The Sephora Savings Event kicks off this week on April 5th and I can’t wait to shop and share some of my top recommendations. This is one of my favorite events to cover every year because I get to try new makeup at the discounted price and I can restock on my 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.
Dates and Codes
ROUGE Members (Spend $1000 at Sephora in a calendar year) – 20% off your purchase with code YAYSAVE 4/5-4/15
VIB Members (Spend $350 at Sephora in a calendar year) – 15% off your purchase with with code YAYSAVE 4/9-4/15
Beauty Insider (Free to join) – 10% off your purchase with with code YAYSAVE 4/9-4/15
Just like this past fall, 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 extra 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!
Beauty Chats and Tutorials
Sephora Savings Event Recommendations (April 2023)
Sephora Savings Event Recommendations (November 2023)
Favorite Nude Lipsticks, Liners, and Glosses
Favorite Eyeshadows & Palettes
What I packed in my Makeup Bag
Dyson Bouncy Blowout Tutorial with velcro rollers
Most Recent Makeup Tutorial (April 2023)
Sped Up Makeup Tutorial (November 2023)
Lots of restocks this time around! Refilling on a bunch of my holy grail products 🙂 I have a few fun things I’m trying though! I’ll share a haul when I get my order.
Soleil Toujours SPF Setting Spray – I really wanted to find an SPF spray that I could reapply throughout the day that won’t ruin my makeup and I found this one with really good reviews! I sprayed it in store a few weeks ago and the mist is super fine so I’m excited to see if it’s good!
Armani Eye Tint in 36M – Wood – I already love the 22M Cashew color of this eye tint and wanted to grab this darker color for an easy smokey eye. It’s sold out online right now but hoping I can find it in store. These are super easy to blend and have great pigment.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Luminous Blush – I am in love with their highlighter and this is hte same formula and packaging in blush form! I’m going to grab the shade Cheer and I think I will end up loving it! I can’t wait to try.
Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Powder – This has been on my radar to try for a while! It might be a great retouching powder throughout the day and it has great reviews.
YSL Loveshine Lip Oil Stick – I LOVE the YSL candy glaze so I knew I wanted to try their new Loveshine lipsticks. I used to love their old lipstick in the gold packaging and it looks like they reformulated slightly and changed the packaging to silver. The shade Melted Honey looks like such a “Khanh” color ;)!
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. I also like to use some type of glowy product after primer and before foundation when I want an extra flawless finish. I have some of my favorites below.
For lighter makeup, I love the Hourglass Skin Tint and the IT Cosmetics CC cream Nude Glow
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. Sometimes I even mix this with Armani Luminous Silk if I want a little less coverage but I want it to last even longer.
Shade names: 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 CC Nude Glow: Medium Tan // Hourglass: Shade 9
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
GLOWY PRODUCTS
Even though I prefer matte makeup I still love to have a glowy complexion and base so I always use some type of glowy agent underneath my foundation or mixed in with my foundation. Here’s a few of the ones I’ve tried and love – I’ll use these interchangeably so I don’t think I have a favorite but I do love all of them!
Shade Names: Charlotte Tilbury: 4.5 / Armani: Shade 10 / Saie: Starglow or Sunglow
Drugstore options (not available at Sephora)
If you’re looking for an affordable option I love Loreal Lumi Glotion and Elf Halo Filter! I’ve been reaching for the Lumi Glotion a lot and it has the most lotion like texture of these products.
PRIMER
My top primers are the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum and Hourglass Primer. The Laneige drops give a great glowy base for spring/summer makeup. The Hourglass helps blurs out pores and makes it makeup last all day and it looks great mixed with the Armani Luminous Silk or Nars Sheer Glow.
I’ve been reaching for the Hourglass Primer 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.
I’ve had my eye on the Armani Silk Primer so I might try that this time!
CONCEALER
For undereye, I’ve been loving Dior, Hourglass, and Natasha Denona the most. If you are looking for a full coverage option that’s not drying Hourglass is really great. I still love my Tarte Shape Tape so much though. 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 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.
For setting undereye, I’m still 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 // Natasha Denona: YW9 // 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.
I also love the Merit stick for covering blemishes on no makeup days and the Nars pot concealer for covering breakouts since it’s so full coverage.
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’ve 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. I got a mini size of the Huda Beauty setting powder and have liked that 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. I tried the One/Size Setting Spray this year and it’s super long lasting! I’m going to restock it during the sale in the mini size.
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. The Patrick Ta Bronzer Duo in ‘She’s Sculpted’ during the last sale and it is now my most used cream bronzer! I still love the NARS bronzing cream as well for more glam makeup but day to day I’ve been loving the Patrick Ta.
Powder Bronzer Shade Names: Hourglass: Radiant Bronze Light// Gucci: 3 Medium // Tom Ford: Terra
Cream and Liquid Bronzer Shade Names: Patrick Ta: She’s Sculpted // NARS: Laguna 02 // Tower28: West Coast 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 top recommendation for blush would be the Patrick Ta Duos or the Hourglass blush in Sublime Flush.
I want to try the new Rare Beauty blushes! They have the same formula and packaging as the highlighter I love but with the pigment of a blush.
Powder Shade Names: Hourglass: Sublime Flush and Luminous Flush // Patrick Ta: She’s Sincere and She’s Seductive // Laura Mercier: Ginger // Gucci: Rosy Beige // Haus Labs: Rose Quartz //Charlotte Tilbury: Ecstasy // RMS: Maiden’s Blush and Crystal Slipper
Cream/Liquid Shade Names: Patrick Ta: She’s so LA, She’s Blushing, Not Too Much, and She’s the Moment // Hourglass: Wonder and Sacred // Makeup by Mario: Raspberry and Peachy // NARS: Orgasm // Rare Beauty: Peace (limited edition) and Joy // Charlotte Tilbury: Pinkgasm and Peachgasm // Tarte: Peach
Powder Blushes
Cream/Liquid Blushes
HIGHLIGHTER
The rare beauty highlighter is still #1 in my heart! I have shades Flaunt and Exhilarate and love them both. I do reach for 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. I’ve been reaching for the Armani eye tint in Cashew the most followed by Merit Vachetta. 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. My top three larger palettes I’d recommend are the Patrick Ta palette, Makeup by Mario Master Mattes and Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes palette. The Ethereal Eyes palette is stunning!
Shade names: Charlotte Tilbury: Golden Goddess // Laura Mercier Shadow Sticks: Caramel and Copper // Armani: Cashew 22M // Merit: Vachetta // Urban Decay: Space Cowboy // Iconic London: Chocolate Brown
Eyeshadow Palettes
Easy eye products – what I usually use on a daily basis
LIPSTICK
Linking my Favorite Nude Lipsticks, Liners, and Glosses reel again here! 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. My most worn lipsticks lately are Tom Ford Sable Smoke, Nars Breathless, and Charlotte Tilbury Nude Kate
Shade names: Tom Ford: Sable Smoke // NARS: Belle De Jour, Breathless, and Blonde Venus // Charlotte Tilbury: Nude Kate, Penelope Pink, Yes Honey, and Cover Star // Patrick Ta: Oh She’s Single
Most worn lipsticks
LIPLINER
The Huda Beauty liner in Sandy Beige has become my favorite lip liner! I’ve been reaching for it almost every day – glides on and lasts all day!
Shade names: Sephora: 2 Nothin but Nude // Huda Beauty: Sandy Beige // Charlotte Tilbury: Iconic Nude // Makeup Forever: 600 Anywhere Caffeine (more brown toned nude) // Patrick Ta: She’s Strong
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 // YSL: Sweet Pink // Patrick Ta: Superficial and Pouty and She’s Expensive // Dior: 013 Beige and 004 Coral // Pat McGrath: Peach Perversion // Lawless: Annie // Fenty: Fenty Glow and Sweetmouth // Hourglass: Trace
Most worn glosses
Other glosses I have and love
MAKEUP BRUSHES
I couldn’t do my makeup without these 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. They did launch a dual sided Patrick Ta Contour brush so they discontinued mine but it’s the same one with an added powder brush on the other side. I also love the nose contour brush! 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
Eye patches
I love the Peter Thomas Roth eye masks! Patchology is great too but Sephora doesn’t carry that brand.
Face Masks
Toners
Pimple/Blemish Products
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
Body Wash
Sephora finally carries my favorite body wash from Salt & Stone! Love the Santal and Vetiver scent!
Body Mist
I love the Sol de Janeiro body mist for spring and summer! Also love the matching body mist to my body wash too! Very light fragrance and smells fresh.
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
I use the GHD iron pretty much every day but recently got the Dyson this fall and love it!! It’s perfect for a bouncy blowout look. The light pink color is everything!! They just came out with it.
Dry Shampoo and Texturizing/Volume Sprays
Heat protectant, hair oils, scalp treatments, and leave in conditioners
GIFT SETS
Lots of great beauty sets! The YSL Candy Glaze duo is $55 and then you get 10-20% on top so basically two for one! It includes the sweet pink shade that I love and a nude shade. The Sephora Favorites ones are a great 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
