The Making of Preview Beauty Awards 2025: Beauty Insiders Reveal Their Empties

To capture the true pulse of the community, Preview reached out to over 100 beauty insiders who generously opened up about their daily routines. They shared the products and services that have become irreplaceable—the ones permanently inked in their beauty story.

Our panel spans a wide range of expertise to ensure a well-rounded perspective. Dermatologists, hairstylists, makeup artists, fragrance enthusiasts, and content creators all weighed in, revealing the essentials they genuinely trust and return to without question.

“In an industry full of endless launches, only a select few products ever get finished and repurchased,” Marben Talanay expressed. This was agreed on by his fellow makeup artist, Thazzia Falek, who said “Celebrating the products we’ve truly finished speaks to what makes beauty essential.”

Joel Martin Andrade would know just how fast the beauty industry moves, too. “Beauty in the empty says so much about what we actually use and love,” he tells Preview. “It’s so real,” Kylie Celebre added. “What we finish to the very last drop says everything about how much we actually love a product.”

The beauty insiders sent their responses across five categories—makeup, skincare, hair and bodycare, fragrances, and services and treatments. Many of them went beyond by sending over the actual empty products from their shelves (which are the items you're seeing in these photos!) With their expertise and experiences, the nominations quickly amounted to more than 600.

Apart from imparting their own beloved products and services, the Preview team rigorously got to know the nominees in order to move the selection process forward. Several tests and discussions—driven by extensive information and lasting impressions—led to the final list of 50 winners.

In a technical aspect, the roster of winners for the Preview Beauty Awards 2025 are worth trying, testing, and emptying—they have been, and they will continue to be. But beyond this, they have also proven their ability to make one see beauty in a brighter light.

For instance, we learned that the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is a skincare staple for those with sensitive skin, just like Ry Velasco who has been “using this consistently for nine years now, and I still keep repurchasing it.” Her fellow content creator, Chynna Lim, also expressed her struggles with acne, acne scars, and rosacea. Simply put, “skin-friendly and derm-approved products like this just work!”

Getting to know more than a hundred personal routines showed that, no matter how unique our preferences are, we’re never alone in our struggles. Such was the case for Nicole Arcano, Kai Javier, and Carlo (known as @ac.co.rds), who gushed about the Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer. “This concealer is a delete button for acne scarring or any stubborn marks,” Nicole said. Kai echoed these sentiments, saying, “This is like an eraser for my blemishes!” which is why she has been using it for years now. Carlo shared the same experiences, concluding that he “can never do my makeup without this.”

And as with other aspects of life, rest significantly matters in beauty. We also learned about the products that instantly offer a skin reset, such as the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil and the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum. They just make beauty feel easy.

The Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun is another prime example of this. “My everyday essential,” Kylie Verzosa shared. “It feels lightweight, protects my skin, and keeps it clear and healthy.” Dominique Cojuangco added that it’s “hydrating with strong protection. It layers well under makeup as it gives me a dewy glow, making it effortless for daily wear.”

Since beauty is a sensorial experience, the confidence boost it provides cannot always be seen; sometimes, it can be smelled. Such was the case for Attrape-Rêves by Louis Vuitton, which has become a signature scent for Ry, Jake Galvez, and Dr. Benett Joyce Gloriani. Recalling her experiences, Ry shared, “I’ve been repurchasing it almost every year and have already gone through about three bottles. My friends even joke that they know I’ve arrived the moment they catch a whiff of it.” Jake also recounted, “People always ask what I’m wearing whenever I have it on. I’ve refilled my bottle more times than I can count!” explaining that he loves how it’s both playful and elegant at once. Dr. Benett simply calls it “one of Louis Vuitton’s best.”

Each relationship with beauty is personal, and this trickles down to the choices that we make. A product’s packaging and formula aren’t the only things that draw us to them. It’s also not just the tools and technology used for treatments. At the end of the day—regardless of our differences in undertones, skin types, preferences, and the like—everything boils down to how these products and services make us feel, and how essential they’ve become in our day-to-day lives. These shared experiences are what make beauty the community that it is today, and that itself is worth celebrating.