My Top of the Top, Best of the Best Sephora Picks
Writing a top recommendations post for Sephora is next to impossible. It's the mecca of the beauty world so naturally, the options are endless. A recommendations post could include dozens of products worth thousands of dollars. On top of that, I'm tired of reading and writing Sephora sale posts (...even though the second round of the sale hasn't even started yet.) So instead of writing up an exhaustive Sephora recommendations post, I decided to pick 15 of my favorite products from totally arbitrary categories.
These are all products I would 100% repurchase if I lost/ finished up!
P.s the photo really has nothing to do with the post 🙈 These were all products that were already on my desk in the 5 minute time frame I had to take a quick photo for this post.
I reviewed all three in my WTF are cleansing balms post!
In my original haul post, I said I bought the liner because I read a review that said the liner stained someone's contact. That's how long-staying this pencil is!
I had originally purchased the Sephora blush & luminizer on the go stick in 09 Miss Gorgeous, but Sephora incorrectly sent me the shade 01 Miss Busy. And I'm so glad they did because I never would have picked out the color on my own!
It looks very intimidating (at least to me) in the stick, but is surprisingly wearable in practice. I usually shy away from bright coral lipsticks and blushes because many of them have strong white base which translates to an ashy color on my skin. It also lasts really well throughout the day. I wore it on 90 degrees+ days in the city where I was outdoors most of the time. By the end of the day, the blush was still there and I looked naturally flushed!
It is a cream to powder formula so you have to work quickly to blend it out. My preferred way is to apply it straight to my face and then blend out with my fingers.
I also went back and bought shade 09 Miss Gorgeous and I don't like it as much. It applies a little bit patchy and doesn't show up as well on my skintone.I'll update the post later with swatches of both.
Both are also available in full-sizes in gift sets! The YTTP is in a kit with minis of their cleanser and mask (both of which I also recommend) and the Farmacy is in a kit with minis of their honey potion mask and sleep tight sleeping mask (again, I also recommend both of these!)
Oddly enough, it's actually cheaper to buy the full-sized bottle in this gift set.
If you're not ready to make the commitment, they have a set for less than $30 that includes minis of good genes and their ceramic slip cleanser (a nice clay-based cleanser that's good for normal to oily skin types. I like using it as my morning cleanser in the summer.) A larger mini is also available in a kit alongside their Luna oil.
I would highly recommend picking up the Come C About Me set as it includes a full-sized C-firma as well as minis of 3 other Drunk Elephant products for an extra $8.
I also reviewed the C-firma in my what to buy at Dermstore recommendations post, which was a follow-up of my first impressions which I shared back in March. More recently, I briefly mentioned it in my September project pan empties post.
I have so many lipsticks, it's hard to justify buying any new ones. But lately I've been loving lip tints and thankfully I don't have a bazillion of those in my collection 😜 My favorite formula by far has been the YSL glossy stain lip color (PR gift). I reviewed it on my Instagram and included a swatch as well as a selfie of me wearing it.
The subheading says it all. It softly blurs my pore without drying me out or irritating my skin. It also extends the wear of my makeup, especially around the ghosts of zits past.
One thing to note: shake it before using it! Unfortunately, it has a tendency to separate in the bottle but thankfully shaking before dispensing fixes that minor issue.
My favorites and most worn are Majella in their satin lip formula and Bahama in their velvet matte formula.
If you're going to invest money in purchasing mid to high end lip pencils and eyeliners, I think investing in a pencil sharpener is necessary as well. I've had my Nars pencil sharpener for years and it's still going strong and sharp!
Think about it this way, do you want to waste endless amounts of product from your $25-$40 pencils with a crappy pencil sharpener or do you want to shell out the $6 to maximize the product you get?
Unfortunately I also perpetually have dandruff and most dry shampoos seem to make it worse. I've since switched to non-aerosol dry shampoos and have found them to work a lot better with my scalp. They don't make my scalp as itchy although they are a bit harder to use.
Notice how I said as itchy, because they can make my scalp itchy depending on how much I use. If I apply a fresh layer of dry shampoo 2 or 3 days in a row, there's a definite build-up which in turn makes my scalp itchy.
I've tried a few non-aerosol dry shampoos and I can't tell you which one is my favorite yet as some of them are recent additions. I can say I like all 3. The Verb dry shampoo has a nozzle while the Klorane dry shampoo with oat milk and Briogeo scalp revival dry shampoo (PR gift) both have non-aerosol sprays.
I didn't notice any immediate results from using this brush but rather after a few months. My hair wasn't as frizzy, my roots didn't get oily as quickly, and my hair didn't tangle as easily. It was most definitely a worthwhile investment.
These are all products I would 100% repurchase if I lost/ finished up!
P.s the photo really has nothing to do with the post 🙈 These were all products that were already on my desk in the 5 minute time frame I had to take a quick photo for this post.
Winter moisturizer to keep you hydrated all day long
You probably already know what moisturizer I'm talking about. My one true love, Dr. Jart's ceramidin cream! If you're wondering why it is the bestest, you can read my review here.Gentle balm cleansers that remove all traces of makeup without irritating eyes or drying out skin
No skincare wardrobe is complete without a solid balm cleanser. Or at least my skincare wardrobe isn't complete without a solid balm cleanser or two. My top 3 picks available at Sephora, ranked from most favorite to... not as most favorite (because I really enjoy all 3) are the Clinique take the day off cleansing balm, Farmacy green clean balm, and Erborian solid cleansing oil (PR gift.)I reviewed all three in my WTF are cleansing balms post!
Black pencil liner that won't smudge after an hour or two in your waterline
Ever since I bought the Marc Jacobs Highliner a year and a half ago, I haven't bothered with any other pencil liners. While it's soft enough to not irritate my eyes, it also lasts really long.In my original haul post, I said I bought the liner because I read a review that said the liner stained someone's contact. That's how long-staying this pencil is!
Cute and affordable pop-of-color cream to powder blush
2017 has turned me into a blush person and furthermore has turned me into a cream blush person. One of my favorite blushes is one I sort of discovered by accident.I had originally purchased the Sephora blush & luminizer on the go stick in 09 Miss Gorgeous, but Sephora incorrectly sent me the shade 01 Miss Busy. And I'm so glad they did because I never would have picked out the color on my own!
It looks very intimidating (at least to me) in the stick, but is surprisingly wearable in practice. I usually shy away from bright coral lipsticks and blushes because many of them have strong white base which translates to an ashy color on my skin. It also lasts really well throughout the day. I wore it on 90 degrees+ days in the city where I was outdoors most of the time. By the end of the day, the blush was still there and I looked naturally flushed!
It is a cream to powder formula so you have to work quickly to blend it out. My preferred way is to apply it straight to my face and then blend out with my fingers.
I also went back and bought shade 09 Miss Gorgeous and I don't like it as much. It applies a little bit patchy and doesn't show up as well on my skintone.
Lightweight yet hydrating moisturizers
My two go-to moisturizers this summer were the Youth to the People age prevention cream and the Farmacy honey drop moisturizer (PR gift.) The first was featured in my spring beauty favorites and the latter was in my summer beauty favorites plus I also wrote a dedicated review on it.Both are also available in full-sizes in gift sets! The YTTP is in a kit with minis of their cleanser and mask (both of which I also recommend) and the Farmacy is in a kit with minis of their honey potion mask and sleep tight sleeping mask (again, I also recommend both of these!)
Hair oil that prevents split ends but also won't make you greasy
I reviewed Bumble & Bumble's hairdresser's invisible oil way back when in my March 2016 beauty favorites. I still love it just as much as I did back then! And I'm still working on that same bottle because a little bit really goes a long way with this stuff.Oddly enough, it's actually cheaper to buy the full-sized bottle in this gift set.
Literal overnight skin transformer
Oh Good Genes, how I love thee. I reviewed it in my Dermstore recommendations post from a few weeks ago.If you're not ready to make the commitment, they have a set for less than $30 that includes minis of good genes and their ceramic slip cleanser (a nice clay-based cleanser that's good for normal to oily skin types. I like using it as my morning cleanser in the summer.) A larger mini is also available in a kit alongside their Luna oil.
Best of the best vitamin C serum that tackles acne, fades scars, and evens skintone
Another beloved product that I've mentioned 83248 times on my blog and instagram is Drunk Elephant's C-firma day serum. I'm itching it crack open my second bottle, but I have a few other vitamin c serums I want to use up first.I would highly recommend picking up the Come C About Me set as it includes a full-sized C-firma as well as minis of 3 other Drunk Elephant products for an extra $8.
I also reviewed the C-firma in my what to buy at Dermstore recommendations post, which was a follow-up of my first impressions which I shared back in March. More recently, I briefly mentioned it in my September project pan empties post.
Long-lasting eye cream that doesn't cause milia
While I did partner with Belif on a sponsored post of the Belif moisturizing eye bomb, I do genuinely love it. I tested it for the first 3 weeks of October to review for the post, but after that, I've continued to use it every day and night. That's quite a feat for me since I've never been so consistent with an eye cream.
Lip stain that won't go patchy after your 2nd cup of coffee of the day
I have so many lipsticks, it's hard to justify buying any new ones. But lately I've been loving lip tints and thankfully I don't have a bazillion of those in my collection 😜 My favorite formula by far has been the YSL glossy stain lip color (PR gift). I reviewed it on my Instagram and included a swatch as well as a selfie of me wearing it.Pore blurring, non-drying, silicone-free primer
When I first started trying Hourglass products, I thought they were overhyped. But all of their products that I've tried have slowly grown on me. Most of all is their Mineral Veil primer.The subheading says it all. It softly blurs my pore without drying me out or irritating my skin. It also extends the wear of my makeup, especially around the ghosts of zits past.
One thing to note: shake it before using it! Unfortunately, it has a tendency to separate in the bottle but thankfully shaking before dispensing fixes that minor issue.
Pigmented, comfortable lipstick pencils
If I had to stick to one brand of lip products, it would be Nars. They have such a great range of formulas and colors. In the midst of all their newer lip releases, I think their lip pencils have been forgotten! Which is a damn shame because they're pretty much perfect. There's a range of finishes and colors and they're all pigmented and easy to apply.My favorites and most worn are Majella in their satin lip formula and Bahama in their velvet matte formula.
Sharp and effective pencil sharpener
If you're going to invest money in purchasing mid to high end lip pencils and eyeliners, I think investing in a pencil sharpener is necessary as well. I've had my Nars pencil sharpener for years and it's still going strong and sharp!Think about it this way, do you want to waste endless amounts of product from your $25-$40 pencils with a crappy pencil sharpener or do you want to shell out the $6 to maximize the product you get?
Dry shampoos that don't exacerbate my scalp issues
I have long hair and am also lazy so it's no surprise that I'm not particularly fond of washing my hair. Enter: dry shampoo.Unfortunately I also perpetually have dandruff and most dry shampoos seem to make it worse. I've since switched to non-aerosol dry shampoos and have found them to work a lot better with my scalp. They don't make my scalp as itchy although they are a bit harder to use.
Notice how I said as itchy, because they can make my scalp itchy depending on how much I use. If I apply a fresh layer of dry shampoo 2 or 3 days in a row, there's a definite build-up which in turn makes my scalp itchy.
I've tried a few non-aerosol dry shampoos and I can't tell you which one is my favorite yet as some of them are recent additions. I can say I like all 3. The Verb dry shampoo has a nozzle while the Klorane dry shampoo with oat milk and Briogeo scalp revival dry shampoo (PR gift) both have non-aerosol sprays.
Relatively affordable boar bristle hair brush
I say relatively affordable because the Sephora gloss: dual boar paddle brush was still a splurge for me when I purchased it earlier this year, but it's still much cheaper than something like a Mason Pearson brush.I didn't notice any immediate results from using this brush but rather after a few months. My hair wasn't as frizzy, my roots didn't get oily as quickly, and my hair didn't tangle as easily. It was most definitely a worthwhile investment.
Fin
And those are 15-ish of my random top Sephora picks! What are your favorite products from Sephora? Do we have any of the same favs?