The Sephora Savings Event starts today with first access for Rouge Members! Use code SAVINGS if shopping online! (some exclusions apply).
- Rouge members 20% off: 11/1 – 11/11
- VIBs 15% off: 11/5 – 11/11
- Insiders 10% off: 11/5 – 11/11
- All Sephora Collection 30% off: 11/1 – 11/11
Here are my Top 3 favorite picks by category.
Primers
I’m not usually a primer fan because it adds an extra layer that I don’t really want. I’m into multi-taskers and these are my top 3 primers.
- Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base – this is the best moisturizer + primer in one
- Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer SPF 50 – also love this as a primer + SPF in one product, this is the sunscreen I used daily on my recent trip in Miami (my desert island picks/evacuation haul shared here)
- NARS Light Reflecting Hydrating Primer – this was a pleasant surprised, it’s lightweight but still hydrating and smoothing, 10/10 love
Foundation Favorites
Best Skin Tints/Sheer
- Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer – one of the best tinted moisturizers I’ve tried, love this because it’s not too heavy and coverage is perfect
- Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint – one of my most-reached for skin tints that has a very fluid texture and sheer finish, I wear Shade 4 or 5
- It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow – has a little more coverage than a traditional skin tint, but the best CC+ cream I’ve tried because it’s not as heavy as most, I wear Medium Tan
All of my favorite skin tints are reviewed in this Best Skin Tints for Summer post (note not all of them are available at Sephora, but it has all my shades + swatches listed).
Best Medium Coverage
- Armani Luminous Silk Foundation – one of my ride or die glowy medium coverage foundations, I wear 6.5 or 7, review here
- Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation – I really love the coverage and finish, I wear either Shade 6N or 7N
- Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin-Caring Glow Foundation – highly under-rated formula for medium coverage and a natural glow
Best Stick Foundations
- Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick – love this formula, it’s in my top 2 favorites, I wear Shade V, VI or VII depending on what season it is
- Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick – one of the newest foundations I’ve tried and love, it blends out easily and feels weightless on the skin, I wear 2.5N or 3N, application in action here
- Ilia Skin Rewind Blurring Foundation Stick – also really love this formula, demo in action here
Best Concealers
My top three favorite formulas for concealer are ones that won’t cake or crease:
- Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Brightening Concealer – hands down the best of the best for multi-tasking, it does have high coverage but it blends out perfectly and doesn’t crease (swatches here)
- YSL Touche Eclat Awakening Concealer Pen – this is the best natural looking concealer for brightening the under eyes, I wear Shade 3
- NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer – a classic formula I hope will stay with us FOREVER, I wear Ginger
Setting Powders
Top three favorites for setting powers:
- Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder – this is my absolute favorite pressed setting power, it goes with me EVERYWHERE
- Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Talc-Free Soft Blur Powder – this has replaced my favorite Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose formula which was reformulated (I have not tried the new one but the reviews have deterred me), I also really love the Master Pro Puff (it’s super soft and plush)
- Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder – another classic I think cannot be beat
Bronzer
My top three powder bronzer favorites:
- Armani Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder – this surprised me as my favorite formula of the year! review + swatches here
- Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer – one of my favorite bronzers with a subtle glow
- Gucci Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer – also really love this as a classic powder bronzer, I love Shade 3 (review + swatches here)
Contour Favorites
The best contour sticks:
- Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Cream Bronzer Stick – this is my favorite bronzer/contour stick, I wear Happy Sol or Always Sunny
- Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick – one of the best more traditional contour cream sticks, I do wish it had more shades to pick from, but it’s easy to blend
- LYS No Limits Cream Bronzer + Contour Stick – this brand is so under-rated, really love their formulations and the cream bronzer blends out to perfection
Blush Favorites
Blush – Powder
I feel like I don’t have new favorites for powders except for those Hourglass Palettes which are sold out online. There are 3 favorites I have with shimmer and 3 more that are more satiny/matte.
- Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush – these are among my favorites for a soft glow!
- Valentino Eye2Cheek Eyeshadow + Blush – a beautiful shimmer formula, I love Shade 03 and 04
- Kosas Blush is Life – review + swatches here
- Gucci Beauty Luminous Matte Beauty Blush (the new holiday shades are STUNNING, swatches coming soon) – swatches of the permanent shades here
- Armani Luminous Silk Blush – love this for a soft satiny finish, review + swatches here
- Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion – a classic formula that will work for any skin type or age, particularly beautiful if you don’t want to wear shimmer
Blush – Cream/Liquid
Top three favorite liquid/cream formulas:
- Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint – this is the best liquid blush formula for lasting power (swatches here)
- Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks – my favorite cream blush stick, swatches here
- also love the HOLIDAY 2024 sets reviewed here
- Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush – love the colors, formula pulls a little dewy but works well in cooler climates, swatches + review here
Highlighter Favorites
So many highlighter options I love these days, but if I were forced to pick just three:
- Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand – my favorite liquid highlighter is Pinkgasm or Peachgasm
- Dior Forever Glow Maximizer – a beautiful formula I think everyone should try, swatches here
- Gucci Glow Powder Gel Highlighter – colors are STUNNING and the glow is beautiful!!!!
Eyeshadow Palettes
I think Natasha Denona makes the best palettes. I think there is something for everyone and she has a good range of color options!
- Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Eyeshadow Palette – best new palette of the year! review here (if you want neutral or cooler tones, opt for her I Need a Nude or if you want something a little more festive, I love her Golden Palette)
- Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Quad – the one palette I think everyone should own for holiday, it has the prettiest sparkle toppers
- Makeup by Mario Master Mattes – my all time favorite matte palette
- Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes – this is the eyeshadow palette that always gets me the most compliments
Eye Shadow – individual/singles
If you try one cream shadow formula, I recommend trying the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Cream Eyeshadow – love the new reformulation, review here.
Mascara
Top three mascara formulas:
- Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara or the XL formula
- YSL Lash Clash Mascara
- Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara
Lipstick Favorites
Soooo many lipstick favorites! It was hard to narrow down to just three, but here are the best ones I’ve tried:
- YSL Rouge Pur Couture Caring Satin Lipstick – review here and also here
- Armani Lip Power Lipstick – favorite shade is 109, swatches here
- NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick – swatches here
- Prada Monochrome Soft Matte Lipstick – review soon!
- Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix – review here
Tinted Lip Balm/Oil
Top picks:
- YSL Loveshine Lip Oil (swatches here) or the Candy Glow Tinted Butter Balm (review here)
- Guerlain Kiss Kiss Bee Glow Lip Oil – best lip oil formula out there, it’s on the thicker side, but feels lush and super cushiony on the lips, review + swatches here
- Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip (any formula) – love these! and really love the Best of 2024 SET
- NARS Afterglow Lip Tinted Lip Balms – best swipe and go kind of lip balm
Lip Liner
There are so many good lip pencil colors, but the formulas aren’t all the same quality, here are 3 I swear by:
- Huda Beauty Lip Contour 2.0 – one of the best longwear formulas
- Glossier Lip Line Enhancing Lip Liner – swatches here, still want to try a few more shades! swatches in this haul post here
- Fenty Trace’d Out Longwer Lip Liner – review + swatches here
The new Tom Ford Longwear Lip Liners are really good too!
Lip Gloss
I think Lip Gloss is my favorite beauty category, I could probably list at least 20 I love, but my absolute top 3 favorites
- Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
- Pat McGrath LUST Gloss (also just bought this mini duo)
- Dior Addict Lip Maximizer
That wraps up my makeup favorites for the holiday savings event! What’s on your list/radar?
I’m going to be hosting several giveaways this holiday season! Kicking it off with a $250 egift card for Sephora (US site) to one Beauty Lookbook reader! It is open to anyone 18+ and to enter for a chance to win, use the widget below to enter. Best if you open this on a desktop browser or Chrome. Giveaway ends 11/5/2024 11:45 PM est. I’ll pick a winner from the entries within 48 hours and announce on this blog post and email them directly from [email protected].
As always thank you for your love and support! xoxo
