Empties is a beauty content format in which a creator showcases products they have completely finished - used all the way to the bottom, squeezed to the last drop, scraped to the last gram. An empties video or post features a collection of empty or near-empty product containers that the creator has actually consumed through regular use. In influencer marketing, empties content is one of the highest-authenticity formats in beauty, because it is physically impossible to feature a product in an empties video without having actually used it.
What is an Empties Video?
An empties video (also called "monthly empties" or "products I've used up") features:
- Products the creator has completely or almost completely finished within a set period (typically one month)
- Honest verdicts: would they repurchase, or did they finish it but wouldn't buy again?
- Context: how long it took to finish, how regularly they used it, what niche it fills in their routine
The format is typically structured as a product-by-product walkthrough, with each empty container held up to the camera, explained, and rated. The creator's willingness to use a product to its absolute end - rather than abandoning it after a few uses - is itself a credibility signal.
Empties as an Authenticity Benchmark in Beauty Influencer Marketing
For beauty brands and their marketing partners, empties content represents the gold standard of genuine product endorsement:
Irrefutable usage evidence. An empty container proves the creator used the product consistently over an extended period. This cannot be faked through a single-use review or a first-impressions post.
Long-term performance signal. Empties content answers questions that first-impression reviews cannot: does the formula hold up over weeks of use? Does the scent remain appealing? Does the packaging survive regular handling?
Repurchase intent as the highest compliment. In empties videos, the most meaningful moment is when a creator declares they would repurchase. This repurchase intention - especially unprompted and unsponsored - is the closest approximation to a genuine consumer recommendation.
Low-sponsorship environment. Because empties content features products the creator has actually consumed, it frequently includes organic mentions of products the creator purchased themselves - making any brand inclusion in an empties video (whether gifted or purchased) appear within a context of genuine personal use.
Empties for Brands: Organic and Paid Angles
Organic seeding outcome. When a brand's product appears in a creator's empties without any commercial arrangement, it represents the most powerful form of earned media - the creator liked the product enough to finish it and include it in a voluntary review.
Gifting strategy. Brands can gift products to creators specifically hoping for empties inclusions - sending products well in advance (3–4 months) and noting that they'd love to hear the creator's honest long-term verdict. This requires patience and confidence in the product's performance.
Paid empties integration. A brand can sponsor an empties video - commissioning a creator to provide a detailed verdict on a product they've genuinely been using. The paid arrangement must be disclosed, but the genuine usage context remains credible.
Most Common Product Categories in Empties Content
Empties content is most prevalent in categories where products have natural end-of-life cycles:
- Skincare (moisturisers, serums, cleansers)
- Makeup (mascara, foundation, lip products)
- Haircare (shampoo, conditioner, treatments)
- Bodycare (body lotion, scrubs)
- Fragrance (not strictly "empty" but noted when finished)
