Weekly Pickups: A new way to onion, cooling eyeshadow, and more
Plus: A granola actually worth trying
Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
Happy Halloween!! 🎃 🍬🧛
Today, I (Jenna) will be dressed up as my favorite CPG of all time: Tums. This is not a joke. I am quite literally dressing up as an antacid, and if you know me, you know that this is (unfortunately) unsurprising.
While I may not be the spookiest this season, I do know something that is: your brand vanishing into a ghost in all of the noise during this time.
But the brands that actually break through? They’re using content that feels less like an ad…and more like a genuine recommendation.
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They handle the full process: sourcing creators, writing briefs, negotiations, and production. All you have to do is ship product and run media—and they deliver scroll-stopping content.
With BFCM a month out (!!), now is the time to amplify your creative!!
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Now, let’s get into what we’ve been loving this week →
Jenna’s Pickup:
ONOIN - Garlic & Herb
Some of the best consumer products are just really… simple. They’re not reinventing the wheel. They’re just ways to make your life a little easier (and/or tastier) in a way you may not have thought of yourself. Right now, my favorite example of that is ONOIN.
Yes, pre-chopped onions exist. But ONOIN is a major uplevel from that sad, plastic container of diced onions you find in the even-sadder chopped veg section of the grocery store. It’s a luxe experience from the jar itself (look at that gorgeous branding!!!!) to its culinary-level contents.
Quick Facts: A shelf-stable jar packed with chopped onions par-cooked in 100% olive oil, with added flavor from real ingredients (like lemon, herbs, vinegar, and jalapeño).
Reasons to love:
For the at-home ambitious. The base of every good recipe is garlic, onions, and herbs. So if you’re an ambitious at-home cook, you probably find yourself chopping onions far more than you’d like, then wasting away over the stove until they turn translucent. ONOIN just gave you a solid 15 minutes back, without sparing a drop of flavor. Though I’ve been loving the Garlic & Herb flavor (I recently used it to transform stir-fried edamame), I’m especially excited to try the Ginger Lemongrass for my next tofu curry dish.
Tear-free :’) I know some (most) of you reading this hate cutting onions. No one has ever had a good time cutting onions, despite how effortless some Food Network chefs make it look. Chopping onions is NO fun—to the point that I sometimes consider leaving alliums out of a recipe entirely (gasp!). Now, I have no excuse. Using ONOIN is a serious tear-saver, sparing home chefs from the pain of flavor.
Shapeshifter. ONOIN isn’t just a silly misspelling of the star ingredient—it’s also a play on how the product itself can be used: ON-or-IN your favorite recipes or foods. Whether you’re using it as a spread on a charcuterie board or to zhuzh up a go-to meal, ONOIN earns its spot in your cabinet. Marc, the awesome founder of ONOIN, shared some of his fave ways to use each SKU:
Garlic Herb + Sour Cream = Best Onion Dip, Garlic Herb + Cut Tomatoes = Bruschetta, Jalapeno Lime + Cut Tomatoes = “Salsa”, Jalapeno Lime + Avocado = Guacamole, Ginger Lemongrass - Add to fried rice, stir-fry, curry
The simplest, quality ingredients + global flavors. The OG flavor is just: Onions, Olive Oil, Salt, Lemon Juice, Vinegar. The secret is its simplicity.
Where to buy: Online!!
Nate’s Pickup:
Kel’s Kitchen Table- Coconut Chai
I recently attended an event at Pop Up Grocer and met the wonderful founder of Kel’s Kitchen Table, a new small-batch granola brand made with nuts and seed butter. I’m constantly trying new granolas because they don’t all hit the same—wrong texture, taste, sweetness levels, flavors—but I’m adding this one to my list of favorites!
(also if you enjoy the taste of coconut, this peanut butter from Cocomo is also very fun)
Quick Facts: A woman-owned business that grafts small batch granola made with whole-grain oats, nuts, and seeds. With flavors like Maple Pumpkin, Chocolate Cherry Cashew, and Coconut Chai.
Reasons to love:
The right kind of granola (for me). It’s not those tooth-breaking clumps of compressed oats and nuts. These are crunchy, almost fluffy clusters of mostly oats that mix perfectly in something like yogurt.
Flavor that delivers. I have tried so many damn granolas. I’ve even tried making it myself (which was just me burning a bunch of oats and nuts). A lot of the granolas I’ve tried tend to fall flat or two things texture and flavor. Kel’s nails both but especially flavor. So many granolas that promise big flavor and deliver...generic granola taste. But when Kel says Coconut Chai, she means just that. Warm spices that hit immediately and pair so well together.
Maple syrup is the ultimate sweetener. I really think it is. I think it might be my favorite sweetener next to honey. It’s so highly underrated in my opinion. It bring a lovely depth that regular sugar doesn’t always hit, and it really pairs perfectly with all the other ingredients that you’d find in any granola.
Where to buy: Online and at Pop Up Grocer
✨ Special Guest ✨ Regan Jayne Plekenpol
We’re so excited to finally feature friend of the newsletter, Regan! Regan formerly studied consumer behavior change at Harvard Law School, and is now building the future of brand-customer relationships as the cofounder and President of rediem—the community platform used by some of the coolest brands in the industry.
Let's dive into her pick! →
What is it? GoGo Cooling Shimmer Eyeshadow from Tower 28. I got shades Troubadour & Whisky.
Where'd you purchase it, and why that channel? I’m a credo loyalist (I’m talking 10k+ loyalty points level-fan). They had their friends & family sale this weekend so I visited my upper east side shop. I like shopping beauty IRL for a few reasons: 1) I love the sales associates & seek their expertise on cool new products to try 2) I hope the in-person team can get commission vs. me shopping online 3) beauty is particularly fun to try on, experience, smell, and sample in person!
What about this product intrigued you? Consideration period was about 12 seconds - my pal at the store immediately pulled out the new product and said she was loving it. I already swear by Tower28’s mascara, so knew the brand delivered; loved the idea of irritation-free glitter. Plus, I trust that any brand at Credo meets my personal bar for clean, ethical, and sustainable. The curated experience makes values-aligned shopping so seamless.
Why do you love it? The ‘cooling’ element is so unique! The glitter has staying power and is super versatile - beyond eye makeup, I’ve been using it as a subtle cheek highlight or sparkle on decolletage. Also, the stick is super convenient application for people on the go!
Anything else you’d like to share? Quick plug for clean beauty: being thoughtful about what we put on our skin is so important, as certain chemicals can be absorbed into the body and enter systemic circulation; some synthetic fragrances also contain ingredients linked to endocrine disruption. To me, ‘clean’ extends to planetary impact: there are so many lovely clean beauty brands that are thoughtful about packaging sustainability, refills/circularity, recyclability (Tata Harper, soshe, OSEA, Atmo, Exponent, Emma Lewisham, AKT, Rahua…list goes on!) AND BONUS at Credo you get loyalty points for recycling your empties (of any brand) with PACT.
We are now posting our podcast weekly, diving into the latest stories around consumer brands and retail! Be sure to check out our most recent one here!
Why plant-based cheese can't work (right now)
Welcome back to The Curious Consumer! In our (now) weekly episode, we break down the latest news in consumer brands and retail. Today, we get into:
Thanks for reading! Anything you think we should try for an upcoming edition of Express Checkout? Email us at nate@expresscheckout.co and jenna@expresscheckout.co