Ring the alarm, Sephora’s crazy spring sale is happening now and ends TOMORROW. Absolutely all inventory (everything!) is on sale for all Sephora members—VIB Rouge, VIB and Insiders. This is not a drill.
If you’re hoarding your favorite products like I am, remember that the website doesn’t automatically apply the markdown. See below for discount codes and nitty-gritty details:
- VIB Rouge Members get 15% off with code YAYROUGE
- VIB Members get 15% off with code YAYVIB
- Beauty Insiders get 10% off with code YAYINSIDER
- All inventory is included with the exception of products by The Ordinary and you can apply the discount to no more than one Dyson product and three Drunk Elephant products.
Today I’m breaking down my top ten beauty must-haves—the products that I always stock up on during this sale. In addition to my favorites below, it’s worth noting that now is also a great time to snag some of those products you’ve been wanting to try while you can get them at a discount. I mean, I respect your desire to experiment with blue eyeshadow, but I can’t, in good conscience, allow you to pay full price for that… so now’s your time to go hog wild.
1. // Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Primer
Type: Mattifying Primer – For Oily Skin
Application: My hands!
When it comes to makeup, I need products that truly last all day, and this Make Up For Ever mattifying primer is the best in the biz for ensuring just that. Especially in the warm weather months when your face is producing extra oil and moisture, this primer keeps shine at bay and makeup in place. If you have combination skin, you can use a regular primer (I love this product by Laura Mercier) all over your face, and then just dab this one in the areas that produce excess oil (typically the t-zone, chin, and around the nose). I’m telling you, I’ve tried just about every single other oil-control primer on the planet, and nothing can hold a candle to this one. Just remember—a little goes a long way.
2. // Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation
My color: Y335 – Dark Sand
Application: Artis Elite Oval 8 Brush
When it comes to foundation, Make Up Forever’s HD foundation is hands-down the heavyweight champ. My love for this foundation runs deeper than deep. In fact, I’ve been known to tout this as unequivocally the best ever foundation on the planet, and I may or may not have joked about naming my first child after it (was I joking though…?). It’s buildable, lightweight, looks truly invisible (yet still hides everything you need it to hide), has the most natural finish, and doesn’t budge all. damn. day. I’ve been using it for more than 3 years now, and I’M NEVER TURNING BACK. EVER.
3. // Lancôme Maquicomplet Complete Coverage Concealer
My color: Light Buff
Application: BeautyBlender Sponge Applicator
Waterproof undereye concealer is a very important for me because I JUST HAVE SO MANY EMOTIONS. Kidding. I actually just have sensitive light-colored eyes which tend to water whenever exposed to bright light. It’s super convenient. Nevertheless, this concealer stays perfect all day, never creases, and doesn’t move a muscle if your eyes water.
4. // Beauty Blender
My color: I’m using the black “pro” beauty blender, but they’re all the same—they just come in different colors.
The BeautyBlender is my multi-tasking BFF. I primarily use it to blend concealer in the triangle under my eye, but I also sometimes use it to blend other areas as-needed (foundation, concealer, contouring—you name it). It’s also really great for applying foundation products (whether that’s a BB cream, CC cream, tinted moisturizer, foundation, etc.) when you just want a thin coat—perhaps for daytime when you’re going for a more natural look. My favorite foundation above (the Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation) is super buildable (i.e. it can be layered to reach the desired coverage you’re looking for while still looking really natural) so I apply it with the BeautyBlender instead of my foundation brush when I want a lighter look. Bottom line: it’s safe to say that the hype is legit on this one. The BeautyBlender is your all-around application MVP.
5. // Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
My color: Translucent
Application: Sephora Collection PRO Precision Powder Brush #59
If you don’t use a setting powder, please for the love of all things, stop what you’re doing and buy this. Like primer, this product is truly game-changing and this Laura Mercier powder is an honest-to-goodness MUST-HAVE. I honestly look back on years of wearing foundation or concealer without a setting powder and cringe. After applying my foundation and concealer, I dust it all over my entire face (using this brush!), making special efforts to especially cover the areas under the eye where I applied concealer. When it comes to keeping everything in place for the whole day, keeping oil under control, and preventing your under-eye concealer from creasing, this will be your new best friend.
6. // Nars Bronzing Powder
My color: Laguna
Application: Sephora Collection PRO Flawless Light Powder Brush #50
There’s no question that NARS wins the bronzer game. I use this on my face and even dust some on my chest and shoulders in the summer. It has a very subtle shimmer, but looks totally natural and never orange which is the danger with most bronzers. Also, their Laguna shade somehow magically works on absolutely every skin tone.
7. // Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
My color: Taupe (formerly called “ash blonde”)
Anastasia’s Beverly Hills Brow Wiz is the best eyebrow pencil on the planet, plain and simple. It’s completely smear-proof and the super fine tip allows you to mimic actual hair when you’re filling in gaps, yielding really natural results. Everyone I know—brunettes to redheads to blondes—is obsessed with this eyebrow pencil. Conclusion: There’s a reason this baby has 480,000 “loves” on Sephora.
8. // Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Travel Palette
Application: Sephora Collection Eyes Uncomplicated Brush Set
One of my most frequently asked questions on instagram and instastories is what eyeshadow I use, and for the past year, it’s been this palette! This travel palette is the condensed version of this larger palette that I have and love, but with just the eight colors I use most in a compact little case that doesn’t take up any room in my makeup bag. The shades are universally flattering, apply easily, stay perfect all day and never crease. Especially for everyday use, I prefer a matte shadow to something with a lot of shimmer, so this is the palette for me and the shade “Grounded” is my go-to.
9. // Make Up For Ever Aqua Lip Waterproof Lip Pencil
My color: 3C Medium Natural Beige
Similar to many of my favorite lip products, I have this lip pencil in several colors, and switch them up depending on what lip color I’m putting over it. However, this natural hue, is by far the most heavily used of the group because it’s the natural color of my lips and therefore blends under just about every lip color that I wear. This liner is waterproof, long-lasting, non-feathering, and non-fading, and it helps make your lips look fuller while keeping your lipstick locked in place.
10. // Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment
Favorite colors: Under My Thumb and American Woman
You’ve likely heard me rave about this product many times, but it continues to reign supreme as my favorite long-wear, matte, liquid lip product. It offers full coverage in one swipe, is incredibly long lasting, and never dries out my lips. With a smudge-proof formulation, it allows me to have my glass of wine (or coffee) and bold lip at the same time. I’m telling you, this is the best long-wear product on the market.
If you’re looking for the complete, exhaustive list of every single beauty product I use, check out My Beauty Routine post, which I just completely overhauled and updated! It gives the comprehensive details of every single makeup product I use, how I use it, when I use it, and even what brushes I use to apply everything!
Thanks to ShopStyle for partnering on this post!