Happy Friday dears! It’s been a wild week for me, and I am thrilled that the weekend is here. I’ll be traveling to Palm Springs for a wedding this weekend. It’s been a couple years since I’ve visited so I hope to sneak in a bit of vintage shopping and time by the pool before all the festivities. Follow along on what will be a joyful and colorful weekend in the desert on my Instagram.
This week I am sharing with you my “reasonable” Sephora VIB Sale recommendations, because the sale starts today. Major beauty lovers such as myself know exactly what this means. As a quick recap, those that are signed up on Sephora’s rewards program will have discounts on all items in-store and online from November 10th to 15th. VIB Rouge members get 20% off with the code 20FORROUGE. VIB members also get 20% off with code 20FORVIB, and Beauty Insiders get 15% off with the code INSIDER15.
Below are my personal recommendations on what to purchase during the sale for yourself or as a gift for loved ones during the holidays. It’s an opportunity to get a discount on already-loved products and to try something new. Of course, I am not recommending you get everything on this list. Certain items shown were purchased during the sale and others have already been owned and cherished by me. However, this list is not exhaustive…I have a non-abridged version too so feel free to ask any questions you may have about other products. Happy browsing!
Restock Old Favorites & Basics
I use this sale as an opportunity to get backups of items that I regularly use and know that I enjoy. This includes the Urban Decay All Night setting spray; I purchased this in a duo for extra cost-savings. I use this spray to lock in and prolong my makeup, especially for special occasions or when I’m out for long periods of time. I would also recommend picking up a Beauty Blender, because they are the best method for quick and natural foundation application. There are a couple different Beauty Blender kits that include cleansers as well. Other must-haves include foundation and liquid eyeliner. The Make Up Forever Ultra HD foundation is my special occasion base product; it gives medium to high coverage and photographs well. I wear liquid eyeliner on a daily basis; the ones from Kat Von D and Stila do not transfer or fade.
Holiday & Value Kits
During this time of the year, makeup and skincare brands release limited edition holiday and value sets. It is a great opportunity to try a new product or variations of a product you already enjoy (i.e. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment). I opted for two sets of the Too Cool for School sheet masks. The Egg Cream Hydration Masks are incredibly moisturizing and nourishing to the skin, which will be helpful during the cool months. The Skin-licious Secret Pantry set include firming, pore tightening, and ceramide masks, which look intriguing.
I also picked up the Laura Mercier Mode to Modern Caviar Stick Eye Colour Collection, which includes four mini sizes of the cult product in their most popular shades (2 mattes, 2 shimmers) . I have not tried them before, but have read great reviews and hope that they will help simplify eyeshadow application on those lazy days.
The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments are moisturizing to the lips (again, especially during this season) with SPF 15. They have a pleasant lemon scent with a glossy sheen, and the tinted ones leave behind a light wash of color. Just throw it into the purse while on the go.
I have featured the Benefit Cosmetics brow set on my Instagram previously. For $59 (not including the sale discount), there are 4 full-sized products, 1 mini-size, a dual-ended spoolie and brow brush, and a brow mapping tool. My current Browzings wax/powder is running low and the Gimmie Brow is in the top 2 of favorite brow gels. For brow enthusiasts (I know you’re out there), this kit is definitely for you.
Stock Up on Skincare
Skincare is an area that I am more willing to invest in. Unlike makeup, I typically finish up all my skincare products. My top three skincare products are the Son & Park Beauty Water and Sunday Riley’s Good Genes and Luna Oil. I go into detail about the Beauty Water in the recent Trash Talk series. The Sunday Riley products come in a value set at Sephora; I’ve repurchased this four times and always during the VIB sale. I discussed Luna Oil and Good Genes in the first Trash Talk post. Not shown, I also purchased a handful of positively-reviewed and popular skincare items that I’ll be testing out. More information coming up!
Invest in a Fragrance
I love fragrances and their ability to transform the mood. Perfumes are also a big expense. If you’re in the market for a new scent (or if a loved one is), the sale is a good chance to take that leap.
Try a Basic or Bold Eyeshadow Palette
When it comes to color makeup, I have a small weakness for eyeshadow palettes. The best ones inspire creativity and/or become the versatile staples that are brought along when traveling. This time of year, brands release limited edition holiday palettes with an array of shades and undertones. My first recommendation is the Kat Von D Shade+Light Eye Contour Palette (bottom one in the picture). The palette is organized into three sections that are each a quad for a neutral, cool, or warm tone eye look. Of course, the shadows can be mixed for natural to smoky looks. The shadows are soft and blendable and have prolonged lasting power.
During this VIB sale, I finally splurged on the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette. It is one of ABH’s most popular items and has been highly reviewed on the Sephora website as well as all over YouTube. The trend this year has been warm eyeshadows with many releases with subtly warm tones to peachy to orange to red (i.e. Tarte Tartelette Toasted, Too Faced Just Peachy Velvet Matte, Urban Decay Naked Heat, etc.). I’ve always avoided shades that are too warm (especially red), because a wrong swipe can easily change from cute to sickly. However, I wanted encourage my own beauty creativity and challenge myself to improve my makeup application skills. Plus, there are plenty of neutral shadows to balance out the berry tones. Of the 14 shadows, there are 11 mattes and 3 shimmer/metallics. I have only swatched the eyeshadows and they appear to be quite buttery and pigmented. I’ll be testing them out for the first time this weekend in Palm Springs so check my Instagram/Instastories to see what I come up with. Have you tried Modern Renaissance before? What do you think?
Matte eyeshadows are more versatile than shimmer and metallic finishes when it comes to creating a comprehensive look. Comprehensive eye looks can be completed with both palettes without pulling another palette or shadow.
Lippies…Always
Currently, my favorite lip products include the Lancome Matte Juicy Shakers, NARS Velvet Lip Glides, and the Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencils. During the sale, I may purchase one or two lip colors from a lip product that I already adore. Lip gift sets make great gifts or stocking stuffers, however, if I am shopping for myself, I’ll just pick up the specific color I want.
I hope this guide was helpful to you. I’ve made some exciting makeup and skincare purchases that I can’t wait to play and experiment with. Let me know if you want to see a Sephora haul or my current skincare and/or makeup routine. Again, Happy Friday!
What did you pick up at the Sephora VIB sale? Do you have any recommendations for me?
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