The Sephora Savings Event kicks off on Friday, April 14th and I can’t wait to shop and share some of my top recommendations. I look forward to covering this event every year because I get to try new makeup at the discounted price and I can restock on old favorites. It also makes me so happy to be a resource for you while you shop the event 🙂 Throughout the event, I’ll be sharing my top picks, what I’m ordering and makeup tutorials! Stay tuned for an unboxing on IG reels as well. I’ve already posted my favorite cream bronzers here, favorite blushes here, and a hair tutorial here.
ROUGE Members (Spend $1000 at Sephora in a calendar year) – 20% off your purchase with code SAVENOW 4/14-4/24
VIB Members (Spend $350 at Sephora in a calendar year) – 15% off your purchase with with code SAVENOW 4/18-4/24
Beauty Insider (Free to join) – 10% off your purchase with with code SAVENOW 4/18-4/24
This year, VIB and Beauty Insiders will get to start shopping on the same date!
As always, I appreciate you using my links to shop 🙂 It comes at no cost to you and provides me a little commission on your purchase, which helps me to continue to make free content and recommendations on the blog. I hope this guide is helpful while shopping the sephora event!
MY WISHLIST
New products I’m trying
I purchased a lot of my wishlist items over the past few months so the majority of my order will be restocks! I’m most excited to try the givenchy concealer because I’ve heard such great things about the formula. I’m going to get it in W310. I have the Saie Super Glowy Gel in Starlight and love it so I’m grabbing the darker Sunglow shade. I think it’ll be perfect for Spring and Summer. I’ve had my eye on the Patrick Ta Contour Duo for a while and finally getting it this time! I’m getting shade ‘She’s Sculpted.’ I swatched the Danessa Myricks Lip and Cheek Balm Powder in stores and it’s such a unique formula – swatches like a balm and dries down to a powder matte finish. I don’t have any color like this in my collection and I think it’ll work great as an orange red lipstick too. The last thing on my wishlist is the Makeup by Mario Master Mattes because I know I’ll get good use out of it but it’s currently OOS online. I might try to get it in store!
Restocks
FOUNDATION
I’m a broken record but my top two picks for foundation are still NARS Sheer Glow and Armani Luminous Silk. I’ve tried so many foundations and these two are still the best of the best. My makeup always looks good when I wear either one. One foundation I’d add to this list that I have been loving is the Haus Labs foundation – similar to the Luminous Silk but has some more skincare benefits in it. I also use the Flawless Filter after primer and before foundation when I want an extra flawless finish.
For lighter foundation, I’m loving the IT Cosmetics CC cream Nude Glow mixed with a pump of Saie super glowy gel in Starlight.
My favorite matte and full coverage foundation is the NARS soft matte and I reach for this most during fall or winter but I don’t do full coverage makeup much anymore. This one is extremely long lasting! It is full coverage and gives a beautiful matte finish without being drying. One full coverage foundation I’ve been curious to try and might pick up during the event is the Hourglass one.
Shade names: Charlotte Tilbury: 3 Light Medium or 4.5 when I’m more tan // NARS Sheer Glow and Soft Matte: Barcelona // Armani Luminous Silk: 5.75 or 6.25 when I’m more tan // Haus Labs: 260 Light Medium Cool // Dior: 3W // IT Cosmetics: Medium Tan
For reference, I am generally medium with warm undertones when selecting foundations sometimes light medium. I would describe my skin as normal with some oil in my t-zone by the end of the day.
Holy Grails
Other foundations I love
PRIMER
My top primers are the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum, Tatcha Silk Canvas, and Caliray So Blown Primer. The Laneige drops give a great glowy base for spring/summer makeup. The Caliray really blurs out pores and makes it makeup last all day. For heavier makeup days, the Tatcha Silk Canvas and Hourglass Mineral Veil are still great. I use the glowy makeup serum the most.
For long lasting makeup days I’ve been loving the Glow Makeup Serum all over the face and putting a little bit of the Tatcha Silk Canvas or Caliray in areas that get more shine by end of day (t zone, around nose, chin).
CONCEALER
For undereye, I’m still loving the Tarte Shape Tape the most. If you are looking for a full coverage option that’s not drying Hourglass is really great. I use that one for spot concealing all over the face and the Tarte shape tape undereye. Tarte Shape Tape isn’t sold at Sephora but you can always use code KHANH for 15% off it on tarte’s website! I’ve also been loving NARS creamy concealer again too. I’ve tried many concealers (Too Faced, Urban Decay, Clinique, Becca, Huda Beauty, Fenty, Pat Mcgrath, Kosas) and still like the Hourglass, Dior, and Shape Tape the most. I’m going to pick up the Givenchy concealer to try this time – have heard great things about it.
For setting undereye, I’m back to loving Laura Mercier in Translucent honey and I pat out the excess powder on my hand before applying to my undereye area.
One product I highly recommend if you struggle with dry undereyes is the Bobbi Brown eye base/primer! I’ve had this for 2 months now and it’s amazing. Definitely the best eye cream and eye prep I’ve used.
Shade names: Hourglass: Beech // Dior: 3W // Nars: Macademia // Laura Mercier Powder: Translucent Honey
For reference, I usually get medium with neutral or warm undertones when selecting concealers for undereye and medium with warm undertones for all over.
SETTING POWDER, FINISHING POWDER, AND SETTING SPRAY
I’ve been reaching for the Charlotte Tilbury powder (in Medium) the most for setting all over my face and Laura Mercier (Honey) for my undereye. These are all really great options for powders and lay beautifully on the skin. I tried the Givenchy powder last time and loved it! I also tried Kosas and it was only okay, I wouldn’t recommend. I tried the La Mer powder over the summer and also loved it’s a great touch up powder and so beautiful but very pricey so I think any of these other options would work just as great. I also love the Hourglass and Ilia powder as well.
The Charlotte Tilbury setting spray is the best – truly makes my makeup last all day and is the best setting spray I’ve used. It does have a rose scent so if you’re sensitive to fragrance I wouldn’t recommend. Urban Decay All Nighter has less of a scent from what I remember.
The lighting palettes from Hourglass are a top recommendation always. These finishing powders are applied after your setting powder and they bring such luminosity to the skin. I can see a difference in how my makeup looks when I do this extra step. It’s hard to show on camera but I really feel it makes all the difference and gives that extra oomph to your makeup. You can also buy these individually but I love them in the palettes to have a few options for color. They give you that glow from within look to your face. I would recommend choosing the volume that is more complimentary to your skin tone. I have both Volume I and II and do love both but I don’t think you need both of them. When I first purchased it, they only had Volume I but if I were buying it now brand new, I would just purchase Volume II.
Setting Powders
Setting Spray
Finishing Powders/Blurring Powders
BRONZER
I’ve tried many bronzers and my favorites for powder are still the Hourglass Bronzer and Gucci Bronzer. Hourglass is so finely milled and just looks so gorgeous on the skin. I use the NARS bronzing cream to cream contour and the Fenty for my nose contour. I did try the Rare Beauty bronzer sticks when they came out earlier this year and love the formula – super user friendly and easy to blend! I finally tried the Makeup by Mario contour stick but wasn’t a fan. I do like the one in the pan a lot though. I’m curious to finally try the Patrick Ta bronzing duo or Merit!
Powder Bronzer Shade Names: Hourglass: Radiant Bronze Light// Fenty: I$land Ting // Gucci: 3 Medium // Tom Ford: Terra
Cream and Liquid Bronzer Shade Names: NARS: Laguna 02 // Rare Beauty: Happy Sol // Makeup by Mario: Medium // Charlotte Tilbury: Medium // Tarte: Cool Bronze // Saie: Medium Bronze // Lys Beauty: Harmony
Powder Bronzers
Cream Bronzers
BLUSH
I loooove blush! I really think it just completes the entire makeup look and love different shades for different seasons and looks. I am still loving layering cream and powder blushes these days. Here are some of the ones I’ve been loving the most. My favorite right now is the Patrick Ta Duo in She’s so LA or She’s Blushing.
Powder Shade Names: Hourglass: Sublime Flush // Patrick Ta: She’s Sincere and She’s Seductive // Laura Mercier: Ginger // Charlotte Tilbury: Ecstasy // Gucci: Rosy Beige
Cream/Liquid Shade Names: Hourglass: Wonder and Sacred // Patrick Ta: She’s so LA and She’s Blushing // Makeup by Mario: Raspberry // Rare Beauty: Peace (limited edition) Joy // Charlotte Tilbury: Pinkgasm and Peachgasm // Tarte: Peach
Powder Blushes
Cream/Liquid Blushes
HIGHLIGHTER
The rare beauty highlighter has stolen my heart! I have shades Flaunt and Exhilarate and love them both. I do reach fro Flaunt more often. I also recommend the Dior Palette as well!
Shade names: Rare Beauty: Flaunt and Exhilarate // Dior: 001 Universal
BROWS AND EYES
This is probably the most boring part of my makeup routine because I’ve found products that I like so I just repurchase them over and over. I’m still using my same brow pencil, mascara primer and mascara for the last couple years. I have straight asian lashes (I do use an eyelash serum for length and thickness) and this mascara combo just makes them look so nice. For eyeshadow, I love easy small palettes that have all the essentials and are easy to travel with. The Laura Mercier shadow stick in Caramel is a super easy every day lid color. I also love the Charlotte Tilbury palettes or the Natasha Denona Mini Palettes. I tried the Patrick Ta Palette a few months ago and 100% would recommend! Still eyeing the Makeup by Mario master mattes palette.
Shade names: Anastasia: Chocolate // Charlotte Tilbury: Pillow Talk and Golden Goddess // Laura Mercier Shadow Sticks: Caramel and Copper // Ilia Shadow Tint: Sheen
LIPSTICK
I’m sharing an IG reel soon with swatches of my favorite nude lipsticks, liners, and glosses! I love buying new shades and formulas to try. All of my lipsticks are primarily peachy nudes and brown toned nudes which I’ve gravitated towards for the last few years 🙂 I find that these compliment my warm skin undertone the most.
Shade names: Tom Ford: Sable Smoke // NARS: Belle De Jour and Blonde Venus // Charlotte Tilbury: Nude Kate, Penelope Pink, Yes Honey, and Cover Star // Patrick Ta: Oh She’s Single // Fenty: Unbutton // // Merit: Slip // Armani: Romanza // Tarte: White Peach // Sephora: Brunch Date in lipstick and Warm Nude in Satin Liquid Lip
Most worn lipsticks
Other nude lipsticks I have and love:
LIPLINER
Almost every day 9/10 times I use the Sephora Collection lip liner – it’s the perfect color and glides right on! It’s 30% off for all members during the entire event 🙂 The Makeup Forever one is so great too and love the color.
Shade names: Sephora: 2 Nothin but Nude // Charlotte Tilbury: Iconic Nude // Makeup Forever: 600 Anywhere Caffeine (more brown toned nude)
LIPGLOSS
I am a gloss girl forever – I just can’t do a lip combo without a gloss lol. These are some of my favorite glosses. My most reached for gloss is the Tom Ford and I know it’s such a splurge but the formula is amazing and it makes every lipstick combo look so good. It’s the prettiest nude gloss with tiny tiny specks of gold shimmer. I also love Urban Decay Runyon (not on Sephora anymore but available on Urban Decay).
Shade names: Tom Ford: Crystalline // Urban Decay: Runyon // Patrick Ta: Pouty // Dior: 004 Coral // Pat McGrath: Peach Perversion // Lawless: Annie // Fenty: Fenty Glow and Sweetmouth
Most worn glosses
Other glosses I have and love
MAKEUP BRUSHES
I couldn’t do my makeup without these three brushes. They’re truly worth the splurge and keep their quality wash after way. The dual ended Hourglass brush is a must have for me. I use the larger side for bronzer every day and the smaller side for my undereye powder. The two other brushes that I think are worth the splurge are the Fenty 125 for cream blush and Patrick Ta Contour brush for cream contour. Both of them blend and apply cream products so effortlessly. They’re easy to use and provide precise application. The Saie big buffing brush works great for a more natural application of cream or liquid bronzer.
Brush Cleaner
SKINCARE
I don’t use all of these at once but they’re products I’ve loved and repurchased over the years 🙂 love all the masks and try to do one at least once a week! My favorite sunscreen right now is the glowscreen by supergoop and if I want to do no glow I use the Innisfree.
Moisturizer and Night Cream
Sunscreen
Eye Creams
Face Masks
Toners
Lip Mask
BODY
I use these two daily and I swear the creme de corps has made my skin softer over the last year and a half! It’s unscented so I layer some of the bum bum cream on top. It smells so good! I loved the bum bum cream so much I got the hair and body mist and love spraying this when I don’t want to wear perfume. I tried the pink cream from Sol De Janeiro recently and really like that one too – a lighter scent kind of smells sweet and has some fruity notes.
Most of my favorite perfumes are not included in the event. I love Baccarat Rouge 540, Santal 33, and Dime 7 Summers. Santal Vanille is included though! I have this in the mini spray version.
This self tanner is my favorite!! The color looks so golden and natural and the mousse is hydrating. It usually lasts around 5-6 days on me.
Body Glow
Perfume
HAIR
My two favorite hair products have been the Gisou Honey Hair Mask and Hair Oil and Bumble and Bumble Heat Protectant. The volumizing hairspray I use is not sold at Sephora (Big Sexy Hair Spray and Play). I also added in my styling products, hair mask, and dry shampoo recs. I have a few tutorials on my highlights for hair tutorials 🙂
Hair Masks
Hair Tools
Dry Shampoo and Texturizing/Volume Sprays
Heat protectant, hair oils, scalp treatments, and leave in conditioners
GIFT SETS
I have the first two and love them! The Sephora Favorites ones are such a good deal too if you want to try a lot of their popular products.
If you have any questions, feel free to DM me with questions! <3