Shopping the Sephora Savings Event Is My Sport of Choice—Here's My Haul
For beauty lovers, it's officially the best time of the year. Sephora's biannual Savings Event is on, which means it's the most strategic time to restock must-have products, get a head start on holiday shopping, and maybe even splurge for something on your wish list while you can snag it on a discount.
Rouge members (who receive 20% off) get access from October 27 to November 6, and both VIB and Insider members receive access second, spanning October 31 to November 6. (As a reminder, VIB members receive 15% off, and Insiders receive 10% off.) The magic code is TIMETOSAVE.
Not to mention, all Beauty Insider members get 30% off on all Sephora Collection items both online and in-store during the entirety of the event. Sephora's Beauty Insider program is free to join, and al
l Beauty Insiders, regardless of tier, will get free shipping on all orders, with no minimum spend or discount code needed.
Below, I'm sharing 20 products I can't recommend enough as a beauty director who tries everything. From a soothing, redness-banishing face mask that's perfect for winter to a candle that causes pure pandemonium every time I light it, I've got you covered. Keep scrolling!
Fall and winter is not the time to get lazy about your moisturizing routine, folks. This brand-new formula from Alpyn Beauty has beauty editors everywhere abuzz with rave reviews. Not only is it deeply hydrating and soothing (you can kiss redness goodbye), but it will also help pump the brakes on visible signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness thanks to a unique blend of eight different peptides.
It's hard to choose just one Act+Acre product to recommend—whenever I see anyone with truly amazing hair, they usually cite the line as their religion. But if you want to start somewhere, I'd start here. This stem cell–charged scalp serum addresses common offenders like dryness and flakes and will help reverse hair loss and thinning.
Every beauty editor I know carries an Ami Colé lip oil in their bag, and this hot shot of pink called Smitten is my color of choice. It immediately brightens up my face and lips, but it's still sheer enough to look relaxed and feel wearable in any situation. I love that it's not too sticky nor too slippery—usually, lip oils are one or the other—and the high-shine finish is truly unmatched. I also happen to think it's superior to other very viral tinted lip oils on the market… Wink, wink.
My Cameo candles perpetually have visible smudges in the hardened wax. Why, you ask? People have such an instantaneous and violent infatuation with the scent that they freak out and shove their noses into it at an alarming speed. I have yet to find a more delicious candle than this amber, rose petal, and crystalized-ginger treat.
You've probably heard by now that installing a shower filter is one of the best things you can do for your skin and hair, especially if you're someone, like me, who lives in a big city like Los Angeles. I recently traded in my old shower filter for this new one from Canopy (my all-time favorite humidifier brand), and I'm already noticing drastic improvements. Both my hair and skin feel softer and smoother, and I've also noticed my skin doesn't feel as itchy, dry, and sensitive after I shower. It features a three-stage filter, comes in four colors, is incredibly easy to install (I'm talking about a one-minute process from start to finish, guys), and even comes with special aroma oils so you can transform a ho-hum shower into a spa-inspired experience.
Everyone is talking about this new line from celebrity makeup artist Nikki Deroest, especially this SPF-spiked tinted serum foundation. It melts into the skin like butter with a natural light- to medium-coverage finish. Plus, since it's boosted with healing and calming ingredients like allantoin, niacinamide, and bisabolol, you couldn't pick a better formula for the incoming dry and itchy months of winter.
I couldn't pick one favorite product from Crown Affair to recommend, so this adorable hydration trio felt kismet. Here, you'll get the cult-loved brand's luxe hair mask, hair oil, and leave-in conditioner—everything you need for shiny, smooth, healthy hair this season.
I'm a huge advocate for pre-shampoo (versus post-shampoo) hair treatments. My hair feels less weighed down and significantly more shiny and bouncy. This one from Dae is my current favorite, and I notice a night-and-day difference in the shine, smoothness, and softness of my hair when I do or don't use it. Apply it generously to dry hair and let it marinate and work its magic for at least 20 minutes before you shampoo and condition as normal. (That said, you can definitely leave it in longer or overnight like I typically do.)
I've been really into this latest drop from Drunk Elephant. As someone who's constantly chasing glowy, practically incandescent skin, it's a dream come true.
I'm not usually a scalp-scrub type of girl, but after hearing so many people wax poetic about this purifying formula from Fable & Mane, I had to give it a try. Unlike other scalp scrubs, this one has a rich lather and doesn't feel at all harsh or abrasive on the skin. The combination of neem, ginger, and amla work together to create a deep and totally dreamy detox experience that feels really transformative.
I was always a fan of Kosas's collection of brow products and the OG Brow Pop Pencil, but after weeks of testing and compulsively using this new mini iteration on my brows, I'm completely fixated. A more precise brow pencil simply doesn't exist, and I swear I've gotten way more compliments on my brows—something that never really used to happen—since I've been using it. The results just look so, so natural!
Is there a celebrity or content creator at this point who doesn't use this multitasking pencil from Make Up For Ever? Although I love to use it as a lip liner the most (especially in the best-selling shade Wherever Walnut), you can also use it as an eyeliner and brow pencil. Tread cautiously—you'll probably want to grab one of every shade.
Mara's silky, highly nourishing lip balms don't get enough love as far as I'm concerned. I'm especially obsessed with the tinted versions, which is why I have this new special-edition trio on my radar. These balms have the perfect pigment-to-gloss ratio and just feel really luxe and beautiful on the lips. Not to mention, the special Algae Plumping Complex subtly inflates wrinkles so your lips look fuller and more youthful.
I've recommended Merit to so many of my friends that I've lost count. This genius multitasking foundation and concealer stick, in particular, blends like a dream, and I even like to buy a few deeper shades to use as contour. Plus, it's the easiest thing to throw into your bag for any on-the-go touch-ups you may need.
I've turned so many people who claimed they weren't foundation people onto this primer. It's silicone-free and will make any complexion products you apply afterward look *so* much better.
My entire vanity is filled with Shani Darden's products. I'm lucky enough to know her and to have received her world-famous facials, and I could easily use her products and hers alone for the rest of my life. The brand's newest product is this ultra-calming and hydrating mask that is a godsend for anyone seeking a clear, even, and calm complexion. I love that it comes with a brush, which just makes you feel fancy, ya know? Squalane, colloidal oatmeal, and a triple-tea complex featuring white, green, and chamomile work synergistically to replenish the skin, nix redness, and protect the delicate skin barrier. Quite simply, this is the mask to invest in before winter-skin woes start settling in.
This is the fragrance launch that has defined 2023 for me. I'll put it like this: I thought I had found my all-time favorite signature scent last year, but this new fig, jasmine, and sandalwood number completely blew it out of the water. I can't get enough! It's so juicy and intoxicating—one part green and fresh, one part warm, creamy, and skin-like. It's so hard to put my finger on, which is what makes a fragrance truly irresistible in my eyes.
I love Saie's completely non-drying matte lipstick for the perfect dose of blurred color. It's just so chic! I'm especially besotted with Nouveau, a very "cool" brown shade that makes me feel like a '90s supermodel. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
Enter the viral blush that has basically deemed all other liquid blushes irrelevant. There's good reason for the hype. The shade options are gorgeous, and the formula blends effortlessly and is like a shot of caffeine for your face. So many other liquid and cream blushes I try seem to evaporate off my face, but this one actually lasts and just has such a natural finish—regardless of whether you choose the matte formula or the dewy!
This stuff lasts forever, so I recommend trying the mini because it's cheaper. Lash serums can sometimes be irritating to certain people, so it's a smart way to do a little trial period. Personally, I haven't had any issues with this formula from Grande Cosmetics, and my lashes have never looked better. (This is coming from someone who used to use Latisse!) I keep trying to tell myself I don't need to keep using it, but after my lashes start to go back to normal, I freak out and have to buy it again.
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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