If you pay attention while walking through the skin-care aisles at Sephora, you’ll notice that nearly every vitamin C serum has the word “brightening” on its label. For years, I fell for the marketing, testing one formula after another, convinced that the next would finally erase the dark spots that started showing up on my…

In the final of our three-part series about how to use your phone better, we walk through a few hidden phone settings our experts swear by. Plus: how to stay off your phone. I am about one time-sucked, completely lost afternoon away from chucking my phone into the sea. And what is it I’m doing…

There’s a lot a tailor can do to make a suit fit you better. But a tailor cannot fix a garment that, at its core, is the wrong size or cut for your body. “If you don’t get the initial fit right, you’re never going to — no matter how much money you pour into…

Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Top pick This grinder offers a safe, affordable, quiet, and cordless way to trim your pooch’s nails. The Dremel PawControl 7760-PGK is the best dog nail grinder because it’s fast enough to shorten nails quickly but still easy to control. We also like that it is rechargeable and quiet, and that it…

This is not a comprehensive list of everything we tested in previous iterations of this guide, just what’s still available. Waffle One wash was enough to knock out the Boll & Branch Women’s Waffle Robe (emerged with distorted cuffs), the unisex Riley Hooded Waffle Robe (shrank so much it was no longer wearable), and the…

What makes a great bag is really personal, even when you’re talking about bags meant to go on bikes. I often find that no matter how many bags I have, I need (okay, want) them all, and I believe it’s because each one does a slightly different task perfectly. As much as I wish I…

Top pick This yogurt had our tasters swooning over its rich, velvety texture and sweet cream flavor. But the steep price and small size might make it a splurge rather than a staple. Although I didn’t participate in our taste test to help determine the best plain yogurt (I’m too biased), I wasn’t surprised when…

We were impressed with the ankle stability of The North Face Chilkat V 400, but we found them heavy, and they were too stiff to drive in comfortably. The Baffin Escalate women’s boot has a similar construction as our women’s pick, the Baffin Cloud, but at a slightly lower price. It doesn’t have the same…

CHRISTINE: I’m Christine Cyr Clisset. CAIRA: I’m Caira Blackwell. ROSIE: I’m Rosie Guerin, and you’re listening to The Wirecutter Show. Hey there, it’s Rosie. I realize this might sound hyperbolic, but today’s bonus episode could quite literally help save your life. For most of my life, I’ve harbored an irrational fear of death by carbon…

My mom is the opposite of materialistic — she wants everything to be useful, and she already has too many T-shirts, mugs, and books. She’s not girly at all. Here’s what she does like: coffee, Star Trek, planes, the space program, old cars, baseball, cats, being Jewish, travel, and NYC. But I want to avoid…