Psst: Sephora Sells a Ridiculous Number of These 18 Products—Here's the Reveal
Do you know how that psychological principle states that the more options you're presented with, the less happy you are with the outcome you choose? That's how I sometimes feel when I shop at big beauty retailers like Sephora. If I'm stuck between three different lipsticks, let's say, then I find myself contemplating my choice long after my card has been charged. Did I choose the right one? Should I go back and exchange it? Should I even be looking at lipsticks? Maybe I need a tinted lip balm instead… and so on. Basically, it's hard to feel confident with your choice when there's such a wealth of other options up for grabs.
Whenever I feel like this, I do one of two things: First, I consider going back to basics, shopping for products I already know and love. Second, I narrow my selection to only the best-selling products. This way, I can be more confident I bought the right product because it's backed by so many other people too. It's like getting a recommendation from a friend; it carries some weight.
So, in the spirit of making everyone's shopping just a little bit easier, I gathered a selection of the best-selling products at Sephora. These products range across all three major categories—skincare, makeup, and hair care. Without further ado, keep scrolling to see (and shop) them all.
Skincare Products
The Ordinary is a budget-friendly skincare brand loved by both millennials and Gen Z and for good reason. It offers cost-effective skincare staples like this: hyaluronic acid and B5 serum. Together, these ingredients deeply hydrate the skin and support water density. Translation? Skin looks plump and healthy.
With ingredients like kale, spinach, and green tea, this foaming cleanser is like a green juice for your skin in that it provides it with vitamins, antioxidants, and fatty acids. Best for skin concerns like enlarged pores, breakouts, and oiliness, it will thoroughly cleanse the skin without stripping it.
This product has reached icon status thanks to its unique hybrid formula. Use it under makeup (or alone), and your skin will reap the benefits. It offers SPF 40, antioxidants, and a clear and weightless finish. It's truly an "unseen" sunscreen.
Everyone can use a good lip mask, and this one has a unique pudding texture that keeps moisture locked in. It uses coconut and castor oils to bind moisture, pomegranate and jojoba oils to boost elasticity, and pomegranate sterols to support the moisture barrier. The result? Firmer, softer, and smoother lips.
I've waxed poetic about this product before, but it's truly one of the best, basic moisturizers out there. And I don't use basic in a negative sense. It's thick, calming, and moisturizing and it never fails to make my skin look plump and healthy (even in the midst of dry, cold winters).
This powerful (and budget-friendly!) retinol cream does everything it's supposed to do—prevent and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, promote cellular turnover, and encourage a brighter, smoother complexion. It's all thanks to 1% retinol and 0.5% granactive retinoid, which are released slowly into the skin to prevent irritation.
Makeup Products
It's no surprise that this TikTok-viral blush is a best-seller at Sephora. With a weightless and long-lasting liquid formula, it stays put all day long. It also blends incredibly well, which means you can apply just a touch for a natural-looking glow or build it up for something more dramatic. The shades are all so beautiful and they come in matte and dewy finishes. It's a blush lover's dream.
Another TikTok and Instagram favorite, this might just be the lip oil to end all other lip oils. It's moisturizing, luxurious (it's Dior, how can it not be?), and offers a high-shine finish. It's like a grown-up version of lip gloss.
A new launch from Makeup by Mario (yes, that's the same Mario that just so happens to be Kim Kardashian's makeup artist), this foundation offers medium coverage. It's also hydrating and long-wearing. Think blurred, filtered, and illuminated skin.
Leave it to Charlotte Tilbury to create a liquid highlighter that illuminates the face while blurring imperfections. While there are many gorgeous colors to choose from, I have a special place in my heart for the iconic shade Pillowtalk. It's a universally flattering, radiant shade of pink.
There are only a few concealers that nearly every beauty editor can agree is worth the money, and this one from Kosas makes the cut. The super-creamy formula blurs imperfections while good-for-skin ingredients like caffeine, pink algae extract, peptides, and hyaluronic acid fights dark circles, dryness, and puffiness.
What can I say about this brow pencil that hasn't already been said? The ultra-fine tip of this pencil perfectly mimics brow hairs and makes it easy to create detailed strokes. Plus, the shades are on point. They never look garish or unnatural. Instead, they create a "your brows but better" effect.
Hair Products
One of the many hair oils I swear by, this one actually strengthens the bonds in your hair to prevent breakage and split ends. It's also fairly lightweight, increases shine, minimizes flyaways, and protects hair from heat damage. Sometimes the best things really do come in the smallest packages.
I swear by scalp massagers for boosting circulation to the hair follicles and helping remove buildup and residue from styling products. This one features a comfortable grip handle and silicone tips that do what they're supposed to do without scratching and pulling (as opposed to other ones I've tried).
Safe for all hair types and textures, this product is lauded for acting "like a mini keratin treatment." In other words, it makes hair look silky and shiny while blocking humidity for anywhere between three to four shampoo sessions.
If your main scalp concerns are an overabundance of oil and/or dryness and flakiness (unfortunately I know better than anyone that these two conditions can peacefully coexist), then this scalp treatment is for you. With salicylic acid and panthenol, it gently exfoliates, addresses irritation, and moisturizes at the same time.
I already wrote a love letter to hair perfumes, and this one made the list. It uses honey to maintain the moisture balance of the hair while its light and fresh scent lingers on every strand.
This dry shampoo is a best seller for a reason—as in it isn't just any old oil-absorbing formula. Sure, it refreshes the hair while arrowroot powder absorbs excess oil, but there's also rambutan seed extract to increase hydration and mandelic acid (an AHA) to balance the scalp.
Next: 27 Life-Changing Products to Know About, According to Fashion and Beauty Editors
Kaitlyn McLintock is an Associate Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. Although she covers a wide range of topics across a variety of categories, she specializes in celebrity interviews and skincare and wellness content. Having lived in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, she recently relocated back to her home state of Michigan where she works remotely. Prior to Who What Wear, she freelanced for a variety of industry-leading digital publications, including InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, Hello Giggles, and Coveteur. Before that, she held a long-term internship and subsequent contributor position at Byrdie. When she's not writing, researching, or testing the latest and greatest beauty products, she's working her way through an ever-growing book collection, swimming in the Great Lakes, or spending time with family.
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