This might not come as any huge surprise given my chosen vocation, but for all intents and purposes, The Sephora Savings Event (aka—the retailer’s most highly-anticipated sale of the year) is my Roman Empire. I’ve been a Sephora Insider ever since my parents started giving me an allowance—trust me when I say I practically bled Urban Decay and Smashbox when I was in middle school—and my love for the retailer and all of its incredible beauty offerings has only intensified as I’ve gotten older. (Albeit, without as much glitter.)
Sephora shopping pandemonium has officially commenced if you’re a Rouge member, and you have through November 11 to score your allotted savings, depending on your tier of access. November 1 through 11, Rouge members will receive 20% off, and starting November 5, both VIB and Insiders tiers will gain access. (VIB receiving 15% off and Insiders receiving 10% off.) Oh, and let’s not forget that all tiers get a whopping 30% off anything Sephora Collection during the Savings Event, as well. To get your goods online, just used code SAVINGS at checkout, and you’ll be good to go. Not a Sephora Beauty Insider? It’s free to join!
Because I have control issues and can’t resist giving my two cents when it comes to beauty recommendations, I’m sharing 31 products I’d personally plop in your cart if I was next to your keyboard. On your mark, get set… keep scrolling.
Prada Beauty
Moisturizing Lip Balm in Astral Pink
If this glowy pink lip balm from Prada Beauty looks familiar, you’re not imagining things; it’s been viral ever since it made an iconic cameo in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please, Please, Please” music video earlier this year. It’s a splurge, but it delivers long-lasting hydration to dry winter lips while also giving you a flattering dose of customized color thanks to the formula’s signature Micro-Blushing™ Technology, which adapts to your lips’ unique pH.
Shani Darden Skin Care
Triple Acid Signature Peel
As someone who’s battled breakouts and uneven skin texture for my entire adult life, I’m constantly on the search for at-home products that deliver instant gratification on the smoothing front. Don’t bother with any other chemical exfoliator or peel—this triple acid formula from celebrity facialist Shani Darden truly is the next best thing to getting an actual facial at her LA studio. (Trust me, I’ve been lucky enough to visit.) I do the two-part process twice a month or so, and my skin has never been softer, smoother, or brighter.
The Outset
Exfoliating Revitalizing & Energizing Caffeine Micro Polish
I’ve always been more of a chemical exfoliator type of gal versus a physical (I shudder at the thought of abrasive face scrubs), but when I was dealing with some stubborn KP-like texture on my cheeks, a facialist recommended I incorporate a gentle scrub into my routine twice a week or so. This, combined with semi-regular chemical exfoliation, would easily take care of the annoying bumps I couldn’t seem to get rid of. I took her advice, and started using this micro-polish from The Outset, and bingo! My skin was literally transformed in less than a month. Unlike most physical exfoliators that can be too harsh and actually make skin issues worse, this formula features the brand’s unique Hyaluroset™ Complex for lots of nourishing moisture while the strategic addition of Fine Perlite gently sloughs away dead skin without banging up your skin barrier.
Yves Saint Laurent
Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette in Over Brun
Eye shadow palettes just don’t get chicer than this designer quad from Yves Saint Laurent. Yes, I’m obsessed with the packaging, but I’m even more obsessed with the grouping of colors and finishes in this particular quad called “Over Brun.” I’m not even an eye shadow person, but I love using the dark brown shimmer (lower left) to create a subtle cat-eye, and I like to dab the rose-y gold shimmer (top left) in the inner corner’s of my eyes and—wait for it—the center of my lips and Cupid’s bow. Holiday makeup, done!
PHLUR
Best Sellers Mini Deluxe Perfume Trio
If you’re like me and don’t feel complete without a quick spray of perfume, do yourself a favor and pick up this trio of Phlur’s best-selling scents which makes re-upping your fragrance on the go—or while traveling this holiday season—a total breeze. Father Figure is quite possibly my favorite fragrance of all time, Vanilla Skin happens to be my favorite vanilla on the market, and Missing Person, well, it’s one of the most beloved skin scents money can buy.
PATRICK TA
Major Volume Plumping Lip Gloss in Full Syringe
It wouldn’t be a Sephora Savings Event haul without a lip plumper, and this one from Patrick Ta is a current fixation. I, like so many others I know, have been influenced by Alix Earle on more than one occasion, and this juicy gloss has proven to be an elite impulse buy. Unlike so many plumping lip glosses I’ve tried, this one actually keeps lips smooth and moisturized, while also giving you pillowy volume and *tasteful* inflation. This shade called Full Syringe is a sheer bright cherry that is drop dead anytime of the year, but especially during the holiday season.
MERIT
Retrospect™ L’extrait De Parfum
Meet the brand new perfume from Merit which is basically the only scent anyone can talk about right now. With vintage inspiration at its helm, this clean fragrance delivers a long-lasting warm and spicy aroma thanks to a melding of bergamot, pear, jasmine, rose, violet, vanilla, musk, and moss. I’ve heard many fellow beauty editors describe it as “the perfect scent,” and I have to say… I can’t argue. Not to mention, the bottle will look stunning on your, or a giftee’s, vanity.
For a long time, I thought there was no such thing as a “chic” holiday candle. But then, I smelled Nette’s limited-edition confection entitled “Fete,” and I stood (incredibly) corrected. It has a burn time of 55 hours, so the warm and comforting mix of frozen cranberries, gingerbread, and fir balsam will have plenty of time to impress the heck out of any incoming holiday season guests. It’s literally fizzy champagne clinks and a black tie dress code bottled. (Oh, and since it’s limited-edition, I’d grab two.)
2024 was the year of blush, and while there was an influx of new and notable debuts, I’ll never swap out my love for Dior’s Rosy Glow Blush. When it comes to the art of a swept-on natural yet beautiful flush, this celeb and makeup-artist approved pan never disappoints.
Hourglass
Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm
Here’s the deal. Mascara (don’t worry, we’ll get there) and lip products are my two favorite categories when it comes to makeup. Therefore, my collections of both, some might say, are entirely unhinged. So, when I tell you that if I could only wear one lip product for the rest of my life it would be Hourglass’s Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balms, you’d best be impressed. I have almost every shade at this point, and the the mixture of pigment, shine, hydration, and plumping is truly unmatched.
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT
Extreme Cream Anti-Aging, Firming, & Lifting Refillable Moisturizer
I’m extremely picky when it comes to skincare, in general, but my discernment truly reaches new heights when it comes to face creams. I’ve been besotted with this multi-tasking firming and lifting formula since it’s launch, and I love that it delivers instant gratification and long-term results. With regular use, your skin will look more glowy or healthy, and it’s basically acted like a fountain of youth for my perpetually finicky combination skin. Oh, and if you break out easily, fear not—the formula is non-comedogenic and won’t cause or exacerbate any congestion. The fact that it’s $48 (before any savings) is actually stupefying.
Soft Services
Buffing Bar Microcrystal Exfoliant
While I might be high-maintenance where my makeup and skincare routines are concerned, I’m alarmingly low maintenance when it comes to bodycare. Aside from body wash, deodorant, and maybe an occasional application of self-tanner, I just don’t want to bother. (Go ahead, judge me and my perpetually dry elbows!) So, as you can likely guess, adding a gloopy and time-intensive body scrub is only in the cards for me a few times a year. But, since I do self-tan fairly regularly (and because I’m not a complete monster) semi-regular exfoliation is a must. I’ve always found buffing bars to be extremely efficient, mess-free, and pleasant to use, and this one from Soft Services is a lesson in luxury. I’m obsessed with the playful blue hue and the way my skin feels soft as a baby’s bum post-shower.
Dyson
Special Edition Airwrap™ Multi-Styler Complete Long in Strawberry Bronze
I don’t know anyone who hasn’t, at some point, scrawled Dyson’s cult-loved Airwrap onto their holiday wishlist. At $599 it’s a hefty splurge, but if you’re a blowout person like myself, it offers true bang-for-your-buck results, and Sephora’s Savings Event can help blunt the trauma to your bank account. (Can we also take a moment to appreciate this special-edition color way?!)
Boy Smells
Vanilla Era Candle
I bought this candle from Boy Smells after witnessing countless (and I mean countless) people freak out online over how insanely good it smelled. And, after my first burn, I immediately regretted not buying it in bulk. Vanilla fans (and foes!) alike will flip for the delicate balance of vanilla, white tulip, saffron, incense, black amber, and coffee.
DedCool
Dedtergent 01 “Taunt”
At 31, I’m at the age where finally discovering *the* perfect laundry detergent excites me to an absolutely embarrassing level. I’ve loved DedCool’s best-selling fragrance “Taunt” for years (think bergamot, vanilla, and amber—it’s sexy AF), but when the brand laced it into a 100% biodegradable, environmentally-conscious detergent formula, well, it took my laundry infatuation to an entirely new level.
Sulwhasoo
Gentle Cleansing Foam
Cleansers are annoyingly hard for me to like. Many contain sneaking pore-clogging ingredients or too many active botanicals, and I’m also sensitive to texture, lather, and scent. Suffice to say, it’s rare (like, say, maybe once a year), that I try a cleanser I actually really love and am motivated to keep using. I recently tested this gentle foaming cleanser while on a press trip to Seoul with the K-beauty brand Sulwhasoo, and I couldn’t believe how impressed I was. It has the perfect lather to foam ratio, it smells like an expensive spa appointment, and it cleansed my skin while leaving it balanced, soft, and radiant sans stripping. Big, big fan over here.
Refy has yet to launch a product I haven’t immediately fallen head over heels for, but the debut of Lip Blur might have set a new record. I dare you to pick just one shade—I’ve inexplicably amassed all of them since launch—and prepare for the romantic blurred stain effect it gives your lips. You know how your lips look semi-swollen and flushed with color after you make out with someone? This is that, in a liner.
Glossier
Boy Brow Arch 2-In-1 Longwear Pomade Eyebrow Pencil
Honestly, I was so ready not to love this brow pencil when it launched a few months ago. As a still somewhat new redhead, it’s been quite the situation of “choose your own adventure” in order to attain a natural-looking brow color, and I’ve been forced to become somewhat of an alchemist, mixing and matching various shades and formulas to get my brows to a shade I like and find complimentary. So, when I reached for Glossier’s Auburn shade and found that it not only delivered the smoothest deposit of pigment for filling in and feathering, but was also the exact shade of reddish brown I’ve been dying to find in just one pencil, I wanted to scream out of sheer delight. If you’re a brow pencil girlie, don’t sleep on this one.
Sourse
Dream Bites – Vegan Magnesium Infused Chocolate Supplements for Beauty Sleep
Discovering these deliciously dreamy chocolate bites from Sourse has been a true lesson in self-control. They literally taste like jumbo M&Ms, but are vegan and only have the very best ingredients. The strategic mix of L-theanine, magnesium, chamomile extract, and vitamin B6 has become one of my favorite post-dinner, pre-bedtime wellness rituals—satisfying my sweet tooth whilst encouraging a stellar night’s sleep.
Nutrafol
Women Clinically Proven Hair Growth Supplement for Thinning
Blame it on multiple bouts of Covid, too much stress, or just the unavoidable process of getting older, but I’ve experienced an uptick in hair shedding over the last year or two. I’ve tried lots of supplements, but Nutrafol is one of the only formulas to make a noticeable, and hasty, difference. I’m someone who’s sensitive to biotin (fun, lesser-known fact, it can make some people break out!), so I only take two capsules daily, versus four, and have still had great results sans acne flare-ups.
HigherDOSE
Red Light Face Mask for Fine Lines & Glowing Skin
I’ve had a hard time finding any beauty editor who will disagree when I say HigherDose’s Red Light Face Mask is the best *relatively affordable* at-home mask if you’re interested in the anti-aging benefits of red light therapy. (It was even a WWW 100 Beauty Awards winner!) If you’ve been thinking about investing in a red light mask, now is the most strategic time to buy, and I recommend snagging this highly-reviewed one while it’s available.
NuFACE
Nuface Trinity+® & Effective Lip and Eye Attachment
Same goes for the NuFace! It’s a big ticket beauty favorite, but the lifting, firming, and toning benefits of this icon status microcurrent device are not just hype. You’d be hard-pressed to find a celebrity or beauty editor who doesn’t own one and wax poetic about it.
IGK
Disco Disco Clear Gloss Shine Hair Spray
Why is it so hard to find a shine spray or serum that actually gives you mirror-like shine without making your hair feel greasy, wet, or weighed down?! IGK’s new Disco Disco Clear Gloss Shine Hair Spray has had a chokehold on me ever since I got my greedy hands on it. Not only does it have none of the aforementioned ick factors, but it truly makes your hair gleam with ’90s shampoo commercial luster. (IYKYK.)
CANOPY
The Canopy Portable Humidifier for Skin Hydration
If you don’t have a humidifier by the time fall and winter rolls around (aka—dry skin season), you’re doing a huge disservice to your complexion. Most humidifiers are actually extremely unhygienic and welcome mold plus lots of other nasties into your air flow, so Canopy’s mist-free design has quickly become my personal fail-safe. I love this particular model because it’s portable, and like all of Canopy’s humidifiers, it has a built-in diffuser function so you can add a hint of aroma, if you feel so inclined.
ILIA
Limitless Lash Lengthening Clean Mascara
Not to boast, but I’m kind of a savant when it comes to tricking people into thinking I have extensions or Disney princess-esque natural lashes. I have a few mascaras that I consider ride-or-dies, but I’ve been on an Ilia kick the last few months and have never received so many compliments on my eyes or questions from strangers, asking if my lashes are real. I love the two-in-one makeup of this mascara as it’s two sided—the side with the shorter bristles allows you to build volume and thickness around your lash line, and the other side, with the longer bristles, acts like a comb, helping you brush through and lengthen your lashes for maximum lift, separation, and curl. It’s like babydoll lashes in a tube, and the formula gets extra brownie points for the clean ingredient list and the fact that it doesn’t smudge or flake.
Grande Cosmetics
Grandelash – MD Lash Enhancing Serum
Despite my love for mascara, I’ve never gone more mascara-free than in the last couple of years. I naturally have fairly long lashes, but I’m excessive (they’re my favorite feature to play up, after all) and have dabbled in my fair share of lash serums, including prescription options like Latisse. Now, I do love Latisse, and I’ve used it off and on over the years with great results, but I swear this formula from Grande Cosmetics is just as good if not better when it comes to super-sizing your natural lashes. If you’re after Bambi-like length, I highly recommend grabbing a tube while you can get it slightly cheaper!
Josie Maran
Vanilla Vibezzz – Whipped Argan Oil Refillable Firming Body Butter Jar
I’m desperately manifesting that Josie Maran turns the decadent scent of this whipped body butter into an actual fragrance. If my skin could smell like Vanilla Vibezzz and Vanilla Vibezzz only for the rest of my life, I’d be happy. As the cherry on top, one application keeps my skin glowy and velvety-soft for days without constant re-applications. It also gives your skin the prettiest sheen if you want your skin to look more healthy and sun-kissed during the doldrums of winter.
Armani Beauty
Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancer Highlighter
This liquid luminizer from Armani has been around forever (it’s been a staple in my arsenal since college), but it’s only recently become more well-known thanks to, you guessed it, TikTok. That being said, the recognition is well worth the buzz—whether you mix it with your base products or use it like a highlighter, it imparts the prettiest dewy glow to the skin.
Saint Jane Beauty
Deep Sleep Bath Salts With Magnesium & Peptides
A warm bath and pour of wine just hit different during the holiday season. Which, despite all of the festive merriment, can also come with some seriously intense spikes to one’s cortisol. To assist, I love pre-gaming for bed this time of year with a blend of bath salts, and this jar from Saint Jane Beauty is my current favorite. which features magnesium, peptides. The starring trio of ingredients includes calming magnesium, skin-softening evening primrose, and barrier-protecting peptides. Trust me, it’s dreamy and you’ll love it.
Lux Unfiltered
N°32 Hydrating Gradual Self Tanning Lotion in Santal
I had no business self-tanning as a middle schooler, and yet, there I was. (Blame it on an era of after-school tanning beds being my friend group’s sport of choice and my parent’s simultaneous refusal to let me take part.) As someone who is now 31 and still likes to be glowy and sun-kissed all year round, you could say I have been around the block a few times when it comes to testing pretty much every self-tanner ever made. I was introduced to +Lux Unfiltered a few years ago and became so obsessed that I wrote an entire ode to the brand here. I’m usually more of a mousse girl, but this gradual tan lotion (which quite literally smells like a expensive santal fragrance) is the best I’ve ever tried and the gateway I recommend to anyone who’s newer to the self-tanning process.
L’Oréal Professionnel
Absolut Repair Molecular Leave-In Cream for Damaged Hair
Let me preface this by saying that despite how well this leave-in cream works on its own, I highly, highly recommend grabbing the whole line which also includes a shampoo, rinse-off serum, and mask. After a few consecutive uses, I realized the lineup had seriously reduced my constant shedding and breakage, and my hair had never felt stronger, shinier, softer, or all-around healthier. I’m sorry to those other famous bond-repairing haircare brands, but the Absolute Repair Molecular collection from L’Oréal Professionnel is better and truly worth every penny if you’re dealing with damage.
