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Welcome to The Empties Edit, a roundup of the products our beauty director Shannon Lawlor finishes to the last drop every month. Shannon tests hundreds of products every year, so only the ones she really adores reach “empty” status. Consider The Empties Edit your definitive shopping list of the best beauty products money can buy.
You don’t have to know me well to know that I appreciate the finer things when it comes to my beauty routine. I live for little luxuries and silly frivolities that put joy first and necessity last. Whether it be ludicrously luxurious candles and reed diffusers or triple-figure face serums that put experience over efficacy, I’ll take it all.
With this in mind, the following edition of The Empties Edit might surprise you. Why? Because the six products I emptied every last drop of recently have all been entirely useful and serious. By my standards, these products seem somewhat “basic” or “unsexy”, but that’s not to say they’re not great. They’re so great, in fact, that despite having countless new products at my fingertips, I gobbled them up. And I will buy them again, and again, and again. So, without any further ado, behold: the six beauty empties I’d highly recommend everyone invest in.
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1. Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo
Olaplex
No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo
My fine, straight, thin hair doesn’t mesh with dry shampoo—most formulas weigh it down and leave things, somehow, looking dirtier. This stuff from Olaplex, however, fills my heart (and my hair) with joy. It is in no way chalky or weighty. Instead, it simply dusts roots with a lightweight wash of all-absorbing formula, delivering a little bit of volume as it works. Forget heavy, gritty dry shampoo, this stuff is new-gen.
2. Malin + Goetz Eucalyptus Hand & Body Scrub
Malin + Goetz
Eucalyptus Hand and Body Scrub
A hand soap might not be the most glamorous product in the world, but this stuff has me swimming in compliments from guests whenever they visit. It is a bathroom favourite of mine and regularly makes a sink-side appearance. The scent is invigoratingly fresh, but the best bit is the grit-lather ratio—it gives me a pep in my step after every use and contributes to softer hands, too.
3. Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara
Lancôme
Hypnôse Mascara
This Lancôme mascara is widely considered the best ever made, and I wholeheartedly agree. The joy of Hypnôse is that it delivers a truly lengthened, more voluminous lash without ever feeling like too much. It is, in my opinion, the ultimate French-girl mascara. Whenever someone asks me for a mascara recommendation and they’re not entirely sure on what they’re after, this one is always my answer—you simply can’t go wrong. If your lids are oily and you often find your mascara runs, the waterproof option will be for you.
4. The Inkey List Hydrating Cream-to-Milk Cleanser
The Inkey List
Hydrating Milk Cleanser
If you have dry skin and adore a gentle cream cleanser, then please look no further than this affordable option from The Inkey List. It is the single most fabulous cream cleanser I have ever used. For my oily skin, I found it worked best as either a first cleanse to melt away makeup at the end of the day or as the perfect morning cleanser to avoid any skin-barrier disruption. I massage it into dry skin and then add a splash of water to witness it transform into a beautifully melting milk. What’s more? It’s fragrance-free, so rubbing it over my eyes causes no problems at all.
5. AOTROM Mere Candle
AOTROM
Mere Scented Wax Candle
This candle brand was new to me this month, and I’m so thrilled I discovered it. Not only does the silver, mirrored vessel and sleek black labelling make this one of the coolest-looking candles I’ve ever come across, but the scent itself was a total joy. With sandalwood, musk and vanilla, combined with saffron, cedarwood and amber, it has a creamy yet fresh (almost fig-like) scent that fills the entire room. It is the ultimate spring welcoming.
6. Rituals The Ritual of Jing Relaxing Body Scrub
Rituals
The Ritual of Jing Magnesium & Salt Body Scrub
I scrub my entire body, top to toe, every single night, and this body scrub is one of my favourites ever. The tea-like scent no-doubt proves relaxing, but it’s the formula that wins it for me. The composition is old-school—salt crystals swimming in oil—and it works. The salt delivers a true grit that gets to work on tired limbs and dull skin, while the oil blend nourishes and hydrates. Trust me, this stuff means business in the best sort of way.
