I feel like I only just wrote a Sephora recommendations post, but there are so many more new favorites that I need to tell you about before the next sale! Sephora seems to have bumped up their VIB Sale - it's usually in November, but it starts August 24th for VIB Rouge and August 30th for VIB/Beauty Insiders. If you're like me and are panicking a bit because you thought you had more time to save up, here are a few current favorites that I think are worth picking up in the sale.
Fresh Vitamin Nectar Antioxidant Glow Water* | I've only had this for a week, but I'm already hooked. I love a good fancy face water, and this one amps up the glow, smells like oranges, hydrates the skin, and gives it a good refresher throughout the day. The mist is beautiful and fine, delivering a fine veil rather than a sticky stream. It's alcohol-free so it won't dry you out over time, and I've really noticed it giving me a brighter and peppier appearance than other face mists. There's also a mini that's perfect for throwing in your bag for on-the-go refreshers.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer | This isn't a new release, but something I've been using consistently since I first bought it and would repurchase again and again. It's a thin, serum-y consistency that instantly plumps up the skin and leaves a moisturized, glowy finish. It makes my makeup go on so much better on top - nothing ever looks dry or cakey when worn over this primer. This is the primer that turned me into a primer-believer, too, so that's saying something. It really does make my makeup last longer, because my issue with longevity was always my skin getting dehydrated and drinking up my foundation. Now this hydrates my skin enough so that doesn't happen.
Bite Beauty French Press Lip Gloss in Dirty Chai | I've seen people raving about these glosses lately, and for good reason. They're one of the most non-lipgloss-feeling lipglosses I've ever used, if that makes sense. They feel more like a balm on the lips than a gloss, but they still give a beautiful shine. All the colors look beautiful, but I'm head over heels for Dirty Chai, a warm rose that is quite similar to my natural lip color. It's more pigmented than I was expecting it to be, but it still lets a little of my natural lip color show through, so it looks very natural. I've been pairing it with the Bite Lip Pencil in 016 too, if you're looking for a perfect match.
Origins Mega Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Face Mask | This quickly became one of my favorite masks after I bought it in the spring. It's a creamy mask (it feels like a thick moisturizer) that feels so comforting and soothing on the skin. It's not exactly cooling, but it takes away redness and irritation right away for me. This has been so great for summer mornings when I wake up feeling a little dehydrated and heat rash-y. I love popping it on on a weekend morning, going about my chores, and then rinsing my face with cool water to get rid of any remaining mask that hasn't sunk into my skin. It leaves my skin plump, clear, and hydrated.
Caudalie Instant Detox Mask* | This has to be my favorite clay mask I own. It uses a combination of papaya enzymes, pink clay, coffee, and grape marc to detoxify, brighten, and purify the skin so pores appear smaller and skin is smoother. This really does give instant results for me without drying out my skin like other clay masks I've tried. It actually really reminds me of the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask - it looks, smells, and feels so similar. It's a thinner consistency than other clay masks, forming a flexible film as it dries rather than a thick, caked-on layer, so it doesn't feel super tight as it dries, and it's easy to rinse off. If you're in need of a new clay mask that won't strip your skin, look here!
Milk Makeup Kush High Volume Mascara | I don't know how this didn't get included in my last recommendations post, because it's been tied for my #1 favorite mascara since it came out. I was skeptical because I usually don't like fiber mascaras (the fibers usually fall into and irritate my eyes), but the fibers in this stay put and give the lashes a super fluffy, full appearance. It really looks like I've gotten a nice set of fluffy lash extensions when I wear this mascara. I'm going to be repurchasing this in the sale.
Amika Polished Perfection Straightening Brush* | I just got this for free through Octoly recently, but it's already become such a staple in my haircare routine that I wanted to recommend it to you, too. Since it's a pricier item, it's definitely a good idea to get it during the sale! My hair is quite frizzy and in between wavy and curly, but I'm too lazy to really do any styling. Most days I would just put it up in a messy bun and call it a day. But the Straightening Brush makes it so easy - it would normally take me at least 20 minutes to straighten my hair, but I can now get it done in 5. Instead of dividing my hair into four sections to work through, I only need to do two. It straightens my hair easily, and while it doesn't leave it as pin-straight as a flatiron would, I actually prefer the way the brush makes my hair look - like I didn't try too hard.
Herbivore Botanicals Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask* | This is another product I got free through Octoly and fell in love with. It's a thin, jellylike consistency that you can really feel working (read: it tingles a lot). It's a mask full of natural AHAs (fruit enzymes) and BHA (willowbark), as well as calming ingredients like blue tansy oil and aloe leaf, so it is a powerful chemical exfoliator that won't irritate your skin. Despite the tingling, I find my skin is much less red after I remove this mask than it is before I apply it. It leaves my skin super soft and smooth, and I find it doesn't feel as sensitized as it does after I use something like Babyfacial.
Hourglass Scattered Light Glitter Eyeshadow | If you're like me and have been pouring one out for the Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadows, hop on over to Hourglass and pick up one of their newest releases. These have the same not-quite-cream, yet not-quite-powder consistency and are filled with the most beautiful sparkles that don't feel chunky or gritty. I have the shade Aura right now, which is a beautiful pink shade, but I've got my eye on the champagne shade and will definitely get it in the sale if it doesn't sell out! These apply easily with a finger for a sheer wash of color, or they can be built up to be quite dramatic and metallic with a brush. They also stay very well on my creasy eyelids - I do need to prime them, but this lasts all day even when I just use concealer and powder to do that.
Pat McGrath Labs Lust Lip Gloss | I know I already put a lipgloss on this list, but I'm really having a gloss moment and this has to be one of the most beautiful gloss formulas I've ever tried. It's creamy, not too thick, not sticky at all, and it smells like frosting. They have just the perfect amount of pigmentation too - pigmented enough to show up over more pigmented lips, but not so much that it looks goopy or collects in lip lines or the corners of the mouth. I have the shade Flesh Fantasy which is the perfect everyday pinky-brown, and I already have two more sitting in my cart for the sale - a more rosy shade as well as the pink duochrome one.
What do you think you'll get in the Sephora Sale?
Info via Trendmood: The Sephora Sale starts on August 24th for VIB Rouge - 20% off with the code YESROUGE, and it starts on August 30th for VIB & Beauty Insiders - 15% off with YESVIB and 10% off with YESINSIDER.
Products marked with an asterisk (*) have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.
