Just a heads up- this post is a significant departure from my usual content, but in an effort to create more content that truly brings me joy and also answers some frequently asked questions I thought I’d give it a go!

If you didn’t know, Sephora is currently holding one of their biggest sales of the year, which is a big deal because Sephora doesn’t usually have sales or offer discounts. If you are a makeup and skincare lover like me who drops a pretty penny every year on products from Sephora, you can appreciate how important it is to plan for and take advantage of a sale like this.

To be clear, the sale officially started on Friday April 26th and ends on May 6th, but was open first to Sephora VIB Rouge members, of which I am included. VIB Rouge (use code HEYROUGE) means that you spend something like $1000 or more a year in Sephora- which I absolutely do, mostly on high end skincare which can quickly add up. So, being VIB Rouge means you shop the sale first and you get the biggest discount- 20%… I’ll take it!

For those who are the standard VIB level, meaning you spend $350 a year in the store or online, the sale starts on May 2nd and ends on the 6th and this level gets 15% off with the code HEYVIB. Finally, the standard Beauty Insider level which is everyone who signs up gets 10% with the code HEYINSIDER and their sale dates are the same as VIB level.

Now, in case you have seen many, many blog, instagram and youtube posts about the Sephora sale with influencers sharing their picks and wishlist, let me explain to you why. This sale, along with the Nordstrom anniversary sale that happens during the summer are probably the biggest and most profitable periods for influencers that use affiliate marketing. Meaning, they share their picks with affiliate links and if you click on them and make a purchase, they get a cut of the sale. Now, I’m sure some people find this highly annoying, but it’s honestly a pretty fair system. When people shop online they don’t have the benefit of speaking to salespeople in store and so the influencer then becomes the salesperson, giving you recommendations and sharing their experiences with products. For their effort, they make a commission on the sale that might normally go to a sales person had you shopped in store. And, honestly, the commission isn’t as amazing as you might expect- depending on the affiliate marketing program an influencer belongs to, the commission could be something like 3%-15%. So, most influencers aren’t bringing home a full paycheck from an event like this, but would be luck to make enough commission to cover their own purchase.

Of course, I too belong to a few affiliate networks and although I don’t normally share these sorts of lifestyle picks, I do get a lot of questions about the makeup and skincare I use, so I thought I would let you all know what I purchased during the sale (I ordered on Friday morning and have already received my order) and also provide a few suggestions for products I didn’t need to purchase but would have if I was running low! Just fair warning, I am going to supply you with affiliate links and I do appreciate if you use them since it doesn’t cost you anything and it gives me credit for suggesting a product. Thanks in advance for helping me support my skincare habit!

So before I list out my purchases and suggestions, I want to let you know a little about my skin because I absolutely believe that all products do not work for all skin types and it’s important to use suggestions from people who have a similar skin type as you if you want to see similar results. I have very dry skin, it’s not super sensitive but it can be if I use too many harsh chemicals or exfoliants. I don’t get acne per se, but I do breakout hormonally around my chin mostly. I don’t have much in the way of blackheads or enlarged pores because I have dry skin, but I would categorize my breakouts as nodular (google it if you aren’t familiar) as opposed to white heads, papules or pustules (I felt gross typing that last one lol). My main skincare goals are to prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles, to lighten hyperpigmentation, and to brighten and even my skin complexion overall. And I certainly have found some great products that help me achieve those goals!

First, Tatcha The Essence: http://bit.ly/2LcVuPH

Facial essence waters are kind of a new thing in beauty and skincare that was introduced with the popularity of asian skincare products. You might think something like this is unnecessary or waste of money, but it’s soo good and absolutely necessary which is why I bought a new bottle during the sale even though I still have a bit of this left in my existing bottle. You use this essence water after you wash and tone by pouring a small amount in your hand and rubbing it into your skin. Since you don’t use a lot this actually last a very long time and the affects are significant. This essence softens your skin like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Literally, my skin feels as soft as a new born baby when I use this and it helps your serums you apply after it sink in and work even better. If you are familiar with the SKII facial essence water, this product is very similar, except its less expensive and I think it works better!

Next, Caudalie’s Vinoperfect Serum: http://bit.ly/2LbuiR8

Since I am something of a higher end skincare lover, I tend to cycle through a number of different serums, but this serum is one I often come back to. I haven’t used this in maybe a year since my last bottle ran out, but I’ve gone through several bottles over the last few years and love it. Remember I said my skincare goals were to get rid of hyperpigmentation and brighten my complexion- this does it! It also helps me clear up breakouts as well and is not filled with harsh chemicals so I can use it night over night without having to take a break from it because it doesn’t irritate my skin. I tend to use this serum only at night, although, it can be used during the day as well. I just have other serums I prefer to use during the day!

Next, Farsali Liquid Glass Serum/Primer: http://bit.ly/2VCgzXD

So this happens to be one of the new items I picked up during the sale that I really wanted to try out. I’ve never used it before but I’ve tried other things from this line and it comes highly recommended. Again, this is a radiance serum, but Farsali serums double as makeup primers and that is how I intend to use this product, as a serum/primer before makeup because I have dry skin. Now, Farsali is a brand I don’t think gets enough hype overall- they have a product called Skintune Blur which I kid you not, makes your skin look like an instagram filter in real life. Now, although that is always a great look, I don’t feel like I need that product because I don’t have enlarged pores. But, if you do, you might want to try Skintune Blur instead of this Liquid Glass. For me, I am beginning to understand more and more than I actually have pretty good skin overall and that although the matte makeup look is very in right now, I actually prefer a dewier makeup look, especially for spring and summer- and that is the concept of the Liquid Glass look!

Finally, Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer: http://bit.ly/2LdGMYv

As part of my nightly skincare regime, I like to use a very moisturizing lip balm and after searching through reviews on Sephora I have decided to try this one. Again, never used it before, but the reviews are great and it’s pretty affordable. In the past I have used the Dior Creme de Rose balm which I believe is now discontinued, and I’ve also gone through a few tubes of the YSL Volupte Liquid Color Balm in the Night Rehab Mask which is okay but pricey. Now, it might seem like an extra step to put on lip balm before bed, but I assure you, if you are someone who enjoys a full lip look, this is important. I don’t have the biggest or fullest lips naturally, but I’m also not at all interested in lip fillers. Instead, I use a natural lip care process including regular exfoliation and lots of thick lip balm at night to keep my lips as plump as possible. I find that this process actually helps to make lips look bigger and more even, and in turn makes it easier for me to enhance my lips with lip liners and lipsticks. In fact, my own mother accused me of getting lip fillers recently while we were face timing, and I had to give her a side view of my mouth to show her that they weren’t filled (you can always tell from the side view), they just appeared fuller from the front because I keep them plump with moisturizers. So, I recommend a night balm and I look forward to using this new one as part of my lip routine.

As I mentioned earlier, I also want to include a few items I would have purchased if I was running low but didn’t need right now. These are more favorites that I highly recommend!

Natasha Denona Camel Eyeshadow Palette: http://bit.ly/2LbXbgc

I am not the biggest collector of eyeshadow palettes, mostly because I have naturally gorgeous olive green eyes that I don’t want to overshadow (pun intended) with colorful eye makeup. So, I tend to keep my eye makeup simple and natural, and this little palette from Natasha Denona is absolutely one of the best things I have ever bought from Sephora. It is pricey for the amount of shadows you get, but the quality of the shadows and the pigmentation and blend-ability are so good, it’s worth it for me. I can do a stunning shadow look that compliments my eyes in what feels like seconds with this palette and I love that the colors are so straight forward that I don’t need to sit and think about what eye look I am going to do because the colors are just exactly what I need. The only eye shadow palettes I like even more than this are from Chanel and they are even more expensive, of course! Now that I think about it, this is the only eyeshadow palette from Sephora that I currently own. Everything else is Chanel or drugstore brands- I think that’s signifiant!

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: http://bit.ly/2L9IBWx

So this cream is very necessary if you are someone with very dry skin. It’s a complete skin rescue and protectant. Sometimes I use this as my daily moisturizer, especially during winter, but usually I use it as necessary to fight off dry patches on my skin or deal with a chemical burn or irritation that can occur when I use too many hard products.

Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base: http://bit.ly/2L7zLIK

This product is another of my favorite primers. I am really into primers if you couldn’t tell! I think some people overlook primers because they think they don’t do much for your skin but in my opinion, as someone with dry skin, they really go a long way to provide extra moisture and a layer of protection between your skin and the chemicals in makeup that I really would prefer not to absorb. And again, I like to try out a lot of primers, but there are only a few I come back to. For example, earlier this year I bought the Tatcha Silk Canvas primer because I love my Tatcha products, and although it is a great primer, I didn’t like how it mattified my skin. It’s a great option for those with oily skin who want that Facetune blur affect, but for someone like me with dry skin, this vitamin face base is much more moisturizing and keeps my skin dewey.

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum: http://bit.ly/2VxzZNw

Like I mentioned, hyperpigmentation is one of my skin issues and so I have tried a number of didn’t chemical resurfacing serums and creams to even my skin tone, but this one is probably the best, especially for long term use. I firmly believe I see a difference using this serum overnight, that’s how good it is, and although I know I could use it every night, I don’t find that I truly need to. Usually, I will just use it for a few days if I have a break out and my skin tone evens out. Now, they don’t claim that this serum works for fine lines, but I think it does- I mean, it is a chemical resurfacing serum so it exfoliates the skin which means hyperpigmentation and fine lines should both be reduced and I think it does both for me. Again, this is another one of the more pricy skin care favorites of mine, but I will say a bottle lasts me at least a year so it is a good investment for my skin in my opinion.

Well, that is everything I wanted to share with you in case you are interested in shopping the Sephora sale. I realize this was mostly skincare, but that is usually what I buy from Sephora. Although I certainly love high end makeup, I actually find that when I have my skin in order, great products from the drugstore look just as good as the best makeup money can buy.

I hope you found this post helpful and again, if you are interested in shopping the sale online and learned about a new product you might want to try, I’d appreciate if you use my links to give me credit! Also- I’d love to hear about what products from Sephora you may be picking up during the sale or recommendations for other products you love that I might need to check out, so leave me a comment below!

xoxo,