Sephora Skincare Recs
Warding off existential dread with face cream
First let me start by saying, you don’t need any of this. You don’t. But if like me you ward off existential dread with online shopping, the Sephora Savings Event is a great place for you. We are in a nightmareish phase of late stage capitalism but I refuse to be shamed by the few small pleasures I have left. And one of those is buying travel sized beauty products off the internet.
I will not defend my expertise or credentials but just know, skincare and beauty is one of my main hobbies. I spent a large portion of my childhood reading Kevyn Aucoin makeup books, befriending the lovely goths at the M A C Cosmetics counter and practicing for hours in front of my mom’s makeup mirror. I read product reviews for fun and pepper every dermatologist I come across with more questions than socially appropriate. I’ve spent a reasonable state college tuition’s worth on various products and can confidently say I have solid recommendations for pretty much every beauty product.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, take all of this with a grain of salt. Many products work drastically differently on different people/skin types; mascara and natural deodorant being two great examples. There are also great drugstore products that work just as well as many of these items however this is Sephora sale specific. This week will be skincare and next week will be makeup- let’s dive in!
(Oh also, goes without saying but I make zero dollars from any of the links you click on because A.) I have 100 subscribes (thank you btw!) and B.) Wouldn’t even know how to do that.)
Cleansers: I hold a pretty firm belief that cleanser is the easiest place to save money because it’s on your face for the least amount of time and there are a ton of great drugstore options (Cetaphil, CeraVe, etc.). However, I’ve tried a lot of samples and here are the few I would recommend:
Tatcha The Matcha Cleanse Daily Clarifying Gel Cleanser, $40 has been nice and leaves my skin feeling very clean. I think best for oily skin. I have a sample of the Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser, $40 that I’m excited to try. I often use the gel cleanser after removing makeup with the Elemis Pro-Collagen Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm, $69 and it’s a great combo. I really like this cleansing balm and that it comes in an unscented version.
I haven’t tried the The Outset Gentle Micellar Antioxidant Cleanser, $32.00 yet but it was recommended in one of my favorite newsletters, with the high praise that it washes off mascara which makes it worth a try to me. If there were a travel size I would go with that but there’s not so full-size it is.
Before we get deeper into other products, I want to give a firm preface that no products are going to do 10% of what botox or filler can do to a face. Other than Retinol/prescription Tretinoin and daily suncreen, no products are really going to make a significant change to fine lines over time. You should look at most skincare as a way to help overall skin texture, brighten/fade dark spots, treat acne and make skin as moisturized as possible. Some expensive products are super nice and will provide some kind of results but you should be constantly analyzing the bang you’re getting for your buck. Or as my friend Abbey puts it, “Just save money for a facelift.”
Vitamin Cs: I use some kind of Vitamin C serum in the morning before applying moisturizer and/or sunscreen. And listen, all good Vitamin C with Ferulic Acid is going to smell like hot dog water but at least Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C™ Vitamin C Power Serum, $105 comes in a convenient pump. These products are definitely on the pricier side so I will only buy them on sale. Is this working much better than the $28 CeraVe one? I’m not sure, but I do really like the texture and absorption speed.
I bought the Dr. Idriss Major Fade Dark Spot Starter Kit, $55 on black Friday to try the product line (I’ve heard great things) and the product I’ve loved the most is the Dr. Idriss Major Fade Active Seal Dark Spot Vitamin C Gel Moisturizer, $58. I’ve been using it this Winter before my sunscreen and it’s been a very easy 2 step morning combo when I can’t be bothered.
I haven’t tried the Tatcha Brightening & Firming Vitamin C Serum, $89.00 but it’s in my cart. It’s definitely a bit more expensive but a great product line and has excellent reviews.
Sunscreens: Perhaps the most important skincare product! A lot of my favorite sunscreens aren’t sold at Sephora (have been using this one all winter long and it’s wonderful- extremely hydrating! And have used this lighter one for over 10 years in the less dry, summer months. It’s great on its own or layered over moisturizer.) but there are a few at Sephora I love.
Paula's Choice RESIST Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense Face Sunscreen SPF 30 is a solid option made by a great brand. A little on the lighter side skin tone wise, but a very nice formula.
I find Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40 Sunscreen with Hyaluronic Acid + Niacinamide in Sunrise, $22 to be a bit much on its own but love to mix it with my tinted sunscreen for a nice glow. (It comes in a travel size if you don’t want to commit.) Also, I see that they have come out with a mineral version that I just might have to add to my cart.
For untinted, I love EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 (not sold at Sephora) but I do have the Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 Weightless Mineral Sunscreen Mini Size, $25 in my cart.
Moisturizers: I am a HUGE fan of Charlotte Palermino and her skincare line Dieux.(Their face wash and serum are currently in my cart.) Highly recommend her video explainers about greenwashing/fear mongering (I promise it’s okay to use Vaseline.) in the skincare industry. So it’s no surprise that her product line is fantastic.
I wear Dieux Air Angel Collagen & Peptide Hydrating Gel Cream, $44 in the summer when my skin is a bit less dry or under makeup as it absorbs quickly but it still very hydrating.
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Extreme Cream Anti-Aging, Firming, & Lifting Refillable Moisturizer, $48 was a Tibal Rec and I really like it under makeup. It’s a little pricey so I got the mini size to try and have really enjoyed it.
Dieux Instant Angel Lipid & Peptide-Rich Moisturizer + Barrier Repair, $45 is a great, all around moisturizer. No frills, can be used year round. I’m a big fan.
And for heavy duty moisture, I recommend this very unsexy Kiehl's Since 1851
Ultra Facial Advanced Repair Barrier Cream, $48. It’s great for when your skin barrier has been compromised/Tretinoin adjustment period face peeling.
Sometimes when my skin’s especially dry, I like to finish off my night routine with a face oil like The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane, $10.40. It does the job and the price cannot be beat. Please remember it’s imperative you apply oils like these after all of your water based products!
Eye Creams: The debate rages on about whether or not eye cream is necessary, and I really can’t get into that right now (#mentalhealth) but I have used and recommended CLINIQUE All About Eyes Eye Cream with Vitamin C, $42 for years. My eyes are super sensitive so I’m just for looking for something that will hydrate and not irritate my under eye area and this cream fits the bill. Please note, I have tried the “All About Eyes” rich version and do not like it. I do however like the Dieux Auracle Peptide & Antioxidant Eye Gel, $44 . The pump is definitely a more sanitary application but the Clinque has just been there for me from the beginning.
Body: As a person with a lot of surface area to moisturize (5’11”), I use a lot of body lotion. And while we don’t NEED fancy body lotion, it is a fun little treat and again, WHAT ELSE IS THERE? I absolutely love all of Josie Maran’s Whipped Argan Oil Refillable Firming Body Butter Jars, $36. Scent of any kind usually makes me nauseous but I somehow love every one of these. My favorite is the “Vanilla Vibezzz” as I grew up in the Bath & Body Works era and believe the height of sophistication is smelling like a birthday cake. But really, all of the scents are so nice and subtle, the lotion is incredibly hydrating, and it comes in multiple sizes including large refill packs to cut down on product waste (we love to see it!) .
A lot of people will say that mini/travel sizes are a huge rip off and while I guess that’s technically true, as someone who hates waste, I would much rather pay a little more per ounce to try something before committing to a full size. With the added bonus that I can use it in my travel bag or reuse the container. (I will run a cream container through the dishwasher absolutely no problem.) And so I highly recommend the Butter Babies 3-Piece Body Cream Minis Kit, $36 as it lets you try 3 different scents and the 2 ounce pouches are great for travel.
The Nécessaire The Body Lotion - Firming Moisturizer With 5 Peptides and 2.5% Niacinamide, $30 is also a great one. Again, do you need Niacinamide on your body? No, but it’s nice!
Actives: I purchased the StriVectin Daily Reveal ™ Exfoliating Face Pads with AHA + BHA + PHA + TXA, $45 last Black Friday and have really been loving them. To me this is a much easier way to chemically exfoliate and then apply whatever serum and moisturizer you want. Into them!
For a really nice, gentle mix of chemical and physical exfoliant, try Dermalogica
Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator, $45. (Also comes in a mini size- you know the drill.)
Masks: If it feel like my skin’s breaking out and just needs a good clean out, I go to the Caudalie Pore Minimizing Instant Detox Mask, $42. It works quickly, leaves your skin feeling tight and clean (I know not the high we should be chasing but forever brainwashed by 90s Noxima ads.) and again, comes in a mini size which I think is huge plus for masks as I don’t use them super frequently.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, $55. Pretty much all skincare eye patches fall into the “not doing a ton, but feel nice” category. But I like that these come in a 30 pack and are a nice pick-me-up on especially tired days. Don’t buy the $75 gold ones, I’ve found they perform no better than the cheaper ones. Not sold at Sephora currently but for single serving, I like the Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks, 6 pack $26 (on sale for $22). They stay on well and the gold foil makes them 30% more fun which is not nothing! (I know I said this was only Sephora recs but I can’t seem to help myself.)
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro, $455. I have owned this for a few years. Is it working? Well, that’s a real only time will tell sitch but LED therapy is one of the few gimacky things that my trusted esthetician says has proven clinical results. And so I use it every day as a fun way to hopefully improve my skin/terrorize my fiancé.
Another Tibal rec, iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Pimple Paste Overnight Blemish Spot Treatment, $19. Not really a mask, but dries quickly and helps bring pimples to a head overnight.
Mists (Face sprays?): Don’t really know how to categorize these, but they’re really having a moment. Here to say that most of them also fall into the “not doing a ton, but feel nice” category, except for the Tower 28 Beauty Mini SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray with Hypochlorous Acid, $12. Hypochlorous Acid had a really viral moment but I have seen it wildly misused. Think of it as “cleanser in a pinch”. I use after exercise if I’m unable to shower right away or on an airplane (kinda the only skincare ingredient you should be using on an airplane TBH). The Tower 28 formula is nice but you can order a big, non-name brand bottle of the same thing for half the price.
Talking about this stuff and making recommendations is one of the true joys of my life so do not hesitate to comment with any questions below. Full disclosure that my skin leans dryer than oily and I’m not super acne prone so I’m a bit less knowledgable on those kind of products but I will do my best. Happy shopping/disassociating!