Surrey Homes | SH74 | March 2021 | Interiors supplement inside

Beauty
love that idea, because it feels so, so wrong to throw away a fabulous flacon.
Devotees of bath/body/skincare names already like L’Occitane know
that quietly, that brand has been producing refill pouches for their
products for years. But I am also a huge fan of their Divine Harmony
skincare, from their top-of-the-line age-defying range, which lets
me slip in a refill into the luxurious ombré burgundy jars, when I’ve
dabbed my last of the cream or serum. Refills are becoming increasingly
popular on leading beauty websites: look for upscale brands like Isle
of Paradise’s faux tanners and OUAI’s shampoos and conditioners.
On the high street, meanwhile (when it’s back in business), we might be
able to look forward to a roll-out of The Body Shop’s refill stations, unveiled
last year – and how my late friend Anita Roddick would be smiling from
above, because that’s exactly what she started with back in the 70s! Faith In
Nature has already installed refill stations in natural food stores up and down
the country (which are mostly still open), allowing us to top up everything
from hand wash to shampoo – and they also sell the giant sizes for home
refilling, if you fall in love with a product. Beauty Kitchen have a ‘Return,
Reuse, Refill’ concept spanning everything from eye cream to body wash.
(And of course, the bonus with buying refills is that you’re often saving
quite a bit of cash, too. Not to be sniffed at ever, but especially now.)
And at a time when many parts of life seem stressful and scary, I really do
think this is a silver lining moment. Those of us who love beauty have always
been drawn to it for its feel-good factor: the fact that very often, the time we
spend on our regime is the only true ‘me-time’ we’re afforded, on any given
day. But trust me: when you know that your choices are enabling you to
tiptoe a little more lightly on the planet, that feel-good factor’s off the scale…
Green & gorgeous: Jo’s five fave refills
❤ Náu Extra Soft Hand Cream, £15 for 50ml at nau-skin.com.
The shea butter, macadamia nut and marigold oil salve your
skin; the recyclable aluminium tube salves your conscience.
❤ Floral Street Chypre Sublime, £60 for 50ml at floralstreet.com.
One of my most swoonworthy scent finds of recent years, with
its rose, violets, geranium and patchouli – and when the store’s
reopened, I’ll take it back to Covent Garden for a top-up.
❤ Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain, £32 for the case, £26 for
refills at johnlewis.com. As glamorous as refillable beauty gets, here:
first pick your case – bejewelled, sleek gold, mock croc (there are
dozens of designs), then choose the formula/shade for the lipstick
to slip inside – from sheer shines to moisturising mattes.
❤ Tropic Colour Palette, £68 at tropicskincare.com. This palette
offers multiple configurations so you can mix and match four or
five make-up products including eyeliner, contour, bronzer, blusher,
concealer and more – your entire kit, on the go. (Refill items can
be bought separately, to switch your palette around seasonally.)
❤ Gloved Active Hydrate Hand Wash, £19 for 375ml, and Hand
Lotion, £28 for 375ml at gloved.co.uk. Created by rising star fragrance
name Tom Daxon, these have been gracing my kitchen splashback
for months – I’m not sure when I’ll get to the end of the hefty
jars of wonderfully woodsy-scented products because they last and
last and last (despite the repeated hand-washing!) – but when I
do, I can save the (unrecyclable) pump and pop it in a refill.
Visit beautybible.com for Jo’s daily ‘loves’ and features.
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