Today I have my top picks to recommend in makeup for the Sephora Spring Bonus Event which starts today! To recap the dates, details and codes:
- Rouge Members: receive 15% off 4/13 through 4/16 and 4/20 through 4/23, use code YAYROUGE
- VIB Members: receive 15% off 4/20 through 4/23, use code YAYVIB
- BI Members: receive 10% off 4/20 through 4/23, use code YAYINSIDER
My favorites and recommendations by makeup category below with links to previous reviews and swatches where applicable. Press samples mentioned have a * next to them. Some items I haven’t had a chance to review yet but hope to soon.
Bases and Foundations:
- NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation * I wear Vanuatu Medium 3.5 (swatches of all colors here)
- YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow in B40 is one of the prettiest glow bases I’ve tried (review here)
- NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger is always in my top picks for concealer (swatches here)
- Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer * in 3W is my match, (swatches of all colors here)
- Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation * in Natural Tan 4.25 is the only foundation I’ve tried that does not oxidize and stays true to color all day (review soon)
- Erborian CC Creme in Regular is a color-adjusting base that has color-matching pigments to blur fine lines and make the skin look fresh and soft (more detailed review soon)
- Erborian BB Creme in Dore is a lightweight BB creme that makes the skin look dewy and hydrated, I’ve had it since December-ish and it’s one of the few BB cremes I’ve actually liked using (more detailed review soon)
- Erborian Pink Perfect Creme (not shown) is something I bought recently which I’ve been blown away by, it’s a blurring primer with a very soft pink tint that disappears on the skin once blended, it makes the skin look and feel plump and smooth and preps it for foundation
- Tatcha The Silk Canvas * is back in stock! It’s not shown above but detailed review here
Cheeks and Complexion:
- Natasha Denona Diamond and Blush Palettes * are the prettiest blush/highlighter palettes I’ve seen this year, I really love Citrus (review of both options here)
- NARS Highlighting Powder in Fort de France * is a soft skin-like highlighter (review of all shades here)
- Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Glow Stick in Sunstruck is a pretty cream blush/highlighter stick for a summery fresh glow that adds life to the complexion (swatches + my picks from the summer collection swatched here)
- Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duos give a natural sheen and glow to the complexion without looking or feeling heavy (not shown, all swatched here)
- Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Stick * is one of the best creamy highlighters that’s smooth, doesn’t disrupt one’s base and lasts all day without getting greasy looking (review and swatches here)
- Top 3 Bronzer Recommendations: Tom Ford Bronzing Powder in Terra is the most natural looking matte bronzers I’ve tried, Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light * for a luminous glow (review here), Becca Sunlit Bronzer * for a truly natural looking glow with options light enough for fair skintones (swatches here)
Eye Makeup:
- Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown is my holy grail brow pencil
- Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel * is a phenomenal brow product that tames brows, holds them in place and also fills in sparse areas, I use Soft Brunette or Warm Brunette (swatches here)
- Hourglass 1.5 MM Mechanical Gel Eyeliner in Bronze (swatch here)
- Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil in Blitz Brown (swatches here)
- Pat McGrath Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner is my go-to liquid liner of the moment (swatches here)
- Pat McGrath MTHRSHIP Subliminal Platinum Bronze Eyeshadow Palette * is a must-have in my book, Bronze Ambition is also really stunning (swatches of all 3 spring palettes here)
- Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quads are some of my most-used palettes, my top 3 favorites are Disco Dust (shown), Honeymoon and Nude Dip
- Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Opale is my go-to everyday shimmer base (swatches here)
- Natasha Denona Chroma Crystal Top Coat in Peach * is a stunning glimmering top coat for the eyes, do me warned they are glitzy but I still find them wearable (swatches here)
- Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks in Rosegold and Copper are the best easy-to-wear shimmer cream shadow sticks
- Tom Ford Cream and Powder Duo in Golden Peach or Paradiso are my goof-proof duos (swatches here)
- Marc Jacobs Eye Conic Eyeshadow Palette in Glambition is my top pick for a neutral palette that’s glitter free (not shown, but reviewed here)
- NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette * is one of the few pinkish eyeshadow palettes I can wear (not shown, but reviewed here)
Lips:
- NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound is the best neutral-mauve that I’ve found, there are also 5 new shades in Xenon, Paradise Garage, Mars, Roseland and Swing which I ordered sight unseen and started playing with yesterday (review soon but spoiler alert is Bound is still the best one in my opinion)
- NARS Audacious Lipstick in Barbara is one of the best everyday neutrals I own, I’ve used up two tubes since the formula was first launched years ago (swatch here)
- Tom Ford Lip Colors are 100% worth the splurge, and since they never go on sale, the Sephora event is the best time to save! Color shown is Pink Dusk is shown, I also love Bad Lieutenant and Sugar Glider (swatch here), Indian Rose is probably the best wearable medium neutral that isn’t too light or dark (shown here)
- Pat McGrath LuxeTrance Lipstick in Realness (swatches of more shades here)
- Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balms are must-haves, my favorite is Coral but there are new shades that launched this year which are stunning! (all shades reviewed here)
- Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity Lipstick * has a super opaque long-lasting creamy formula, I still hate the price tag, but as I’ve mentioned before the formula is excellent (all shades swatched here)
- YSL Volupte Liquid Color Balm is the most pigmented tinted balm I’ve tried, I can’t pick a favorite color, they’re all really pretty! (my picks swatched here)
Whew! I feel like this is quite an extensive list! If I had to narrow it down to just 5 of my top recommendations in makeup, they would be the Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Palettes (any of them), Natasha Denona Diamond Blush Palette in Citrus, Dior Addict Lip Glow (any shade), Tom Ford Lip Color in Indian Rose and NARS Highlighting Powder in Fort de France.
Some of you have asked what I’m shopping for. I’m pretty well stocked but will most definitely be getting some beautyblenders. I tried to find cheaper dupes and after testing several other brands found that the beautyblender is still the best one (let me know if you want a full review). I also have some foundations on my list that I want to check out in store to see if I can find a match. I’m almost out of shampoo and conditioner so I’ll probably stock up on a few favorites. Finally I’m about to hit pan on my La Mer Pressed powder so I may buy another one. I really love the formula but the price is such a big ouch!
I’ll share my haul in the next week! What’s on your shopping list? Are you going in store or shopping online? I really just want to do an online haul but I really should try to get foundation matches in store rather than guess my shade!


I’m still kicking around ideas. I am thinking maybe a few Tom Ford things since they never go on sale anywhere that I can recall and I have a gift card to cash in. Maybe an eyeshadow quad and the eyeliner?
Also, MILK makeup just put out a cute kit (B.O.S.S. Skincare Set) with the matcha cleanser, matcha toner, watermelon serum and a cooling stick. So, that caught my eye.
Ooohthat MILK set looks cute!
I noticed you didn’t post any primers or powders. Any recs there?
I really can’t decide if I should finally take the leap and try the la mer pressed powder. Which do you prefer: the Charlotte Tilbury powder or the la mer pressed?
Also do either powders cause flashback?
Several primers are listed under the Bases and Foundation category! I prefer the Charlotte Tilbury powder but it’s not available at Sephora. Neither powders cause flashback.
Ooh sorry! Totally missed those haha reading your blog at midnight.
Thanks for the input! Gonna have to pick up both the Tatcha primer and Charlotte Tilbury powder this weekend.
Have you ever done brand specific favorites?
Not sure what you mean, like Tatcha favorites? Or primer favorites?
I was thinking more along the line of brand favorites, like your “must haves” from Tom Ford, or Nars, etc. Maybe you already have this and I just have to scroll through the blog’s history 🙂
Product favorites are also helpful too. Honestly, I’m just excited everytime I get notifications via email or Instagram that you’ve wrote a new post.
Hi Jina, will definitely try to put some together 🙂 I think I’ve only done a few like with Urban Decay and Dior but those were a long time ago!!
Great picks and super informative post! In my basket, I have the Summer Fridays mask, the Drunk Elephant baby facial and Dior Diorshow Iconic mascara.
Nice picks!
Awesome post! I appreciate your hard work!
Thanks Lisa 🙂 xoxo
Would you recommend the CT hollywood filter over the YSL glow product??
They’re very different! The CT Hollywood Filter is more of a highlighter/glow product you use to enhance the complexion. You can’t really use it as a regular base/foundation unless you want something SUPER glowy.
The YSL Glow is more of a tinted moisturizer like base.
HTH!
I just placed a $400 order (post discount) o.o got a bunch of sun products from your last post!
HIGH FIVE!!!!!!
I am looking forward to purchasing some more formulas and shades of the Dior lip glow
Nice!
I currently have the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb, Pat McGrath Sublime Bronze Ambition Palette, Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen, Becca Hydra-Mist Powder, and Drunk Elephant Protini in my basket… just waiting to pull the trigger to see if there’s something else I might want, lol.
That Fenty gloss is soooo pretty! Unfortunately I don’t like the cherry scent 🙁 Your other picks are great!
I have more on my list than I can get, so I ended up picking up three items: NARS Fort de France, the UD Petite Heat palette, and the ABH Soft Glam palette. Everything else is going to have to wait but that’s already a lot more than I’ve bought recently so I’m happy with it.
Everyone wants the soft glam palette🤩
It’s funny because I was initially not impressed with it and going to pass on it as I thought it was too blasé and
similar to a lot of stuff, but when I checked it out in store I was
really blown away by it!
No makeup this time… I’ll be picking up Dr. Jarts Every Sun Day UV Sun Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 30, OLEHENRIKSEN C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème, and the Banana Bright Eye Creme, Soothing Cleansing Oil by Bobbi Brown and lastly, Algenist Multi-Perfecting Detoxifying Exfoliator.
Ooooh, how is the Dr Jart sunscreen?
I was looking for a sunscreen that felt more like a moiturizer then a sunscreen, wasn’t heavy and wears well under foundation/makeup. I also like that it doesn’t leave behind that white cast that a lot of sunscreens do.
I got 2 Viseart palettes and Drunk Elephant Protini. Keeping it simple. One of the Viseart’s is kind of a backup. I lost the lid on Bridal Satin, learned that they may be discontinuing it. And I pretty much use it a lot. It’s a solid basic for cool neutral toned looks. I am also saving up for Suqqu Summer. it’s another Jorge collection and a real winner.
Natasha Denona and Pat McGrath are on my loves list❤️
I’m forever buying online… One because I’m lazy, two because I feel like my local Sephoras never have the things I want. Hehe
But to be quite honest, I haven’t been shopping much at Sephora. I’ve decided to transition to green/clean beauty, and Sephora has only a few offerings. I prefer to buy from dedicated stores nowadays.
Your list contains some great recs for traditional/conventional beauty products, though! 🙂 I do love Pat McGrath’s lipsticks… One of the few I’ll still be using.
I love the Volupté Liquid Color Balm!
Ooh can’t wait for your review on the Erborian BB creme! I picked up the Natasha Denona palette #9 the colors speak to me so much!
I tried to pick up the Tatcha silk canvas but it was sold out everywhere in my city – online too (Canada)! 🙁 Will have to wait until they restock. Great recommendations!
https://covetedbeauty.blogspot.ca/
Sabrina, if you didn’t end up getting those beautyblenders this weekend, Macy’s has a set with an original, a pro and a nude for only $36. And it ships for free.
I’m trying to decide between the MUFE Ultra HD stick foundation and the Tom Ford Traceless stick. Do you prefer one over the other?
Hi Lori, the MUFE one is amazing!! I definitely prefer that one, the TF can get a bit too dewy looking.
Thank you! I just ordered it.
Please do post about makeup sponges/beauty blenders!
Your blog is sooo inspirational 💜