These Brands Are Turning to Refillable Beauty Products to Cut Down on Excess Packaging
More and more beauty brands are offering refillable options that are better for the planet, our wallets and our Marie Kondo-esque dreams of minimizing
Date April 22, 2021
More and more, skincare and cosmetics brands are turning to refillable beauty products as an answer to the urgent calls from consumers demanding more sustainable packaging. What was once a niche, hard-to-find category is now actually quite common — and we love to see it. The best part? These beauty brands aren’t compromising on quality, offering the luxe, reliable products we know and love in refillable options that are better for the planet, our wallets and our Marie Kondo-esque dreams of minimizing the sheer amount of stuff in our bathroom vanities.
Below are some of the standout refillable beauty products that we love.
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat
Charlotte Tilbury is no stranger to creating enviable full brows. The makeup artist has been sculpting and defining some of Hollywood’s most iconic arches for decades. (Think A-listers like Penélope Cruz, Salma Hayek and Amal Clooney.) The latest addition to the brand’s brow wardrobe is Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat ($32) — a micro-precision pencil, available in eight shades, with a wax tip that’s so fine it’s nearly impossible to create anything but light, feather-like strokes. The best part? Brow Cheat is refillable, so when you eventually run out (which won’t be for a while), you can simply slip a new refill ($19) into the pencil and go about your routine, perfect brows and all.
Kjaer Weis Red Edition
Makeup and skincare brand Kjaer Weis has been a pioneer in sustainable packaging since its debut. Launched by makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis, the products — which are all refillable — have become instantly recognizable thanks to their heavy, luxurious and made-to-last metal packaging. To celebrate the brand’s milestone 10-year anniversary, Kjaer Weis has released the Red Edition ($8), an ultra-lightweight version of the refillable compacts, made of compostable and recyclable red paper instead of metal. Red Edition packaging is available for several of the brand’s existing offerings, including blush, bronzer, foundation, eyeshadow and more.
MOB Beauty
What do you get when four beauty industry veterans (including legendary MAC’s founding chemist, Victor Casale) join forces on a mission to minimize the industry’s environmental impact? You get MOB, a new cosmetics brand that spends as much time on sustainability efforts and packaging solutions as it does on product formulations. Everything in the line is refillable — the brand’s customizable makeup palettes can hold a combination of eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, highlighter and eyeliner — and the product packaging is made from post-consumer recycled materials and can be composted or recycled after use.
Rose Hermès Silky Blush
Following the 2020 launch of Hermès beauty products — a collection of satin and matte lipsticks — the brand’s sophomore release, Rose Hermès Silky Blush ($103), has arrived and, like its predecessor, is a master class in sustainable luxury makeup. The eight blush offerings (all varying shades of pink) are housed in sleek compacts (adorned with Hermès’s signature emblem) that are begging to be displayed — and reused. The refillable cases feature a powder pan (which can be purchased separately for $55) that pops effortlessly in and out, so you can find your perfect rosy hue without building up your compact collection.
Kora Organics Turmeric Glow Moisturizer
Supermodel Miranda Kerr-founded skincare brand Kora Cosmetics has just dropped its latest launch — Turmeric Glow Moisturizer ($75). Available in luxe, heavyweight gold packaging plus a refillable pod, the rich moisturizing cream features nourishing and anti-aging properties, plus the brightening benefits of the superfood turmeric. And just like all Kora Organics products, the launch is infused with a crystal during the manufacturing process. This time, it’s Citrine, believed to support self-confidence, abundance and positivity.
Tata Harper Water-Lock Moisturizer
Come for the hydration, stay for the sustainable packaging. Tata Harper’s Water-Lock Moisturizer ($85) is lightweight yet ultra-nourishing, making it a must-have for spring. It also boasts plenty of priming and smoothing benefits, achieved with orange peptides, pomegranate spheres and macro hyaluronic acid. The cute neon green refill pod ($78) pops easily into the jar when it’s time for a re-up.
Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette
The beloved earthy, woody Dior Sauvage Eau de Toilette ($95) is now refillable, so when you run out, simply pop the fragrance’s 10 oz. refill (which is made of recyclable aluminum) into the striking midnight blue cologne bottle and just like that, the days of a bedside table cluttered with empty fragrance bottles are over. The brand has even released a special film series called “Tales of the Wild” in celebration of Earth Day, which you can watch here. In a statement, the brand explains that the film series “is dedicated to giving voice to nature’s watchmen and watchwomen from all over the world, to help give light to their conservation efforts and raise awareness to the parts of nature they work to protect.”