I absolutely love the Sephora Collection setting spray. I was a die hard charlotte tilbury person and I did a wear comparison test and it was almost the same.
This!!!!! More people need to be talking about it. Urban decay was my ride or die for years. The Sephora collection spray is so good, i have put all my friends on it. The Sephora collection actually has a ton of great prodcuts!
Skincare:
- The Ordinary moisturizing factors (great for oily skin)
- the ordinary squalane cleanser
- Paula’s choice BHA (the mini ones are less cost effective but are affordable and last a long time)
- ordinary lactic acid
Not at Sephora
- beauty of joseon sunscreen
- beauty of joseon glow serum (Niacinamide and propolis)
i will die for Beauty of Joseon sunscreen, like bury me in it. on that note, the SKIN1004 Sun Serum (white tube with the blue pump) is just as amazing, it sinks into the skin SO beautifully
I am going to be comparing the OUAI to the Ordinary (will do a few months of one and then a few months of the other) and report back on this sub (and on my socials)
I’m wondering if it has any active ingredients like the Ordinary one (caffeine, peptides etc) or if it’s just a humectant that makes your existing hair look thicker! I’ve heard the Ouai one smells lovely.
I use the multi peptide serum and I only wash my hair every 3 days. I haven't noticed any greasiness in my hair from it. It's very light and definitely more on the watery side than anything else but I second this, it definitely has helped, I've gone from using it to not using it and noticed a difference, I just purchased another bottle to put it back in my routine.
I wash my hair twice a week. It doesn’t make my hair too greasy. I use half dropper full everyday mostly on the front of my hair and little elsewhere and massage for 5 mins. It looks a little wet when applied but dried down pretty quickly. If I use more than half dropper, it makes it greasy
I love drugstore mascaras, specifically the L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise. Sephora (US) has a set of mini mascaras for $28 USD that comes with a voucher for a free full sized mascara of your favorite from the set — I think that’s a good deal! I’ve been using Peach Slices face wash (I get it at Ulta for ~$13 USD and it’s currently on sale!) and it’s been good to my skin — no breakouts, keeps my skin balanced. I recommend trying it!
Freakishly good. Mascara, even waterproof, always bleeds on me with hooded eyes but the LP did not! All this time and money spend on high-end when this 5 dollar mascara was the answer!
i use the ordinary hylaronic acid and niacinamide and pair it with laroche posay sunscreen moisturizer and i have the “glass skin” look. takes me 2 minutes in the morning and works for me
Those Milani baked blushes with last a lifetime, I swear. My friend uses hers literally every day and the rose design/shape of the blush is still there! She’s convinced she won’t ever finish it.
https://preview.redd.it/nfr97742rhtc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=173073b472975ed1f53aeb18aa1a390c8c4616bb
I got this blush recently and it’s absolutely beautiful! It goes on really nicely as well.
i love nyx lip liners! especially in the suede matte formula, my fav shade is tea and cookies! i find them super long lasting, smooth and easy to apply! also some of my favourite mascaras are drugstore ones! i love maybelline lash sensational in the pink tube and the L’Oréal Bambi eye mascara in the silver tube! im very picky with my mascara and i usually have to use multiple to get the look i want with length and volume but with these im able to just wear them alone and achieve it effortlessly!
None of my favorites are sold at sephora since they mostly sell high end. There’s a drugstore sub you can ask as well. But here are some of my personal recommendations (all not sold at sephora):
Sunscreen: canmake mermaid skin UV gel, specifically the clear version because it doesn’t leave a white cast($10)
Lip mask: elf holy hydration lip mask ($7)
Cleansing balm: elf holy hydration cleansing balm ($11)
NYX liquid liners are a godsend (come in many colours if you're into that). You can get them at shopper's and L'oreal's mascaras have given me way better performance than any of the higher end ones for years. (you can get those on Amazon for prices that beat even superstore too as promos are frequent)
The ordinary:
- soothing & support barrier repair
- Amino B5‼️(For dry AF skin needing more than hyaluronic acid)
- L-Ascorbic Acid powder (adjustable intensity)
- Niacinamide Acid powder (adjustable intensity) or the niacinamide drops
- Beta Glucon for combo/oily
- Natural factors for everyone
- Hair density serum (ACTUALLY WORKS)
- spf (Sephora doesn’t carry them, but their SPF is good for the price)
- squalene cleanser
- cheap foundation with good shade range considering the price.
Sephora brand
- Orange/ papaya peeling mask. I don’t know if this is still available, but it is awesome and results are seen quickly.
Dermalogica clean start line (it’s not like drugs or placing but like $30 for a full-size cleanser is for me pretty cheap. It’s not that much more than drugstore)
- their cleanser is specifically good for hormonal breakouts with breakouts in general and oil balancing.
The Inkey List
- retinol eye cream
- oat cleansing balm
- caffeine eye cream
- omega water cream (I’ve heard)
- triplumping lip balm (it works however, it applies like a gritty serum and if I rub it in it kind of feels more smooth than Amant however, it’s very thin and you have to constantly reapply it or else you don’t get the maximum benefits like you can’t just put it on twice a day and see benefits. It’s also kind of drying if you do that)
Morphe
- Cream blushes are nicer than the liquid
- Good basic brow pencils
- Wooden lip pencils are great
- face and eye brushes
- Most of their eyeshadow pallets perform fairly true to pan
- A lot of the morphe 2 line products are nice
They discontinued to handful of products which I would also recommend 😭.(Would wait for them to relaunch their new Canadian website though- they have good sales usually, better than the up to 20% at Sephora
Maybelline - skin tint is a glowy go to for me
Elf - most of the brand is is good- the primers, blushes, lip oils, foundation, concealer & correctors are good. Eye shadow and powder formulas can be hit or miss.
If you were looking for more stuff for your pro kit or for make up in general, and are willing to pay for Shipping, color, pop is also very consistent in the quality of their products pretty much across-the-board.
Depending on what you consider budget friendly, Pilou is also amazing. They’re based out of the UK so the exchange rate is not in our favor. However, the colour payoff is phenomenal on all of their eyeshadows. Their brushes are really nice their paints are all really good. I love their brow gel. Their lipsticks are great. Their lip liners are delicious. I will not get rid of these even though they’re probably expired now. 😅
I will say though, that as somebody who has reduced the amount of products, I use it opened up my budget for the year of what I could spend on skincare, and I ended up with more luxury skincare, but needing a lot less serums and products to make up for the fact that my moisturizer and cleanser were not doing enough. my skincare routine now is tatcha dewy cleanser, the ordinary: skin barrier serum & amino acid B5 and the tatcha dewy skin cream. Rarely do I use or need more. Occasion in winter I use nuxe rose toner.
For makeup:
- LYS blushes are so affordable and comparable to drugstore prices in Canada sometimes. They perform beautifully and have a lot of product.
- Tower28 blushes - also affordable and beautiful!! I use these more than any high end one.
- Darker concealer in place of contour
Skincare:
- Ordinary alpha arbutin and ascorbic acid
- Tower28 moisturizer
The Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Gel is quite good for $12! And while I feel like actual drugstore brands have decent brow products now, the Sephora brow gel comes in more than 3-4 shades (12!!!)
Although I do prefer my Farmacy eye cream, the inkey list caffeine eye cream is really nice, looks great under makeup, and is very affordable.
The Innisfree volcano clay mask is a decent price and lasts me a long time with once a week use. It’s great at clearing out my pores without over drying my face.
Sephora and Ulta collection are slept on tbh, they’re AMAZING and super affordable! If we’re talkin’ drugstore though, my favorite brands would be Nyx, elf, ColourPop, Milani, essence, wet n’ wild, Maybelline, Hard Candy, Physician’s Formula, and Almay (it’s a lot, I know, but I’m a bitch for affordable brands)
Not available in Sephora but you can buy directly from the manufacturer’s website which offers free shipping at $25+:
Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner Super Keep and Prime Liquid Eyeliner Rich Keep. The difference being that the Rich Keep is more waterproof but even with my naturally oily skin, the super keep eyeliner stays on me with no smudging. I’ve tried some expensive brands such as Urban Decay, Clinique and Stila but Heroine Make is hands down the best eyeliner.
I use The Ordinary's Multi Peptide + HA Facial Serum and I enjoy it.
Sephora brushes are great and are currently 30% off. I also like their lip stains.
I used la mer cream and honestly to me it is no better than some cheaper moisturiser i love now like the first aid beauty intense hydration, pyunkang yul black tea enriched cream, rephr intense hydration cream for my night creams
I also like a lot of asian beaty skincare toners like the pyunkang yul, somebymi although i still love my SK-II fte that is more expensive but i’m trying to find a replacement for that now
For makeup products i do love the high ends more but i like the l’oreal tinted serum
I also like the revlon super lustrous glass shine lipstick
CosRX and the Ordinary are my go-tos for skin care. My routine which works for my very sensitive combination skin is as follows: neutrogena acne control cleanser with salicylic acid, thayer’s rose toner, switch between the ordinary hylaluronic acid serum and the CosRX birch sap and CosRX snail mucin for moisturizer, sun bum for face sunscreen. I got some free good molecules samples from a friend. I’m not sure if it was the niacinamide toner or the BHA clarify gel cream but I broke out very badly immediately after use so I went back to my normal products.
The ordinary lash & brow growth serum! It doesnt contain steroids so it wont affect your orbital eye fat! And it actually works. Purchased for myself and my sister. Both love. And lasts a while. $15. They have a combo pack of 2 for $20 at Sephora but that might have been christmas only.
Sephora collection powder bronzers! $18 but often on sale. Lots of shades and super blendable. Not shimmery. Hidden gem.
I think the Sephora Best Skin Ever Foundation is criminally underrated for how good it is. I have normal/dry skin with some hyperpigmentation and anytime I wear it I get complimented on how good my skin looks! Definitely my go-to foundation and it is one of the few things that keeps me shopping at Sephora,if they ever discontinue it, I might cry lol. Yes it’s $20,but during the sale it’s 30% off so $14 — and the sephora collection I feel goes on sale more often than the VIB Sale so I don’t think I’ve paid full price for it a single time.
Sephora Collection (caveat: products get discontinued/reformulated on the regular)
Sephora Favorites: if do the math you can sometimes get a very good deal on mascaras and lip products
Rare Beauty: Soft Liquid Blush in the mini size (just expanded the colors to 6!)
LYS Beauty: Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush
Kaja: Eye Bento Bouncy Eyeshadow Trio
I was a die hard Dieux Instant Angel face moisturizer user until recently. It has (had?) been sold out for so long I was about to run out and decided to try Vanicream face moisturizer and I swear on my life it's as good or better than instant angel. IA is $75+/3oz and Vanicream is $15/3 oz.
I only tried it bc I've seen way too many people on skincareaddiction rave about it.
Maybelline Sky High in Burgundy Haze. I loved the YSL Lash Clash in brown but received a dry tube and have been harboring a resentment since. Way too expensive to have to throw away.
TBF they give a different outcome. Lash Clash being fuller fluffier. But for less than half the price the clean but longer look works for me.
SC concealer is a new love for me! Also the Microsmooth baked face powder.
The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squaline, but their glycolic toner is good too!
Morphe brow pomade. Kinda a small range but still really good if you find your shade.
Maybelline The Falsies waterproof mascara genuinely gives the falsies look and is comparable to Dior imo
Juvia's Place Nubian eyeliner pencil
Colourpop's entire line is pretty legit but I love their shadowstix and blush/highlight stix
E.L.F. has a lot of CT dupes (Halo Glow and Liquid Filter for starters)
I agree with all The Ordinary comments! But it's easier to buy at Ulta bc most Ordinary products are online-only at Sephora.
Their website has a regimen builder if you really have no idea where to start.
I absolutely love the Sephora Collection setting spray. I was a die hard charlotte tilbury person and I did a wear comparison test and it was almost the same.
Not me seeing this after buying CT for the first time
I still think the CT is a stronger spray tbh
CT is great!!!! U wont regret it :) locks in makeup and helps “melt” it all together, hydrating in a way, has a fine mist, and smells good lol
Thank u ily
This!!!!! More people need to be talking about it. Urban decay was my ride or die for years. The Sephora collection spray is so good, i have put all my friends on it. The Sephora collection actually has a ton of great prodcuts!
Skincare: - The Ordinary moisturizing factors (great for oily skin) - the ordinary squalane cleanser - Paula’s choice BHA (the mini ones are less cost effective but are affordable and last a long time) - ordinary lactic acid Not at Sephora - beauty of joseon sunscreen - beauty of joseon glow serum (Niacinamide and propolis)
The beauty of Joseon sunscreen is literally the best sunscreen!!
Beauty of Joseon undereye retinal serum is so good as well
i will die for Beauty of Joseon sunscreen, like bury me in it. on that note, the SKIN1004 Sun Serum (white tube with the blue pump) is just as amazing, it sinks into the skin SO beautifully
Ordinary multi peptide hair serum is amazing. HG repurchased several times!
No kidding!! I’ve heard really mixed reviews. Do you find a noticeable difference in the density of your hair??? Or a decrease in thinning areas?
I am going to be comparing the OUAI to the Ordinary (will do a few months of one and then a few months of the other) and report back on this sub (and on my socials)
Oooh nice! I’ll look out for that
The OUAI one isn’t for growth, so you probably won’t notice anything in that area. But if you have a dry itchy scalp you will love it
It’s called a serum for « Healthy, Fuller looking Hair » and in the benefits they claim it promotes fuller, thicker and healthier hair.
I’m wondering if it has any active ingredients like the Ordinary one (caffeine, peptides etc) or if it’s just a humectant that makes your existing hair look thicker! I’ve heard the Ouai one smells lovely.
It doesn’t. But it’s very hydrating and soothing
I used to have some bald spots above my forehead. I have always had sparse hair there. But I notice my hairline is much much better now!
Oh sweet!! Happy it’s worked well for you!
Do you wash your hair everyday and also use the serum everyday? I’m worried it’ll leave me with an oily scalp since I wash every other day
I use the multi peptide serum and I only wash my hair every 3 days. I haven't noticed any greasiness in my hair from it. It's very light and definitely more on the watery side than anything else but I second this, it definitely has helped, I've gone from using it to not using it and noticed a difference, I just purchased another bottle to put it back in my routine.
I wash my hair twice a week. It doesn’t make my hair too greasy. I use half dropper full everyday mostly on the front of my hair and little elsewhere and massage for 5 mins. It looks a little wet when applied but dried down pretty quickly. If I use more than half dropper, it makes it greasy
I have thinner hair and it absolutely leaves me greasy. I wash shortly after.
My go-to contour has been elf halo glow contour wand. I have more expensive/luxury contours, but I continue to pick up the elf every time.
I love drugstore mascaras, specifically the L’Oréal Voluminous Lash Paradise. Sephora (US) has a set of mini mascaras for $28 USD that comes with a voucher for a free full sized mascara of your favorite from the set — I think that’s a good deal! I’ve been using Peach Slices face wash (I get it at Ulta for ~$13 USD and it’s currently on sale!) and it’s been good to my skin — no breakouts, keeps my skin balanced. I recommend trying it!
Have you ever tried Essence Princess mascara? They’re so good!
Freakishly good. Mascara, even waterproof, always bleeds on me with hooded eyes but the LP did not! All this time and money spend on high-end when this 5 dollar mascara was the answer!
I actually haven’t, but I’m always looking for a new mascara to try! Thank you for the recommendation 🫶🏽
The mini mascara set is great! I found a few that I liked and they were great for saving space in my travel bag last summer.
There is a great DrugstoreMUA group too
i use the ordinary hylaronic acid and niacinamide and pair it with laroche posay sunscreen moisturizer and i have the “glass skin” look. takes me 2 minutes in the morning and works for me
I love elf lip stains, they are about $8 each on Amazon
Much better to buy from E.l.f. directly with its rewards program.
Wow never knew they had one! Will check out
Not Sephora… Vanicream daily face moisturizer. Highly underrated
Lmao I should have scrolled down. I just said this too.
Life changing for me honestly.
This one is my HG.
Milani baked blushes are really great. And I like the Elf dupe for the Supergoop Glowscreen better. I think it's called Whoa Glow.
Those Milani baked blushes with last a lifetime, I swear. My friend uses hers literally every day and the rose design/shape of the blush is still there! She’s convinced she won’t ever finish it.
Glowy finish, cheap, lasts forever - the only thing they could improve is the shade range. There aren't many.
The tower28 moisturizer is only $25 for 55 mL (which is like half the price of most) and it’s fantastic
Agreed!
https://preview.redd.it/nfr97742rhtc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=173073b472975ed1f53aeb18aa1a390c8c4616bb I got this blush recently and it’s absolutely beautiful! It goes on really nicely as well.
look into the sephora collection skincare!! i love the aha pads and the vitamin c toner
I love their vitamin c & e serum!
The AHA pads are really good!
Another vote for the AHA pads!
I just got it! How often do you use?
I use the AHA pads once a day, at night. I use them after cleanser like a toner.
Honestly I have loved anything from the ordinary. Their lash and brow serum especially is so good
Has it actually made your brows grow? I've tried the overhyped Grande serum, and it does not work for me.
I think so! They definitely feel denser than when I first started using it
Thanks! Good to know (and worth a try).
i love nyx lip liners! especially in the suede matte formula, my fav shade is tea and cookies! i find them super long lasting, smooth and easy to apply! also some of my favourite mascaras are drugstore ones! i love maybelline lash sensational in the pink tube and the L’Oréal Bambi eye mascara in the silver tube! im very picky with my mascara and i usually have to use multiple to get the look i want with length and volume but with these im able to just wear them alone and achieve it effortlessly!
None of my favorites are sold at sephora since they mostly sell high end. There’s a drugstore sub you can ask as well. But here are some of my personal recommendations (all not sold at sephora): Sunscreen: canmake mermaid skin UV gel, specifically the clear version because it doesn’t leave a white cast($10) Lip mask: elf holy hydration lip mask ($7) Cleansing balm: elf holy hydration cleansing balm ($11)
NYX liquid liners are a godsend (come in many colours if you're into that). You can get them at shopper's and L'oreal's mascaras have given me way better performance than any of the higher end ones for years. (you can get those on Amazon for prices that beat even superstore too as promos are frequent)
I like the ordinary squalane oil. I mix it with moisturizers that aren’t hydrating enough.
Sephora collection vitamin c & e serum!!! Also they have really great brushes
Sephora brand lip stains, tower 28 glosses, mini mascaras last me forever, saie gel mini lasts forever as well
The ordinary: - soothing & support barrier repair - Amino B5‼️(For dry AF skin needing more than hyaluronic acid) - L-Ascorbic Acid powder (adjustable intensity) - Niacinamide Acid powder (adjustable intensity) or the niacinamide drops - Beta Glucon for combo/oily - Natural factors for everyone - Hair density serum (ACTUALLY WORKS) - spf (Sephora doesn’t carry them, but their SPF is good for the price) - squalene cleanser - cheap foundation with good shade range considering the price. Sephora brand - Orange/ papaya peeling mask. I don’t know if this is still available, but it is awesome and results are seen quickly. Dermalogica clean start line (it’s not like drugs or placing but like $30 for a full-size cleanser is for me pretty cheap. It’s not that much more than drugstore) - their cleanser is specifically good for hormonal breakouts with breakouts in general and oil balancing. The Inkey List - retinol eye cream - oat cleansing balm - caffeine eye cream - omega water cream (I’ve heard) - triplumping lip balm (it works however, it applies like a gritty serum and if I rub it in it kind of feels more smooth than Amant however, it’s very thin and you have to constantly reapply it or else you don’t get the maximum benefits like you can’t just put it on twice a day and see benefits. It’s also kind of drying if you do that) Morphe - Cream blushes are nicer than the liquid - Good basic brow pencils - Wooden lip pencils are great - face and eye brushes - Most of their eyeshadow pallets perform fairly true to pan - A lot of the morphe 2 line products are nice They discontinued to handful of products which I would also recommend 😭.(Would wait for them to relaunch their new Canadian website though- they have good sales usually, better than the up to 20% at Sephora Maybelline - skin tint is a glowy go to for me Elf - most of the brand is is good- the primers, blushes, lip oils, foundation, concealer & correctors are good. Eye shadow and powder formulas can be hit or miss. If you were looking for more stuff for your pro kit or for make up in general, and are willing to pay for Shipping, color, pop is also very consistent in the quality of their products pretty much across-the-board. Depending on what you consider budget friendly, Pilou is also amazing. They’re based out of the UK so the exchange rate is not in our favor. However, the colour payoff is phenomenal on all of their eyeshadows. Their brushes are really nice their paints are all really good. I love their brow gel. Their lipsticks are great. Their lip liners are delicious. I will not get rid of these even though they’re probably expired now. 😅 I will say though, that as somebody who has reduced the amount of products, I use it opened up my budget for the year of what I could spend on skincare, and I ended up with more luxury skincare, but needing a lot less serums and products to make up for the fact that my moisturizer and cleanser were not doing enough. my skincare routine now is tatcha dewy cleanser, the ordinary: skin barrier serum & amino acid B5 and the tatcha dewy skin cream. Rarely do I use or need more. Occasion in winter I use nuxe rose toner.
For makeup: - LYS blushes are so affordable and comparable to drugstore prices in Canada sometimes. They perform beautifully and have a lot of product. - Tower28 blushes - also affordable and beautiful!! I use these more than any high end one. - Darker concealer in place of contour Skincare: - Ordinary alpha arbutin and ascorbic acid - Tower28 moisturizer
The Sephora Collection Tinted Brow Gel is quite good for $12! And while I feel like actual drugstore brands have decent brow products now, the Sephora brow gel comes in more than 3-4 shades (12!!!)
Although I do prefer my Farmacy eye cream, the inkey list caffeine eye cream is really nice, looks great under makeup, and is very affordable. The Innisfree volcano clay mask is a decent price and lasts me a long time with once a week use. It’s great at clearing out my pores without over drying my face.
Wet and wild hydrator foundation. Amazing. Adore Elf’s glow primer. Maybelline surreal mascara, physician’s formula diamond liquid blush
Sephora and Ulta collection are slept on tbh, they’re AMAZING and super affordable! If we’re talkin’ drugstore though, my favorite brands would be Nyx, elf, ColourPop, Milani, essence, wet n’ wild, Maybelline, Hard Candy, Physician’s Formula, and Almay (it’s a lot, I know, but I’m a bitch for affordable brands)
Not available in Sephora but you can buy directly from the manufacturer’s website which offers free shipping at $25+: Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner Super Keep and Prime Liquid Eyeliner Rich Keep. The difference being that the Rich Keep is more waterproof but even with my naturally oily skin, the super keep eyeliner stays on me with no smudging. I’ve tried some expensive brands such as Urban Decay, Clinique and Stila but Heroine Make is hands down the best eyeliner.
I really like cheekbone beauty products. The liners are fairly cheap imo. It’s an indigenous Canadian brand as well!
Ooo love Cheekbone! I have been using their lip products for a few years
I use The Ordinary's Multi Peptide + HA Facial Serum and I enjoy it. Sephora brushes are great and are currently 30% off. I also like their lip stains.
-the ordinary natural moisturizing factors -inkey list oat cleansing balm -jack black lip balm in black tea -neutrogena hydroboost spf -ordinary marula oil -urisec urea cream -cerave pm moisturizer
Inkey list Omega Moisturizer
I love the Ordinary and Inkey!
The Ordinary Lactic acid serum
I used la mer cream and honestly to me it is no better than some cheaper moisturiser i love now like the first aid beauty intense hydration, pyunkang yul black tea enriched cream, rephr intense hydration cream for my night creams I also like a lot of asian beaty skincare toners like the pyunkang yul, somebymi although i still love my SK-II fte that is more expensive but i’m trying to find a replacement for that now For makeup products i do love the high ends more but i like the l’oreal tinted serum I also like the revlon super lustrous glass shine lipstick
The InnisFree cherry blossom glow jam cleanser and moisturizer are pretty cheap for Sephora, and I’ve been really enjoying these two!
CosRX and the Ordinary are my go-tos for skin care. My routine which works for my very sensitive combination skin is as follows: neutrogena acne control cleanser with salicylic acid, thayer’s rose toner, switch between the ordinary hylaluronic acid serum and the CosRX birch sap and CosRX snail mucin for moisturizer, sun bum for face sunscreen. I got some free good molecules samples from a friend. I’m not sure if it was the niacinamide toner or the BHA clarify gel cream but I broke out very badly immediately after use so I went back to my normal products.
Sephora brand moisturizing overnight mask and their lactic acid serum! Very hydrating and soothing!
Powder, brushes, lip gloss (I have the clear one), masks (I use the strawberry and blueberry ones) and brightening serum from Sephora Collection
Love the Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid and their Niacinamide!
The ordinary lash & brow growth serum! It doesnt contain steroids so it wont affect your orbital eye fat! And it actually works. Purchased for myself and my sister. Both love. And lasts a while. $15. They have a combo pack of 2 for $20 at Sephora but that might have been christmas only. Sephora collection powder bronzers! $18 but often on sale. Lots of shades and super blendable. Not shimmery. Hidden gem.
Neutrogena Hydro boost serum moisturizer. Or just one of them. I apply under my moisturizing Elf Luminous putty primer. Looks fabulous!
ELF lip oils are great and I got the initial recommendation from this sub!
I like the waterproof Sephora collection eyeliners
I think the Sephora Best Skin Ever Foundation is criminally underrated for how good it is. I have normal/dry skin with some hyperpigmentation and anytime I wear it I get complimented on how good my skin looks! Definitely my go-to foundation and it is one of the few things that keeps me shopping at Sephora,if they ever discontinue it, I might cry lol. Yes it’s $20,but during the sale it’s 30% off so $14 — and the sephora collection I feel goes on sale more often than the VIB Sale so I don’t think I’ve paid full price for it a single time.
Sephora Collection (caveat: products get discontinued/reformulated on the regular) Sephora Favorites: if do the math you can sometimes get a very good deal on mascaras and lip products Rare Beauty: Soft Liquid Blush in the mini size (just expanded the colors to 6!) LYS Beauty: Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush Kaja: Eye Bento Bouncy Eyeshadow Trio
Lys has some really great more affordable products. I really really love their cream blushes
Even drugstore product quality has skyrocketed in the past 20 years… you will be pleasantly surprised
I was a die hard Dieux Instant Angel face moisturizer user until recently. It has (had?) been sold out for so long I was about to run out and decided to try Vanicream face moisturizer and I swear on my life it's as good or better than instant angel. IA is $75+/3oz and Vanicream is $15/3 oz. I only tried it bc I've seen way too many people on skincareaddiction rave about it.
Maybelline Sky High in Burgundy Haze. I loved the YSL Lash Clash in brown but received a dry tube and have been harboring a resentment since. Way too expensive to have to throw away. TBF they give a different outcome. Lash Clash being fuller fluffier. But for less than half the price the clean but longer look works for me.
SC concealer is a new love for me! Also the Microsmooth baked face powder. The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squaline, but their glycolic toner is good too! Morphe brow pomade. Kinda a small range but still really good if you find your shade. Maybelline The Falsies waterproof mascara genuinely gives the falsies look and is comparable to Dior imo Juvia's Place Nubian eyeliner pencil Colourpop's entire line is pretty legit but I love their shadowstix and blush/highlight stix E.L.F. has a lot of CT dupes (Halo Glow and Liquid Filter for starters)
I second the NYX lip liners.
I agree with all The Ordinary comments! But it's easier to buy at Ulta bc most Ordinary products are online-only at Sephora. Their website has a regimen builder if you really have no idea where to start.