Weekly Pickups: A way to smell great, fruit that’s candy, and more...
Ft. Kaleigh Moore
Welcome back to Weekly Pickups!
After 3 years of TikTok comments everywhere complaining that olive oil shouldn’t be put in plastic, Graza finally did it—they released their same iconic squeeze bottles in glass!
Nate made a whole TikTok about it and the comments were…spicy.
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A lot of people were saying (in various ways) “you’re buying the brand, not the product.” And most of the time, yes. But in all honesty, this is true for so many things.
We’ll be digging into this more on a long-form video coming soon—so send us your thoughts! What makes you choose brand over product? When does product actually win? We want to hear it all.
For now, let’s get into what we’ve been loving this week →
Nate’s Pickups
Wellious Almond Protein Powder
I'll admit it…I'm a whey protein loyalist. Always have been. Plant-based powders usually never really hit the mark. But not Wellious.
Quick Facts: Premium almond-based protein powder made with real cacao (not "natural chocolate flavor"), real vanilla beans, and sweetened with monk fruit. No artificial anything.
Reasons to love:
It doesn't taste plant-based (in the best way). This is the protein powder that made me forget I'm basically drinking almonds. It blends like a dream! No clumps, no grittiness, just smooth chocolatey (or vanilla) goodness. If you've been burned by chalky plant proteins before, this is your redemption arc.
Just 4 ingredients. While other brands have ingredient lists that read like chemistry textbooks, Wellious keeps it to four things you can actually pronounce: Cold-pressed almond protein for that smooth texture, chickpea protein to complete the amino acids, real cacao (not "chocolate flavor"), and monk fruit for sweetness. That's all.
Born from actual need, not market opportunity. Most protein powders are made by the same labs for multiple brands, which is why they can often taste the same. Wellious’s founder couldn't find what they wanted, so they literally developed it themselves after a decade in food development.
Where to buy: wellious.com
Huron - deodorant and matching Eau de Parfum
Quick Facts: Premium men's grooming brand that pairs deodorants with matching fragrances. Think of it as a scent wardrobe rather than just another stick of deodorant. Founded by industry veterans who know what actually works.
Reasons to love:
The scent game is unmatched. All their scents are genuinely great, which makes choosing just one impossible. Each fragrance works for different seasons and occasions. I had the chance to attend their 4th birthday party recently and got to preview some upcoming scents in the pipeline. It's wildly impressive how much thought goes into each one.
They're riding the men's skincare wave perfectly. Men's skincare is finally having its moment. Over half of US men now use facial skincare products (a 68% jump from 2022), and 42% of guys 18-34 are choosing premium over drugstore brands. Huron positioned themselves perfectly for this shift. They're not making "cologne for bros" but creating a legitimate grooming experience that guys actually want.
The founders actually give a damn. Meeting both Matt’s (yes both founders are Matt) sealed the deal for me. Matt T. spent decades at luxury brands learning what works, and it shows in every product. This isn't some VC-backed, growth-at-all-costs situation—it's two guys who genuinely want to make products they'd use themselves!
Where to buy: usehuron.com or in select H.E.B’s
Jenna’s Pickup
True Dates - Cookie Dough Dates
I first discovered these gems at Expo West, and lost my mind over them (the poor sweet brand ambassador did not know what to do with my enthusiasm). When I learned it was a Denmark-based brand, I figured I may never see them again—resigning our love affair to more of a fling.
So you can imagine how thrilled I was to reunite with True Dates this past weekend in Home Goods of all places (side note: there are some sneaky cool brands hiding on the Home Goods shelves… more thoughts on this to come at a later date).
Quick Facts: Pitted dates transformed into candy with a deliciously sweet, cookie-flavored coating made from inulin (chicory root), almonds, coconut oil, and natural flavors (a contentious ingredient, I know).
Reasons to love:
Breakfast dessert. I have a (massive) sweet tooth, and am always looking for a reason to have a ~ little sweet treat ~ at any remotely justifiable hour. I joke that I need dessert after every meal, and True Dates gives me an acceptable reason to have the coveted Breakfast Dessert™️—it’s literally just dates and sugar-free sweetener/flavoring, nothing overly-rich or chocolate-coated. What better way to start your day than with a fiber-filled, (mostly) natural treat?
A new way to enjoy dates. The whole chocolate-covered nut-butter-filled date craze has been in full swing for a minute now, and while I love this trend, I do think it’s getting a bit… tired. Dates are so versatile!! I want innovation!! And True Dates is bringing it. I love that their flavors take inspiration from real candy (like Sour Cola and Sweet Peach)—this one is reminiscent of that Cookie Dough Bites movie theater candy!
Where to buy: Amazon, True Dates’ website, and (apparently) Home Goods!
✨ Special Guest ✨ Kaleigh Moore
We're thrilled to have Kaleigh Moore join us for this week's picks! Kaleigh is a freelance writer who's spent the last decade covering ecommerce and retail for publications like Vogue Business, Forbes, and Fast Company, working with brands from Amazon to Shopify Plus. With her finger on the pulse of fashion, beauty, and luxury trends (plus a keen eye for what's actually worth buying), we knew she'd have some killer product discoveries to share.
Let's dive into her weekly pickup! →
What was your favorite pickup this week? I'm very into CANN's Lemon Lavender social tonic right now. It's very low-dose THC and CBD--good flavor on this one, and it's nice there's a pouch format so you can add it to a drink on the go, or they have the canned version.
What about this product intrigued you? I've tried a few of these THC/CBD drinks lately and this is the best flavor I've found. It's a very small dose, so it doesn't make you weird or jittery, and I've found it to be a nice swap for something that has a mellowing factor as I'm drinking alcohol way less. Great founder story, too--a LGBTQ+ founder with a background in finance who really seems to know what he's doing!
Where did you purchase it, and why that channel? Online! It's not sold in a lot of stores, so it's just the easiest way.
Why do you love it? I like this flavor combo because it's subtle and fresh--some of their other flavors are a bit more "out there" but this one can go with almost anything--water, lemonade, matcha--it blends nicely as a mixer and is great on its own!
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