From the over 50 beauty products I tested last month, these 6 stood out as the top performers.

      (Image credit: Lucy Robinson for Who What Wear UK)

      Welcome to The Empties Edit, a monthly collection of products that our beauty director, Shannon Lawlor, finishes down to the very last drop. Shannon tests hundreds of beauty items each year, so only those she truly loves achieve "empty" status. Think of The Empties Edit as your ultimate shopping guide for the best beauty products available. As I pen this, it's 20 degrees outside, and for the first time this year, I feel spring/summer has truly arrived. With warmer weather, longer evenings, and brighter days, my summer beauty routine is starting to take shape. I'm back to applying factor-50 sunscreen on both my face and hands, generously using body cream daily, and treating my dry hair with nourishing masks. With this slightly more demanding summer regimen, I find myself using products more rapidly. This month has felt like a whirlwind of testing beauty products, yet only six stood out enough for me to finish completely. (I confess some others are still in use.) So, from the winter fragrance I finally finished to the daily moisturizer that has captured my heart, here’s a rundown of every beauty item I completed last month.

      1. **Medik8 Advanced Pro-Collagen + Peptide Cream**

      Since I first tried this moisturizer in November, I’ve been hooked. Not a day has gone by without this soft, silky cream on my face. Packed with growth factors, NAD+, and peptides, it reportedly boosts collagen production by 45%, enhancing elasticity and visibly diminishing the appearance of wrinkles. My skin has improved so much that it has prompted several friends and colleagues to purchase their own pots, and they've become just as infatuated as I am. This might be one of the best face creams I've ever used.

      2. **Color Wow Dreaming Advance Repair and Resurfacing Treatment**

      Admittedly, it took some time for me to appreciate this product. If you’re anticipating a typical, nourishing, buttery hair mask, this isn’t it. Its thick and rich texture is more akin to body butter than a hair product, which meant it didn’t spread through my tangled lengths as I expected. However, after a few uses, I discovered that letting it sit on my wet hair for a minute allowed everything to untangle, and each strand felt smoother and softer. As a weekly treatment, it resurfaces and repairs the outer cuticles of the hair for a shinier, smoother finish—and it offers heat protection too. Is it suited for coarse or extremely curly hair? Probably not—but it works wonders on my long, straight, damaged, bleached hair.

      3. **Dr. Althea Green Tea Fresh Sunscreen SPF 50**

      I’ve never encountered a facial SPF that has impressed me as much as this one. I love it so much that I’ve stocked up on two more bottles. Dr. Althea is currently one of my favorite K-Beauty brands, and this sunscreen is a significant reason why. If your skin is prone to breakouts, redness, or irritation from SPF, you need to try this. It provides excellent protection, and its lightweight consistency means it never feels heavy. In fact, it feels more like a hydrating, soothing lotion that also gives a lovely daytime glow. I'm obsessed.

      4. **Aesop Ouranon**

      Key notes: Frankincense, hay, myrrh. As a fragrance enthusiast, I own hundreds of perfume bottles, so I rarely finish one. This Aesop Ouranon is my first empty perfume bottle of 2026. I suspect that I finished it so quickly because my husband has been sneakily using it too. Each spray envelops you in a cloud of warm embers and smoky wood. In winter, it provides a comforting warmth; in summer, it takes on a dry, desert-like heat that transports me to Moroccan souks at dusk.

      5. **Santa Maria Novella Acqua di Rosa Cleansing Gel**

      Few beauty products feel as special as those made by Santa Maria Novella, the oldest beauty brand in the world, established in 1221. This rose cleanser is deeply rooted in the brand’s history of damask rose distillation, perfectly blending past traditions with modern cleansing preferences. While the rose adds a beautiful scent, it also provides a boost of glowing hydration. It’s the ideal daily cleanser, leaving the skin clean, nourished, and generally content.

      6. **Ffern Spring 26 Candle**

      Key notes: Wild mint, white thyme, valerian root. Ffern is rapidly becoming one of the most impressive beauty brands in Britain. The natural fragrances are crafted in Somerset, and they release just four seasonal scents a year in limited quantities. Recently, Ffern expanded its offerings to include candles, and Spring 26 is my favorite so far. With the fresh, crunchy scent of mint and the earthy notes of thyme and valerian root, it evokes the feeling