Microwave Toast, Throws, and Small Luxuries: 12 Cozy Comforts We Loved Last Month | autumn
SWhatever you like about fog and ripe fruit, October can be a miserable month. Those of us who can’t spend time kicking up crunchy leaves in the warm embrace of a Hollywood romantic comedy hunk and new outerwear for fall and winter could use some cheer. So it was no surprise (and a lot of relatability) to see cozy lighting, hot throws, and endless rounds of toast on the list of filter recommendations I loved so much last month.
I’ve been keen to add sparkle to your dark evenings too. Sticky pins and Velcro rollers are among your October favorites, as well as an LED face mask that you can use to either spruce up your winter skin or hide behind until spring comes.
Microwave toast maker
Murphy Richards Miko
Roasters don’t just take first place; two Places on the October bestseller chart. You really love this stuff – and as someone who thinks beans on toast are the perfect meal, I wholeheartedly agree.
The stylish Murphy Richards microwave toastie impressed our writer Joan Gould so much that it was her product of the year in her anniversary roundup, where she admitted it had to be “snatched from my cold, dead hands” (how very Halloween) to donate to charity. Wait, though – microwave toast? Mico’s metal plates open inside a silicone tray to “toast” croissants, bagels, toasted sandwiches or stale toast, as Joan explains in our guide to the best toast makers. A really ingenious tool for under £30.
The ultimate toaster
Classic four-slice toaster
The gorgeous four-slice model from Dualit was the most expensive in our guide to the best toasters, but it’s proven to be a favorite – and not just because it looks so good. “There are few things that can go wrong” with this UK-made classic, “and if they do, every part can be replaced,” writes Rachel Ogden. You can heat as few or as many of the four slots as you need, and easily lift the slices to check progress. In the end, Rachel declared that it was “all you could ask for in a toaster.”
Velcro rollers make waves
self-Grip rollers
The popularity of Velcro rollers warms the heart of our beauty columnist, Sally Hughes, and she sees £50 premium sets regularly selling out, as she wrote in her recent column. No wonder her favorite set, the £12 Hershesons, is a win with you too. Self-grip rollers “lift roots, add movement to thin, flat hair” and cause “less damage to hair than other styling tools.” Because, flattened hair, you say? Take my money!
The deodorant that saves your plump jump
Russell hobbs fabric shaver
Go back the hours, the jumpers came out, and your heart sank at the sight of all those balls. However, wool clothing is easy to repair. An epilator (AKA cloth shaver) does what an epilator does for your legs, but at a lower cost and much less pain. Russell Hobbs deodorant was placed at the bottom of our women’s fall fashion updates, but you loved it more than anything else on the list.
The hot throw you want for yourself
Dunelm Electric Wool Throw
Electric blankets were sturdy wire blankets that never reached your feet and always made you worry about burning down the house throughout the night. Today’s best electric blankets span a much wider (and safer) spectrum, from heated double comforters to king-size throws with timers and different heat settings for each side of the bed. It sounds like you’d rather have an entire blanket for yourself, because your favorite is the soft fleece throw that writer Emily Peck deemed great value and “perfect for one person.”
Dior-like rugby shirt
Cotton rugby shirt
After finding a white collared, no-stripe rugby shirt on new Dior designer Jonathan Anderson’s Instagram account, Jess Cartner-Morley “immediately wanted to find a rugby shirt to wear like this,” she wrote in her guide to October’s fashion essentials. And so would you, considering the number of people who bought the £45 John Lewis lookalike. “This is so chic and fitted but not in an annoying way,” Jess wrote. “It’s men’s clothing, so size down.” (Unless you’re a man, of course).
Stylish wireless table lamp
Rechargeable LED lamp
Big light is the enemy of a comfortable cocoon. Our guide to getting cozy offers many ways to bathe in the soft glow of table lamps, including models with light temperature options, remote controls, and custom lampshades. Your favorite was this adorable dimmable cherry number, which is cordless and rechargeable, so you can put it anywhere — and it costs much less than you might expect from its sleek look.
Puffy shoulder bag
smooth Shoulder bag
“Forget Hermès: when it comes to designer bags, Uniqlo is on a winning streak,” our fashion team wrote in their guide to women’s fall fashion updates. The list was full of stylish ways to get serotonin-boosting kicks as the nights approached, from Nordic knitwear to jazzy flip-flops, but the Uniqlo slouchy, pocket-filled bag was your go-to accessory. It’s large enough to fit a laptop and has two pockets on the outside and inside. Don’t tell my sister, but she will 100% get this for Christmas.
Beauty calendar
Beautiful looking advent calendar
I tended to assume that Advent calendars cost more than the sum of their parts, but Sarah Matthews showed me her irresistible collection of the best beauty calendars. This Lookfantastic calendar offers 17 full-size products and 11 mini products for much less than the items are worth individually. Sarah loved the “balance between skincare, body care essentials, universally beneficial makeup, haircare and accessories”, and chose product highlights including the Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense Serum, perfect for winter-stressed skin, and the Ren Clean Skincare Radiance Eye Cream, “perfect for the morning when the candle is burning at both ends”.
Effective 10-minute DIY manicure
Miley gel nail wrap
The product that finally ended Jess Cartner-Morley’s terrible luck with Instagram purchases, these flexible, glitter gel polish nail stickers were among our favorites from her October style essentials. They come in all sorts of finishes — “solid colors, ombre, or zigzag, whatever your little heart desires” — and you can simply press them onto your nails and trim them to match the length, no UV lamp needed. “For me, these last for a week, instead of the two weeks it says on the box, but I’m happy with it,” Jess wrote.
Ninja Slow Cooker
Ninja Foodi 8 in 1 Slow Cooker
Sometimes, when it’s really miserable outside, and you’re really miserable inside, a slice of toast just won’t do the trick. You need “anything from pancakes and waffles to slow-cooked roasts,” as powered by the all-rounder Ninja. In our guide to the best slow cookers, Joan Gould declared the Ninja “a triumph of function, style and value — especially if you can get one at a discount,” though a healthy (and hungry) number of you chose to snap it up at full price rather than wait for Black Friday.
LED mask
Shark Cryo Glow
LED masks aren’t cheap, but these light therapy devices have flown off the shelves thanks to their purported ability to smooth skin, improve elasticity, and reduce blemishes. In our guide to the best LED masks, Sarah Matthews tested 10 masks and found that Shark CryoGlow — yes, from people who vacuum — is the most effective for targeting multiple skin concerns. “The blemish setting did a great job of calming blemishes and redness with continued use,” she wrote. “I also loved using the maintain mode for a quick refresher to brighten my skin before going out at night.”
For more, read How to Stay Warm This Fall: 42 Small, Cozy Updos