Sephora Sale Picks: April 2022

Happy Sephora Sale day to all of with Rouge status – today through 4/11, you’ll get 20% off of your order. Here are the dates/discount levels for the Spring 2022 Sephora sale:

• Rouge members get 20% off starting April 1
• VIB members get 15% off starting April 5
• Insiders get 10% off starting April 7
• All shoppers get 30% off items from the Sephora Collection from April 1-11

My philosophy when shopping this sale is to repurchase the items I use every day (like my bronzer, setting powder, Hollywood flawless filter, etc.) and also some products I’ve never tried, at a discount. I’m a creature of habit and do my makeup the same way everyday, so you’ve likely noticed I’ve been repurchasing some products for over a decade now – I’m pretty loyal!

I’m starting with the NEW products I want to try that I don’t already have:

• TOM FORD traceless matte foundation: I am obsessed with the Tom Ford Soleil Glow foundation that is no longer and this $89 foundation has so many rave reviews online it’s honestly shocking – I haven’t seen one dissenting view on this product. Everyone hates that it’s so pricey but oftentimes refer to it as “the best foundation they’ve ever used” so yeah, it’s on the list.
  
• Patrick Ta major glow dewy milk mist: My skin has been a little dry lately so I’m really interested in trying a hydrating setting spray. In the summer I usually use a more mattifying spray, but I’m finding my skin needs hydration lately.
  
• Pureology color fanatic leave-in spray: I saw a TikTok video with a hairdresser wh basically said “if you’re not using a leave-in conditioner before you blowdry, you need to start.” He specifically recommended this one so I think I’m goung to give it a go. I do use other products before styling, but never a leave-in conditioner.
  
• Supergoop SPF 40 re-setting mist: I have actually tried this before but it has apparently been reformulated and/or in new packaging. I’m going to try the mini size first. The main reason I want to try this is because I don’t reapply SPF (except for when at the pool in the summer) and I’d like to be able to do a quick spritz before going on walks when I’ve had my main SPF (under my makeup) on for several hours. I’m super committed to protecting my skin these days.
  
• Living Prof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo: To be fair, I did use this years ago and really liked it – what caught my attention is that it is one of the only shampoos with a 5-star rating at Sephora, so I’m going to order a bottle and see if it’s love…again.

Here are my top MAKEUP recommendations – products I’ve used to years & continue to repurchase:

• Anastasia Brow Powder: this is currently the only brow product I use to fill in my brows. I’ve been using it for a decade.

• Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk lipliner: the only lip liner I use, ever. It’s the perfect “your lips but better” shade. I find as I get older, I need a little extra boost of color on my lips and this is the best product I’ve found to lightly define my lips and complement any lip gloss I wear.

• Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter: This is the KEY product I feel everyone needs. I use it on my forehead, nose, cheeks and chin and then use just half a pump of foundation. It makes your skin GLOW and you barely need any foundation. I don’t put on my makeup without putting this on first now. I even wear it on its own all the time with a little concealer and zero foundation. I wear color 2 -fair.

• NARS bronzer: I’ve been using this bronzer for over a decade and absolutely love it. It’s the perfect color and applies evenly on the skin.

• Charlotte Tilbury pressed powder: I use this every day to set my foundation. I prefer it to loose powder – it gives a very natural finish.

• Tom Ford lipgloss: my favorite color (love lust) is sold out but it’s my everyday color. Every photo I take for my blog has this on my lips along with the Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk lip liner. The liner helps give my lips a little boost – I notice they look paler as I age.

• Urban Decay eyeliner (perversion): If you line you waterline like I do, you MUST get this. I have never in my life used a better formula. Not even UD’s other black colors are as good as this one. It’s so pigments and creamy that it slides right on the waterline – no pulling, no discomfort – I cannot imagine a better product for the waterline.

My Sephora sale top HAIR tool & product picks:

• DYSON AIR WRAP & DYSON SUPERSONIC HAIRDRYER
  The highest priority item of this sale if you’ve been wanting to finally splurge on a Dyson are the Air Wrap system or Supersonic hair dryer. I made an in-depth video that explains the differences between both tools and how I use them in my routine. The TLDR is that for my hair and routine, if I ultimately could only keep one, it would be the supersonic hair dryer.
  
• Kerastase Ciment Thermique: I love this strengthening leave-in cream that protects against heat damage, enhances shine, and repairs and restores damaged hair to prevent breakage. I’ve been using it for at least 5-7 years and always repurchase.

• OUAI clarifying shampoo: I use this once every 4 or so washes to remove product built-up and dry shampoo. I love it because it contains apple cider vinegar, but smells amazing.
  
• Pureology shampoo & conditioner: I’ve been using these for several months now – they make sure super smooth and help rebuild protein to make hair stronger. It also has an ideal Ph for hair.

• Living Proof Advanced dry shampoo: even better than the original formula – it leaves hair looking and feeling clean, but with shine also.

• IGK Good Behavior: I spray this into my hair when it’s almost dry to smooth the roots and help with areas that are more coarse. I love this to tame frizz and texture.

My Sephora Sale Skincare recommendations:

I’ll preface this section by saying that I don’t really purchase skincare at Sephora anymore. I’m actually trying to simplify my routine and do a combo of drugstore products, medical grade skincare and RX (tretnoin, which I now get through Agency). I find brands like CeraVe and La Roche Posay to have fantastic hydration products at perfect price points and don’t feel the need to get the fancy ones with lots of marketing dollars behind them. Most of my skincare consists of products by Revision Skincare (medical grade) and a tretinoin formula from agency + hyaluronic acid moisturizer from CeraVe. I’m always open to trying new products, but in general, I’d like to keep it simple and focus on using clinically proven ingredients.

I think skincare can be tricky because there are so many products out there that DO have benefits and make skin look great. But at the end of the day, the data really consistently backs three things: SPF, Vitamin C and Retinol. So as I age, these are the products that I consider to be critical in my routine and sometimes, less is more.

Having said that, here are some products I use on a regular basis and highly recommend (mostly self-tanning stuff!) I self tan way more often now than I used to and it makes me feel like a million bucks! There’s something about having a little (faux) color and glow to the skin that increases my confidence.

• St. Tropez Self Tanner (Express formula): my favorite self tanner of all time. I apply with the mitt and let it sit for three hours and then I rinse it off – beautiful color every time!

• Tan Luxe The Face: the only facial self tanner I use. Mix a few drops in with your nighttime skincare.
  
• Necessaire body lotion and HA body serum: I don’t use these daily as I’ve never been much of a lotion person – but I do recognize the need for increased moisture as I age, so I’ve started to use these much more often than previously. I like to apply right after I step out of the shower when my skin is still wet – apparently this is better for the skin and allows the moisturizer to penetrate better. I like this brand because it’s pretty “clean” (though I do hate that marketing term), unscented and feels lovely on the skin.

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To shop the items from my glowing skin routine, click here.