverage.' The bottom seams are barely noticeable when you put them on, but still latch to your booty and anchor there through the whole day.

The waistband is also so comfortable that I could write a country song about them. The front of the waistband is double layered and seamless, so nothing ever pinches or rubs weirdly. They're also HECKAAAA stretchy without ever getting loosey-goosey in your pants. I also deeply appreciate that the seams are flat enough that they are not very visible when you're wearing leggings, which is, incidentally, something I am doing a lot of lately. I've also washed this set of underpants quite a few times now since I bought them a few months ago (and put them through the wringer with some VERY long, sweaty runs), and they've held up spectacularly." —Emma Lord

Get a five-pack of the underwear from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in sizes S-5XL and seven color combos).

5. An adorable animal-shaped tool to help you open doors and push buttons (without touching them) while in public.

Emma Lord / BuzzFeed, Impulsive Concepts / Etsy

"As restrictions in some states and areas are starting to ease up from lockdown, people are understandably concerned about the risk of exposing themselves to crowded environments — particularly those with frequently touched surfaces. While people are coming up with a lot of creative solutions and workarounds, one that I recently tried that worked well are these animal-shaped door openers that double as keychains and allow you to avoid touching publicly-used surfaces. They come in a bunch of fun animal designs, from kitties to dinosaurs to unicorns to sharks. They also ship for free, even if you're just ordering one. You can also choose the color on literally any of them — each animal design comes in 12 different colors, including one that glows in the dark ✨. I personally got the unicorn and the dog in pastel pink, because they were v cute, and if there's an option to stay safe *and* on brand at the same time I will take it. I cannot emphasize enough how fast these arrived — I ordered them on May 1 and received them on May 4, and I live several states away from where the shop is based in Tennessee.

Each of the door openers is designed with a hole to loop your finger through and a groove that can hook onto doors and handles — notably refrigerator doors in grocery stores, both the ones with handles and ones that slide. It also works on car doors, doors with extended handles, and post office collection boxes. It's also designed to help you push buttons on ATMs or to pay at the gas station. They are suuuuper lightweight — honestly, the first time I held them I was worried they'd be flimsy and break — but the plastic material on them really holds up, even on heavier doors." —Emma Lord

Get them from Impulsive Concepts on Etsy for $5.99 each (available in 23 shapes).

6. The Movie Quiz Book, a handy little volume chock-full of (you guessed it!) movie trivia quizzes so you can test your knowledge across a whopping 1,600 questions.

Mallory McInnis / Via instagram.com

"If you love movies + trivia I highly recommend you buy this book. And if you know someone else who loves movies + trivia as much as you do, I highly recommend you turn the book into a competition (doing a round yourself, then having the other person do it, and keeping score) like my boyfriend and I did. We carried the book around the city for all of January & February (doing rounds on the subway and at bars), and we finally finished it last month while staying with my family in Maine. I won 🙂.

If you're wondering how hard the questions are = well, as someone who owns over 819 movies on DVD (yes, I still own movies on DVD) and who has watched at least 2.3k movies in my lifetime, I found the book to be a perfect mix of 'hard but no so hard it's not even fun to do' (as a fan of all forms of trivia, I think it's the sweet spot) and feel it would be best for ~intermediate~ or ~serious~ film fans." —Mallory McInnis

Get it from Amazon for $13.99 or from Bookshop for $15.63 (to support local bookstores).

7. A cast iron tortilla press for incredibly easy and tasty two-ingredient deliciousness — no need to wait until Taco Tuesday.

instagram.com, Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

"Like many of you, I've been trying all kinds of new things while spending time social distancing over the last few weeks. The next challenge I decided to take on? Making homemade corn tortillas! Except, thanks to a handy lil' tortilla press from Verve Culture, it wasn't much of a challenge at all. This tortilla press is made in Mexico from old Singer sewing machines and other recycled irons! The cast iron should last you, basically, forever so it's definitely worth your money.

I'm not much of a chef (I bake *a little*), but since these taco-sized corn tortillas are only made of two ingredients I figured I could handle it. Seriously, you only need corn flour and water to form the dough. We used the Maseca brand of flour, which literally has the instructions on how to make tortillas on the bag. They came out *so* well I was beyond impressed with myself. We're going to use them throughout the week to make a variety of tacos (breakfast tacos, anyone?). They'll last up to a week if you seal them in a bag and toss 'em in the fridge." —Healther Braga

Get the kit from Amazon for $45 — it comes with the press, a napkin to keep the tortillas warm, and a booklet with information on some history, directions for use, and recipes.

8. A pair of Levi's 501 skinny jeans, because finding the perfect white denim pair that *doesn't* turn see-through?! ::chef's kiss::

Yi Yang / BuzzFeed

"I normally don't believe in splurging on jeans because the couple of pairs I got from Forever 21 in college are still serving me well after many years of washing and wearing. But when I found these Levi's 501 skinny jeans on sale, I decided to try them and see what the hype was all about. After owning these jeans for about a year, I can say it was money well spent! The quality of the denim feels premium — there's not a whole lot of stretch but just enough that it hugs my legs and waist perfectly. It has a button-fly, which I normally don't love because it can look bulky, but this one actually lays perfectly flat. For someone who's on the taller side, finding jeans that graze my ankles is incredibly hard and these do just that (28-inch inseam).

Perhaps the best part about these white jeans is that they're not thin and see-through — I'm actually wearing black underwear in these pictures but you can hardly tell! It's amazing. After an entire season of wear, they still look brand spanking new (I'm also careful not to spill on them) and haven't stretched out at all. (NGL, they're actually a little tight now that I've spent a couple months at home.) If you love really stretchy denim, these are probably not for you but if you like not-overly-rigid denim that keeps its shape over time, then look no further, friends! (P.S. The exact pair I'm wearing is no longer available but the same model comes in a variety of colors, and there's a very similar pair in white with distressed detailing.)" —Yi Yang

Get them from Levi's for $49 (originally $98, available in sizes 23-32, and in eight colors).

9. A winning combo of Glow Recipe's Watermelon Glow toner and sleeping mask for all the hydration your skin is longing for — without any oiliness or residue.

Sarah Lee / BuzzFeed

"With the warmer temperatures approaching, my skin has been thirsting for something hydrating without exacerbating the grease on my forehead even more. The two new products I've introduced this year are from Glow Recipe's ~watermelon~ line: Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner and Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask:

Growing up, I've never been a huge fan of using a toner as it always felt like a waste of time and in the summer would leave my face feeling oily and sticky. The Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner does have a sticky texture due to the ingredient cactus water, but once patted on to your face, the stickiness disappears. This toner is also packed with everyone's *favorite* summer pink fruit (aka watermelon) and helps soothe skin with its anti-inflammatory properties. Not only does it smell good but it also exfoliates your skin while keeping your face hydrated. I learned that hydration is key to preventing an oily skin!

The Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask is a cult-favorite amongst many beauty influencers and it has been rumored that one is sold every three minutes. The formula is gentle enough for use every night and it doesn't leave a mess on your pillow overnight! This bouncy gel texture helps hydrate your skin with the hyaluronic acid and exfoliates skin with AHAs, allowing your face to glow in the morning when you wake up! It's taken a couple of times for me to apply the right amount on my face — there have been times when I'll accidentally apply a lot and light pilling will occur. The mask dissolves into your skin like a moisturizer and after a couple of minutes you don't really feel it on your skin. I like to pat the mask all over my face instead of rubbing it around. Sometimes, if I'm feeling really extra, I'll use a facial roller, straight out of the refrigerator, on my face after I put on the mask.

These two miracle watermelon products have helped my skin produce little to no oil — I no longer wake up feeling like my face was dunked in a pan of grease. I've seen a slight reduction in the appearance of my pore size and because my skin isn't too oily, I've also seen a reduction in overall breakouts. Because these products do contain acids, I recommend using sunscreen in the daytime! The best part of these products is that they are recyclable and instagrammable even after you've finished using the product. I can't wait to use the sleeping mask jar as a ring stasher and the toner bottle as a mini vase." —Sarah Lee

Get them from Sephora: the toner for $34 and the sleeping mask for $45.

10. A Nalgene water bottle so you can stay hydrated and reduce single-use plastics. These bbs last fooooreeeeeverrrrr.

Rachel Dunkel / BuzzFeed

"If you're reading this, there is a 100% chance you drink water, which means you're probably in need of a vessel in which to carry water to-and-fro. Great news! I'm tried give or take one bazillion water bottle brands and am ready to announce my favorite. Drumroll please........It's the Nalgene!!!!!! Nalgenes are light and so easy to carry around. Whether you're hiking, strolling through town, throwing one in your backpack, or just hanging around the house, they're a joy to bring along.

They come in a ton of sizes, colors, and weights, so there is truly a Nalgene for everyone. Feelin' mega-thirsty? Try this mondo one. Need a light bottle for backpacking? Here's a Nalgene *just* for that purpose. Simply want something cute? Look at these adorable bottles below! The screw-top lids never fail and the BPA-free and dishwasher-safe plastic is nice and durable. I can admittedly be extremely clumsy and have yet to crack a 'gene. Metal bottles have their place. So do glass ones! Reducing disposable plastic waste is really the end goal, so get there how you want. But for an all-purpose, go-to bottle at an unbeatable price? I'd be remiss not to recommend the Nalgene!" —Rachel Dunkel

Get a Nalgene from Amazon: a classic one for $10.49, or check out all the Nalgene bottles available.

11. A pretty acetate PopGrip that's *not* just for your phone — might as well stick one on every device that tends to tumble from your hands on the regular.

Maitland Quitmeyer / BuzzFeed

"If you have a phone and you've ever dropped it, you probably need a PopGrip. If you're tired of resting your phone on the side of your pinkie and are getting that weird dent (I have one, mostly from playing hours and hours of Two Dots), you need a PopGrip. I recently ~popped~ one on, and I'm very happy I did. They come in so many colors! The acetate ones I have? So freakin' pretty. But I'm here to tell you, if you have a Kindle and don't have a PopGrip on it, it's time.

I read before going to sleep every night using my much-beloved Kindle Paperwhite — it helps shush the anxious thoughts that often keep me awake at night and helps me get my pages in. Basically I pop an Olly melatonin gummy (highest recommendation; check out my melatonin gummy review for more), turn the brightness settings on low and read until I can't keep my eyes open. The problem is, sometimes I lie on my back and....drop my Kindle on my face. Frankly this happens when I'm falling asleep, but also when I'm just reclining and reading on the cough. So after I got a PopGrip for my phone, I thought...why don't I stick one on my KINDLE?! Long story short, it was a great idea, 10/10 recommend. I haven't dropped it on my face SINCE. Also, as a lefty, I find holding my Kindle with one hand and being able to turn the pages very annoying. My right hand is weaker and gets tired, but my left hand can't turn the pages on the right side. The PopGrip makes gripping with my right hand and turning the pages way easier. Pop one of these pretty bbs on your favorite device — it'll make things just a little bit easier." —Maitland Quitmeyer

Get an acetate PopGrip from PopSocket for $17+, or check out the full selection of PopSockets on Amazon.

Looking for more reviews? Check out our May, March, February, January, December, November, and October editions for more products we love.

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