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The #ProductEmpties We Loved to the Last Drop

From new finds to longtime favorites, these are beauty products that our editors use until the bitter end (of the tube)
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The Magical Mascara That Makes My Blonde Lashes Look Lush
As a member of the blonde, ultrafair population, I have basically transparent lashes that look nonexistent without mascara. But I can't use just any old mascara. Have you ever heard of "floating lashes syndrome?" (Probably not, because I'm pretty sure I just made it up.). Let me explain: If you've got light eyelashes and your mascara doesn't get all the way to the root, well, your lashes look like they're floating. Kind of defeats the whole eye-opening purpose of mascara.

That's why I'm obsessed with Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara Mini, $10. The hourglass-shaped wand grabs every last lash from the roots and coats them in a jet-black, lengthening and volumizing formula. It never gets dry or clumpy and the teeny tube lasts exactly three months, which is the shelf life of mascara -- presenting a great excuse to go buy a brand-new tube.

--Allie Flinn

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The Natural Deodorant I've Been Searching for
I love the idea of all-natural beauty products. I really do. As a nature-loving vegetarian with a slightly holistic bent, I get jazzed when products are plastered with phrases like "fair trade," "small batch" and "certified organic."

At the same time, as a beauty editor with closets full of products that advertise instant results, I love when something performs as promised. So when a natural product really works, I'm the first to shout it from the rooftops. Enter: Lavanila Laboratories Healthy Deodorant, $14. I've tested every natural deodorant I can get my hands on and this is the only one that works for me. With a light vanilla scent reminiscent of baby powder, it works just as well as aluminum-based deodorants, sans parabens, phthalates and a slew of other synthetic chemicals. In fact, the ingredients list reads like a recipe you might find in a vegan café -- which has my inner granola-type jumping for stench-free joy. --Emily Woodruff

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The Hair Gloss That Saved My Bathroom Countertop
As a beauty editor, you have some expectation of developing borderline hoarder qualities. I quickly saw a pattern developing around my bathroom sink: It was completely monopolized by half-used hair care products that could never give me shiny, manageable hair post-heat-styling. I'm talking cream and spray leave-in conditioners, shine sprays, five heat protectants, four dry shampoos to undo previously mentioned leave-ins and protectants -- you name it, it was taking up valuable space on my bathroom countertop.

Thankfully, I was finally able to cut through the clutter and reclaim some much-needed space after discovering Aveda Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener, $24, a multi-tasking leave-in that makes taming my natural waves and curls a breeze. With the help of aloe and plant cellulose, it does the work of a leave-in conditioner, humidity blocker, heat protectant, straightener and shine serum, yet it doesn't feel heavy on my hair and smells like citrus-y, sandalwood goodness. My blow-outs and my countertop have never felt lighter. --Erica Smith

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The Nostalgic Pink Lip Balm I Keep in Every Bag
I used Vaseline Jelly for decades: as eye makeup remover, lip balm, cuticle cream, fly-away tamer, whatever. As my beauty routine evolved, I came to prefer those so-called natural products, trading my do-it-all jar of Vaseline for Trader Joe's virgin unrefined coconut oil. That said, coconut oil is the worst lip balm. I'll use it in a pinch, but it makes me look like I just made out with a hamburger patty -- all the grease, none of the skin-softening moisture I need.

I'm hitting the petroleum jelly jar again, thanks to Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips. I sample a stupid number of lip balms and lip oils at Total Beauty, but no other product can touch Vaseline's game. Metaphorically speaking, this rose-scented, pink-tinted iteration of the original jelly took my favorite tube of natural beeswax lip balm and drop-kicked it into outer space. I still love my coco oil, but Lip Therapy's teeny-weeny jar means there's plenty of room for both in my medicine cabinet. --Katie McCarthy

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The Moisturizing Mask That Fits My Lazy-Girl Skin Care Routine
I'm rather spartan/lazy (take your pick) when it comes to my skin care: the fewer products I have to use, the better. As such, adding an extra step -- even one as simple as a weekly at-home mask -- makes me cringe.

Then Fresh Créme Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask hit my desk. Now, I'm a believer. It's so luxurious: The consistency is like warm caramel and feels surprisingly nonsticky and amazing on my skin. In every jar are 2 1/2 tablespoons of French artisanal honey, which saturates skin with non-greasy, non-breakout-causing moisture. It makes my skin softer than any night cream, let alone a mask.

Also packed into the jar: a nourishing blend of sea buckthorn oil, vitamin E, meadowfoam seed oil and echinacea extract. It's officially worked its way into my lazy, er, highly curated routine. --Allie Flinn

Ever had a beauty product you love so much that you shook, hacked, scraped or squeezed its container until you were absolutely positive you had expended all of its precious contents? Rare indeed is the product that elicits that deliciously desperate feeling, especially in beauty editors. So when our team of beauty mavens encounters a rave-worthy product, you know it's the real deal. Herewith, our editors rattle off their "beauty empties," aka the best beauty products that they can't help but use until the last drop. Read on for their best nail polishes, hair products, skin care products and makeup now.
MAR 13, 2020 | SHARES
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