Bailey Meyers

The Microsoft Xbox One S is the smaller, lighter follow-up to the XBox One--and the changes made result in several key differences, which can be viewed as good or bad depending on the consumer. First of all, its appearance is top notch. The clean white frame and circular vents (as opposed to the standard slats that you'll see on other machines) result in a genuinely attractive machine. Another improvement: clear buttons on the front of the machine. The XBox ...

The XBox One S offers 4K video support, HDR, and Blu-Ray support. It all looks amazing.

I love my Playstation 4. The graphic and audio quality is excellent, and it boasts an intimidatingly extensive library. If I had one gripe, it would be accessory quality--I had my PS4 for only a few months when the included controller began malfunctioning so badly I had to replace it. Beyond that, I have no complaints. It's the ideal system for streaming--far more so than its competitors--and has fast online functionality as well (for all your MMO needs).

One of my controllers lasted only a few months before it needed to be replaced. The other has been going strong for about a year.

Absolutely perfect. No complaints.

The PS4 isn't backwards compatible in the traditional sense--you can't just pop in a PS3 disc and start playing. However, Sony's online membership service, PlayStation Now, offers hundred of games from previous systems that you can stream on your system.

Simply put, the best system for VR games. The PS4 has the most game options, as well as the best visual quality, allowing for a fully immersive experience.

In my opinion this is the best system out there. From games to media streaming to connecting with your friends, the PS4 does it all.      ProsThe PS4 has the best exclusive games in my opinion, in particular the Uncharted Series, The Last of Us, God of War and Marvel's Spiderman.Versatility. I'm able to use it, not only as a gaming console but also as a media center where I can stream content...

Tatcha is a high-end Japanese beauty brand offering top tier skincare and makeup products designed to help with a variety of concerns. I find their products to be of consistently good quality, and have particularly liked using the Deep Cleanse, the Water Cream, and the Rice Polish (I use the gentle kind because my skin is really sensitive, and it works great). The only issue I run into with them is that their prices tend to be pretty high, but for the quality of product I'd considered the mon...

Complimentary international shipping is offered for all orders over $250. Otherwise, it costs $25 to ship to Canada, and $35 to ship to all other countries (with the exception of Russia, Spain, N. Korea, Turkey, Kosovo, Iran, Iraq, and Cuba, which they do not ship to).

Soko Glam is an online beauty and skincare retailer that specializes in Korean products (or K-Beauty). They have a well-curated selection of products from high-quality brands, and frequently spotlight products, making it easy to determine what might be best for you even if you've never ventured into the waters of K-Beauty before. Their prices are very reasonable, and their products have truly saved my skin! Highly recommend this brand.

Soko Glam offers free domestic shipping after $35 and free shipping to Canada after $75.

Soko Glam accepts a variety of different payment methods, including PayPal.

In addition to domestic US shipping, Soko Glam currently ships to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.

Warby Parker offers relatively inexpensive ($95 including prescription lenses, with pricier options for transition or progressive lenses), stylish eyewear suitable for a variety of face shapes and vision needs. If you can't make it to one of their brick and mortar stores, their home try-on is a really excellent way to shop around for your perfect frames (without leaving your house). Warby Parker will send you up to five pairs (free shipping), which you can keep for five days while you decide ...

Warby Parker's home try-on feature is unique to their business model and a great way to figure out which frames you like best (without the high pressure and harsh lighting that you're likely to find in other glasses stores).

You don't pay for shipping at any point in the process.

Some of the Warby Parker storefronts in major cities offer in-house eye doctors that can give you an exam if you need your prescription.

H&M is a fast fashion retailer that offers a variety of styles of clothes, including both casual and business garments. Though they have a wide and ever-changing selection, their clothes tend to be fairly low quality, and are not produced ethically. H&M is a fine option if you're looking for something cheap and trendy, and certainly better than some of their fast fashion competitors, but for well-made clothing that will hold up after multiple wears, you may want to look elsewhere.

H&M has a plus size line with hundreds of styles, but sizes are slightly limited as they only go up to 4XL for tops and 30 for pants. Additionally, many of the styles are offered only online.

H&M ships to 74 different countries (including the United States).

PROS:-Wide, organized selection of high quality products-Easy returns-Membership rewards-Regular promotions and samplesCONS:-More expensive than competitors-Store-brand products are relatively low quality-Little independent brand representation--PRO: SELECTIONStepping into a Sephora is an experience unto itself--aisle upon aisle of every beauty brand you could imagin...

The Ordinary sells ethically produced, reasonably priced, high-quality skincare products, and it's absolutely changed my skin for the better! Not only are their products effective, the bulk of them cost less than $10/each, which is practically unheard of when it comes to good skincare products. I personally love the Azelaic Acid cream--couldn't recommend more!

The Ordinary has an effective line of anti-aging products, including "Buffet", Granactive Retinoid 2% or 5% in Squalane, and 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil, which all work together to give you excellent, youthful skin.

The Ordinary has a lot of products that deal with redness, including Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, and Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10%.

I've been to Drybar a few times now and I've always had a wonderful experience. The stylists are thoughtful and friendly, and they make my hair look amazing--plus, a free glass of champagne is always a nice bonus! My only gripe is the limited number of styles in the lookbook, though I do appreciate the stylists' flexibility when it comes to customizing the looks to suit each customer's personal style.

If you are part of the "Barfly" membership program, you will receive a free blowout in your birthday month. However, membership is pricy, typically about $85/month depending on your location, so this isn't like a cool, free bonus.

Glossier is really excellent for "no-makeup" makeup looks. Though they recently began selling products with bolder, more dramatic colors, the thing they do best is definitely the products designed to highlight your natural beauty. Their prices are really reasonable, their products are well-made, and I've never felt more confident about my eyebrows in my life. All in all, one of my favorite beauty stores.

Got these as a Christmas present and love them! Unlike previous Apple headphones, these actually stay in my ear. The sound isolation is amazing, I can fully block outside sounds or hear some of them (which is safe for running).

I love my new AirPods Pro! I was really skeptical of wireless earbuds, but have found that these are way better than any wired pair I've had in the past. The noise canceling is almost disconcertingly good, and the sound quality is top-notch. They're also extremely easy to pair with my other Apple products, which is a huge plus for me!

I was really worried I would struggle to pair these with my iPhone. (I'm not used to Bluetooth devices and assumed it would be difficult.) However, as soon as I put them on, my iPhone sensed them and suggested pairing. It was literally no effort at all.

The sound isolation turns on once you have both earbuds in, and it's very easy to tell how effective it is when all background noise completely vanishes.

Nordstrom is a department store offering a variety of high-end goods, including apparel, accessories, makeup, and shoes. Because they house myriad different brands, quality can vary (particularly in their teen line), but all in all Nordstrom is a reliable source for high-quality purchases. Additionally, the in-store experience is very pleasant--dressing rooms are comfortable, employees are kind and attentive, and there's usually some sort of restaurant or bar if you need a break from shopping...

Nordstrom offers a credit card that has loyalty points and offers discounts/special sales/etc. However, there is no available option for shoppers who don't want to sign up for another credit card.

Nordstrom makes it extremely easy to return items, so you never have to worry about being stuck with something you don't like.

Yes, a subscription is required to access Nintendo Online. However, it's only about $5/month and you get Tetris 99 for free when you subscribe, so it's well worth it!

PlayStation Plus costs $60/year--only $5/month. A really great deal for everything you get access to!

Sadly, the Nintendo Switch (much like all previous Nintendo systems) is not backwards compatible at all. However, you can access older games via their online membership system.

I really love my Switch! I appreciate its versatility--the ability to effortlessly change from handheld to tv has been great for things like travel days--and really enjoy the games available for it. There are a couple downsides to the Switch (fewer available games, laggy if you try to stream with it) but nothing that really stands in the way of a truly enjoyable gaming experience.

Good if you're playing locally but fairly laggy if you're trying to stream.

I'm trying to buy a gift for my boyfriend and I'd love some guidance here--he has a wide range of interests, so almost any kind of box could be good. There are just too many to choose from!

I love my Playstation 4. The graphic and audio quality is excellent, and it boasts an intimidatingly extensive library. If I had one gripe, it would be accessory quality--I had my PS4 for only a few months when the included controller began malfunctioning so badly I had to replace it. Beyond that, I have no complaints about this system.

Graphics are excellent and I've experienced very little lag. The PS4 is especially good for streaming--far better than other competing gaming systems.

I'd like to upgrade my phone (I currently have an iPhone 8) but all the newest phones on the market seem similarly high-quality to me. Should I just get the next iPhone, or is it worth checking out another brand, like the Samsung Galaxy or the Google Pixel?

I think it's fairly user-friendly, but more could be done to organize the available content.

The problem with Postmates is that they frequently change their order minimums and delivery fees. They had "Postmates Party" for a while, which let you order food from a restaurant other people were already ordering from without paying for delivery and without order minimums. Then they introduced a $10 minimum. Since then, it's been upped to a $15 minimum, which is basically just the normal delivery minimum, so there's no longer any real point to the Party feature.

On par with or cheaper than other high quality makeup brands.

I use PayPal almost every time--it's integrated well in the checkout process and saves me a lot of time.