Shit I Bought and Liked at Sephora
The unabridged version!
Shitters, today’s letter is about the Sephora sale, but frankly, I’m more interested in talking about what’s happening tomorrow first. This weekend, 42 million Americans will lose access to food assistance through SNAP (food stamps). This is a result of the Trump administration’s refusal to deploy available funds during the government shutdown. A lapse in SNAP benefits has never happened before and experts say that it could result in the worst hunger crisis in this country since the Great Depression. To state the obvious, it is insane, and so deeply cruel.
Food banks aren’t a replacement for SNAP benefits, but they’re what people will rely on to get fed in this time. If the thought of your neighbors and other people who are simply attempting to survive on the poverty line going hungry is even the slightest bit distressing to you, please do what you can to support a food bank in your community. You can give money or drop off canned/packaged goods (I donated to Food Bank For NYC). And while you’re at it, give your elected officials a call and tell them how critical this is (here’s a script). I know everything sucks and it feels pointless and helpless and bad, but we all know that it shouldn’t be this way—it’s on all of us to at least try.
It’s been a minute since I’ve been up on a soapbox, but don’t worry—I’m coming down (just in time for a mild to moderately jarring VIBE SHIFT that I’m hoping you all will let happen? Ty in advance).
Onto today’s programming: It is officially SHOWTIME, aka round two of the semi-annual Sephora Sale! The sale starts today for Rouge members (who get 20% off on everything), and opens on Tuesday, 11/4 for VIBs and everyone else (15 and 10% off, respectively) with code EVERYTHING (fitting).
This should be a fun sale, but it can veer into feeling overwhelming fairly quickly. My advice? Keep your head on straight! It’s nice to treat yourself to a few fun new finds, but prioritize restocking things you need/ use/ love, saving on a splurge you’ve already had in mind, or picking things you know you’ll give as gifts. What follows are the things that I, a girl who just wants to look/feel my best, use and love and recommend wholeheartedly!
The Battle of the Everyday Foundations
My most frequently used makeup product is probably Eadem’s lip balm, but these two foundations by Westman Atelier and Fara Homidi are close behind! They’re both clean, cream formulas, and they both wear beautifully for the your-skin-but-better vibe (which is always what I’m going for when it comes to everyday makeup). Here’s my breakdown:
Fara’s is more natural—the coverage is lighter, and I love using the dewy Shine Baume side to add some life to the skin. It’s made for spot correction, and is truly no makeup makeup. The bright red compact is also fun and easy to bring along with you! BUT I started using my old faithful Westman sticks again to confirm which I preferred, and I realized that the coverage is a bit more perfected/longer lasting with that one. Now it truly depends on what you’re going for—clearly I own and use both!—but if I could only choose one, I’d pick the Westman. It still looks natural, but it does a better job of giving lasting coverage where you need it and evening out your skin tone. Plus, while still an investment, it wins on price/amount of product. Kudos to Gucci—all these years later, this one still reigns supreme for everyday skin!
New Favorites
Merit The Uniform SPF 45: If you want a one and done product, I could not recommend this more! It’s a tinted mineral sunscreen with the most gorgeous natural matte finish—I wrote an entire newsletter about it when it first came out because I was THAT impressed. It makes your skin look flawless, but it’s not heavy or cakey, and you don’t have to do double duty with SPF because it’s already baked in. I think of it more like a complexion product than a traditional SPF—I wear on its own or add things on top if I want a five minute face—but as far as mineral sunscreens go, this is by FAR my favorite of the dozen-plus I’ve tried.
m.ph Lip Ciggy in Overdrive: I’m OBSESSED with this lip balm/stick hybrid by celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips—it’s in my purse pretty much every time I leave the house after dark. It’s a sheer, balmy lipstick in a super slim cigarette shape, which makes it easy to bring along in even the smallest of evening bags or jean pockets, and it’s wearable for day or night. I wear shade Overdrive, which is pretty close to my natural lip color (it’s described as a sheer cool taupe, but it’s definitely a little mauve-y), but Love Bites is a Black Honey-ish version if you want to amp it up around the holidays!
Westman Atelier Mini Highlight Stick in Nectar: This isn’t a new product, but it’s one I’ve been reaching on repeat lately as a finishing touch (IMO it looks just as good on a full face of makeup as it does on spot-concealed skin). I’ve tried a bunch of other highlighters, but this is the one I keep coming back to—the peachy sheer tint looks subtle and natural on so many skin tones. The mini lasts for ages, so save your money—I also prefer the smaller size for direct application on my cheekbones and the bridge of my nose.
Forever Staples
Makeup By Mario F4 and F1 brushes: These two dual-ended brushes are carrying the ENTIRE team on their back—I cannot emphasize enough how good they are. F4 is meant for complexion products—I use it to blend cream or liquid foundations/ bronzers, and F1 is for cream or liquid blush, concealer, and/or more detailed contour. F4 was the first one I got, but I consider F1 to be the real gamechanger—I had no clue how to blend cream or liquid blush before I had this brush. Another tip: Use a LIGHT touch! I’ve noticed this every time I’ve gotten my makeup done by a pro—they dab and blend SO gently with so much less product at a time than you might imagine.
Eadem Exfoliating Lip Balm: This sells out every single time, so don’t miss it! It’s a gently exfoliating lip balm that keeps dry/cracked/flakey lips at bay—I have one in my purse, one in the bowl with my keys, one in my bathroom, and at least one backup ready to go at all times. My go-to is the clear Butter Mochi, but their tinted versions have all the same benefits with traditional lip gloss tints.
Rhode Barrier Restore Cream: This $30ish moisturizer is my first rec to pretty much anyone who asks. It’s simple, lightweight, hydrating, inexpensive, and has never once broken me out—I really cannot get enough. If you’re looking for something easy and relatively inexpensive to use day or night, it’s a great place to start. (I prefer it for daytime use personally because I like something richer at night, but that’s just me.) I have two in my cart—one for home, and one to restock my toiletry bag (the size/versatility make it perfect for travel).
Best Value Buy
I couldn’t let you miss out on what I consider the best buy from this entire sale: This Crown Affair set. It includes the full size dry shampoo + a mini leave-in conditioner + one of their signature silk scrunchies for just five bucks more than the dry shampoo is on its own (which for the record, is completely worth the hype). Sale price brings it to under $40, which is PERFECT for gifting or a little treat yourself! (If it sells out at Sephora, it’s also available on their site, where PRIYANKA15 gets you a similar discount.)
Additional Highlights
Skincare: You know I love Rhode, but I also never shut up about InnBeauty’s Lifting & Firming Cream—it is my firmly held belief that this feels better than almost every single one of Augustinus Bader’s moisturizers for literally 1/5th of the price. Cleanser-wise, I am loving Dieux’s gentle gel, and Sofie Pavitt’s mandelic serum is a godsend for anyone who’s acne-prone (I’m attempting to go off of Spironolactone, and this has made it a much smoother process than expected). Similarly, this gentle face mask is one of my all-time favorites when my skin feels dull, congested, and blah (so much so that I just paused to put it on—ten minutes later my skin looks so much more even and bright!).
Makeup: We’ve been over everyday complexion products, but I like Dior and Haus Labs for fuller coverage/events (Dior makes you look airbrushed, and the shade range in Haus Labs is amazing). This is the year I rediscovered blush! I start with cream—I like Rhode’s in Tan Line or Sleepy Girl—and I’ll top it off with a swirl of the blush and bronzer in this Westman compact (I know it’s pricey, but it has a such a beautiful velvet finish). Everyone says Mario makes a foolproof cream bronzer and I completely agree. I love its balmy finish, and the structure it gives the face—I wear shade Medium and buff it in with his F4 brush. If you prefer liquid bronzing drops, I also really like Westman’s (I just blend these with my fingers). I’ve never seen a product that makes you look as naturally sunkissed—it’s truly a tan in a bottle (IMO the shades run dark—I wear a 2). I top it all off with Saie’s Undetectable Powder (it goes on translucent, but I use shade three) and a heavy spritz of this stuff if it’s a 5pm-2am wedding situation.
Hair: I’ve spent years perfecting my at-home blowout, and all the key ingredients are here/on sale: Roz’s shampoo + conditioner, this heat protectant and root spray, and this blow dry brush (sorry Dyson). I know I never stop talking about Goop’s scalp scrub, but it’s nice to buy once on sale and not think about it for the next year. The Crown Affair Dry Shampoo is also a lifesaver, and if you’re a split end girl like me, I love their Overnight Repair Serum too.
Body: So many of the things in this everything shower letter are here, including Maude’s body wash, which is now under $20 (bananas). Salt and Stone’s version also feels great on the skin and smells incredible. And this bar soap is the best for bumpy texture. Kate McLeod’s Body Stones are my choice for moisturizing in the dry winter months (I like the Daily and Grounding Stones best), and it’s worth grabbing this body SPF to have on hand for any warm getaways this winter!
Lips: My go to combo lately is this Rhode liner in Twist + the aforementioned m.ph in Overdrive (I’ll top it off with some of the Eadem if it needs a little shine), but I still reach for Fara Homidi’s liner often. If you like a lip gloss, I am sorry to report that her new one in Tawny is insane—it has the most gorgeous shiny finish and plumps with zero sting, which I’ve never experienced before!
Extras: This is the miscellaneous shit that’s worth browsing before checking out, including my favorite version of Dedcool’s scented detergent, the best cotton rounds ever made, my eye mask pack of choice, and the claw clips that are on my head at all times.
Before I let you go, I’m including one last link to the Food Bank for NYC. I promised myself that whatever I spend here, I will also be giving there—you are all invited to join me!
+1 for the mandelic acid serum. it saved my skin! sophie also seems like a genuinely great person.
As someone also going off of spiro, I have no idea WHERE I would be w/o mandelic <3