It’s that time of the year again! Sephora’s Spring Event is back, which means that it’s time to click ‘check out’ on that cart full of goodies of yours! BUT! Before we go any farther, I did want to remind everyone that, now more than ever, it’s extremely important to shop responsibly. If you’ve had your eye on something for a long time, been meaning to restock on some products that you’re out of, or want to splurge on something a little bit special, then yeah, by all means go ahead. But don’t just buy things because they’re on sale. Make sure that all of your purchases right now are meaningful. I never want any of my posts to promote reckless shopping, but I did just want to share that little peace of awareness because I know that many people may have recently lost their jobs, or have been severely cut back on how much they’re making that it just doesn’t seem to make sense to encourage continuous spending when there are more important things to be saving your money for. So before you make that purchase, please do think through to determine whether or not you really need to be spending more money. But if you do have the financial freedom to shop, then by all means, do you!

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A few months ago, I began sharing some of my absolute favourite skin, makeup, and hair products of 2019, and this kind of seems like an appropriate time to follow up on that. Many of the products that I mentioned are available to be purchased through Sephora, while many aren’t, so I’ll be focusing this post specifically on my selections from those posts that you’ll be able to get on sale during Sephora’s Spring event.

By the time that this blog post goes live, Rouge level customers will have already been able to make their purchases with 20%, while VIB level customers kick off their sale access today with 15% off. Those with Insider level access till have to wait till April 23rd before they are able to shop with 10% off. Regardless of your level, now is a great time to be making Sephora purchases since they rarely ever offer sales throughout the year. So if you’re low on any goodies, or have had your eye on something for a reaaaaaallly long time but have yet to take the plunge because of sticker shock, then now is the best time to do so.

Skincare

Let’s first start off with some skincare because that’s probably by far my favourite category! I’m a skincare junkie through and through, so all of my picks are holy grail items that I continuously go back to. Although I enjoy testing out and trying new products all of the time, these guys are the ones that I always fall back on when I need a restock.

Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil

If you wear waterproof makeup like me, then you need to use this cleansing oil. It literally melts everything off without you ever having to tug on your skin. Premature wrinkles are never a worry since you’ll never have to stress about overly stretching out your skin when attempting to wash off your makeup. Just remember to double cleanse afterwards to remove any excess traces of oil. I’ve probably gone through about 5+ bottles of different variants of this cleansing oil and I’ll never stop.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

You know when you walk out of a spa and you just feel extremely energized, relaxed, and invigorated? Well this facial mist will do just that without you ever even needing to set foot outside of your house. After testing out both high end and drugstore facial mists, it’s safe to say that this one is well worth its value. There’s something special about its atomizer that evenly distributes the mist across your face that drugstore facial mists can’t accomplish. It’s the strangest aspect about a facial mist to note, but it’s definitely a major difference that I noticed when I was switching between the two kinds. Also added to the fact that the scent is the actual incarnation of a spa, and you’ve got yourself the perfect facial mist.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II

Are you at all surprised that Estee Lauder’s ANR serum made it onto my must-haves list? If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ll have probably have seen this serum pop up at least once a month in my #EMPTIES series. I love this stuff so much that I can’t even imagine my skincare routine without it. Not only does it help to keep my skin hydrated and plump, but I’ve also noticed that it slightly blurs away any fine lines as well. Although it’s designed for night use, I’ve also been told that you can use it during the day as well for an added surge of moisture.

Caudalie Vinosource SOS Intense Hydration Moisturizer

I just finished my first tub of this cream for the first time ever, but I can already picture it being a repeat offender in my skincare routine. Not only was it extremely hydrating for the winter months, but because it was so thick, a little went a long way. I think it took me about 4 months to completely go through this entire tub. I usually avoid heavy creams because I find that they’re too thick for my pores, but I was experience extreme dryness with constant flaking during the winter that I leaned into this cream. Within 2-3 weeks of using it, my skin was completely transformed. It felt so supple as if I just came back from a vacation in the tropics. I probably won’t be using it throughout the summer, but I’d definitely keep a tub of it around for days that my skin feels dry, or just to have for when winter rolls around again.

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

If you’ve yet to incorporate a face oil into your routine, then you’re severely missing out. We’ve been conditioned to think that oils are bad for our skin, and that they clog them, but that isn’t necessarily true. It’s true that some oils will clog your pores, but squalane is one of the good ones that actually help to keep your skin hydrated. It’s also an extremely light oil that evenly and quickly spreads across the surface of your skin, making it a great oil to use for anyone who is into facial massages. I just recently began incorporating facial massages into my skincare routine and have fallen in love with this oil even more than I could have thought possible. Did I also mention that it has rose oil in it? Win-win because of phenomenal skincare properties and an amazing scent!

Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Sleeping Face Mask

This is another new product that I only began using midway through last year, but ever since I’ve started, I’ve become hooked. It wasn’t until last year that I began playing with active ingredients in my skincare, and I’ve been slowly working my way into the world of retinoids. I’ve said this many times, but I’ll say it again. I’m not young anymore. I notice when my acne scarring doesn’t go away as quickly as it used to, or when my skin begins to lose its youthful lustre. Retinoids have made it all possible again and I’m 100% obsessed. On nights that I use this sleeping face mask, I wake up the next morning with the bounciest skin, I see the biggest diminishment of my active breakouts, and old scars have already begun to lighten up a bit. This sleeping mask is literally skincare magic in a tub.

Bite Agave+ Intensive Vegan Lip Mask

Ah yes, the holy grail lip product that I would not be able to survive without. Take away all of my other lipsticks, lip tints, lip oils, lip glosses, and leave me behind with this one and I’d be happy. I don’t necessarily need colour when it comes to my lips, but I do need hydration and boy does this lip mask pack a punch. Sure it’s expensive, but I’ve found that each tube lasts me at least 6 months at a time. And this is coming from someone who re-applies the product onto her lips at least 5-6 times a day. I go through a lot of this stuff, but a little goes a long way and you’re bound to almost never have to replace more than twice a year. If you have insanely dry or frequently chapped lips like I do, then you’re going to want to invest in this!

Makeup

Alright, now that we’ve taken care of the skincare, time to move onto some fun products, makeup! My makeup routine doesn’t frequently vary from the usual products, so you can trust that any makeup that I use, I use over and over again. That being said, it doesn’t mean that I haven’t changed up the products over the years and played around with new ones when I get the chance to. I’ve rounded up some of my holy grail makeup products that I can live without, and hope that you’ll enjoy them too!

Urban Decay All Nighter Face Primer

I have extremely oily skin that makes me look like the Wicked Witch of the West within 3 hours of applying makeup. Yup, sometimes my makeup looks like it’s about to slide right off of my face. Or I get those really gross foundation clumps around the edge of my noise and mouth where the oil and foundation crease together to form these nasty clumps of makeup. It’s not cute. On a whim, I decided to test out this face primer to see if it would somehow magically change the way that makeup sits on my face and boy was I blown away. After wearing my makeup for over 10+ hours, not a single millimeter of it budged, melted, or shifted out of space. In the 15+ years that I have worn makeup, this has never happened to me. Have I just been wearing makeup wrong for all of these years? The answer is yes, yes I have. I’m going to start using this primer from now on whenever I put on any makeup.

Urban Decay All Nighter Ultra Matte Makeup Setting Spray

This is also another brand new product that I only just started using last week that really took me by surprise. I rarely ever use setting sprays, and I think the only few times that I have, was when I was getting my makeup done by someone else, and it was for a professional shoot. My usual routine is to set my foundation and concealer with powder. I don’t use any cream products on my face, so by this point my face is usually pretty set. But by hour 3, I can start to feel my face getting oily and my makeup sliding around. Enter this ultra matte setting spray. At first I was skeptical as to how matte a setting spray could actually make my face, and for how long. I was pleasantly shocked when the only shine that I could detect on my face by the end of the day was from my highlighter. Oily girls rejoice, this setting spray is about to be your new best friend!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter (50 Dew You?)

If you want that lit from within glow, then you need to get your hands on this highlighter. I actually prefer to apply it to my face as a base before applying foundation, as I’ve found that this really gives a glowy effect like my skin is radiating! A little also goes a long way so you only need the tiniest pump to evenly distribute across your face.

Dior BACKSTAGE Face & Body Foundation (3N)

This has got to be by far my favourite foundation ever. Not only does it feel like second skin and dries down to a satin like finish, but it also has a buildable medium coverage that does a fantastic job at hiding acne scars and redness. I’m also such a huge fan of the packaging, as the squeezable plastic bottle makes it ridiculously lightweight and functional for travel. I love that there isn’t a pump or brush, so that the foundation can easily flow out of the packaging without risking hygiene.

Marc Jacobs Beauty Accomplice Concealer & Touch-Up Stick (Light 26)

This is hands down one of the creamiest yet most pigmented yet lightest concealers that I have ever used. It blends out so smoothly that it doesn’t even feel like you have anything on your face. Yet it still does an amazing job at brightening what you what to be brightened, and concealing what you want to be concealed. A little goes such a long way since the formula is so pigmented that I’ve been using the same tube for so long now that I can’t even remember when I first opened it. You’re really going to be getting your value for your dollar here.

Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold Highlighter Palette

Unfortunately this highlighter seems to be now sold out, but this is quite possibly the most perfect highlighter palette I have ever come across. The shimmer doesn’t blind you the way some highlighters do, and it sheers out quite nicely to create a dewy finish if that’s the look that you’re going for instead. I love how each of the shades are so distinct even for such light colours. The powder is so finely milled that it literally glides onto your skin like butter. If you want to look expensive, then this highlighter is going to do the trick.

Benefit Cosmetics Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define (4)

I’ve been using this brow pencil since before they rebranded their products to have silver packaging and have loved it for as long as I can remember. Anyone out there with really dark brown hair will love the shade 4 as it’s grey-ish tinge does a fabulous job of matching brow hairs to your hair without making them look overly bold (if you were to use a black shade), or strangely red (if you were to use a brown shade). I also love how thin the point of the pencil is, making it really easy to create thing strokes that resemble individual hauls. Do it yourself micro-blading anyone?

Lancome Monsieur Big Waterproof Mascara

I can’t remember when I was introduced to this mascara, but I’ve been hooked on it ever since. My eyelashes are extremely straight and short, so the only mascaras that really work on them are waterproof ones. Otherwise the minute I apply a mascara, any curl previously created instantly deflates and my lashes just become little short stubby sticks. I love that this formula is relatively liquidy, making it it really easy to distribute across the lashes. Once it’s dry though, I never have to deal with any streaking, panda eyes, or even smudging throughout the day.

bareMinerals GEN NUDE™ Radiant Lipstick (XOX)

Although I was originally drawn to this lipstick because of the shade, I quickly found out how long-lasting and comfortable it can be. I’ve worn this lipstick on days when I’m out eating and drinking with friends for multiple meals, and have found that the lipstick never really fades. But unlike lip tints or other liquid lipsticks, this lipstick is extremely comfortable on the lips, and I would even argue that it’s hydrating and nourishing. My lips never feel dry after I use this, yet somehow there’s still colour on my lips by the end of the day. It’s boggling how bareMinerals was able to formulate a produce his long-lasting yet comfortable at the same time.

YSL Volupté Plump-in-Color Plumping Lip Balm

On days when I’m looking for more of a wash of colour and less pigment, I always reach for my YSL Volupté lippies. I have a bunch of these in a variety of shades scattered across my various purses, so it’s difficult for me to narrow it down to just one shade that I like, so I’ll just discuss the finish. Not only is the formula extremely comfortable and moisturizing, but it packs a lot of colour too. The colour payoff isn’t 100% opaque, but more of a tint, so although you can get extremely bold colours, you never really have to worry about a perfect application. Did I also mention that the packaging is absolutely stunning? I saw on TikTok somewhere that you can actually pull off the logo with the help of some pliers to make yourself you very own YSL ring! I haven’t tried it yet, but making that ring is quite high up on my list of thing to-do at the moment!

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

For all of you almond-shaped eyes girls out there, this eyelash curler is for you! Not only does it perfectly hug the contour of my eyes and ensuring that each and every single lash is curled, it also never pinches my skin or lashes either. I’ve been using the exact same one for the past 3 years and I’ve yet to see it break in any way at all.

Haircare

I style my hair quite frequently, so I have a long list of hair care products that I swear by. Unfortunately many of them are salon only products so I can’t share them in this post, but I did want to take the time to highlight some hair products that are my ride or die which can be picked up at Sephora!

IGK First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo

Yes this is an expensive shampoo, but did you notice how large the bottle is? There’s a lot of product inside. I’ve been using it for the past 3-4 months and it barely feels like I even used half of the bottle. While all of the drugstore dry shampoos that I’ve tested in the past can’t even last me longer than 2 months at a time max. Dry shampoo is definitely one of my bodycare goodies where I’m willing to pay a little bit more for quality. I never get any weird white residue in my hair, it has a very light and refreshing sent, and truly sucks up oil like it’s nobody’s business. You only need to spray a little onto each portion of hair you’re trying to tame, so a little goes a long way. It may seem like an immediately pricey purchase, but trust me. In the long run, you’re going to fall in love with this dry shampoo and never consider another one again.

T3 Whirl Trio Interchangeable Styling Wand Set: Tapered, 1”, 1.5”

I’ve been doing my curls with the this wand for the past 3-4 years of my life, and have even had the pleasure of testing out all of the different sizes of barrels as my hair alternates between short and long. My favourite thing about this curling iron is the fact that you can easily interchange the varying barrel widths to accommodate different lengths of hair. Mel and I both use T3 when we curl our hair, that only one of us usually ever brings the base when we travel together, and we interchange out the heads if we’re going for different styles. I also love the 360 swivel cord at its base, which prevents the cord itself from accidentally snapping with extending use.

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And there you have it! My top 20 picks from Sephora’s Spring Event. Did any of my products make it onto your wishlist? Or have you even tried any of them before? Let me know if you do as I’d love to know what your experience was like! Until the next post, happy shopping! And remember to be smart about what you’re buying!