The Sephora semi-annual sale is back this week and I have another round of recommendations from products I’ve tried in the past 6 months.
This year’s sales dates are:
- VIB Rouge – 20% discount, April 14-April 24
- VIB – 15% discount, April 18-April 24
- Insider – 10% off, April 18-April 24
I say this with every post but will remind everyone again that many brands often do their own sales on their websites that are 20% or more, so if you’re a VIB or Insider status, this sale is not going to be the best savings for you. Most of the recommendations I have are for brands that rarely do any sales at all, so even a 10% or 15% discount can be helpful. I also know that Sephora is a preferred retailer for many people so I use these posts to keep my recommendations of products I like that are also available at Sephora.
As always, please use this post and other sales post to help plan your purchase rather than impulse buying a bunch of products. If spending money on beauty is not a financially responsible decision right now, skip this post.
I’ve done multiple recommendations posts, and this post will cover products I’ve tried in the last 6 months. However, there are many many more recommendations from previous posts!
- Fall 2022 sale recommendations
- Spring sale recommendations
- Fall 2021 recommendations – part 1
- Fall 2021 – part 2
Let’s get started!
Makeup
FACE
Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops* ($32) – I like to use this BHA-infused serum as a makeup primer because it’s excellent at oil control thanks to the inclusion of tapioca starch. If you have oily skin, this is a really lovely product as a primer or an oil control serum.
Basma The Foundation Stick* ($40) – I tried this brand earlier this year when they sent me their foundation sticks to try and I was so impressed with how natural it looks on the skin, and how well it holds up throughout the day. I’m so glad that they’re at Sephora now! I have 3 nearly perfect shade matches for my medium neutral/olive skintone. Right now, shade 27 is a near perfect match for me.
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Radiant Skin Concealer ($33) – This concealer wasn’t on my radar at all, but it was given to me by a friend and I’m so impressed with it. It has a creamy texture that isn’t too thick or too thin, blends out like a dream, and doesn’t settle into any of my lines. My best shade is 6.5N.
Lawless Conseal the Deal Concealer* ($26) – This is a medium coverage concealer that has a thinner consistency. I find that it does cover my undereyes pretty well and doesn’t settle into any of my lines. While I generally prefer the Charlotte Tilbury concealer, this one is a really great option if you want a lighter feel. I have the shade Cashew, which is a decent match, though it’s a hair too light for me.
YSL All Hours Luminous Matte Foundation* ($60) – YSL Beauty recently reformulated their All Hours Foundation – I didn’t try the original formula, but this new one is really nice. It has a thin texture with medium to full coverage that blends out really nicely. It really does have a matte finish that still leaves a bit of luminosity. I have no issues with lasting power, even as the weather warms up, and I can easily get 12 hours out of this. I wear shade LW8, which is a touch too light now that I have some sun on my face, but has the right neutral/warm undertones. I recently had a sponsored Instagram reel showing this foundation here.
Urban Decay 24H Multi-Use Concealer* ($33) – An ultra full coverage concealer that is another winner for oily skin. This definitely leaves a matte finish on my skin, and is another base product with great lasting power. It comes in a large bottle and I’ve used this as a foundation in a pinch, too. I wear shade 40NN or 40WY. I also did an ad with the brand with two posts showcasing the concealer here, and then use it all over my face as a foundation here.
YSL Touche Eclat* ($40) – I recently retried this iconic product from YSL, and fell in love all over again. This is a light coverage creamy and hydrating concealer. It blends so easily with just my fingers and even though this is a lighter coverage product, it brightens my undereye area beautifully. And although the formula is creamy, it doesn’t settle into any of my lines. I wear shade 2.5 and it’s pretty much a perfect match.
Lawless Skin-Smoothing Perfecting Powder* ($39) – I just tried this recently and am really impressed at how smooth it makes my skin look. It does a great job of blurring, and provides some coverage but isn’t a full coverage product. I like this to set a tinted moisturizer, though I could definitely use this on its own for light makeup days. It’s not the most oil-controlling powder I’ve ever used, but it leaves a very natural finish that doesn’t break down or get patchy. The shade light medium is pretty much a perfect match for me.
CHEEKS
Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Flushed ($25) – These skin balms are a really fantastic cream to powder formula that look super natural and blend right into the skin while being long lasting for oily skin. There are a few brighter shades that are great for the summer, though my favorite shade is Jubilee, a terracotta peach shade.
Glossier Cloud Paint ($20) – Glossier is available at Sephora now, and most of the brand is just ok for me, but their cult favorite Cloud Paint is famous for a reason. It’s still one of the best liquid blush formulas I’ve tried – it’s liquidy and pigmented, but still blendable and easy to use for a makeup beginner. The range of shades also means most people will find a shade that works for them – my favorite is Dusk, the tan nude shade.
Kaja Whipped Dream Multi-Eye and Cheek Color* ($21) – These are multi-use velvety mousse products, and they provide a beautiful natural looking matte tint. While these are advertised as eye and cheek products, I actually like them best as cheek and lip products.
EYES
Glossier Skywash – Echo ($18) – I’m really only recommending one specific shade within the Skywash line – Echo, the deepest matte brown shade. This matte formula is fantastic for oily eyelids as it sets down really well. They shades are very very sheer – very much like a watercolor. WIth the shade Echo, this makes the very deep brown shade sheer out to just a hint of depth on my light-medium skintone. It gives my eyelids just a subtle hint of definition without looking like obvious makeup. I use this shade often on minimal makeup days!
Lawless The Lavender One Eyeshadow Palette ($27) – If you love a lavender and pink colorway, this little palette is really nice. The pigmentation is not super opaque, but I don’t think it’s lacking in any way. It’s buildable without looking chalky on my eyelids and the shades in this palette work so well with each other for a lavender themed look.
Tom Ford Rose Prick Eye Color Creme Eyeshadow Quad in Forbidden Pink ($90) – I just did a review of this quad here, and talked about how much I love this colorway. It’s the perfect balance of tones for a rosy coppery quad and doesn’t pull too pink or too orange on my eyes.
YSL Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara* ($29) – I rarely like high end mascaras enough to really recommend them, but this new YSL mascara is really fantastic. It gives me a ton of length and volume and doesn’t smudge on me. WHile it’s only decent at holding a curl on me – as all non-waterproof mascaras are – there’s something about how smooth this looks on my lashes that I’m so impressed with.
LIPS
Fenty Icon Velvet Liquid Lipstick* ($29) – This new liquid lip formula from Fenty has been making waves, because the formula is seriously high impact. It’s a lightweight moussey lip tint that is extremely pigmented. It isn’t the most beginner friendly lip because of how pigmented it is, but the end effect is so gorgeous, and great for a dramatic look. My favorite shade is H.B.I.C, a deep red shade. I swatched 4 of the shades here.
Glossier Ultralip High Shine Lipstick ($18) – This is currently my favorite product from Glossier – a medium pigment glossy and creamy lipstick. I have 2 shades Cachet and Ember, and wore them both a ton in the winter. They’re super comfortable to wear, and I’m eyeing Villa, a lighter rose shade, for spring.
Hourglass Unlocked Satin Lipstick ($38) – This is one of my favorite lipstick launches in the past few months. It’s a creamy and moisturizing lipstick that feels super light weight. It’s not quite balmy, like the Merit lipsticks, but feels like a traditional lipstick with a lighter feel. It has medium-full pigment and wears for a few hours on my lips without once feeling dry. The shade range is also fantastic – full of neutrals and reds, which are my favorites.
Kaja Jelly Charm Glazed Lip Stain and Blush ($25) – This is a newer product and I haven’t had a chance to really feature it on any of my social media in depth, but this is a fantastic jelly stain. It’s reminiscent of a lot of watery gel products in the k-beauty market, and the packaging on these is so cute.
Valentino Beauty Lipstick* ($45) – To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a lot out of this lipstick formula, but it really impressed me. The Valentino lipsticks have an ultra smooth almost powdery creamy feel – but not in a dry way. They feel have a bit of slip that, but they don’t actually move around on my lips. I have some fantastic mlbb and bright red shades from them that are unique in my collection. I also swatched the shades that I have on my arm in this reel, and on my lips here:
YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick* ($39) – These new balmy gloss sticks are absolutely incredible. They have a thick, but not sticky, nourishing feel and give a really nice shine. Compared to the shine formula, these feel much thicker and more balmy, and also have sheerer pigment. They really do have the shine and feel of a nourishing lip oil on the lip, but apply like a really nourishing lip balm. I adore this formula.
SKINCARE
Shani Darden Cleansing Serum* ($38) – this is one of the best, if not the best, cleanser I’ve ever used. Strong words, I know, but I love this. It has a gel-serum consistency that feels slippy, but not greasy or heavy on the skin. This replaces my previous favorite, the Fresh Soy Cleanser because it has more slip to it and doesn’t immediately wash off.
Shiseido Eudermine Activating Essence* ($145) – This is Shiseido’s newly reformulated version of their classic Eudermine Essence. While I never tried the original version, I find this one to be very plumping and moisturizing while still feeling relatively light. Full disclosure I did work with the brand on this launch (see the Sephora page for a featured video I did for them!)
Shani Darden Lactic Acid AHA Exfoliating Serum* ($88) – Another favorite from Shani Darden, this is a great AHA serum with Lactic Acid. My skin loves lactic acid, so it’s not a surprise that I love this serum. It’s gentle, but my skin is noticeably brighter, smoother, and softer the day after I use this. Compared to the Sunday Riley Good Genes serum I find this slightly more gentle.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream with Retinol* ($145) , mini for $45 – This is a pricey one, I know, but it’s a product that I was really pleasantly surprised by. It has a thick occlusive texture that’s almost like honey. Instead of using it as a daily night cream, I use it once or twice a week as my last layer in place of face oil, like an overnight mask. With this, I also notice plumper skin and an overall brightened complexion. If you’re skeptical, I definitely recommend trying the mini since it’ll last you awhile if you’re only using it a couple times a week.
Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Cream* ($39) – I love gel cream moisturizers for my combination skin, and this one from Glow Recipe is really great. It’s not heavy at all, yet it’s moisturizing enough to moisturize my skin for most of the year – where I live it rarely gets below freezing and my skin handled this fine during the winter. It has a very slight plum scent, but it’s not very strong to my nose.
Fenty Skin Plush Puddin’ Intensive Recovery Lip Mask* ($22) – This lip mask from Fenty Beauty has made waves on social media, and it’s easy to see why with it’s cute twist up packaging that’s manicure friendly. The lip mask itself is very thick, and really best used as an overnight mask – though I sometimes use it during the daytime too. It’s sold out at the moment but fingers crossed it comes back in stock soon!
Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer SPF 50* ($55) This is another recommendation that hurts because it’s $55 for 1 oz/30 ml of SPF, but this one is really lovely. It’s dewy without feeling oily or heavy on my skin, and it really does work well as a primer. My skin and makeup look fantastic even after 10 hours when I wear this SPF as a primer, which I can’t say for any other SPFs.
FRAGRANCES
BoySmells Neopeche Candle ($48) – This is one of my favorite candles from Boy Smells, and it’s so complex that it’s hard to describe. It does have a slight peachy note, but the overall feel of the fragrance is smoky and earthy, which comes from the pink peppercorn and oakmoss notes.
Deluxe Mini Perfume Sampler Set – $80 – I always recommend Sephora’s fragrance samplers because they’re great ways to try out multiple scents, and then redeem them for a full size of your favorite.This set has Missing Person, which retails for $96 – so if you know that you want a full size of it, get this set instead!
Tropical Perfumes Set ($28) – If a full size fragrance is too much right now, this travel rollerball sampler is another great way to try multiple scents at a lower price point. This one has Maison Margiela Replica On a Date, which is one of my favorite new scents in the past year. The travel size spray retails for $35 so I’ll definitely be getting this set so I can have a travel spray.
Fenty Beauty Eau de Parfum* ($140) – This perfume is absolutely intoxicating to me. With notes of tangerine, magnolia, musk, and Bulgarian rose, it’s a little bright, a little floral, a little spicy, and very warm. I think a lot of people either love it or hate it but I can’t get enough of it. I definitely recommend trying it in store if you’re unsure.
Maison Margiela Replica – On a Date* ($160) – Another perfume release that I absolutely love. This is a very romantic rose scent that also has grape notes for a slightly juicier scent, though I wouldn’t classify this as a fruity scent at all. It also has patchouli to ground the whole fragrance, which makes it really interesting to me. I also can’t get enough of this one and it’s probably tied with Fenty for my favorite fragrance at the moment.
Phlur Tangerine Boy* ($96) – For the upcoming warm weather, Tangerine Boy is perfect. It’s very citrus forward, but the amber note makes this a much deeper fragrance than a typical citrus scent. This is reminiscent of Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine, though a little less bitter and a little warmer and richer.
Valentino Donna Born in Roma Intense Eau de Parfum ($156) – If you love vanilla scents, this one is beautiful. It’s vanilla and jasmine forward. It’s a very cozy fragrance, perfect for a date night.
WHAT’S ON MY LIST
- Ami Cole Lip Treatment Oil ($20) – I’ve heard such great things about this lip oil, and I’m definitely curious what it’s like
- Merit Shade Slick Gelee Sheer Tinted Lip Oil ($24) – I really like Merit’s shade slick oils, and I love the sound of a lip gelee that’s sheerer – I already have these on their way to me and I’ll post my thoughts as soon as possible
- Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($23) – I really like Rare Beauty’s blush formula, but to be honest, the shades haven’t really been my style until the new limited edition shade in Virtue came out. It’s a burnt peachy shade, which is just my kind of shade.
What’s on your list? I want to know!
As always, thanks for reading!
Beauty Unhyped 