My Sephora Sale Faves

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Hi and Happy Friday!

I’m so excited about today’s post, it was so much fun to research and compile these lists for you.

Monday is the last day of the Sephora VIB Sale. I’m so sorry I just now got around to updating this post from last spring, but hopefully this will still be helpful!!

This is exciting because Sephora only has sales two times a year.

The sale is based on your insider “tier”, which is basically how much you spend at Sephora yearly.

Rouge Tier will receive 20% off.

VIB Tier  will receive 15% off.

Insider Tier (anyone can be this level, even if you’ve never shopped at Sephora- read below to see how)- will receive 10% off.

CODE-YAYHOLIDAY

To sign up to be a Sephora Insider, Click the thin blue banner at the very top of the Sephora homepage , and then click on the words “Not a Beauty Insider? Sign up now!”

My personal opinion on this sale is that you should make it count by purchasing luxury items. Perfumes, pricy skincare, luxury makeup brands (Charlotte Tilbury, Marc Jacobs, etc). Ten percent off is good good stuff when you use it on luxury items.

So what I decided to do is look over my lifetime Sephora purchases. Then I made a list of my favorites and compiled graphics for each category.

I have purchased every single one of these items. None of them were gifted to me, and this post is not sponsored in any way. At some point in my life, I have bought and loved these items. Many I have purchased over and over.

Questions? Ask below- I’m beyond happy to help. This is my passion and my happy place!

 

SKINCARE

If you follow me on IG, you know that I will never tell you what to do with your skin (okay, except wear SPF religiously and double cleanse). I will tell you what works for me and what I love, but I’m not a dermatologist or esthetician, so take these recs with a grain of salt.

SPF– My holy grail is Supergoop. Love the Glowstick on my shoulders and neck/collarbone/chest, The Glow Screen and Unscreen Sunscreen are good stuff. Not sticky, absorbs beautifully and gives you a lovely glow.

Self Tan- I use the Dr. Dennis Gross tanning wipes on my face when I tan and they are – chef’s kiss- GOOD. Just remember to wash your hands afterwards.

Moisturizer– Charlotte Tilbury Brightening Youth Glow is technicalllllly a primer, but I don’t use it that way. It doesn’t “hold makeup in place” for me, at all. It give my face a beautiful, moisturized, dewy glow. I can’t seem to replicate it with another product.

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Creams (night / day) are spendy, but worth it. Low scent, rich, and comes with a ton of product. I’ve used these religiously for years.

Vitamin C- Ole Henriksen will always be my OG favorite Vitamin C Serum. The scent is delicious and it really does make a difference on aging skin.

Eye Creme- Unpopular opinion- I think eye creams are bullshit. Moisturizers do the same thing. BUT- This Ole Henrickson Eye Creme makes me eat my words. A little. HA!

Oil Based Cleanser (step one of double cleanse)- THERE WILL NEVER BE A BETTER MAKEUP MELT THAN FARMACY GREEN CLEAN. Trust me on this. It smells heavenly and does the job like nobody’s business.

Water Based Cleanser (step 2 of double cleanse)- IT Cosmetics Confidence in a cleanser. Gentle, minimal scent, creamy, smooth. I go through this so quickly.

 

 

PRIMERS AND SETTING SPRAYS

This is a light category because I like what I like. A primer primes your skin to hold on to makeup and make makeup apply smoothly. A setting spray “holds” the makeup. Think hairspray for the face.

Primers– Ciate Watermelon Burst Primer is lovely. Gentle and moisturizing and pretty in the tube. Milk Hydro Grip is LEGIT. It seems tacky at first, but don’t use a ton and let it dry down. It holds onto makeup hardcore. Hourglass is soft and makes such a smooth texture/canvas. ILIA Serum hydrates and adds a dewy, healthy glow.

Setting Spray- I’m not sure if I believe in setting spray (kind of like eye creams, snicker)…except for Urban Decay All Nighter. That stuff doesn’t mess around.

 

FOUNDATIONS

Before I get started on this category, let me tell you that I do NOT like matte or heavy makeup on my 44 year old skin. So these picks are dewy, fresh, radiant…lots of tinted moisturizers. The heaviest pick here is the Estee Lauder.

I must lead with my NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDED MAKEUP ITEM… Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. This is magic in a bottle. Trust me. I dot it on my face and then mix it with my foundation (applied with a brush). It just makes you look…radiant.

My most favorite (and priciest) foundation is Georgio Armani Luminous Silk. It is so, so beautiful. Natural, delicate, just lovely. BarePro by bareMinerals is reliable, solid, easy to use, and just all around good stuff. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation is… sigh. So natural and glowy. Estee Lauder Double Wear is a holy grail for many women and with good reason. It can be quite full coverage if you build it but I like to apply it with a light hand and mix it with Hollywood Flawless Filter (see above). YSL Touche Eclat All in One Glow is a medium coverage dewy foundation that I really like. Don’t go to hard on it or you will shine like the sun.

ILIA serum is verrrry natural and fresh. It takes some practice to discover how much to layer. I prefer to use my hands to apply this one.

My recommended tinted moisturizers are Laura Mercier (my OG- MIX IT WITH THE HOLLYWOOD FLAWLESS FILTER ) ,NARS (this stuff blurs my face better than an IG filter, hahahah), and Bare Minerals. These are very natural and very fresh. You can layer for more coverage, but these are good for a “no makeup makeup” look.

 

CONCEALERS AND POWDER

I’m not going to go too in depth on these. I have aging skin (obvi) so I can’t do super dry concealer because it settles into my lines. I prefer creamy concealers. I have one recent favorite which might make me throw out all the others and that is the Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Full Coverage Concealer. This stuff is GOLD. GOLLLDDDDDD. 

I’m also sharing a few translucent powders and one solid setting powder that I happen to think is the best powder of all time (spoiler alert…it’s, of course, by Charlotte Tilbury).

Concealers– NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer, Bare Minerals BARESkin

Loose Translucent Powder– Laura Mercier, Hourglass

Setting Powder- also known as magic in a compact…. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder in that old Hollywood compact. Swoon.

 

BRONZER AND HIGHLIGHTER

Bronzers- I am very fair and I also have a hard time finding bronzers that are cool and don’t look orangey on me. These are the most natural bronzers I’ve found and the only ones that I’ve kept in my stash: Benefit Hoola , Milk Cream Bronzer , Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Matte Bronzer.

Combo– The Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow compact is perfect for you if you want a super subtle highlight and if you are very fair. The bronzer is very light and subtle.

Highlighters– I prefer a subtle, cool highlight. I don’t use a ton. I like  ILIA Liquid Light Serum (small dots go a long way), Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, Tarte Amazonian Clay , Benefit Cookie, and Benefit High Beam, which I’ve been using since college.

Ciate Dewy Stick adds a healthy, dewy glow to my collarbones, shoulders, and cheeks.

 

BLUSH

I LOVE me a good cream blush. Because they are youthful and fresh and flattering. But there are a couple of lovely powder blushes that I have reached for for years, so I’m sharing those too.

Cream Blushes- Milk Makeup Lip and Cheek (my favorites are Quickie and Swish but I have a ton), NudeStix Nudies Bloom, RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek, Rare Beauty Liquid Blush, and Ilia Multi-Stick.

Note: I tap these on the cheek and gently blend them with my fingers or a brush. I often layer powder blush on top.

Powder Blushes- Natasha Denona Bloom blush , NARS Orgasm , and Charlotte Tilbury (and yeppppp it looks like a boob, hahahah)

 

LIPS

Lip Masks- Okay, let’s start with lip masks. I bite my lips when I’m stressed so I use a lot of lip masks to prepare my damage. I adore Tatcha Kissu Lip Mask and the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. Good stuff.

Lip Balm My long time (LONG TIME) favorite lip balm is the Rosebud Salve, and a new favorite is the delicious Fresh Mango Sugar Balm. Yum.

Bullet Lipsticks- Pat McGrath Lip Fetish in Flesh 3 (a lovely, dark neutral), Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Color (my favorites are Babe and Ruby), and my number one favorite, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, which is my favorite neutral lipstick.

Lip Liner- I don’t use these often, but I’ve worn the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk liner down to a nub more than I care to admit. The NARS Velvet Matte Lipstick is technically a pencil but it’s BIG and I use it as lipstick with gloss on top. My favorite shade is Dolce Vita.

Gloss/Oil- Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss – I picked these up for the first time on a whim years ago and they are so good. Dior Lip Glow Oil is luscious and lovely- I like the Rosewood color.

 

MASCARA AND BROWS

Honestly, this category is kind of boring and self-explanatory for me, so I won’t do a ton of talking. Most of my favorite brow products are drugstore, but MAN do I love the Anastasia Brow Promade. USE A LIGHT HAND. Practice makes perfect. Get a good angled brow brush! I also FLY through the Anastasia Clear Brow Gel. A new fave that I can’t get enough of is the Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat– CHEF’S KISS. 

Mascara- ILIA I only like for my bottom lashes. It has a super stiff, thin applicator which can be painful if you aren’t careful. OG Mascara Faves= NARS Climax, TooFaced Better Than Sex (why are these mascara names so sexual? HA!) , Tarte Big Ego, IT Cosmetics Lash Blow Out .

ALWAYS CURL YOUR LASHES FIRST. Trust me on this. The Tweezerman Eyelash Curler is the best. Shiseido will work too. Do not get a cheap one. They are never as good.

Something else you shouldn’t go cheap on? Tweezers. Tweezerman tweezers are the BEST, forever and ever amen .

 

EYESHADOW

Palettes- I LOVE palettes. Maybe a little too much. Ha! I love the ease of having all the colors (highlight, crease, transition) all in one area so I don’t have to think about it too much. The ones I reach for regularly are the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Palette and the Charlotte Tilbury Palette of Pops.

Cream Formulations – If you are looking for a one and done option, cream shadows are for you. They give a beautiful wash of color OR can be layered for more pigmentation. Stila Kitten is an OG fave (since college. This was actually also my wedding eyeshadow), ILIA Liquid Powder shadows are sheer and soft, and in news that surprises ABSOLUTELY NO ONE… the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Jewel Pot is sheer, chic perfection.

Shadow Sticks– These are also an awesome one and done option. Scribble on the lid and blend with a fingertip or brush. For many, many years I’ve kept a collection of Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown shadow sticks. Make sure to keep the lid on tight so they stay creamy.

 

MISCELLANEOUS

I had a few more things I wanted to share so this last category is for lotions, perfumes, hair creams, toiletries and makeup brushes/tools.

Makeup Application- Everyone needs a Beauty Blender. Yes, there are a ton of passable drugstore dupes, but this one is the original for good reason. Use it to apply foundation, concealer, or cream products. Wet and squeeze out for flawless concealer application. This IT Cosmetics powder brush was lost in the move from Alaska and I miss it so dang much, I might need to replace it. It is SO soft and helps with a flawless finish.

Lotion- Nécessaire Body Lotion – thick and luxurious and scentless- this is good, good stuff. 

Body Wash- I fully admit that IT IS RIDICULOUS TO SPEND 25 ON BODY WASH. But this Necessaire Eucalyptus Body Wash is heaven in a bottle. The eucalyptus scent is…delicious. I hide it so that no one else in my family can use it. It’s truly self-care for me.

Perfumes- 2020/2021 is the year that I taught myself about perfumes. Since I never go anywhere, treating myself to scent is a way to feel special and dressed up. Right now, I rotate between Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede, Juliette Has a Gun Not a Perfume, and Jo Malone Scarlet Poppy. I consistently get compliments on these.

 

WHEW! This post was a huge labor of love. I truly hope that you’ve found it insightful and helpful. I would love for you to comment below and let me know your thoughts- what do you have your eye on?

Questions? ASK AWAY! Answering beauty questions brings me so much joy!

Have a beautiful + blessed weekend, love to you all.