My Top Picks for the Sephora Sale

Scroll below to shop my top picks organized by the categories of Gifts, Skincare, Makeup, Hair and Splurge-Worthy Tools.

Gifts:

1. Silk Sleepmask, $50

This is a great luxe gift for those who travel a lot…or for yourself hehe! These are on the pricier side so now’s a good time to get it at a more reasonable price point so it’ll become under $50.

2. Mini Candle Discovery Set, $50 (an $80 value)

This is such a cool gift! Great for anyone, even someone you barely know. It comes with 5 mini candles in different, popular scents plus a voucher for a full-size version of any of them. The scents included cover a good range of flavor profiles, I’m impressed! This would also be great to break up and give a mini candle to coworkers or girlfriends (keep the full-size for yourself or also make that a gift for someone!).

3. Goop The Martini Emotional Detox Bath Soak, $35

Another great luxe gift that’s at a good price point – this is also another great gift for someone you might not know too well. If they have a bathtub, chances are they will really enjoy this gift!

4. Merit The Holiday Essentials Face Set, $45 (a $65 value)

A set with 3 easy, clean, and gorgeous makeup products that anyone would be sure to love. It includes a full size of my favorite lip oil, a full size of their cream blush (which I also have and love), and a mini of their mascara (one of my top 2 fave mascaras).

5. Charlotte Tilbury Mini Filmstar Bronze & Glow, $29

This is one of my favorite things to travel (although I have the full-size, this mini size would be even better for travel). I think this is a great gift for someone who is always traveling or on the go! It includes a bronzer and highlighter making it really easy to give your face some quick but beautiful dimension.

6. Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Eye Masks, $25 for 6 packs

These make awesome stocking stuffers or like little gifts you give to coworkers. I also love these particular ones because they are vegan! I have several vegetarian coworkers and one vegan, and these are one of the few vegan (which means cruelty-free as well) cute, mini, affordable products that I can give out to a few women that I work with.

7. Fresh Sugar Hydrating Lip Value Set, $45 for 6 minis (a $75 value)

I have a million of these Fresh Sugar lippies, they are great! Super hydrating, decently long-lasting for a balm, and they come in so many amazing colors. This is another great gift to give out individually to girlfriends or coworkers!

Skincare:

Almost all my skincare picks above are “clean” products and get the seal of Sephora Clean approval 👍

Also, *FYI* my skin type is sensitive, acne-prone, combo/oily.

*One note I’d like to make about Drunk Elephant products before I get into my faves: yes they are pricey but they personally last me a long time (at the very least: 6 months). If you aim to get what you need around their 2 yearly sale times, then you’re never paying full price!

My AM Drunk Elephant routine is the C-Firma Serum mixed with the Protini Moisturizer. And I have two night skincare routines that I rotate to keep a glowing, clear complexion: one is the TLC Framboos Night Serum + Virgin Marula Facial Oil, and the other is the A-Passioni Retinol Cream + the Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer.

1. Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum, $90

I had to start off with my favorite Drunk Elephant product of all time: their resurfacing serum. I use this every other night (I switch off between this and their Retinol – which is a routine they suggest and is working great for me) with a couple drops of their facial oil. It creates the perfect combo of acne-fighting, resurfacing action that also hydrates well. P.S. Don’t let the word “oil” scare you – I have sensitive, acne-prone, very-easily-clogged-pores skin and this oil does not clog pores / cause acne for me at all (which is quite rare for ultra-hydrating products).

Let’s talk about the price for a second – yes, I know it’s pricey. But this product almost single-handedly changed my skin so the price just isn’t a problem for me. If you’re hesitant, try this little set instead which includes a mini size plus a really great nighttime cream (that I also use and love, and discuss below). Also, don’t forget about Sephora’s amazing return policy!

2. Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Moisturizer, $60

Not too heavy, not too light but I would definitely define it more as a cream than a moisturizer. Love to mix with my retinol cream! Doesn’t break me out but I always make sure to use very sparingly.

3. Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream, $74 for 1 oz or $28 for .33 oz

4. Drunk Elephant Virgin Marula Luxury Face Oil, $40 for .5 oz

5. The INKEY List Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) Blemish + Blackhead Serum, $10.99

I’ve used several higher-end spot treatments and always come back to this affordable one! It’s a good mix between effective but not too drying.

6 & 7. Drunk Elephant Face Value Brightening Skincare Kit, $88 ($147 value)

This kit is an incredible value as it includes the full size of the Vitamin C day serum ($78), plus smaller sizes of the moisturizer I love and their hydration serum and eye cream.

I mix the Vitamin C serum with the Protini moisturizer every morning after cleansing. It definitely brightens my overall skin tone. Vitamin C is an important step to include in anyone’s skincare routine. I think it’s especially important for those in their 20s and 30s because it helps prevent future concerns like fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also important for anyone older since it helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that might already be there.

The moisturizer is fantastic and I feel it can work with anyone’s skin type. It’s the perfect amount of medium moisture, no fragrance, and a real powerhouse of ingredients including signal peptides, growth factors, amino acids, and pygmy waterlily to improve the look of skin’s tone, texture, and firmness. Something I also love about this is it absorbs pretty quickly, which is important for me as I am almost always running late and rushing in the morning.

8. Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, $20

I use this every night before bed. It hydrates them and prevents them from ever getting chapped. I’ve been using the original berry scent and it’s so heavenly that it’s become my favorite nighttime routine step… eyeing the new peppermint flavor though. Highly recommend and the jar lasts a longggg time!

9. Ilia Lip Conditioner, $26

This is best lip balm I’ve tried in a long time. I keep one in my car, at my desk, and I’m about to buy one more for my purse because it’s just that good I feel the need to ignore all my other balms.

Ilia has been a frontrunner for one of my favorite beauty brands of all time, and it’s CLEAN! Yay! They also have a tinted version of it that I’d like to try (but it’s literally the last thing I need more of).

Makeup:

1. Merit Shade Slick Vegan Tinted Lip Oil, $24

This is my favorite lip oil I’ve tried (and I’ve tried several!). I like lip oils over glosses because they tend to be more hydrating and are deff less sticky. I have this lip oil in two colors: Au Naturel (the perfect easy, blush-y nude) and Falcon (a deep brown that is so pretty and wearable because of how sheer it is). I am also eyeing the Cara Cara color (a soft red orange)… 👀

2. Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush, $40

Ok so I’ve tried so many “clean” blushes and I always come back to this non-clean one… it’s just that good. Charlotte Tilbury really knows what they are doing! I have the Ecstasy color (which is like a peach-pink), and it’s great for skintones like mine (fair with pink undertones).

It includes two colors that work together to create the perfect blush look: use the outer shade across cheekbones to sculpt, then dab the inner color on the apples of your cheeks for a pretty, youthful glow.

4. Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara, $28 + Merit Clean Lash Lengthening Mascara, $26

I’ve decided that I love both of these clean mascaras equally so I’m including both 🙃

Both do an excellent job of lengthening while still having a natural beauty look… like a wispier, classy lash over a big, voluminous, heavier lash look. I prefer the former which is why I love them so much! I’d say the Ilia is much easier to remove at the end of the day but the Merit creates a slightly fluffier look than the Ilia does.

5. Kosas Air Brow Clear + Clean Lifting Treatment Eyebrow Gel, $22

My current brow routine is the below brow pencil plus this clear gel on top. I was really excited when this came out (and I bought it as soon as I could find it in-stock!) because it also has some great ingredients that help the brow hairs grow (Panthenol Pro Vitamin B5: Helps revive brows; Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1: Supports healthier, fuller hair; Hyaluronic Acid + Trehalose: Strengthens and conditions hair). I’d never seen anything like it, and I’m not sure I notice a difference in my brow growth or strength but I’ve always been fairly happy with my brows as they are (luckily I never overplucked them in the 90s/00s haha) so I’m not sure I pay much attention to those things anyway.

I’m really happy with the formula as a daily brow gel, so I will definitely continue to buy it! It has such good staying power too, you can also use it to create the laminated brow look – but I just use it to keep my brows in place in a more natural-looking position. Also comes in a tinted version here.

6. Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil, $29

I used this brow pencil for several years, have tried others here and there (mostly searching for a cleaner alternative), but no more – this is the best. It’s great because you never have to sharpen it, it just twists up! And it truly lives up to its name of “ultra-fine precision.”  It keeps its tiny, precise shape through its entire life. The brow brush on the other end is a necessity in my opinion, and tbh I don’t understand why all brow products don’t somehow incorporate one to make your brow routine more efficient. It’s not clean but if I’m using it and it’s not clean… then you know it’s good.

Hair:

1. Slip Silk Scrunchies, $22 for 3-pack

These are just the best. They are so gentle and the small size is perfect for my fine hair, bigger sized linked here.

They do eventually stretch out (takes a year or two, and I literally wear mine every day, every night and I probably only use the same 3 for that because the others I own are buried in purses, etc haha… y’know?). I always make sure to pick up a new pack of these once or twice a year because of this… and also because I lose them 🤷‍♀️

2. Playa Healing Hair Masque, $38

This is the best hair mask if you are looking for one with a dual purpose. I really wanted to find one that was nourishing to my strands but also did a little detox for my scalp… this serves both purposes beautifully! I use this ether once a week or once every other week.

3. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo, $26 + Living Proof Perfect hair Day (PhD) Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo, $30

BEST. DRY. SHAMPOO. EVER. If you haven’t tried it yet… why not tho?! This actually cleans your hair and smells amazing (but the scent isn’t too strong, which is also key for me). Works really well overnight AND within 5 minutes – it’s worth the price! This is a must-try if dry shampoo is part of your weekly routine. I go through this stuff fairly quickly so I always stock up during sales like these.

I’ve loved the original formula (in the gray bottle) for many many years, but I do technically prefer their new advanced version (the silver bottle). My hair gets crazy oily very quick AND I prefer the feeling of day-one hair over day-two hair, so the advanced formula works best for me. But if your hair doesn’t become an oil slick within 48 hours and/or you prefer the feeling of second-day hair, then the original (cheaper!) formula would probably suit your needs better. Both are truly excellent, IMO the best on the market!

4. Sephora Collection Dual Boar Bristle Brush, $20

This brush is similar to those super expensive ones people rave about but at a ridiculously good price point. It’s great for just daily brushing but where it shines is when I brush my hair at night before bed and it distributes the oils from that day evenly so my hair is SIGNIFICANTLY less oily the next morning compared to when nights when I don’t brush it. If you have oily hair, you need to try this.

5. Olaplex No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner, $28

Great conditioner if you’re looking to try a new one. Definitely cuts down on frizziness and does a great job of keeping my hair detangled. When I use this, I don’t need to use a detangler before brushing my wet hair, which I’ve always needed in the past. It also has a really lovely light scent that doesn’t linger, which is a huge plus for me since I have a super sensitive nose.

Splurge-worthy Tools:

1. Dermaflash Dermapore Ultrasonic Pore Extractor & Serum Infuser, $99

I currently have a cheap-o Amazon version of this. I’ll link it here but I don’t fully recommend it. It just doesn’t seem to work as well as it could, and this one piece keeps coming off… I can easily put it back on but just think it’s probably better to splurge on tools like this, rather than save. I definitely want to upgrade to the real deal one from Dermaflash.

It basically heats up while vibrating, which coaxes blackheads/whiteheads out. It’s pretty life changing! It also exfoliates really nicely. If you like the satisfaction of popping pimples, you’ll for sure love the experience of using this.

2. NuFACE Trinity Facial Toning Device, $339 + 3. NuFACE Mini Facial Toning Device, $209

This is by far my favorite face tool I’ve ever used. It does exactly what it says: tones. And it tones like crazy! You will see a difference within the first time using. Use it every other day, then weekly to keep the results. I see the biggest difference in my jaw and cheeks/cheekbone.

I have the mini for budgeting reasons but if the price doesn’t scare you, consider getting the original Trinity. You can interchange the head to two others (sold separately): one for lip enhancing and one for wrinkle reducing.

Also both these tools linked come with the Gel Primer, which seems like a dumb product and you can definitely use something cheaper as a replacement (google if you are interested) but I ADORE this gel. It’s light and hydrating and doesn’t break me out. My skin just loves it!

5. Dyson Airwrap, $549-599 depending on what set you get

If you love the look of a blowout but don’t have a clue or the coordination of how to use a round brush with a blow dryer, then you need this in your life (if its within budget).

Not going to write much here because I have post and video on this amazing invention – linking right here. There is a lot of info in that post so definitely check that out if you are interested. But long story short: completely changed my hair game and is a total time-saver for me. Plus, it doesn’t use crazy heat so it’s better for your hair health than traditional blow dryers and heat styling tools. I will end this by saying this device literally never goes on sale so act now if interested! It’s also most definitely going to sell out during this sale, too – it did last year!

This year it actually comes in a pretty color too… I hate the stupid pink/purple classic one. But still the best thing I’ve bought in years!

what do you plan on getting during the sale? let me know in the comments below!