From the perfect gardening tools to £8 mascara, what you loved most this month

The year always seems to pick up pace in spring, with the big house and garden tidy-up becoming all-consuming. The early spring sunshine has been wonderful (for those of us lucky enough to have seen some), though it does accelerate the pressure to ready your garden for the summer ahead.

I spent winter trying not to look out of the window, fearing that most of the plants I’d optimistically bought last summer wouldn’t make it. So it’s a wonderful feeling to have the garden open up again – and many of you seem to agree. We were taken aback by the popularity of our pieces on how to get your garden ready for summer and the best secateurs to help you with the spring tidy.

It’s also time to dust the cobwebs off your summer wardrobe, and perhaps breathe new life into it with a few fresh items, whether that’s a “sexy spring sweater”, some viral barrel-leg trousers or an £8 mascara. (Or, if you prefer to shop secondhand, read our recent guide to buying vintage clothing.)

The bargain mascara

L’Oréal Paradise Big Deal volumising mascara
£8 at Amazon

Former beauty editor and self-proclaimed mascara obsessive Sabine Wiesel has been on a lifelong hunt for the best mascaras. After retesting 25 of her favourites and five of the latest launches, she pulled together her ultimate edit for the Filter. “Even those who consider themselves low-maintenance usually own a mascara,” she says. “It seems no one is immune to how effortlessly eye-framing a few coats can be.” That’s certainly true of Filter readers: Sabine’s bargain pick has been one of the fastest-selling products we’ve ever recommended, after she “fell for this mascara at first swipe”.

The best budget secateurs

Spear & Jackson Razorsharp Advantage bypass secateurs
£12.88 at Amazon

“Secateurs are the single most valued tool in the gardener’s trug, an implement as personally prized as the bricklayer’s trowel,” says Matt Collins, head gardener at London’s Garden Museum, in our roundup of the best secateurs. They’re particularly important in spring, “the time for cutting back perennials and grasses in advance of new growth”. These Spear & Jackson secateurs are “the most simply designed and hard-working budget secateurs I’ve had the pleasure of trying”, says Matt – and they’ve also been the most popular with our bargain-loving readers.

The lunch-break weeding tool

Niwaki hori hori knife
£32.95 at Sarah Raven

Ask any professional gardener about their favourite tool and you’ll hear repeatedly about the hori hori knife. Once again, gardening experts chose the hori hori as one of their favourite tools for getting your garden summer-ready: “It’s perfect for digging, cutting, weeding and planting, so you can get loads done even on a quick stroll or lunch break,” said garden designer Lulu Roper-Caldbeck.

The spring sweater

Boden Enid embroidered jumper
£112 at John Lewis

“I have so much love for a sexy jumper,” says Jess Cartner-Morley in her April style essentials. “Not easy to find, which is why ‘sexy jumper’ sounds a bit like an oxymoron,” she adds, but perfect for cooler evenings where you want a special top that doesn’t give you goose bumps. “I’d wear this out for dinner with a black cami underneath.”

The five-star-rated coconut milk

Biona organic coconut milk
£11.95 for 6 x 400ml at Amazon

“Buying a good-quality [coconut milk] – as opposed to one bolstered with sweeteners, emulsifiers and stabilisers – often makes the difference between a great dish and a bad one,” said restaurateur Ravinder Bhogal in her coconut milk taste test. So, of course, our readers’ favourite was “the Ferrari of coconut milks” from Biona, with 50% organic coconut and water the only ingredients.

The barrel-leg trousers

Jersey trousers
£34.90 at Uniqlo

First chosen by Jess Cartner-Morley as a way to look posh on a budget, these viral Uniqlo barrel-leg trousers were the most popular pick in our guide to women’s spring wardrobe essentials. We’re not surprised, as they’re so immensely wearable: both “casual enough for every day and smart enough for the office”.

The ultra-portable power bank

Anker Nano
£29.99 at Anker

“Quick, convenient and small enough to carry in a trouser pocket,” this teeny 102g power bank impressed our reviewer Pete Wise in his test of the best power banks. “No other power bank strikes the same balance between impressive charging speed and portability,” he says. “It’s the perfect fallback for the person whose phone never quite manages to stay powered through the day.” Its 5,000mAh capacity should be enough to give most phones a good top-up.

The best-value sunscreen

Altruist sunscreen SPF50
£27.95 for 1 litre at Amazon

“Without sunscreen, every anti-ageing skincare product is pointless,” says Sali Hughes in her ultimate guide to anti-ageing. This litre bottle from dermatologist-founded Altruist may seem expensive, but it “represents, millilitre for millilitre, some of the best value high-quality, broad-spectrum sunscreen on the market”.

The ‘glass hair’ gloss

Glaze Clear conditioning gloss
£15.99 at Amazon

Hayley Spencer asked the experts which beauty treatments are safe (and easy) to DIY at home – and “glass hair” was deemed achievable (as long as there’s no colour in it). “There’s nothing like that salon-fresh feeling of bouncy, shiny locks that have just been dyed,” she says. “After about a month, though, you’ll likely find that your hair looks a tad lacklustre. It’s probably because the gloss treatment, which coats the hair cuticles and adds nourishment and shine, has worn off.” Glaze’s Clear conditioning gloss can be used on dry hair and takes just 10 minutes to develop, giving your hair that “glass” shine at home.

The best budget walking pad

Rattantree shock-absorbing treadmill
£142.49 at Debenhams

Obviously no substitute for a walk outside in nature, but under-desk treadmills have become increasingly popular as a way to boost your daily steps while stuck at your desk. This Rattantree model is particularly accessible, at £142.49: “It’s a mega-value, fairly generic option that hails from China,” says fitness fanatic Leon Poultney in our roundup of the best walking pads. “It’s no surprise that it doesn’t offer all the bells and whistles of its pricier rivals. The build quality isn’t fantastic, but it is lightweight, an absolute doddle to use and covers the basics required by most working walkers.”

The Pollock-esque bud vase

Rainbow bud vase
From £12.50 at Etsy

A reader favourite from our roundup of colourful pick-me-ups to elevate your everyday, this bright and cheerful vase is designed to hold a single stem, or at most a small clutch of them. It’s an easy way to liven up your home on a budget. This one “turns the splatterware trend all the way up to 11”, according to fashion writer Ellie Violet Bramley.