the Sephora sale cheat sheet – a short but sweet list of rediscovered loves and the best new launches

The most hyped beauty sale is back and I know that Sephora has pulled off the best marketing heist in recent years because despite many brands and retailers holding often better sales, the Sephora sale is still the only one everyone gets buzzed up about without fail.

It’s not a hidden secret anymore that most brands will hold their own sales that rival Sephora’s 10%-20% discounts, although sometimes at slightly different times. Just from a quick browse:

• Ami Cole is currently 15% off orders over $75, or 20% off orders over $100 (their lip oil is one of the longest lasting lip oils I own)

• BlueMercury is currently 20% off $200 off a huge selection of prestige brands that I rarely see on sale like DS and Durga, Diptyque, Sisley, Vilhelm Parfumerie , as well as many brands that are available at Sephora like: Hourglass, Jo Malone, Laura Mercier, Nars, Tom Ford.

And a few brands like Fenty, Nars, and Nordstrom just had their own sales that were just as good, if not better than the Sephora sale in the past month alone. However, despite all this, after a long winter of very few makeup launches and even fewer excitement of any kind, it feels good to see some new products I’m excited about. (It feels good to be excited about anything these days, to be honest.) At the same time, I’ve tried so many new launches in the past few months, and frankly, they’re not all good, and it seems like there have been more misses than successes lately.

But because it seems like I’ve tried it all, I can at least say with full confidence that what I’m recommending are the best of my best. It should go without saying that I would only recommend the best of the best in any post, but when it’s so easy to get sucked into impulse purchases at the Sephora sale (trust me, I’m guilty of it too), I think it’s even more important to guide you towards the products that are actually worth your money because in this economy, we can’t waste any penny.

I’ve already written a roundup with rapid reviews of all the newer launches I recommend on my blog. I know it’s confusing but it’s easier to post swatch heavy posts on my blog, and swatch heavy that post is! Think of today’s post as the cliffnotes version of the Sephora sale – your cheat sheet to staying sane but covering only the top 10-15 products that you should prioritize.

• My absolute must-haves that I truly think everyone needs (there’s not many, I promise)

• The products I love that aren’t new that you may have already forgotten about

• What’s in my cart and what I’m restocking

If reading a whole post of product recommendations is too much for you, here’s my super-edited guide of what to pick up, and what I would personally buy if I didn’t already buy or receive these in the past few months:

• The SPF/primer that actually keeps my makeup looking fresh all day – the new Ciele primer absolutely surpassed all my expectations. Not only is it a rare mineral spf that doesn’t feel heavy or thick, but it is also one of the few primers that have really impressed me. The texture feels like a light lotion, and it also blends in beautifully without any white cast. As a primer, it has a grippy, but not sticky feel, and makes my makeup apply noticeably smoother. While it’s not an oil controlling primer, it keeps my makeup looking fresh all day (and I’m talking 12+ hours) without getting heavy or greasy. This is the only primer I’ve felt this passionately about since trying this $200+ primer (that is also 20% off because any discount on this is absolutely appreciated), and this is happily a fraction of that – they are different products and not really comparable to each other, but this Ciele one does such a great job of keeping my makeup looking fresh in a way few other primers have been able to do.

• It is my life’s mission to make sure everyone gets this brush for effortless cream and liquid blush application – one of the questions I am asked the most often is the brush I use to apply cream and liquid blushes and the Sephora 56 Foundation Brush is the only one I use. It’s a soft moderately dense, domed brush that diffuses and blends out creams and liquids so beautifully without any patchiness. It’s one of those brushes that can apply even the most pigmented cream blushes in a soft and natural way. I use it so often I have 3 of these, and I’m stocking up on one more. There’s also a mini version with a slightly smaller head that is just as effective that I always bring in my travel bag.

  

• A velvety super blendable cream blush that comes in the most flattering red shade I’ve ever used – I’ve always wanted to try Violette’s cream blushes, but couldn’t find a shade I was really drawn to until now, so it’s perfect timing that they’re now at Sephora. While the other new shade Marnie is also a stunning bronze with some red tones for the perfect bronzer look, Maryam really shines as the red blush that actually manages to look like a natural flush on me, since the pink tones really bring this from veering into clown territory into a natural pink flush. As someone who really doesn’t gravitate towards a “pop of color” these days, this is really the pop of color that has changed my spring makeup game.

• This powder blush/contour duo perfectly balances being decadent and practical with a seamless luxurious formula – I know it seems hasty to include a product I’ve owned for less than 24 hours, but in all fairness, I’ve had the blush formula for a couple years now when Westman Atelier released a limited edition powder blush. Just from touching the new powders, I can tell that these are the same super silky and velvety powder formula that has a super seamless soft matte finish, and I’m also thrilled to see a contour version of the powder.

  

• The little sweet nothing fragrance that is a delicate sweet treat in a bottle – I mean, who doesn’t want to smell like a sweet little mochi? This new Dedcool fragrance perfectly captures the delicate essence of a strawberry mochi, with a little tart sweetness, a little creaminess, and a little sweet sugary powder. It’s delicate and the perfect little sweet fragrance that doesn’t lean too heavy or too fruity or too acidic. I love pairing this with Milk, which adds a bit of a deeper musky base. P.S. you can always get 15% off with my code BEAUTYUNHYPED15 on Dedcool’s website!

• My absolute favorite mattifying SPF that also works beautifully as an oil controlling primer is finally in the US! To be quite honest I don’t think their US reformulations of their best sunscreens are that much to scream about, but the Velvet Screen is the same formula as their original, and it is hands down the best oil controlling SPF that I’ve used. It sets to a soft matte finish and works as a primer so that I can wear makeup in even the most humid weather without my oils breaking through. If you have combination to oily skin, this is the one must-have I recommend to everyone.

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• Every time I retry this super weightless luminous matte foundation I fall back in love and wonder why I ever put it down in the first place – This foundation only came out 2 years ago, but in the makeup world, that might as well be 10 years ago, but the fact that I haven’t heard a peep about this foundation in months should be a crime. The YSL All Hours Foundation is a lightweight medium-full coverage foundation that blends out to an undetectable luminous matte finish with just a little bit of a glow, but keeps all the parts of my face matte that I don’t want to get shiny. It’s hydrating enough that I love wearing this in the winter, when my skin leans more on the normal side of things, but has enough oil control that I can wear this in the summer as well. I’m always in awe of how perfected but still natural my face looks when wearing this, and while I rarely wear makeup for more than 12-13 hours, it always look flawless the whole day without needing to touch up. I wear shade LW8 in the winter and LW9 when I have more color.

• I almost wrote off this concealer but the creamy full coverage formula has saved my makeup on some recent sleepless nights – It’s been a rough couple of months and I’ve been going for weeks without getting a full night of sleep, which means my undereye area has been a little worse for wear lately. Instead of layering on my usual everyday concealer, I’ve been turning towards the fuller coverage Lawless Conseal the Deal Concealer, which has a light creamy texture that applies in a thin, but super pigmented layer. It sets into a matte finish that covers up my dark circles in just one layer and doesn’t fade or settle into any fine lines. I wear shade Cashew.

• While these blush topper/highlighters might be past their viral moment (thank god), the formula is still one of my favorites – The Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand never fails to give my cheeks that super glowy flushed look that I crave as soon as temperatures warm up. The shades have the perfect balance of light pigment and shimmer to actually pull off being a blushlighter that I can on their own or layered with other products. What really makes these shine for me (other than the gorgeous shades) is that while the formula is creamy, it lasts all day on my oily skin, even in hot humid summer weather, without becoming more greasy. There are other similar blushlighter products that frankly have the same shades with better packaging, but the Charlotte Tilbury formula is by far the more long lasting formula for oily skin. Peachgasm and Pillow Talk Medium are my favorite shades.

• This Hourglass lipstick formula does not get nearly as much attention as it deserves – The formula feels so luxurious and hydrating while being longwearing that it rivals my ultimate favorite Chanel formula. It glides on smoothly in an even layer and softly smooths over any lip lines without being too thick or gloopy. It also stays on for several hours without sliding around, but also doesn’t dry out my lips. I absolutely love the 2 shades I have – Cypress, a berry shade, and Shore, a warm brown. Instead of buying 3 more glossy balms that all end up looking the same, I recommend trying this creamy hydrating lipstick formula instead.

• This matte lipstick formula is one of those formulas that really brought matte lipstick to the next level – It has such a light and thin formula that it seems impossible it would have this much pigment, but it also applies evenly into a soft suede, almost powdery finish that doesn’t emphasize any lip lines. The finish also isn’t a completely flat matte, making it a beautiful impactful one and done that doesn’t dry my lips out. I absolutely love Pique, a rose taupe, and find it one of the more unique muted shades in my collection.

  

• The lash serum under $15 from the Ordinary that keeps my lashes healthy so they don’t fall out with my repeated curling and rigorous waterproof mascara routine (ps this is the only waterproof mascara I like at Sephora since I normally opt for this Japanese formula)

• Another Sephora 56 brush because I can never actually have too many in my rotation

• The absolute best dry shampoo that actually makes my hair feel clean – if I hadn’t already bought 3 in the fall sales I would be adding 3 more to my cart

• My favorite non-greasy hand cream that is also unscented – some days I really can’t handle any scent, and I love that this one is moisturizing but allows me to type immediately after applying. I keep one at my desk at all times. You can also always get 10% off Necessaire on their website with my code BEAUTYUNHYPED10.

• While we’re at it, this is my go to everyday lotion that gives me enough hydration even in the winter (with a body oil), but also feels like a light lotion going on that absorbs almost immediately. I love that they have scented versions – the hinoki is especially gorgeous, but I will always love the fragrance free the most.

• This fig body oil is a hero product for me that I’ve talked about so many times – it smells like fresh figs, and the spray mechanism makes this so easy to apply. Pair it with this fig body butter and Father Figure from Phlur and you’ll get one of my most complimented fragrance combos.

I’ll be back with more thoughts on some super new launches as soon as I test my new purchases, but in the meantime, you can also view all of my Sephora makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair, and brush recommendations at a glance on ShopMy, and follow along on Instagram for my most up to date thoughts and happenings.

I also want to know:

• What’s in your cart or what have you already purchased?

• What can I talk you out of?

• What recommendations do you need?

As always, thanks for reading!