THE EMPTY BOTTLE DIARIES

I’m slightly past my usual two-month mark with this one, but in my defence, life has been very… full. And if there’s one thing that tends to slip when life gets busy, it’s not actually using the products, it’s keeping track of the evidence.
Because the empties themselves? They keep happening.

And as always, I find them weirdly revealing. Probably more revealing than a shelfie, a new launch, or anything I’m currently testing, because empties are what actually made it into the rhythm of my life. What I used when I was tired, travelling, late, distracted, lazy, diligent, or all of the above.

This round was a very solid reminder that I am, at heart, a creature of habit. Even with a bathroom that could easily suggest otherwise.

There was, unsurprisingly, a lot of skincare in this batch. Not in a chaotic ‘I use 14 serums before breakfast’ kind of way, but in the very specific way that happens when you are loyal to the things that make your skin behave properly. The products that keep everything functioning, balanced and comfortable. The ones that don’t necessarily scream for attention, but absolutely run the household.

What really stood out this time was how many body products I got through. Which tells me one of two things: either I’ve been unusually disciplined, or I’ve spent a lot of time trying to convince myself I’m the kind of woman who has a beautifully curated bodycare ritual. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

There’s something about finishing body products that always feels wildly grown-up to me. Like paying taxes on time or having a fruit bowl. It suggests a level of consistency and self-respect that I’m not sure is reflected in every other area of my life, but I’m thrilled it’s showing up in the bathroom. And unlike skincare, which I will do under almost any circumstances, bodycare still feels like a choice. So the fact that there were so many empties in that category feels, frankly, like excellent character development.

This edit also confirmed something I think I’ve known for a while now: What I keep finishing, over and over, are the things that support. The products that make my skin feel better, my body feel looked after, and life feel just that little bit more pulled together. The beauty equivalent of people who reply quickly and bring you a charger.

And honestly, that feels like a fairly good metaphor for where I am generally.

The other thing empties always reveal is who I really am as a person, not who I imagine myself to be. I’m not, it turns out, someone who flits elegantly from one new obsession to the next. I am someone who finds something she likes and then uses it with near-religious devotion until it is physically impossible to get another drop out. Sometimes even beyond that point, if scissors are involved. There is always at least one product in these posts that has been cut open, folded in half, or handled with the intensity of someone trying to retrieve state secrets. Waste not, etc.

I also think this batch reflects the season quite well. End of winter, start of spring, that slightly confused in-between stretch where you still want comfort and nourishment, but you’re also beginning to crave freshness and lightness.

So yes, a slightly overdue empties post, but maybe all the better for it. A lot of skincare, a surprising amount of bodycare, a few faithfuls, a few quiet heroes, and the usual reminder that the products worth talking about are very often the ones that simply keep showing up for you.

If you watch the empties video, you’ll see exactly what made the cut. And if that feels too much like a commitment, everything is very conveniently linked below.