Sephora

The Sephora Savings Event for Holiday starts today with first access for Rouge Members! Use code EVERYTHING to save when shopping online, these are the details per tier:

• All Sephora Collection 30% off: 10/31 – 11/10
• Rouge members 20% off: 10/31 – 11/10
• VIBs 15% off: 11/4 – 11/10
• Insiders 10% off: 11/4 – 11/10

I’m rounding up my staples and favorites by category. I tried to narrow each category down to my Top 3, but there are a few sections I have more than 3 favorites.

Best Primers

These are my favorite primers. I try to find ones that multi-task (ie has SPF, adds hydration or glow.

• Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer SPF 50 – love this for the combined high spf and primer formula
• Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter – this is still the best glowy multi-tasker to wear under foundation or on top of the cheekbones, I use Shade 3 or 4, sometimes 4.5, swatches here
• YSE Beauty Skin Glow SPF 30 Primer – works well as a primer with SPF under makeup, it has a soft peachy rose tint with a tiny bit of glow to it but disappears on the skin, love the medium fluid consistency (it’s not too thin but not too thick)
• Saie Glowy Super Gel – love Roseglow under foundation, if you need something hydrating and found the Charlotte Tilbury too shimmery, this is a great option that is glowy but not too shimmery (love this Mini Glowy Super Gel Trio Set)
• Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base – a classic multi-tasking moisturizer + primer in one

Best Foundation Formulas

I’ve split the foundation and skin tint bases into a few different categories based on formula.

Best Skin Tints/Sheer

• Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 – I think this is one of the most highly under-rated tinted moisturizers for the consistency and coverage, it’s lightweight, natural in coverage and blends easily, I use 24N
• Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint – another staple I really like for a satin finish skin tint
• Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint – the best ultra sheer glowy hydrating formula I’ve tried
• It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow SPF40 – another staple I love and the best CC+ formula I’ve tried, I wear Medium Tan

Best Medium Coverage

• Armani Luminous Silk Foundation Shade 6.5 – This is a holy grail for life! My most repurchased foundation tied with Chanel formulas, love the LSF for that natural medium coverage with a subtle glow
• Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Foundation N8 – best new hydrating foundation formula of the year, see it in action here
• Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Natural Finish Foundation – formula is on the thicker side but still easy to blend, love this medium to full coverage satin finish foundation, I mix 12O and 14N

Best Stick Foundations

• Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick Shade 3N – This is the best foundation stick I’ve tried, glides on with absolute perfection, swatch comparisons here
• Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick V or VI – Another classic that I’ve used for years, I wear V right now
• Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Foundation Stick – When this first came out I was very skeptical of using this because of how glowy it was. I did not think it could be used all over the face like a foundation. Thanks to so many of you who urged me to give it a try. I love it. You can use it almost like an all over primer or just in certain areas of the face, then top with concealer or regular foundation. I bought Shade 7.5 when I was tan, I will most likely pick up a lighter shade during the sale.

Best Concealers

• Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Brightening Concealer N9 – This is the best concealer I’ve tried. The formula wears well as a brightener, doesn’t crease and also works to spot conceal. I use several shades, right now I use either N8 or N9.
• YSL Touche Eclat Awakening Concealer Pen Shade 3 – This is the best brightening concealer for the under eye area.
• NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer Ginger – Another lifetime favorite for under the eyes or anywhere you need to conceal redness. It’s creamy and so easy to blend.
• NARS Soft Matte Concealer Ginger (best for spot concealing) – I just rediscovered this formula and love it for spot concealing.

Best Setting Powders

I’ve split my favorites into pressed and loose versions. To this day I still prefer a pressed format for convenience, but I find that loose powder applied with a puff last longer.

Loose Powder Favorites

• Laura Mercier Ultra-Blur Talc Free Translucent Loose Setting Powder – This is the setting powder formula that gets me the most compliments. Anytime I use Translucent or Rose people always say that my skin looks flawless. It’s really not these days but this powder really does work to blur the skin beautifully. I use the Makeup by Mario Powder Puff with this one.
• YSL All Hours Hyper Blur Loose Setting Powder – I bought 02 Fair Medium back in April and really like it. It blurs, sets and doesn’t darken. I might try the Translucent formula since my skin tone is a bit lighter right now.

Pressed Setting Powders

• Dior Forever Nude Matte or Luminescent Pressed – I tried both the Nude Powder 02 Light and the Radiant Filter formulas and find myself reaching for these frequently. Luminescent in action here. However if you’re sensitive to fragrance I’d skip these as they are both heavily scented.
• Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Blurring Powder – Forever my holy grail pressed powder, I use Medium.
• Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Blurring Under Eye Powder – This is the best under eye setting powder. I love using it to set concealer as it blurs + sets without looking heavy or dry.

Setting Spray Loves

I don’t find myself using a setting spray very often these days, but the ones I have tried and like are from Charlotte Tilbury, Makeup by Mario and NARS. All of these are lightweight with an ultra fine mist.

• Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Hydrating Waterproof Setting Spray
• Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Soft Setting Spray
• NARS Light Reflecting Hydrating Makeup Setting Mist

Best Bronzers

My bronzer favorites are still the same as they’ve been for years. I keep hoping for another new formulation to fall in love with, but I keep sticking with these for the tones and formula.

• Armani Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder – review + swatches here
• Patrick Ta Major Sculpt Crème Contour + Powder Duo – I love She’s Sculpted
• Gucci Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer – I love Shade 3, review + swatches here
• Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi – This is the best all over natural bronze tint for me, I know the Westman Atelier Suntone Drops are also very popular, but I have never really mastered the application, the Drunk Elephant blends a lot easier for me

Contour

I tend to use bronzer as a contour instead of a traditional contour, but three I really like because of the tones

• Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Cream Bronzer Stick – This one has the tones and format for me. Blends well without disappearing once you blend. I love the shade Happy Sol or Always Sunny.
• Westman Atelier Face Trace Cream Contour Stick – I use the middle shade Truffle for contouring.
• LYS No Limits Cream Bronzer + Contour Stick – Another stand out formula I think is highly under-rated, I like the shade Harmony.

Best Blushes

Also split my recommendations between powder and cream/liquid. I usually prefer a powder format for lasting power.

Favorite Powder Formulas

• YSL Make Me Blush – This is my favorite blush formula this year. 44 Nude Lavalliere is the best shade. Review here.
• Dior Rosy Glow Powder Blush – Love the new Dior blushes they launched this year. Review + swatches here.
• Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double Take Crème Powder Blush Duo – Rediscovered these recently and forgot how much I love the tones. I think Not Too Much is the best neutral, She Goes to the Gym is the best mauve, She’s That Girl is the best pink duo (also comes in a mini now).
  • The new Holiday Patrick’s Glow and Gloss Duos are STUNNING! You can See the Ice me Down Set in action here. QUICK TIP – if you see something sold out online, I highly recommend using the Buy Online Pick Up In Store option. It will help you locate items near you in case they are popular and sell out quickly.
• Valentino Eye2Cheek Eyeshadow + Blush – Another stunning win for that beautiful flushed glow. I think Shades 03 and 04 are the best ones.

Favorite Cream or Liquid Formats

• Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tint – This is still the best formula for a liquid blush. It’s flawless and long lasting. The shine shades are nice too, but the matte formula is better for lasting power. Review + swatches here.
• Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush wins for the best tones and formula. These are on the dewy side but this year my skin has been exceptionally dry so I’ve been loving them. Review + swatches here.
• Rhode Pocket Blush – I still really love these. Freckle is the best everyday neutral. Swatches + review here.

Highlighter Loves

• Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Highlighter Wand – I still don’t think it gets better than these for that classic liquid highlighter. They’re currently marked down at Sephora as an added bonus! Swatches here.
• Dior Forever Glow Maximizer – I also love these, I think Nude and Pink are the best colors. Swatches here.
• Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes – For a powder highlighter, most of my favorites have now been discontinued, but I’ve been loving the ones in the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Unlocked Palettes this year! Swatches of the 2025 palettes here.

Eyeshadow Palettes

• Natasha Denona wins for the best eyeshadow palettes still. If I could only have two palettes the rest of my life I would be 100% happy with I Need a Warm Eyeshadow Palette (review here) and her I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette (review here).
• Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Original – My holy grail matte eyeshadow palette for neutral warm mattes. I feel like this is my most reached for palette this year.
• Patrick Ta Major Dimension Essential Artistry Edit Eyeshadow Palettes – I absolutely LOVE these new ones from Patrick Ta. The mattes are exceptionally good. I wish his brand would reformulate all of the prior palettes to have this exact formula. They’re smooth, easy to blend and pigment is 10/10. I like Medium the best, but also love Deep.

Best Cream Eyeshadow

• Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize – This the best creamy eyeshadow formula. I love the Rose Gold shade.
• Armani Eye Tints – Also a great one and done kind of formula. I think the shade 44S Blush is the best rose gold and 22M Cashew is the best neutral matte tan.
• Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Cream Eyeshadow – I will have a lifelong love for these! I still wish they kept the color Copper, but I love these. Swatches + review of the new formula here.
• Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Long-Wearing Cream Shadow – These really surprised me since I don’t usually like matte cream shadows, but I think this formula is the best I’ve ever tried.
• Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow – I really want to check out the shimmer shades! I tried a few of the original mattes and Vachetta is the best matte lid shade for me and still is. Just make sure you close the lids ALL THE WAY or else they will dry out.

Go-To Brow Products

My top four brow products are the:

• Glossier Boy Brow Arch 2-in-1-Longwear Pomade Brow Pencil
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz or the Brow Definer
• Benefit Precisely, My Brow

I recently bought the ABH MicroStroke Detailing Brow Pen and love it. I’m still trying to master the application but after trying several pens and hating them all (some of the colors looked straight up green on me) a friend recommended the ABH one and she was 100% right about the tones and formula.

Mascara Favorites

I feel like I need to expand my mascara rotation this year. I’ve been sticking to three tried and true formulas which I still really love, but I think I need to change things up a bit.

• Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara or the Tubing XL Lengthening formula
• YSL Lash Clash
• Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara (just ordered this Diorshow Volume Mascara and Primer Set with the primer and a different formula)

Favorite Lipsticks

I have so many lipstick loves. It’s hard to narrow down my favorites, but if I had to pick my top 5:

• Dior Rouge Dior On Stage in 120 Iconic Rose is the best neutral pink, review here, see it in action here.
• NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick – I love how this formula glides on seamlessly, has a hydrating feel and pigment is perfect. I really wish they would launch more shades in this formula. Swatches here and also here.
• Prada Monochrome Soft Matte Lipstick – The best matte lipstick formula I’ve tried! I think the best shade is B101 Tiepolo and P158 Meranti.
• Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix – These are on the thick side, but I love them. They made my favorites list several times and I love the colors and formula. Cream finish swatches here. Shimmer Glitter ones here.

Best Liquid Lipstick

I’m still not really into liquid lipsticks since most are matte and I prefer some kind of shine or gloss, but I do think Dior makes beautiful ones!

• Dior Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Lipstick
• Dior Rouge Dior Sequin Liquid Lip Duo – not all the shades are available at Sephora, but you can see them in action here
• Refy Lip Stick – this isn’t your traditional liquid lipstick, it’s more creamy and satin in finish, swatches here

Favorite Tinted Lip Balms/Oils

This is another favorite category of mine. I’ll link the swatches I’ve posted of each formula.

• YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick (review here and holiday shades here)
• Guerlain Kiss Kiss Bee Glow Lip Oil – This is the best lip oil formula. Swatches + review here.
• Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump (but I really love any of the formulas) – Review + swatches here of the Shimmer Shades. More Juicy Plump swatches here.
• NARS Afterglow Lip Tinted Lip Balms – My favorite swipe and go tinted balm.
• Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm – Another favorite for the colors and formula. Swatches here and also here.

Lip Liner

• Tom Ford Runway Lip Liner Pencil – The best long wear pencil that glides on the lips easily. Swatches here.
• Fenty Trace’d Out Longwer Lip Liner – Another great long-wear formula! Swatches here.
• Dior Rouge Contour – Just rediscovered this and they have some really great tones. I like 100 and also 329.

Best Lip Gloss Formulas

The best gloss formulas ranked by how often I wear them:

• Dior Addict Lip Maximizer – The best for formula and colors. Swatches here.
• Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer – A long time favorite, I feel like I’ve tried almost all the colors! Fu$$y and Sweet Mouth are my favorites.
• Pat McGrath LUST Gloss – The best smooth non-sticky gloss.
• Lawless Forget the Filler Lip Gloss – I don’t love all the shades in this formula, but I do like the cream ones like Cherry Vanilla and Velvet.
• Huda Faux Filler Shiny Lip Gloss – Another great smooth gloss formula, swatches here

Favorite Makeup Tools

Quick mention on some tools that I really love that are available at Sephora.

• Hourglass Travel Brush Set – I bought this several years ago during the Sephora Sale and it was 100% worth the splurge. This set includes the full-size options.
• Ilia Brushes – These are SO under-rated, I really hope they make a full line of brushes. I think every one I’ve tried is 10/10 incredible.
• Glossier Lip Pencil Sharpener – Not the most exciting tool, but this is the best sharpener I’ve found. The way they designed the container makes it perfect to carry in your makeup bag or for travel.
• Makeup By Mario Powder Puff – Not all puffs are the same. Many of my favorites seem to have changed texture but the Makeup By Mario one is ultra soft and I love the size and shape.
• Sephora Collection Brush Cleaner – This is the best cleaner to clean creams from your brushes (foundation, concealer, eyeshadow, blush etc.). Since it is spendy I recommend using the Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray first with a brush pad. For those stubborn creams I will then use the Sephora Brush Cleaner and it works wonders to remove cream products.
• Sephora Collection Cotton – Another staple I swear by. I do love the plush cotton from other brands, but this one is my most-repurchased one.

That wraps up my extensive makeup favorites roundup! Stay tuned for the roundup for other categories very soon! Use code EVERYTHING to save when shopping online, these are the details per tier:

• All Sephora Collection 30% off: 10/31 – 11/10
• Rouge members 20% off: 10/31 – 11/10
• VIBs 15% off: 11/4 – 11/10
• Insiders 10% off: 11/4 – 11/10

I’ve been MIA for the past couple of weeks as I just moved from Tampa to Miami! We’ve all been living out of boxes and moving boxes as we packed everything up for our big move. We are finally in South Beach! I’ll share more soon but you can see a sneak peek of our new place on my LIFE UPDATES highlights on Instagram if you’re curious!

We are slowly but surely settling into our new place and getting everything sorted. Lots of reviews and more beauty content coming your way as I get back into the swing of things. I really miss blogging and trying out new beauty products. I can’t wait to get back into my routine.

The Sephora Savings Event is here this month running from 4/4 through 4/14! Rouge gets first access starting this Friday instore or online with code SAVEMORE. Dates for access:

• Rouge Members save 20% 4/4 through 4/14
• VIB Members save 15% off 4/8 through 4/14
• Insiders save 10% off 4/8 through 4/14
• All Sephora Collection is 30% off

There are so many great makeup launches these days. I’ll share my absolute tried and true favorites by category and if there’s something new that I tried and loved recently I’ll also list those below.

Best Primers

I’m still not a traditional primer kind of person, but I will use a multi-tasking primer/moisturizer/spf underneath makeup. I still love the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base and the Charlotte Tilbury Invisible UV Flawless Primer with SPF 50.

If I want something to mix in or add a bit of glow as a base, I still swear by the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (I use Shade 3 or 4.5, swatches here) as a staple, but these days I’ve been really loving the Dior Forever Star Filter (I use Shade 3, swatches + comparisons here) and Saie Glowy Super Gel in Roseglow.

I also really like the new Supergoop! Glowscreen Soft-Radiance Drops which is a mineral formula with SPF40. I’ve been testing out the darker shade Golden Hour but might also pick up Sunrise to try.

Best Concealer

Two favorites I will always repurchase are the Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer for full coverage (still creamy and very easy to blend) or the YSL Touche Eclat. The other ones shown above are also ones I’ve loved, but right now I’ve been sticking to the Natasha Denona one most of the time.

I have been very curious about the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Concealer and will be picking it up during the sale.

Best Foundation/Skin Tints

I love that there wide range of base formulas and coverage for every skin type and preference. My top three most-used foundations from Sephora are the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (I wear Shade 6.5), Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick (I wear 2.5N or 3N, swatches here) and the Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick (my shades range from V, VI to VII depending how tan I am).

I also really love the It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow. For a more natural looking tint I love the Summer Fridays Skin Tint and Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tints.

Best Setting Products

My go-to powder is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder. For a loose setting powder I think the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder remains a classic and I really love the Makeup by Mario Setting Products. I love the way his SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder looks on the skin (definitely splurge on his puff). His SurrealSkin Soft Setting Spray is also a really good one.

The old version of the Givenchy Prisme Libre was 10/10 but I haven’t looked at the new one after reading so many bad reviews. I do have a few newer ones on my wishlist that I want to check out during the sale including the Givenchy Prisme Libre Pressed Powder, YSL All Hours Hyper Blur Loose and maybe the Kosas Cloud Set Loose Powder.

Best Bronzers/Contour

The best contour products I’ve tried from Sephora are the Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Cream Bronzer Stick and Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick. These have the best undertones for my skin tone, most other brands run too warm or cool. Swatches + comparisons in this post here.

For a bronzer my favorite has been the Armani Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder in 100 or 110 (review here). I also still really love the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer for that soft glowy bronze. Gucci Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer in Shade 3 is also a really good one.

The Ilia Sunshift Weightless Silky Cream Bronzer is one of my favorite shimmery cream bronzers for the color + finish, but it’s more like a highlighter on my skin rather than a bronzer due to the shimmers. Swatches here.

There are lots of new bronzer formulas I have on my list to try. They’ve been packed away in moving boxes but I hope to review them before the sale ends! I do have the Dior Forever Nude Jumbo Bronzer in 20 and 30. I am curious about the new Haus Labs Powder Sculpt Velvet Powder Bronzers, hoping that one of the new shades will work for me!

Best Blush Formulas

I think I could write an entire series dedicated to blushes. I’m still 100% a powder blush lover. If I could only pick 3 powder blushes to recommend I think the YSL Make Me Blush Powder Blush (review + swatches here) is one of the best new powder blush formulas. I also still really love the Gucci Luminous Matte Beauty Blush (reviewed here and here) and Dior Rosy Glow Blush is also a favorite (swatches here).

Out of the newer blush launches I think the new Tower28 GetSet Blur + Set Matte Powder Blush (swatched here) and Saie SuperSuede Powder Blushes (tried on here) are solid wins. Formulas wear beautifully. I don’t love all the shades they launched but I do really love the colors I tried. The Tower28 is a true matte finish but doesn’t look flat. The Saie SuperSuede has more of a satin finish and it’s easy to layer and blend, but overall has a soft vibe.

For a cream/liquid blush formula Armani Luminous Silk Cheek Tints, Natasha Denona Hy-Blush (review here) and Huda Blush Filter (one reviewed here) are my favorites for the formula and color selection.

I plan on buying some of the new Westman Atelier blush duos during the sale to try!

Highlighters I Love

I’ve been more into glowy blush for a glow rather than a traditional highlighter, but I really love the Dior Forever Glow Maximizers (Nude and Peachy are my favorites, swatches here). The Westman Atelier Super Loaded Tint Peau de Peche highlighter is also a staple – champagne bronzey tones are hard to find for me and this one is just perfect. Swatches in this post here.

Eyeshadow Favorites

My eyeshadow picks are my same go-to’s lately. I feel the need to find something fresh and new to change up my beauty looks, but my top 5 eyeshadow palettes are the Tom Ford Eye Color Quad in Peach Glamour, Tom Ford Golden Hour, Makeup by Mario Master Mattes, Natasha Denona I Need a Warm Nude and the Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes.

If I had to pick just one eyeshadow brand to wear Natasha Denona wins hands down. Her palettes are the ones I reach for nearly every single day.

For single shadows I still swear by the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize (I wear Rose Gold the most) and the Armani Eye Tints in 44S Blush or 22M are my favorites. I think I might pick up a couple more colors during the sale.

Eye Makeup Staples (Liner, Brow, Mascara)

My favorite eyeliners actually aren’t available at Sephora (they’re from Sisley or Victoria Beckham Beauty). But for brows there are TONS of great options at Sephora.

I love Benefit Precisely My Brow (I wear Shade 3), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz (Caramel) and Glossier Boy Brow Arch Pencil (Cool Brown) the best for brows. My most-used pencils are from ABH because Caramel is the best color for me. My natural hair color is almost black but my brows are a lot lighter so matching something to my hair usually ends up looking too harsh but Caramel is the best color for me. As much as I love the Glossier one there’s not much product in the pencil and I think I used an entire pencil in 3 weeks.

Best Lip Liners

Now onto my favorite category: lips! I love a good lip pencil and layering lip products are always fun, but these days I have been so low maintenance I usually wear 1 product on my lips at a time.

I still think the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat is the best lip liner for my lip tone. I know everyone probably already owns Pillow Talk, but it’s still my go-to favorite pink neutral (swatches here). I’ve also been really impressed with the Fenty Trace’d Out Longwear Lip Liners (swatches here), Huda Lip Contour 2.0 (swatches here), Glossier Lip Line (swatches of my picks here) and Tom Ford Long Wear Lip Liners (swatches here).

If I could only recommend 2 to try during the sale, I’d say splurge on the Tom Ford or Fenty options. I did pick up some of the Merit Signature Lip Sheer Lip Liners but with my life in moving boxes this past month I haven’t had a chance to try them.

Best Lipsticks

My top 6 lipstick formulas at Sephora include the Tom Ford Lip Color (new formula + colors reviewed here), Fenty Gloss Bomb Stix (I prefer the cream ones reviewed here), Prada Monochrome Soft Matte (I love P158 Meranti), YSL Rouge Pur Couture (swatches + review here), Westman Atelier Lip Suede (review here and also here) and the NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Hydrating Lipstick.

Best Lip Balms/Oils

YSL makes some of the prettiest tinted lip balms, I love all the formulas, but my favorite is the Candy Glaze (review here and new shades here) or Candy Glow (swatches here) for the best lasting power, pigment and shine.

For a tinted lip balm or oil I have so many favorites. For a squeeze tube format balm the Summer Fridays Lip Butter is always in my bag. I have all the colors but love the Vanilla Beige the most (swatches here). The Gisou Honey Infused Hydrating Lip Oils are super fun but the pigment is ultra sheer (new shades in action here).

For a twist up/click style balm I do still really love the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lips (all the formulas are great) and the Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm colors cannot be beat (new shades reviewed here).

Best Lip Gloss

For lip gloss I’m still sticking to my top 5 go-to’s! The Fenty Gloss Bomb is still a favorite and I plan on picking up the new Gloss Bomb Oil shades tomorrow! The Dior Addict Lip Maximizer is my most-worn and most-reached-for gloss. I’ve been really impressed with the Huda Faux Filler Lip Gloss (swatches here), I think all the colors are flattering and wearable. Pat McGrath remains a favorite for the best smooth non-sticky gloss although so many shades are out of stock, I don’t know if it’s just sold out or being phased out.

Tools/Misc

For tools I wish there was just one brand I could find all my favorite brushes from, but unfortunately I have to mix tools from different brands. Overall I think the Hourglass brushes are top notch for both powder and cream products. I really love the No 15 Blush Brush for cream brushes and the Vanish Foundation Brush for bases and the Concealer Brush is excellent. I splurged on the travel brush set during a previous sale a few years ago and it was 100% worth the splurge.

Ilia brushes are SO under-rated, I hope they expand their brush range. I really love the Sculpting Brush and Finishing Powder Brush.

I think the Glossier Lip Liner Sharper is a must. The design to catch the shavings is large enough that you don’t have to empty it every single time. It’s also great for travel.

It seems as though a lot of my go-to powder puffs have changed and aren’t as soft as they used to be (I’m talking about repurchases not being the same). I really love the Makeup By Mario Master Pro Puff though. It’s big enough to cover a decent amount on the face without having to dab a million times and it’s ultra soft.

Another must-have I swear by is the Sephora Collection Daily Brush Cleaner. Since it’s on the spendy side I usually wash my brushes with Dawn Dish Soap and a scrubbing pad. But for cream products can be difficult to remove all the way. After I give them a rinse with warm water and dish soap. I’ll spritz the Sephora Brush cleaner to soak the brush. If you try it will be AMAZED at how much foundation, cream blush or eyeshadow come out, even AFTER washing it with soap + water.

That wraps up my makeup favorites and staples! If you’re shopping the sale let me know what you plan on picking up! I’m hosting a giveaway here on my blog. I’m going to send FIVE readers each a $100 eGift card to Sephora. Open to everyone 18+ but do note that the gift card will be to the Sephora US site only. Follow the steps in the widget below for a chance to win. I’ll pick a winner on Wednesday April 9th and email the winners directly.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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].

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As always thank you for your love and support! xoxo