Hey friends
One of my favorite times of the year is upon us — Sephora’s holiday sale. Depending on your “Beauty Insider status”, you can get 10%, 15%, or 20% off everything you buy. You know I love sharing skincare recs so if you’re looking to try something new, here you go!
Products I would recommend to literally anyone
Under $50
The Magic Spray. More of the stuff that helps your body heal. Marketed as an acne product but I spray it on my armpits after I shave, wherever I get a cut or scrape, if one of the kids gets a scrape… (edit November 2023: Same main ingredient now comes in a serum!)
One of the most moisturizing lip products I’ve ever used in my life, that also comes in lovely buildable colors.
Cuticle remover. Sounds scary but I swear it is painless! An easy way to avoid or shrink hangnails without any cutting or tugging.
The Laneige lip mask. I’m not one to jump on a bandwagon and I resisted for so long but… believe the hype. Use it any time of day you want.
Cream blush. Smells like cocoa and is nicely pigmented.
Deep conditioner. Makes hair silky smooth and your scalp feel good.
CBD body lotion. Help those muscles relaaaax.
A moisturizing mask. I like to leave this on overnight and somehow my skin feels better and also my pores are cleared out.
$50 and up
Face oil. Wonderful for sealing in actives and moisture before bed on dry winter nights. You can dive deep into matching oils with skin types but this is a good starting point.
Nourishing, neutral moisturizer. I didn’t think this was anything special until a few weeks after I used up my first container my skin… looked worse? I repurchased and never looked back.
Products I want to re-buy
Under $50
as of November 2023
This cozy and this fresh votive candles to burn for an hour or two at a time in my bedroom.
You may have noticed I’m obsessed with watermelon-scented beauty products. Luckily this lip balm is also wonderfully effective.
Sure it’s a little sticky, but this lip butter nails the color-scent-moisture ratios.
This eyebrow pomade with lots of colors.
The best, most super rich-est (but surprisingly not super greasy!) overnight hand cream.
This moisturizing serum that, based on the ingredients, seems like 3 or 4 serums in one?
My favorite setting powder for my pale face. Absorbs the oil and I still look natural.
as of April 2022
This moisturizing, refreshing face spray that smells like a watermelon Jolly Rancher.
as of November 2021
Nice tingly scalp stuff I put on once a week before I shampoo.
Leave-in scalp serum that also smooths my hair.
Hyaluronic acid serum (with peptides) that strikes me as a little extra fun.
$50 and up
as of November 2023
THEE niacinamide serum. Swoon.
Natural, quick-absorbing face oil with a lovely floral scent.
as of November 2021
Chemical exfoliant that only tingles a little. Good Genes makes me cry. Life is too short. (edit November 2023: the same brand came out with an even gentler chemical exfoliant! I’m in love.)
Peptide serum that keeps my skin moisturized all day. Are you also obsessed with peptides? (edit November 2023: Still obsessed with peptides but now I use this other serum that works just as well and is less than a quarter of the price.)
Vitamin C serum that’s gentle enough not to irritate my undereyes and also fades my sunspots. (edit April 2022: This hasn’t been giving me the results I was hoping for, so I sale-bought the serum I love that is hair-raisingly expensive and the reason I no longer get free samples of products I wouldn’t want to buy at full price.) (edit November 2023: I liked this other serum for a while but it still dried out my undereyes, so I gave up on vitamin C to switch my loyalties to niacinamides and haven’t looked back.)
Retinol serum. Look young forever.
Products I want to try
Under $50
as of November 2023
I was so pleasantly surprised by this brand’s watermelon-scented candle I’m willing to trust the rave reviews for their apparently super-fresh-smelling champagne-scented (???) candle.
(Hopefully) extra gentle but still (a little?) brightening to wear overnight sometimes. TBD whether I’ll use it as a serum (right on the skin) or an oil (layered over other products).
as of April 2022
A natural-ish mascara I’m hoping won’t flake into my undereyes.
Maybe when I wake up in the morning I’ll like the results of this hand cream? (edit November 2023: I do! I love the smell, too.)
A different tinted moisturizer with SPF to see if it’s less streaky.
Re-trying this SPF face spray I used years ago. I’m hoping the different nozzle design will work better than the last time they changed it.
as of November 2021
A new tinted moisturizer with SPF.
Cleansing balm that (I hope) will hit the perfect balance of greasy and waxy. (edit April 2022: It does. Repurchased.)
Physical exfoliant that uses clay. (edit April 2022: This was too rough on my face! Trying this one instead.) (edit November 2023: I’m finally digging this clay cleanser, not sold by Sephora.)
“Manly” hand lotion for Stephan’s oldest who gets painfully dry hands in the winter.
Maybe I’ll throw in some tiny silk scrunchies (am I too old for scrunchies? I remember learning to make them in Home Ec) along with… (edit April 2022: I LOVE THESE.)
$50 and up
as of November 2023
This cute little set of three different scents of body butter, two of which apparently have shimmer. Yes, I am shamelessly inspired by Jessel from the RHONY reboot.
as of April 2022
CBD body oil with a convenient pump to mix in with my body lotion or rub on by itself on the mornings after an intense workout. (edit November 2023: I love this and it’s become a staple.)
as of November 2021
A silk sleep mask. I’ve read that sleeping in more darkness equates to deeper sleep. Here’s hoping. (edit April 2022: I love this, too.) (edit November 2023: Here is a cheaper one that lasts longer.)
The thing I look at every time but never actually buy
This device that electrocutes your face just a tiny bit. If I got it I would be committing to consistent use along with replenishing the gel or a solid dupe, and I’m not convinced the results are drastically better than if I consistently gua sha.
I’ll be back this weekend with a life update. Let me know what you’re looking at and what you get!
xoxoxo
Liz