Sephora's spring sale is upon us
Let's discuss what I'm getting (and what I think you should get)
When I first moved back to Los Angeles, after years of deprivation abroad, I was feral for Sephora. It called to me like a siren song; if I spotted one driving, I’d swerve to find parking so that I could run in, play with all the testers, and inevitably leave with $200 less in my bank account. It was all fun and games until I realized the rate at which I was going to Sephora was genuinely financially unsustainable, so in order to wean myself off, I made a promise that I’d hold out until the next Sephora sale in order to buy anything.
So guys, imagine my utter delight that that time is finally upon us. I’ve run out of some of my go-tos, and I’m also eager to test a couple of new things out, so I wanted to make a list of my holy grails that I’ll be restocking and the products that have caught my eye.
If you’re planning on shopping the Sephora sale, here’s how it works:
If you’re a Rouge member, you get 20% off from April 4th – 14th.
If you’re a VIB member, you get 15% off from April 8th – 14th.
If you’re an insider, you get 10% off from April 8th – 14th.
Skin
Sofie Pavitt Moisturizer
I’ve talked about this moisturizer a good amount recently, so forgive me for repeating myself, but I’d be remiss not to include it. It’s a beautifully formulated, ultra-rich, plush moisturizer created specifically for acne-prone skin types. If you’re anything like me and always struggle to find something that’s suitable for ultra-dry, breakout-prone skin, look no further. It’s definitely on the more expensive side, so the Sephora sale is the perfect time to try it out.
Biodance Collagen Mask
If you’ve never heard of this product, it’s an overnight sheet mask that you leave on while you sleep. It dissolves slightly, and when you wake up, you peel off what’s left to reveal bright, dewy skin. The mask makes your skin look exceptionally glowy and glass-like in the morning—so much so, when I came downstairs after using it, my mom (my toughest critic) said I looked like I’d had “the best beauty sleep of my life.” TikTok’s “gotcha” criticism with this mask is that the glowy effects are in large part due to the lingering product left behind from the mask, rather than from your skin itself. I’m not really sure why that’s an issue. Yes, if you wash your face, your skin will feel hydrated and soft, but it won’t look as insanely bright… So don’t wash your face! Whenever I use this mask, my skin looks insanely bouncy, glowy, and moisturized the following morning, and I’ve never had a problem with makeup pilling on top of the product left behind. This is 100% the mask I reach for if I have an event the following day and I want my skin to look exceptionally good.
Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid Booster
One of my all time favorite, holy grail skincare products for acne and hyperpigmentation. This is basically the thing I always throw on when my skin is acting up. Skin tone looking uneven? Azelaic acid booster! Pimple brewing? Azelaic acid booster! It’s something I always have in my cabinet. But I actually just ran out so I’m going to snag another one this sale.
Nails
Soft Services Theraplush "Hold"
Get in girls, we have a new all-consuming beauty hyperfixation. Every few months I experience the intense urge to remove everything—any nail enhancements or polish—off of my nails. Like, I cannot stand to look at the gel on my fingers for a single second longer. I recently experienced one of these episodes and soaked off the builder gel that I’d been filling for months, revealing my sad, brittle, weak, nubby natural nails. Because of this, I’ve become increasingly obsessed with nurturing my nails back to health, and according to my most trusted sources (nail techs on Reddit), hydration is key, so I set out to find a new hand cream.
I’m literally so obsessed with this product, I’ve influenced both my mom and sister into buying it. Theraplush is a nourishing, overnight hand treatment that you smooth into your hands and cuticles before bed. It’s packed with retinoids, panthenol, and colloidal oatmeal, which hydrate your skin and cuticles, moisturizing your hands and giving you the appearance of “freshly manicured nails” in the morning. I have a long way to go on my nail recovery journey, but I’ve been using this for a few weeks, and my nails are looking less brittle by the day, and my cuticles are much softer. Also, the packaging is so cute on my bedside table, and it smells so insanely good—almost like a soft woodsy musk. I just love the ritual of applying this before bed while I’m reading my Kindle. If you already have Theraplush, you can also get Refill Pods, which are on sale right now.
Dior Nail Glow
I can’t even tell you how many bottles of this stuff I have repurchased over the years. Dior Nail Glow is this your-nails-but-better, ultra-glossy top coat for the world’s most elegant “nothing” manicure. Nail Glow has this blue-ish pinky hue to it that basically makes your nails look healthier by canceling out any yellowness. This is what I had on my nails on my wedding day.
Body
Soft Services Buffing Bar
I’ve written about this buffing bar a few times before, but it’s really just that good. The bar has microcrystals on it that help manually exfoliate your body, and it makes my arms and chest so smooth and dolphin-like. This single-handedly helped my husband get rid of the keratosis pilaris (bumpy chicken skin) on his arms, so there’s almost always one in our shower.
Touchland Hand Sanitizer
This might not be the most exciting purchase to make, but I try to buy one anytime they’re on sale. I love these hand sanitizers for a few reasons: first, they don’t make my hands dry and scaly, not matter how often I use them. Second, their sleek rectangular shape allows them to fit easily into even my smallest purses. And third, they all smell amazing (if you’re into fruitier, kinda sweet scents.) ale. I love their Beach Coco for a more fun and tropical scent, and Rainwater when I’m looking for something a bit more sophisticated.
Soft Services Comfort Cleanse
I’m super sensitive on my legs (that’s where I’m most eczema prone), so I wanted to get a gentler body wash for all over that doesn’t cause irritation. This cleansing wash is super gentle and fragrance free, it allows me to wash the most temperamental, sensitive parts of my body without triggering an eczema flare up.
Salt + Stone Hinoki Deodorant
This is one of my favorite “natural” deodorants. It’s got this really nice, soft garden-y scent to it, and it does a genuinely good job at keeping me smelling fresh all day long. Smelling stinky is my nightmare (I strive to be one of those people that’s constantly told they smell good), so I mean business when it comes to my deodorants.
Soft Services Carea Cream
As an eczema girlie, I’m constantly applying lotion throughout the day. When I first pumped this lotion, I was nervous because it’s super lightweight and I’m used to thick formulas. But I was so surprised by how much my skin loves it—it sinks into the skin immediately, without any sticky film sitting on the surface of my skin, and it soothes any dry patches or little eczema flare-ups. It’s got lots of great ingredients in it, like colloidal oatmeal (a holy grail for eczema sufferers), urea (which is super calming), centella (another soothing gold-star ingredient), and squalane (for deep hydration), to name a few.
Makeup
Saie’s Baked Powder Blush “Ciao”
The secret to Hunter Schafer’s perfectly sunkissed, summery skin from the Independent Spirit and Film awards. It gives a really nice blurring effect to the keeps with a subtle sheen. It’s a dreamy springtime blush.
Dior Lip Glow Oil “Berry” and “Rosewood”
This gives a really soft tint to the lips with an ultra-high shine finish. It’s one of my go-to lip products for sitting on top of a taupe or brown lip liner because it blurs the liner perfectly and gives the perfect glossy finish with a sheer tint. There’s also just something so luxurious about the bouncy, plush, wide doe-foot applicator on this product. It feels so comforting on the lips, it makes me want to reapply it all day.
Haus Labs Concealer “N11”
This is tube number two of this concealer, which means it’s solidified its spot as one of my favorites of the moment. It’s a hydrating formula with medium coverage that’s light enough to use under the eyes without looking cakey or weird but buildable enough to cover up big, day-ruining pimples.
Makeup by Mario Bronzer “Fair”
I’ve been testing out a few of the Makeup By Mario products recently, and I’m pretty impressed. I didn’t really love their concealer (it settled in my pores like crazy), but I do really like their blushes and bronzing products. I’m not the fairest of them all (I’m pale, but not that pale), but I do like how soft and subtle these ultra-light shades look on me. I don’t like to apply it directly to my skin, but when I swirl my kabuki brush into the product and press it into my skin, it gives the most perfect, light, undetectable sculpt and soft bronze.
Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Matte Eyeshadow Palette Mini
I don’t really wear eyeshadows during the day, but I do have a signature look when I go out: tightlined black kohl liner, a neutral taupe or brown washed over my lids or in my crease, and curled lashes (I always use the Shiseido eyelash curler). I’ve owned neutral palettes before, but I’ve never had any that were so heavily cool-toned, and I wanted to see if they would suit me. This one specifically spoke to me because Urban Decay’s shadow formulas are good quality, but the mini-ness of this palette made it a little bit less expensive and petite enough to fit in my makeup bag. I really love the shades “skimp” and “stark” for all over my lid, and a bit of “cover” in my crease—with these three shades, you can create a really nice, soft smokey look that’s super chic and sexy.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder “2”
Anytime there’s a flash photo taken of me, I’m reminded that I have the world’s shiniest chin and forehead. And the only thing that helps me truly banish said shininess is this Charlotte Tilbury powder. This is my second time repurchasing this powder because I love its beautifully blurred finish—it smooths the fine lines on my forehead while also providing just enough coverage for concealing breakouts on my chin, if I have any.
Makeup Forever Multi-Use Matte Pencil “Wherever Walnut”
I have a million and one brown lip liners, but I wanted something that was a bit warmer and rosier, with some nude and dusty undertones. This is a perfect, barely-there lip liner, which is what I like to reach for on a daily basis.
Hair
Mane Medium Hot Thermal Round Brush
There was me before this brush, and me after this brush—I barely use my Dyson anymore. This is the easiest tool in the world for quickly smoothing out any frizziness and adding waves, and rolling the ends of my hair to create a little flick. I don’t go anywhere without packing this. But just to clarify, this is a thermal brush, not a blow drying brush, so it’s something you have to use on dry hair. I did not know that when I bought it and I was pissed, but now it’s my favorite hair tool.
K18 Leave In Treatment
I love any hair product that doesn’t require me to sit around and wait for a mask to sink into my hair. K18 is a hair mask that repairs and strengthens damaged hair by reconnecting broken keratin chains from the inside out. The best thing about it is you use it kind of like a leave-in conditioner after you get out of the shower, so if you’re used to waiting in the shower for 10 minutes with a hair mask on, this will make your showers so much quicker.
Fragrance
Tom Ford Jasmine Rouge
This is the ultimate sexy jasmine perfume. I feel like it smells like a bed of jasmine at night, slightly damp from the rain. I got a bottle of this perfume for Christmas years ago, and it was a bad day when I finally ran out of it. The Tom Ford perfumes are super expensive, but they all have this sultry, mysterious quality to them and they linger on your skin for hours on end. I adore this perfume, but have been dragging my feet on repurchasing it, so the Sephora sale feels like the perfect time.
Chanel Chance Fraîche Perfume
I stole a bottle of my sister’s Chanel Chance in high school, and it became my signature scent from the ages of eighteen to twenty-two. I remember going to a house party and getting three compliments in a row on how I smelled, so I decided right then and there that I’d wear it every day. In retrospect, it’s sort of funny that it’s a signature scent of my youth because there is something undeniably grown-up about it. It’s a sophisticated and sparkling floral that makes you feel expensive. I wanted to try the fraiche variation of Chance because it has more of a citrusy freshness to it. It smells similar to the OG, but Fraiche is a bit less powdery, which I like.
I hope y’all enjoyed, and do let me know what products you are all planning on picking up this Sephora sale. As always, the Fun Little Treat chat is open to gossip about the shiny new products that are catching your eye, and dish reviews of things we’re trying out. See you next week!