I Spent 3 Hours Shopping at Sephora—Here's Every Product I Left With
If you're anything like me, you've been a Sephora Insider for, well, forever. You probably also wait all year for the Sephora Savings Event. In preparation for this year's sale, I spent three (yes, three) hours shopping at Sephora to find the best products across skincare, makeup, hair, and fragrance categories. You can call it an irresponsible use of time, but I call it research. I'm a beauty editor, and seeking out the best in beauty is quite literally part of my job.
On my most recent trip to Sephora, I walked the hallowed halls and found some seriously stellar items. I'm talking about a lightweight sunscreen that neither pills nor leaves a white cast, a high-pigmented lip color that feels like butter on your lips, and a hair mask that leaves your strands bouncy and moisturized without residue. As I said, these products are stellar.
The best part? They're on sale. Rouge members receive 20% off and early access to the sale on April 5, VIB members receive 15% off starting April 9, and finally, Beauty Insiders receive 10% off starting April 9. Use the code YAYSAVE at checkout.
This very scientific hair oil strengthens strands, improves shine, and repairs damage at two levels of the hair fiber. The best part? It works on all hair types and densities—from fine, straight hair to thick, curly hair.
If you could bottle the scent of a long summer day, sun-kissed skin, and citrusy drinks on the patio, this fragrance would be it. It's all thanks to notes of bergamot, orange flower, and something called solar musk. I'll be wearing this all summer long.
I'm always looking for an effective retinol serum, and this is one of my favorites. It uses retinal and encapsulated retinol to firm the skin, target fine lines and wrinkles, and improve texture without causing excess irritation. Seriously, though, I have rosacea, and it didn't trigger it.
For high-pigmented lip color and an equally high-shine finish, I swear by this new product from Makeup by Mario. I'm particularly obsessed with the orange-red shade called Poppy.
This mascara never fails to make lashes look long, fluttery, and defined.
I was first encouraged to try this plumping gloss by Who What Wear Beauty Director Erin Jahns. I trust her product recommendations more than anything, so of course, this was love at first swipe. It's plumping, moisturizing, and so shiny.
This is my favorite TikTok-viral blush. It blends like a dream and looks so natural on my skin.
This is the runner-up for my favorite TikTok-viral blush. It looks shockingly pink in the pan, but when it's dusted onto the skin, it leans more petal pink. I love how it makes my skin look youthful and glowy.
I love the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask ($24), so of course, I love this. It's just as moisturizing but has a more lightweight finish.
Sunscreen is a must, and this one doesn't pill, leave a residue, or result in a white cast. It just delivers hydration, a dewy finish, and, most importantly, UV protection.
Body sunscreen is just as important as face sunscreen. I'll be stocking up on this non-greasy SPF 50 from Supergoop.
This is one of my all-time favorite hair masks. It's so moisturizing, and I swear my strands just drink it up. Plus, it doesn't leave any residue or weigh down my fine hair.
I love this foundation. It's lightweight, provides adequate coverage, and looks so natural on my skin. It's a formula I never get sick of wearing.
Okay, this is an expensive hair tool, but the way I see it, there are two reasons why it's worth it. First, it's a multifunctional tool that can curl, shape, smooth, etc, so it's not just one hair tool—it's a combination of multiple. Second, up to 20% off of $599 is substantial. if there were ever a time to purchase it, it's during this sale.
I couldn't possibly finish a Sephora haul without stocking up on this—a product that I quite literally convinced three strangers to buy. That's how strongly I feel about it. It can be used anywhere on the face (I use it on my eyes) to create a stunning wet-look shimmer.
A hair oil that actually moisturizes, adds shine, and protects against split ends? It exists. It uses Tahitian gardenia–flower extract and Kalahari melon–seed oil to do all that and more.
With niacinamide, vitamins, and peptides, this body lotion is an amped-up moisturizer. It's one of the only body lotions that I use religiously.
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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