A 40ish Beauty Junkie Reveals Her 15 Empties Of 2023
One is $14. One is $100. Both are perfect.
by Audie Metcalf
I am, how do you say? Ah, yes. A frenzied, obsessive, compulsive “collector” of beauty products.
If it’s new, I try it.
If it’s classic, I try it.
If it’s viral, I try it.
If you’ve heard of it, I’ve tried it.
But the interesting part of being a beauty hound who’s now in my 40s is that my requirements for products have shifted. Wildly. I have bigger demands. They have to gloss over wrinkles and be noticeably effective almost instantly and feel easy to use and work together in concert so that the end result equals a sort of effortless, I’ve-spent-no-time-at-all-but-look-at-my-glowing-body-and-après-ski skin kind of vibe because anything else feels overdone and desperate and bad to me now.
You’ll notice that my empties are much more in the skincare-y category than in the makeup-y category because frankly, this is where all beauty begins. Skin. Especially if you’re over 40.
Don’t search for yet another eyeshadow palette. It’s a scam. I have probably 78 eyeshadows sitting collecting dust in my beauty-showered bathroom as we speak. Ditto lipsticks. Ditto foundations. Why? I don’t use them up, because they don’t make me feel young and glowy and pretty. They make me feel old and tired and haggy. Though that’s AN ARTICLE for another day.
But I noticed there’s a handful of products I don’t wait even a day to repurchase once they’re empty, so I thought that might be fun to share.
And here they are.
1. Byredo Rose Of No Man's Land Hair Perfume
Starting out with the least essential thing on the list, this is, no joke, the most luscious smelling product on this or any other planet. I mist it onto dry hair (and let’s be honest, dirty hair) and it gives a soft, hazy aroma of sad, champagne-dipped pink roses. It’s physically impossible for me to go to the grocery store without being approached about how I smell. The second I run out of it, I buy more.
Price: $80
2. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Fluide
As we’ve established, I’m a beauty hound, which means it’s possible I’ve tried upwards of 100 body creams. It’s an illness. And NOTHING comes close to this one. Nothing. So deeply hydrating, absorbs near instantly, and smells like that quintessential French pharmacy smell that’s impossible to describe, but you just know it when you smell it. And the price is excellent. I actually give this as a gift to almost everyone I know, because all women must experience this cream.
Price: $14 - $32
3. Tatcha The Dewy Serum
I’ve written about this a lot, because it just seems to accomplish so many things—helps with redness, pores, hydration, fine lines, plumping. It’s a real workhorse, and when I don’t use it under my moisturizer, my skin immediately knows it and gets very angry with me. If you’re someone who sort of doesn’t know where to start with serums, or you don’t want to have to use a million products but want to see results, try this.
Price: $89
4. The Outset Restorative Niacinamide Night Creameel
And speaking of products that have results, I have been so wowed by this brand this year. I am loathe to tell you that yes, it’s a celebrity-backed brand. And that celebrity is Scarlet Johannsen. And since a new celeb beauty line comes out once every 17 minutes now, I’m always highly skeptical. But every single thing this brand makes is great. The entire raison d’etre is built around ingredients that are highly effective but never harsh, so they’re perfect for mature skin that’s also sensitive and/or reactive. They’re also unique in that they list that they’re free of nut (and other) allergens which is, yes, quite a niche issue (but it’s an issue I personally deal with) so I might be extra excited about them for this reason, because that level of ingredient communication is incredibly rare. Quite simply, using this night cream every evening now means I wake up with hyper-plump and moisturized skin, and it never breaks me out. I don’t think I’ll ever use another night cream ever again.
Price: $54
5. IGK Good Behavior Spirulina Protein Smoothing Spray
Ok here’s a secret. I sort of hate hair stuff. I don’t have a gift when it comes to doing my hair, so I don’t have a huge interest in hair products, because I’m not interested in anything I’m not immediately good at. And so my hair empties seem to always be in the “multi-tasking” category since I have zero interest in using 14 different products on my head when honestly if I get out the door even once each week with clean hair it’s a half miracle. And so this has become all I use when I “do” my hair. I spray it all over my roots and strands when my hair is damp out of the shower, haphazardly pull THIS amazing 2-in-1 hot brush through it a few times, and poof, all my frizz is gone, my “blow out” lasts for 4 days, and I blind people with the sheen from my hair. The official instructions on the bottle seem wildly intimidating so just ignore them. But wow. You’ll really notice a difference.
Price: $34
6. Trinny London Miracle Balm
This stuff literally fills in your pores like spackle and yet looks undetectable on the skin. It’s my desert island product. Except sunscreen is probably the wiser choice but hey. I’m a gambler.
Price: $34
7. Furtuna Replenishing Balm
Ok, listen. You’ve probably heard us crow about this brand before. And it’s true that we are MAD for their life-changing oil. But now that the weather is getting colder, and my skin is inching closer and closer to becoming a crispy old apple-witch, all my regular skincare doesn’t cut it. This is a solid balm that I scoop a pea size amount of and press over any/all skincare, morning and night, as my last step, and it just sort of locks everything in and keeps my skin blindingly dewy. It also calms my redness and makes my skin look more even. And even though the price is tough, it took me a year to get through the large size, and I’m now halfway done with my next jar. So the cost per use is like .00005 cents. That’s my justification anyway so please allow it.
Also you can use our code CANDIDLY20 to get 20% off!
Price: $105 - $225
8. CeraVe SA Body For Rough and Bumpy Skin
Do I like having this hideous thing in my bathroom when there are so many design-forward bottles that could adorn my shower niche? No, I don’t. But I’ve tried all of those pretty, more expensive body washes, and they all pale in comparison. This one leaves my skin so insanely soft, especially when used with THIS heavy duty old school puff. It keeps any bumps or KP at bay and costs next to nothing.
Price: $14
9. Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting And Finishing Powder
I already wrote a whole thing on this HERE and it’s midnight and I’m tired but the “net net” as corporate people say is that this is the THE only powder for post-40 skin period. It blurs everything, doesn’t look cakey, helps your makeup last all day. I will never ever buy another powder ever again.
Price: $59
10. CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Tinted Sunscreen with SPF 30
Truly the most glowing, gorgeous tinted sunscreen. I use this everyday, rain or shine, bright or dark, and often, this is all I use—it’s that gorgeous on the skin. It has that sort of serumy finish, but doesn’t look oily. Try it. You sort of won’t believe it. I sort of don’t believe how more people aren’t talking about it.
Get 15% off using the code CANDIDLY.
Price: $16
11. Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer SPF 27
From one of the cheapest, to one of the priciest, you know this list is legit, because it’s really all over the map. This is only just at the end of its life and I bought it in 2021. Sooooo that girl math I used earlier applies here as well. This concealer is THE most incredible for covering blemishes, those darkish purplish spots on the inner corner of your eyes, veins under your nostrils, anything that you need VERY covered, but you don’t want to look like you’re wearing paint. I used to be a makeup artist for TV and movies, and the brilliant genius head-of-makeup at All My Children, Robin Siegel, introduced me to this product. And I’ve never used anything else.
Price: $75
12. Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Cream
I’ve tried a lot of moisturizers you guys. A lot. I’ve tried much, much more expensive moisturizers than this. But I always come back to this one. It’s so soothing on the skin, so nourishing, so instantly hydrating. When my skin feels slightly tight from the shower, this is what I reach for. I go through one jar every year. And I probably will forever. There’s a reason one Magic Cream sells every 2 minutes all across the globe.
Price: $100
13. Chanel Rouge Coco Flash Lipstick
This is the only official “lipstick” I wear and that’s because it’s a true your lips but better situation, which is the only acceptable color for me, or I’ll look like a septuagenarian. Not orange. Not brown. Not beige. Not pink. Just a sheer flush of lippy lipness. If you don’t want a daily lip color that’s too HERE ARE MY LIPS, but you do want a little something that makes them look juicy and full, this color is unbelievably specific and unique, and nothing else comes close. I’m only just now needing another tube, and I bought this one 2 years ago.
Price: $48
14. Biotherm Deo Pure Anti-Perspirant Roll-On
Another French pharmacy find, this is, quite simply, the most effective deodorant I’ve ever used. I buy 3 at a time, so I’m never without. It has that super fresh, vaguely French, clean scent, doesn’t feel wet, and I can run a marathon and not stink. Not that I ever would. Running is ghastly.
Price: $21
15. True Botanicals Renew Nutrient Mist
So I saved my most repurchased for last. This is my 4th bottle of this spray this year. There’s just something about this spray. Do I need it? No. Do you need it? No. But it gives my skin a huge drink of water in about 4 seconds when I don’t want to do a bunch of steps. Plus it smells how I think heaven will smell.
Use THECANDIDLY18 to get 18% off.
Price: $24
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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