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Bluedot Living’s BuyBetter Marketplace newsletter includes affiliate links, including to Amazon. If you purchase a product through one of our links, we may earn a commission. These commissions help us fund the great journalism that you see on Bluedot. Thank you for supporting us! |
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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.
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We hope your year feels full of possibility.
(United Archives GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo) |
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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:
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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
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Our Reader’s Most-Shopped Items of 2024 |
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Plastic-Free Pucker
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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. |
| SHOP ON AMAZON |
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Skin-Centric Beauty
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Waste-Free Skin and Hair Care
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Super-Soft Skivvies
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Shirt-Jackets That Do It All
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Focus on Food Waste
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Toss Less Trash
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Powerful, Concentrated Cleaning
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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TP That Gives Back
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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. |
| SHOP TODAY |
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Paid Advertisement with Tovala |
An answer to every “What’s for dinner?” question: That’s Tovala.
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Imagine coming home and not having to worry about “What’s for dinner?” Instead, you can enjoy a freshly cooked meal and never have to compromise on quality, taste, or your time. (We think you deserve all those good things.) Tovala is the revolutionary meal delivery service + smart oven that’s making breakfast, lunch, dinner—pretty much every meal—easier than ever. With Tovala, you can enjoy chef-crafted meals that arrive fresh to your door and skip your weekly—or daily—trips to the store. Plus, every meal cooks like magic with the scan of a QR code in just 25 minutes and with only one minute of prep. Get started now with your Tovala Smart Oven. |
| Shop now. |
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If you’re joining the legions trying Dry January, you don’t have to give up celebrating special occasions. Try this flavorful, easy-to-make mojito mocktail from Bluedot contributing editor Catherine Walters. In addition to tasting great, it leaves a light impact on the Earth.
Get the recipe here.
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Paid Advertisement with NativePath |
Start the New Year off Strong with NativePath
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New year, new you! This winter, kickstart your wellness journey with NativePath Collagen Powder. With its potent formula, you’ll experience stronger joints, improved skin elasticity, and better muscle recovery. Whether your resolution is to stay active or to take better care of your skin, NativePath Collagen is here to help you start the new year feeling your best.
Give yourself the gift of vitality as you head into the new year.
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| Begin your year with 55% off NativePath Grass-Fed Collagen! |
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Want to get in touch? I’d love to hear from you. Tell me about your favorite sustainable products, topics you’d like to see covered, or anything else that’s on your mind — email marketplace@bluedotliving.com.
I’ll see you again in two weeks.
– Elizabeth |
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Elizabeth Weinstein, Bluedot’s Marketplace Editor, lives in Manhattan with her husband; her papillon, Finley; and her cats, SanDeE* and Modell. When she’s not asking the folks at Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom to try on all of their sustainable sneakers in a size 9½, she can be found at the Union Square Greenmarket or gardening on her rooftop terrace. |
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Paid Advertisement with Babbel |
Start Speaking a New Language in 3 Weeks
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Whether you’re studying abroad, dreaming of future travel, or just feeling the itch to learn something new this fall, now’s the time to start speaking a new language with Babbel. From Spanish and French to Italian, the Babbel method focuses on learning through speaking. With just 10 minutes a day, you could start having actual conversations in 3 weeks. Bluedot Living readers can use this exclusive link to get up to 55% off today! |
| Get up to 55% off today! |
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