We’re back in sale season and this year’s Sephora sale begins this weekend:

• ROUGE: 11/1-11/11 – 20% off 
• VIB: 11/5-11/11 – 15% off
• INSIDER: 11/5-11/11 – 10% off

An important reminder

I will add the reminder that I add every year, and it’s that the Sephora sale is hardly the best sale for most beauty products and brands these days, especially if you don’t have Rouge status. WIth Black Friday/Cyber Monday around the corner, most of these brands will have their own sales at 20-30% off, and sales basically happen year round these days. If shopping for beauty isn’t in your budget right now, there’s no need for FOMO. Beauty products are almost never an essential purchase and chances are you’ll only have to wait a couple weeks for another sale somewhere else to come around.

I put together these posts twice a year because it’s a convenient goal post to round up products that I’ve bought and received from brands as press samples over the months. Even if you don’t plan on shopping the Sephora sale, these posts will be here as a reference of mini reviews and swatches for when other sales pop up. 

That being said, I have a fresh list of recommendations for you, based on products I’ve tried since the last sale. Today, I’m just sharing my top makeup picks. For all things fragrance, body, skincare, and haircare, stay tuned for the next post! 

As always, my recommendations post only includes newer products, but I have several posts from previous sales if you’re looking for my thoughts on previous launches:

• April 2024
• November 2023
• April 2023

If you’re ever curious, this list is always updated with my favorite skincare products, and I also have lists for my holy grail products, bodycare, and haircare favorites. I also have a list of Sephora recommendations saved all in one place, and it’s full of everything I’ve recommended in previous posts. 

As usual, this post includes affiliate links, which allows me to earn a small commission from your purchase if you use my links. Some of the products featured have also been generously gifted from brands as press samples. Thank you in advance for your support:

P.S. Scroll to the bottom of this post if you want to see what I plan on purchasing this year! 

MY TOP PICKS

• Merit Dress Code Lip Set – basically the perfect lip set with some of my favorite formulas. The shades are flattering and work for a casual everyday lip, a 90s-esque neutral rosy brown lip, and a plum shade that’s perfect for evening.
• Dior Rouge Dior Balm Midnight – the perfect blackened-red just bitten tint on me and what I wanted black honey to look like on me
• Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Balm – a holy grail balm formula that comes in a clear shade or muted and neutral tinted shades. This feels like a hug on my lips.
• Summer Fridays Mini Neutrals Lip Butter Balm – my favorite shades of one of my favorite balms in a mini set – if I didn’t have all 4 shades in full size forms I would definitely get this set. 

HOLIDAY SETS 

The sets this year didn’t really wow me, to be honest. I don’t find a lot of them to be great value and unless it’s a set to stock up on favorites, there were only a few that caught my eye.

• Merit Dress Code Lip Set
• Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin 4-Ever Lip and Cheek Set – I love the Yummy Skin blushes and the 2 limited edition shades are really screaming my name.
• Glossier Storm Lip and Cheek Duo – I love the ultralip formula and am excited to see it in the Storm shade, which is a shade of the Cloud Paint I’ve always wanted to try. This is also on my list to buy.
• Make Up For Ever Mini Artist Pencil Kit – It has all my favorite shades of the artist pencil, plus a black and white shade, all in mini form
• Summer Fridays Mini Neutrals Lip Butter Balm 
• YSL Beauty Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Duo Set – I absolutely adore the Candy Glazes and this set has 2 ‘goes with everything’ shades – 02, the clear balm (one of the best balms too!), and 15, a sheer nude.

BASE

• Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Mattifying Water Powder Serum – a very light serum primer that helps to mattify skin. I slightly prefer the Glow Recipe Strawberry Blur Drops because it’s a little more oil controlling for me, but makeup applies slightly better over this one. 
• Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint – what I call Flawless Filter in a stick – it gives the beautiful lit from within healthy glow but the stick version is much more travel friendly. I wear shade 4 and feature it in this reel. 
• Fenty Naturally Lit Luminous Foundation – beautiful medium coverage slightly luminous foundation that still has all day wear, even for my oily skin. I demo it in this reel and love how it makes my skin look. I wear shade 210 and review it in this reel.
• Fenty Vizor Huez Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 – I’m really surprised at how healthy and dewy this makes my skin look without being greasy. It just looks healthy and glowing with sheer light coverage so it’s nearly undetectable on my skin. I do not use this as my primary SPF as I think it would add too much glow and slippiness for me, so I use this over my regular SPF. I wear shade 02.
• Gucci Matte Beauty Powder -one of my favorite mattifying powders this year. It has some light sheer coverage and leaves a matte finish that doesn’t suck all the life out of my skin. It looks like it has glitter in the pan but it doesn’t translate on my skin.  I wear shade 02. 
• Laura Mercier Ultra Blur Translucent Powder – this is a loose powder that really wowed me this year. It’s much lighter than the original formula and has more blurring properties. It also keeps my skin matte (but not flat) for the whole day. I have the Honey and Rose versions for some extra brightening. I review it in this reel.
• Tower 28 GetSet Pressed Setting Powder – I really like the air-light formula of this powder, though it’s not quite as potent as the other powders I mention. On very hot summer days my oils do break through at the 6-7 hour mark (with oily skin in the summer) but on cooler fall days it has kept my oil under control for the whole day. I don’t love the packaging as it doesn’t have a mirror but it’s a good formula if you don’t mind the lack of mirror. 

CHEEKS

• Ciele Bronze and Protect SPF 50 – a pigmented and long-lasting liquid bronzer that can be used on its own or mixed into other products. I find both tones to give realistic bronze looks without being too orange on my skin. Shade 01 is more golden and shade 02 is more neutral and deeper. I can wear both, but need a very very very light hand with both shades because they’re so pigmented. I demo both shades in this reel.
• YSL All Hours Bronzer – such a silky, smooth, and buildable bronzer formula. Shade 02 Dune is a neutral golden tone that is perfect for my skin.
• Dior Forever Glow Liquid Highlighter – the finish of these is radiant and slightly shimmery, but in a very elegant way. I find these similar to the Charlotte Tilbury Highlight wands, but in far better packaging, as this has a doe foot applicator. I demo it in this reel.

• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Unlocked – Dragon – I always look forward to . Hourglass palettes and this year’s are just as beautiful as previous years. I have Dragon, which is the lightest palette of the trio. See it in action in this reel

• Lawless Pinch My Cheeks Soft Blur Cream Blush – a really light and creamy blush formula that dries down to a powder finish that lasts all day – great for my oily skin friends though the light creamy texture also makes this a really smoothing formula for someone with drier skin. My favorite shades are Angel, Cheeky, and Rosebud
• Nars Blush – the most recent reformulation of the Nars blushes is fantastic! They are super smooth and have the same buildable intensity that they used to. I’m loving the shade Behave for a light pink nude.
• Tower 28 Beach Please Lip and Cheek in Finest Hour – I haven’t been a huge fan of this formula in the past because it’s a thicker formula, but I’m convinced that different shades have different formulas because this one feels a little thinner and easy to blend than the other shades I’ve tried. Finest Hour is a buildable red that actually looks really natural and wearable, which I demo in this reel.
• YSL Make Me Blush Liquid Blush – a lovely blurring liquid blush formula that blends out to a super natural seamless finish. Just a couple dots goes a long way with this one! I prefer it to the Armani liquid blush formula, which didn’t make this list because the YSL formula works better for me. I apply a few shades in this reel.

EYES

• Armani Eye Tint – These eye tints have generally been fine, but not life changing for me, but there are 3 new shimmery shades that have elegant sparkly finish that I like to use as eyeshadow toppers. 
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eyeshadow – these were recently reformulated (reviewed in this post), and the new formula is so much more longwearing on my eyes. My favorite shades are Mocha and Strapless. See all the new shades swatched in my review post.
• Natasha Denona Mini Dream Palette – I bought this during the last spring sale and it’s is such a convenient little palette that has all the shades I really need for a neutral look – it has a transition shade, a deeper matte tan, and a deep brown to smudge out my eyeliner, plus a couple of shimmer shades to add dimension. It’s the perfect travel palette that fits into any makeup bag I have.
• Merit Clean Lash Mascara – this was the surprise hit for me as a non-waterproof tubing mascara that decently holds my curl. Nothing short of bulletproof waterproof mascara will fully hold my curl, but this one is pretty good as tubing mascaras go, and it really gives that sort of no makeup lash look while giving a nice lift, along with a light lengthening and volumizing effect.
• Sephora 12 Hour Contour Eyeliner – a great longlasting formula that comes in tone of shades with matte, shimmer, and glitter shades. It doesn’t fade or transfer on me and they last so well. My favorite shade is Stone, a deep gray brown.

LIP

Lip balms and tints

• YSL Candy Glow Balm – I love this tinted balm from YSL – it’s the sheerest formula from them so far and it’s lovely to wear. My favorite shade is 6B, a sheer brown.
• Dior Rouge Dior Balm Midnight – this is the blackened red lip tint that gives me that just bitten tinted stained look. The shade is just right for me and it has that super sheer buildable payoff, with a soft satin finish. I can’t get enough of the balm or the shade as t’s just what I wanted black honey to look like on me. There’s a light floral scent but it’s very faint to me. See this shade in action in this reel.
• Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Balm – these balms have become holy grail status for me, and I own all the shades. They’re thick and cushiony, but not TOO thick or sticky. It feels like a pillowy hug on my lips, and it has gentle exfoliation from lactic acid, but nothing that feels irritating. The shades are also on point for any neutral or muted tones lover. This truly is the tinted balm of the year for me.
• Prada Beauty Moisturizing Lip Balm – I was really surprised by how smooth and velvety these lip balms are. While the Astral Pink shade with the blue went viral, I actually love the neutral tinted shades that they have. Noisette is a beautiful sheer warm rusty brown. This isn’t the most moisturizing lip balm I have, but it does give some light hydration. Note that these also have a floral scent if you are sensitive to scented products. I apply Noisette in this reel.

Lip Liners

• Fara Homidi Smudge and Contour Lip Pencil is a remarkable soft matte lip pencil that gives that perfectly blotted smudgy look but stays hydrating and wears for hours. This looks fairly unremarkable at first, but the wear and easiness of this formula are what makes this remarkable. The Lip Compact also pairs perfectly as a non-drying soft velvet matte.
• Glossier Lip Liner – This formula is pretty transfer resistant and longwearing, and has stronger payoff than the Fara Homidi, but blends out well. I love the shade Flush, which is a rich neutral to warm brown that goes with a lot of the lip colors I reach for. The only disadvantage to this line is that there aren’t many other shades that really call my name.
• Make Up For Ever Mini Artist Pencil Kit – I finally tried the Artist Pencils and fell in love with them like everyone else has. They are so smooth and blendable and they absolutely nailed the undertones and shades, especially Wherever Walnut and Anywhere Caffeine.. They aren’t the longest lasting, but they are super comfortable, and the perfection of the shades keeps me reaching for these day after day. I know they came out with a waterproof version that I’m curious about too.

Lipsticks

• Dior Rouge Dior Lipstick – I bought one of the matte shades during the last sale and I’ll be honest – I didn’t start to use it until a couple weeks ago. But that’s really my own mistake because this formula is wonderful. It’s smooth and pigmented but not too opaque. It’s also not drying on my lips and wears for a few hours before fading. It applies really evenly in a thin layer without skipping, and I really enjoy the lightness of the formula. It has a light floral scent.
• Laura Mercier Caviar Smoothing Matte Lipstick – This is a super longwearing velvet matte lip formula that come in bold shades from nudes to deep vampy shades. I was impressed with the blurring ability and long wear time, though this one also has a strong floral vanilla scent that I’d prefer weren’t there. Also reviewed here.
• Makeup by Mario Super Satin Lipstick – I bought this during the last sale and really love the bold satin formula. It’s pigmented bud glides on evenly into a rich finish with really comfortable wear for hours. It does feel like a lipstick so if you’re looking for something with a truly weightless feel and a satin finish I would still recommend something like the Merit Signature Lips or the YSL Rouge Pur Couture formula. I swatch both shades that I have in this reel.

• Merit Dress Code Lip Set – my favorite formulas now come in new limited edition shades! This is a slam dunk set, with the satin Signature Lip formula, the Matte lip, and a new sheer Lip Blush formula in all new shades that are perfect for everyday and holidays. I try on all 3 shades in this reel.
• Nars Explicit Refillable Satin Lipstick – this newer formula is super rich and bold with a light feel and super long wear while staying hydrating. It’s remarkable how well this wears for how hydrating it is, and the shades come in a wide range from lighter nudes to bright bold shades. If you love a bold lipstick, this is one to try. See a demo in this reel.

Lip Glosses

• Ami Cole Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil – I bought Smitten a couple years ago but find it a bit too bright for everyday wear, so it wasn’t until the brand sent me the shade Excellence that I really fell in love with this formula. It’s thick and weighty but not overbearing and heavy, and it lasts so well through the day. I can easily get 3 hours out of this oil alone even though drinking and snacking, which is great wear time for a lip oil. 
• Charlotte Tilbury Plumpgasm Plumping Gloss – if you look beyond the bulky packaging, this is actually a great plumping gloss, and I usually can’t handle any type of tingling or mintiness. It has a lightweight formula that gives a glassy glow, and there’s a mild tingling to help plump up some lip lines that doesn’t bother me at all. The medium/deep shade is also a gorgeous pinkish berry brown.
• Haus Labs PhD Lip Glaze Set – a cute little set with a not too thin, not too thick lip gloss formula that’s just easy to wear all day. The shades in the original line are a dream for olive skin tones as they’re more muted and neutral, and this set comes with a limited edition sheer honey with a slight shimmer that wears with anything. I review the set in this reel.
• Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm – one of my favorite lip balm formulas (along with Eadem and Rhode) came out with 2 new shades – Iced Coffee, a sheer warm latte color, and Hot Cocoa, a limited edition chocolate shade. 

On my list:

• Kulfi Lassi Lips Lip Oil – I’ve heard so many great things about this formula and the shade Tamarind is a gorgeous plummy brown.
• Tom Ford Longwear Lip Liner – I was able to try this once and it lasted for so long on my hand I was astonished. I can’t resist a luxury lip product so I’m definitely curious about this one. 
• Glossier Storm Lip and Cheek Duo – The berry shade is just the kind of shade I’m into right now and I love that there is an Ultralip in this color as well.
• Sephora 56 brush – my absolute favorite brush for cream and liquid brushes. I have one along with a travel mini and I use them every single day. It’s definitely time for a backup so I can have a clean one on hand!

I’m definitely curious what’s in your carts as well! In the meantime, stay tuned for part 2, which will cover fragrance, body, skin, and haircare.

Thanks for reading and happy shopping!