Plus how we pack our beach bags.
The Strategist

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August 03, 2026

 

What Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak Can’t Live Without

What Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak Can’t Live Without

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photo: Getty Images, Joe McKendry

Today we have what might be our funniest What I Can’t Live Without as of yet. Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak — who recently relaunched their wellness podcast, Poog — returned to tell us about everything they (still) can’t live without, plus some new additions to their lists. There’s Berlant’s rosacea-management essentials (“I’m really into green tint underneath makeup. This primer is excellent”) and the automatic cat feeder Novak uses, but not for her cats.

And naturally, as best friends, they have a few things they both can’t live without, which they shared in a joint list, including the denim sun hat that’s “not too humiliating” and the “ride-or-die backpack” Novak had to convince Berlant to wear. “Kate said it would make her look completely desexualized, and I told her it was her responsibility to transcend the backpack. If a utilitarian bag can ruin your style, you need to work harder to elevate the rest of your look,” says Novak. You can read the full list here.

Also on the site:

 
  • This sex pillow makes a great office chair.
  • How we pack our beach bags.
  • 3-D printers anyone can use.
  • Under-$250 window ACs to get you through the last month of summer.
 

Oh, and one more thing: The Strategist Kids’ Department is giving away a $200 gift card to Misha & Puff! Enter the sweepstakes by signing up for the Strategist Kids’ Department newsletter here (or reentering your email address if you’re already a subscriber). Entries are open now until August 23. Participants must subscribe to the Strategist Kids’ Department to be eligible to win.

Ashley Wolfgang

Ashley Wolfgang

Newsletter Editor, the Strategist

Today's Sales

DEAL OF THE DAY

A Rainbow of Owala Bottles for Up to 36 Percent Off

From safety-cone orange to all-black.

A Rainbow of Owala Bottles for Up to 36 Percent Off

MORE SALES

Owalas and Backpacks Galore Are on Sale for Back-to-School

We also found great deals on Levi’s, all sorts of Nike gear, school supplies, and more.

Owalas and Backpacks Galore Are on Sale for Back-to-School

SAW SOMETHING, SAID SOMETHING

What Tracee Ellis Ross Wore for Every Brilliant Thing

What Tracee Ellis Ross Wore for Every Brilliant Thing

Photo: Liza Corsillo 

 

“I took my mom to see Tracee Ellis Ross in her Broadway debut in Every Brilliant Thing yesterday and was blown away by the show, which relies heavily on audience participation, and by Ellis Ross’s wonderful performance. I also noticed that she was wearing four of the products we talked about when I interviewed her for our celebrity-shopping series What I Can't Live Without. She had on a dusty purple Free City T-shirt that made me understand her devotion to the brand, a truly inspirational pair of Levi's Vintage 1950's 701 Jeans, some Asics Gel Kayano sneakers with orange and black details, and her signature Mac Ruby Woo red lipstick.” —Liza Corsillo, senior writer

 

More From the Strategist

I Tested 20 Lip and Cheek Stains to Find the 3 Best

They really do last all day.

I Tested 20 Lip and Cheek Stains to Find the 3 Best

What Hair-care Founder Khalyla Kuhn Buys at the Drugstore

“Once you use them, regular tissues feel barbaric.”

What Hair-care Founder Khalyla Kuhn Buys at the Drugstore

I Slept Through the Night in Susan Orlean’s Favorite Earbuds

Ozlo’s newly relaunched Sleepbuds are comfortable, even for side sleepers.

I Slept Through the Night in Susan Orlean’s Favorite Earbuds

I’m Replacing My Birkenstock Bostons With These Nicer-Looking Slip-ons

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I’m Replacing My Birkenstock Bostons With These Nicer-Looking Slip-ons

The 24 Best Things Strategist Staffers Bought in July

“It’s the perfect just-oversize-enough fit, and the brown color is very nice.”

The 24 Best Things Strategist Staffers Bought in July

We Stopped 39 New Yorkers to Ask About Their Summer Sandals

We took to the street to find the flip-flops, strappy heels, and orthopedic sandals everyone’s wearing during the city’s swampiest season.

We Stopped 39 New Yorkers to Ask About Their Summer Sandals

The Soundcore Space 2s Are My New Favorite Budget Headphones

They sound much better than you would expect from the price.

The Soundcore Space 2s Are My New Favorite Budget Headphones
 

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