Take It From a Beauty Director—If I Could Only Repurchase 8 Products This Summer, It Would Be These
It's been a heatwave-heavy month, and these beauty empties saw me through.
It has been hot this summer. But you don't need me to tell you that. I'm currently writing this story with two fans directed at me and my Shark Depuffi stationed on my desk for some cooling cryo breaks. And I'm not sure about you, but as soon as summer heatwaves begin, my beauty routine gets a serious shake-up. This shake-up tends to happen subconsciously, and I don't realise just how different my daily routine has become until I sit down and look at my empty beauty products at the end of the month.
July was a clear example of this. Whereas my Empties Edits usually comprise a healthy mix of makeup, skincare, haircare, perfumes and candles, this month, every single empty is somehow related to the intense heat we've been experiencing. I've been getting through body creams like there's no tomorrow, making sure my shower gels are working overtime with the three showers I've been having every day and prioritising decongesting cleansers to tackle sweat build-up.
And with over a decade of beauty editor experience under my belt, I test hundreds, if not thousands, of products every single year, so I can assure you that only the best of the best make it into my routine and get used to the very last drop. These eight beauty products have been so game-changing over the past month, in fact, that I'm ready to repurchase every single one immediately. Introducing The Empties Edit for July 2026.
1. Tatcha The Rice Wash
I have two cleansers in my life that I consider the best ever made. The first is Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip (which I waxed lyrical about in last month's Empties Edit and feature regularly on these pages). The second is this one: Tatcha The Rice Wash. Unlike Ceramic Slip, which has a gel-like, creamy consistency, this stuff is a thick cream. The texture is almost putty-like, meaning you only need the smallest amount, and it works into one of the most luxurious, efficacious lathers in the cleansing game. It's pH-neutral and contains hyaluronic acid and red algae to really nurture and protect your skin's natural moisture barrier, but my gosh, it is hardworking, too. With Tatcha's iconic Japanese rice powder and an amino acid base, it does a stand-up job of removing build-up and delivering a truly standout cleanse. If you have congestion-prone skin, do not sleep on this cleanser.
2. Diptyque Rhubarbe Candle
Key notes: Rhubarb, patchouli, carrot seeds
It's almost needless to say that I don't burn nearly as many candles in the summer as I do in the winter. With the doors and windows wide open to let in a gentle breeze, summer candles need to pack a serious throw, and in my opinion, Diptyque is one of the only candle brands with formulas up to the job. This new addition to Diptyque's Classic Candle line-up is without question one of the best summer scents I have ever encountered. With fresh, juicy rhubarb at its core, it is reminiscent of an abundant English vegetable garden, and it scented every summer soirée I've hosted this season so far—much to my guests' delight.
3. Victoria Beckham Beauty FeatherFix Brow Gel
Brow gels don't get much better than this, in my opinion. I have written about Victoria Beckham Beauty FeatherFix at length many times, so you probably already know it's one of my favourite brow gels ever. The beauty of it is all in the brush. Instead of a tiny fibrous spoolie, it has a plastic comb, meaning it really grabs onto every single brow hair for maximum volume and lift. The best bit? It doesn't turn brows into a sticky, laminated sort of situation. Instead, it leaves them looking fluffy and naturally lifted.
4. Cowshed Active Bath & Shower Gel
Key notes: Lemongrass, ginger, rosemary
Cowshed got a rebrand, and I could not be more thrilled about it. I've never met a Cowshed product that I don't like, so when I found out the brand was redesigning not only its packaging but also its scents and formulas, I was nervous. Cowshed is, after all, one of my most cherished brands out there. But truthfully, since trying the entire range, I can confirm the products somehow got even better. This Active shower gel (along with the Relax range) is my favourite of them all. With an intensely zesty, spicy zing, it's the sort of shower gel that is totally revitalising and reinvigorates you in just a single use—perfect for sweltering days and intense workouts.
5. Jones Road Body Lotion
Do not let the messaging on this body lotion get things twisted: this is not a lightweight lotion. It is a thick, rich, incredibly hardworking body cream. The consistency is almost Nivea-esque in its thickness. However, with glycerin and squalene, it is one of the most hardworking body creams I've used this year. My dry, crepey, scaly summer limbs were immediately transformed with this stuff. Oh, and it smells deliciously fresh, too.
6. Beauty Pie Healthy Hydration Perfect Moisture Conditioner
Price shown is members' price.
In my opinion, Beauty Pie haircare doesn't get the love it deserves. This hydration range (of which I used both the shampoo and conditioner) proved the perfect everyday hair wash situation for my fine, long, straight hair. (So, it's probably worth adding the caveat here that it likely isn't intense enough for coarser hair types.) It left my hair soft, smooth, silky and glossy with zero fuss, which is just what I need when daily hair-wash days are necessary in 30°C-plus heat.
7. Byredo Blanche Body Lotion
Whilst the Jones Road Body Lotion played the part of the big guns in my summer body care routine, Byredo Blanche Body Lotion was my fluffy, everyday slice of luxury. The scent of Blanche is one of my all-time favourites. It is musky, comforting, coddling and creamy—like being enveloped by the whitest, fluffiest hotel towels. And whilst I'm typically not blown away by skincare formulas developed by fragrance houses, this one blew my socks off. It is lightweight, nourishing and leaves a beautiful sheen of hydrated glow on the skin. I'm ready for another bottle stat.
8. Sunday Riley Detox Darling Microbiome Balancing Toner + Essence
Do you need this product? Probably not. Will your skin like you more for applying it? Absolutely—particularly if you are congestion- and breakout-prone like I am. When sprayed onto a cotton pad and swiped over my skin post-cleanse, this zinc-containing toner helped clarify my congested skin and leave it looking its clearest, healthiest self. 2026 has proved the year of toning for me, and my skin couldn't be happier about it.
