Best Buys Of August

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Welp, now that summer has come and gone, it's time to put on our autumn pants and brace ourselves for the next wild chapter of 2020. But, before we strap on the [hiking] boots, let's play an end-of-month favorite — it's a little game we like to call, "Guess what goods Refinery29 readers carted the most this August."

For those who've yet to partake in this monthly shopping event, the rules are simple: after anonymously tracking all of the juicy purchase data from top-performing stories (including big sale roundups, coverage of the newest product drops, and passionate first-person trend pieces), we filter the product results and distill it down to the 29 bestsellers. The resulting list gives us a glimpse into the big and little buys that in one way or another shaped this end-of-summer month — whether it was a pair of near-viral status faux-leather leggings, a do-it-all piece of pink cookware that made its sold-out comeback, or a four-pack of $7 silicone face scrubbers that sensitive-skin-prone readers swear by.

Scroll on to ogle your fill of those aforementioned finds and more before diving nose-first into whatever fall 2020 is about to dump on us.

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Athleta Breathable Face Masks

This four-pack of breathable masks earned its wildly top-carted August spot due to its soft fabric and smartly designed interchangeable elastic binding that can be positioned anywhere from the nape of the neck to the crown of the head or wrapped around a ponytail in order to prevent hair snags and alleviate pressure on the backs of your ears.

Shop Athleta

Athleta Made to Move Mask 3 Pack, $, available at Athleta

Uniqlo AIRism Face Mask

While we're on the topic of breathable face masks that readers went absolutely bananas over in August: fan-favorite basic's brand Uniqlo launched a new collection of non-medical face mask this month that climbed the top-of-cart ranks. The no-frills-style coverings are crafted out of the brand's beloved AIRism material that is technology-backed to boast lightweight, moisture-wicking, and highly breathable benefits.

Shop UNIQLO

Amazon Silicone Face Scrubbers

This four-pack of silicone exfoliators that readers have been carting up on Amazon for $7 was first brought to light as a reader's hidden gem beauty buy that she swears by for using on her sensitive skin: "These scrubbers are so soft and simple but really effective in gently scrubbing my skin (I do it once before bed with water and my cream cleanser applied) and give me a noticeably clear and brighter complexion when I wake up in the morning. They also provide such a cute pop of color by my bathroom sink. And for $7 for a four-pack it totally beats spending too much money those pricier battery-powered Foreos — which, tbh, were too irritating for my skin anyway. I love that this one only provides the amount of pressure that you want to put on your skin with your own fingers."

Shop Amazon

INNERNEED Super Soft Silicone Face Scrubber (4-Pack), $, available at Amazon

Cole Haan Shoes

Cole Haan made its comeback in a big way onsite during the month of August — in addition to getting a recurring featured spot in our weekly bestseller series, it was also the star of a major Nordstrom Rack sale and the focus of a deep-dive our Shopping Writer did into its super-fan following. And now, it's getting cemented into August top-carted fame thanks to the readers who bought the beloved footwear more times than any other shoe this season.

This particular top-purchased pair of ever-popular (and perfect for fall) Grand Crosscourt sneaks boasts a 4.7 out of 5 stars and bursting raves reviews from "Love the color, comfort and classic style. Can be worn with dresses, skirt, pants, shorts, and leggings. So, pretty much anything." to "This shoe is very comfortable. The leather is soft and fits ‘like a glove’. It is also true to size. Love it!"

Shop Cole Haan

Cole Haan Grand Crosscourt Street Sneaker, $, available at Cole Haan

Parade Underwear

Although we covered its debut launch more than a few months back, Parade's sustainable, size-inclusive, and always stylish underwear collection resurfaced as a trending essential in readers' August's carts. The vibrant shades of everything from brief to cheeky, boy-short, and thong-style undies are a fresh WFH reminder that underwear can (and should be) sexy, fun, and still comfortable.

Shop Parade

Parade Brief, $, available at Parade

Ouai x Byredo Dry Shampoo

After our Beauty writer, Karina Hoshikawa, tried this richy-rich dry shampoo first hand, she (and the readers who followed cart suit) crowned it "perfect hair in a bottle." The luxe haircare baby, born out of a collab between Ouai and Byredo, offers optimal oil-absorbing and texture-enhancing benefits.

The kicker? It combines those perfect-hair essentials with Byredo's bestselling Mojave Ghost scent "reimagined" into a sensual-woodsy blend of sandalwood, magnolia, and cedar. Hello, fancy hair days.

Shop Ouai x Byredo

Ouai OUAI x BYREDO Super Dry Shampoo Mojave Ghost, $, available at Sephora

Cozy Sale Cardigan

Readers capitalized on August as a prime end-of-season deal-shopping month to snap up fall-wardrobe essentials for a fraction of their usual price. Case in point: cozy sale cardigans — as best exemplified here with ModCloth's super-fuzzy lavender style.

Shop ModCloth

ModCloth Feeling Warm and Fuzzy Cardigan, $, available at ModCloth

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF50+

Over at our UK HQ, beauty writer Jacqueline Kilkita uncovers the benefits of Glycerin in her post titled, The Underrated Ingredient That Makes Dull, Dry Skin Glow. She offers plenty of insight from skin expert and founder of sas Aesthetics, Dr. Saleki who suggested glycerin as a way to keep moisture under lock and especially great for oily-prone skin. Readers looking to give the plant-based ingredient a try mostly scooped up the affordable drugstore option of Cetaphil with SPF 50+.

Shop Cetaphil

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 50+, $, available at Amazon

SPANX Faux-Leather Leggings

Readers were all about bike shorts for summer, now we're about to get absolutely swarmed with a fall full of faux-leather-legging-clad work-from-homers. This sleek pair from SPANX is a year-round bestseller, but we saw sales rise and rise this month as shoppers get ready to transition their seasonal wardrobe staples.

Shop SPANX

SPANX Faux Leather Leggings, $, available at SPANX

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