If you haven't picked up on it by now, I'm a bit of a Sephora fiend. The VIB/VIB Rouge sales are some of my favorites times of the year. It's always the time when I treat myself a little to things I've been wanting to try, as well as restock on favorites I'm running out of. I usually will write a haul post at the end of the sale, but seeing as I'm trying to be a little bit better about my spending this year (having a mortgage to pay will do that), I thought I'd spend more of my time on a post giving my top recommendations from Sephora. That being said, I might still post my mini haul and wishlist combo tomorrow - at least I'm not buying so much it needs to be divided into two posts like last year!
The first section of Sephora I always hit up during the sale is the skincare - 15-20% off is the perfect time to splurge on a pricier skincare item you've been wanting to try. If you buy one thing in the sale, I'd highly recommend the Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial. It's 100% worth the hype and leaves you with baby-soft skin with no irritation. I always find I can use much less foundation and concealer the day after using it. I've got one sitting in my cart because I'm pretty sure mine's on its last legs. I'd also recommend taking a look at Fresh's skincare products - everything I've tried has been beautiful. I'm a huge fan of their rose products, particularly the Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream - it's going to be a winter staple for sure. Oils can be a little pricy, so it's great to get that % off. My favorites from Sephora are Juno by Sunday Riley and the Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil. Both of these were featured in my Favorite Oils for Daytime post - they're lightweight enough to use under makeup and keep the skin nourished and absolutely glowing.
Another category I look to get in the sale are "special products that will make me feel fancy." They're "special occasion" products that I actually wear all the time. If there's a high end foundation you've been wanting, now's your chance. I got both the Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation and the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in the sale last November, and they're still two of my most favorite foundations. Any kind of product that you'd get really excited about would fit into this category - eyeshadow palettes are definites for me. If you're the same, the new Marc Jacobs Eye-Conic Eyeshadow Palettes are a great choice. I reviewed the Glambition Palette recently, and it's such a beautiful palette with such an amazing formula. I'd say holiday collections fall under this umbrella too - definitely check out the holiday products from Hourglass this year because they're all stunning. I reviewed the Ambient Metallic Strobe Lighting Palette, and if you're looking for some new highlighters, look no further. They're like literal velvet in the pan and look so beautiful on the skin. All things Pat McGrath Labs excite me to no end, so this year I made a beeline for the LuxeTrance Lipstick in Realness as soon as the first part of the sale started last weekend. I'm already in love with the formula and would definitely recommend. It's lightweight and comfortable on the lips and lasts well. I've heard wonderful things about the matte ones, too.
In addition to "special occasion" products, I also use the sale as an opportunity to pick up more shades of some of my tried and true favorites. If there's a formula you really love and wear often, in my mind it's definitely worth it to get another shade or two that you know you'd wear. As you can see, I'm still deep in my love affair with the Bite Beauty Multisticks (review) - if you haven't tried them yet and love super quick and easy makeup looks, I'd definitely use the sale as an opportunity to check them out. I've also fallen hard for the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigments (review) and did order another shade this past weekend (and I think I'm buying a shade off my sister, too - bringing my grand total up to five shades). If you're looking for an excellent and easy eyeshadow, definitely check out the Giorgio Armani Eye Tints - these are just so good and stick around all day. I also take this "extra shade" idea to base products, too - maybe there's a formula you love but can't find an exact shade, and the sale is the perfect time to get one to mix. I'm between shades of the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer, and I love it so much that I had to get two to mix. And I'm thinking of getting a deeper shade to use for a bit of easy bronzing/contouring.
I hope these weren't all over the place, and I hope this post was at least a little bit helpful! Let me know what you plan on picking up in the sale!
The Sephora Sale will start tomorrow, November 10 and run until Wednesday, November 15. VIB Rouge members can use the code 20FORROUGE and VIB members 20FORVIB for 20% off, and Beauty Insider members can get 15% off with the code INSIDER15.
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