Get excited, what we've been waiting for all year, the sephora spring savings event starts next Friday! Here are all the essential products worth getting including what's new at Sephora and what's on my shopping list! I use this sale to pick up the most expensive things on my wishlist. I have a very curated loves list on Sephora and tis the season for me to clear it out. I've visited sephora to test these products out to find the right shades for me to prepare for the sale.  This is my superbowl! 

Have you noticed that women don't really wear red lipstick anymore? I personally find red lipstick to be gorgeous, it completely  gives off an effortless glam vibe. I’ve decided to wear red lipstick at least 3x a week for the next four months as a challenge to myself. I work from home so some days I only go to the gym, but for any other occasion that I leave my home I will wear red lipstick (to the library, grocery store, etc). A Project Pan is a challenge to finish makeup/skincare/ haircare products to get your money's worth. I have never finished a tube of lipstick, but I have three dark red lipsticks that I want to put a dent in.

The Sephora Fall Savings Event starts today! It’s that time of the year again where depending on your tier for their rewards program, you can score up to 20% off. I’ve included the dates for each tier below so you know when it’s your time to shop!  I wanted to show you what's in my makeup bag and what my makeup favorites of this year so far are. I'm really happy with everything I have that I can create the looks I like with it.

I only shop at Sephora during their sales and I save my purchases for the big sales each year because the prices of makeup is just wild to me. I think I've got their sale schedule down now: the first two weeks of January they have daily 50% brand deals, there's a Spring and Fall Savings Event for 20% off for rouge, then there's a summer Friends and Family savings event where you have to get a code from an employee for 20% off. Then in between that twice a year they have started copying Ulta's 21 Days of Beauty Sale in March and August where they have 50% off daily deals. July 29th is National Lipstick day and many brands are 50% off. In early October is the Hair  50% daily deals. And then the week of Thanksgiving there pick 2 brands a day to be 30% off. For Black Friday a few select products are 50% off. They matched Ulta putting mascara on 50% off. The second week of December everyone gets one order that is 20% off. The week before Christmas all fragrances are 20% off. Finally, if you're lucky,  they put a few  $100 rouge rewards in the Rewards Bazaar when you check out for 2500 points on Tuesdays. I was able to snag an elusive one this year! They post them once a month at 9am. When there's no sale, my cart sits for months. I buy nothing at full price. 

I'm sure you've seen all the tiktoks of people who travel to Paris and go to a French Pharmacy to pick up French skincare. Since I have no immediate plans of traveling to Europe I found a USA based store that sells French brands called French Pharmacy. I've placed a couple orders from them based on everyone's recommendations so I wanted to share with you what I've tried.  France has advanced sunscreen filters that we don't have in the USA. it's a big deal because we haven't had a new chemical filter in awhile and this improves the level of UVA blockage so much more! The filter is called Mexoryl UV Mune 400. Overall the French love homeopathic remedies and perfumed skincare, so that's what you will find on my list.

Bronzy makeup is a must for hot girl summer. What's trending in makeup right now is dewy skin, chrome eyes and pink blushes. I love the summertime for that natural almost effortless makeup look, looking sunkissed radiating a beautiful dewy glow. Everyone looks their most beautiful in summer.  I don't wear foundation in the summer because that just melts off your face. Instead I use a glowy sunblock and lots of highlighting products.  I have light medium skin tone and stay out of the sun so my face is pretty pale. I like to use a lot of cream and liquid makeup products in the summer to get that glossy glow. I find that liquid/cream products replicate sun kissed skin beautifully because it gives a radiant finish giving you that effortless glowy skin.  I want my makeup to look good in person, like a version of myself but better. You look your best when you feel your best. 

American sunscreen is held back from using the latest greatest ingredients by the FDA.  European sunscreens, which are banned in the USA, have the latest technology in ingredients. Be sure to buy some from a farmacy next time you're in Europe. The FDA hasn’t approved any new UV filters since 1999.  Korean sunscreens use different chemicals as UV filters than Western brands and are classified as  functional cosmetics with skincare ingredients by the FDA which is why they are allowed to be sold in the USA. Korean sunscreens tend to be lighter in consistency since they are not using antiquated thick ingredients and don't leave a white cast on your skin. Everything on this list is a chemical sunscreen, without zinc, instead they use Tinosorb M - a commonly used sunscreen oversees and other next generation chemical filters. They all give a lightweight moisturizing feel with adequate spf protection.

A good time to purchase luxury makeup is from the Sephora sale because brands like Dior never have sales. Luxury is not just a price point, it's an experience that comes at a high price point. That experience is a major factor in making it luxury.  I feel these products are truly worth the money and the products I’m most excited about. Here are my absolute favorites by brand. Take advantage of getting discounts on luxury products now at the Sephora sale. Also check out my favorite concealers and best face masks posts.

I also wanted to mention I’ve noticed a trend in make up lately and that is that intricate eyeshadow looks are out and no longer the main part of makeup. Tiktok has lots of videos on heavy vs light makeup and what suits you better. What’s on trend now is all about giving a nice complexion. I think it started with the clean skin aesthetic during the pandemic and now everyone just wants glowy skin, chic effortless one and done looks.

Some people say bougie products aren’t for the rich, it's for the poor who want to pretend they're rich. I can see that since the truly rich are wearing quiet luxury brands. But the rest of us get some enjoyment out of having a luxury product.  Here’s a tip, if you buy an expensive skincare product and don’t want to spend the money to buy it again, keep the container but refill it with a cheaper product. I do that when I buy a boogie hand soap in a fancy container. Your La Mer eye cream jar can be repurposed and you will still feel like you’re using a luxury product. I repurpose all my Voluspa candle jars as storage containers (pens, makeup, perfume samples) and my luxury candle jars are used for succulents.

The Sephora sale starts today! If you're as beauty obsessed as me, then you're excited about the Sephora sale! I haven't bought anything from Sephora the entire year in anticipation of this event! My cart has been prepped and ready to go for weeks! Check out my favorite concealers post.

A great face mask can be a game-changing addition to your skincare routine. It's one of my favorite ways to feel like I’m doing something really great for my skin. I use them every night before a vacation or event where I will be taking pictures. Otherwise I use them 3 times a week. This is a list of my current favorite face masks that I use and love! 

I’m going to find you the perfect concealer because I have tried out so many. 2023 was a fabulous year for new concealer releases as so many brands dropped new concealers!  Everything I own I bought on sale, there's no way I would pay full price for designer beauty products. It was a huge year of the concealer so there was a lot to shift through to decide on a favorite.  There's a lot more I have either tested in the store or bought then returned: Dior, Valentino, Armani, Kulfi, and Tower28. So I feel this is an area I know quite a bit about.   I’m going to help you make your under eyes look flawless with my top 5 concealers picks.

The perfect nude lip gloss is something very hard to find for all of us. And what works for me might not work for you, it all depends on your skin tone. I don't tan my face so I would describe my skin color as light medium, that's the shade before tan on foundations. As a general rule, in order to make any nude lip gloss work, you have to create contrast around your lips. Use a lip liner that is 2 shades darker than your skin tone. Otherwise it looks way too pale on your face. Before I do that, I put a little concealer under my bottom lip so that skin is the perfect bright canvas to contrast against the lip color. Nude lips look best with some makeup as you need some other color on your face. My lips are naturally very pink so I like colors that are close to my natural color but more enhanced. I love to wear bold eye looks so pairing a nude lip with it makes perfect sense so my lipstick is not competing with my dramatic eye look.

I've never had a minimal effort makeup routine, but it looks minimal effort! lol If you were looking for a 5 step makeup routine, this isn't it. lol  I don't think the average person really understands how much makeup and layering us makeup addicts are really using. This is what makes your makeup lasts all night and look like celebrity makeup in photos. I've been watching makeup tutorials on youtube for over a decade yet when I look at my pictures from 10 years ago I think where is my blush, why don't I see it? I know I was wearing it! lol If you're doing one wash of makeup and wondering why it's not looking like a celebrity makeup artists makeup, its because you're not layering. The one layer, light handed, is not going to cut it. I'm going to spill all my secrets below. 

After I wrote this post I realized all these products are expensive, but I have to tell you I've tried and tested out so many makeup products, these just happen to be the ones that performed well that I ended up liking. I really do save my makeup purchases for the Sephora sale in spring and fall, and then all the beauty brands have their annual sale in July. There's no reason to pay full price for makeup, I don't. 

The most important part about makeup is having a proper blend so makeup artists are always recommending to put liquid products on the back of your hand then transferring it to your face. That way, only a little is being applied at a time, because you can always add more, but it's hard to take away if you applied too much. That way you can buff it into the skin first while it's still wet, not getting too much product on your skin; this is important for foundation, undereye concealer and contour. Too many people put too much undereye concealer on and that's why it creases. Blending out your makeup is the most important application step. 

Sephora has had a lot of sales this year! In July was National Lipstick day where most lip products were 50% off! In August they had a surprise 20% coupon you could only get from employees. Then in September they had one day 50% off deals for select products. And next in October they had one day 50% off deals for hair products. End of October brings us to their annual Holiday 2023 Savings Event. After this, they will have a Black Friday sale as well. Here's what's in my cart or what I already own that I recommend you buy. 

Here are the products I'm currently using and this has given me the best skin of my life! I exercise 5x days a week so I have a lot of sweat on my face which results in texture or tiny bumps from the bacteria. I also deal with some hyperpigmentation. Otherwise my skin type is normal, no acne and I rarely moisturize, I think it's because I drink a lot of water. Step 1 is the cleanser, then an essence, a spray, a light liquid, 2 serums, eye cream and sunscreen and yes I do all of this everyday. I use a fan in between layers to help my skin dry faster.

I work from home so the sunscreen is only applied if I go outside. The only makeup I wear to my zoom office is under eye concealer and eyeliner which was the opposite of when I worked in an office, then I only wore mascara. But for zoom calls, I feel I'm not in the best lighting and there's shadows on my face and that's why I wear concealer under my eyes even though I don't feel I particularly have dark under eyes. Once you put concealer on, you have to add some life to your face with eyeliner. 

When I do a full face makeup on the weekend, I don't do the last two serums because that makes my makeup pill.

I recently went to Namibia and while it was never hotter than 80 degrees, the sun was always shining. I only used a 30 SPF that I didn't reapply during the day since I was wearing makeup and didn't always wear a hat. Sunscreen is your best tool in reducing sun damage so I didn't do a good job in protecting myself.  Reversing sun damage is a very slow process to get rid of so don't expect immediate improvement as you need to be patient.  You can't expect one ingredient to do it all. You want to make sure you have a team of ingredients working together. 

The acids in the products listed below speed up cellular turnover and remove dead skin cells that have damage. They help to repair some of the damage by UVA light and regulate the melanin production in your skin and speed up cellular turnover. Kojic Acid is  made from a fungus and is great in inhibiting those enzymes that produce melanin. Alpha Arbutin comes from the dried leaves of blueberries leaves. Vitamin C can minimizes the amount of hyperpigmentation and brightens the skin. AHA works to speed up cellular turnover and get that old dead skin layer off so that these other products can work better. Prescription tretinoin helps to improve discoloration and minimize fine lines and aging.

The Sephora Savings Event starts this weekend! This is my beauty shopping superbowl! I have not bought anything from Sephora this year in anticipation of this sale, do you know how hard that is? I've just been tweaking my cart for months. I'm so excited that the day is finally coming upon us! Here are some of the products I have in my cart that I have tested a few times in the store and done tons of research on. If you get these five items, you have a complete face look that goes perfectly together. Also check the links at the bottom of the post for more sephora recs. Shipping times will be slower but Sephora has an option where you can order online for in store pickup and they have your order packed and ready for pickup. Use code SAVENOW. 

Project Pan is a challenge to finish makeup/skincare/ haircare products to get your money's worth. You know how if you use enough blush or eyeshadow you eventually "hit pan" and see the metal in the middle. This way you're not letting things go to waste and expire. It teaches you how long it takes you to go through an item and this will help to mold your shopping habits. For instance, you don't need to buy another blush when you already own 10 when you know it would take a whole year to go through a blush. This project should not be a punishment, rather it's an experiment for 12 months to get the full value and enjoyment out of things you already own. 

I was looking for a wallet friendly formula for my mom whose lipstick always disappears as soon after she puts it on. If you’re looking for a budge proof lipstick that will actually stay on your lips, I’ve put together a list of 3 lipsticks that will stay on all day. I bought these at Ulta but you should also be able to find them at CVS. All three of these set within minutes so they won’t rub off, then they fade slowly over time. I tested these lipsticks by wearing them all day on my lips even though I looked funny working from home on zoom with lipstick on. I ate, drank and exercised as usual during the day. To remove them at the end of the day I used a sugar based lip scrub then conditioned my lips with a balm as they are a little difficult to get off. If you’re looking for an alternative to the sold out Rhode peptide lip treatment, try out Ole Henriksen or Paula's Choice.

Here's the eyeshadow palettes that I continue to go to whenever I want to look beautiful.  I love going to Sephora and swatching shades of new eyeshadow on my hands. You know you go to Sephora too often when an employee tells you he loved the lipstick you tried on last time you were there and hopes you bought it. lol They recently opened 4 new stores in my city so I try to diversify and visit locations outside of my neighborhood, yes I have a Sephora within walking distance of where I live. 

On my list here you'll find a mix of affordable and high end palettes. My favorite eyeshadow color to wear is purple and if you have brown eyes, the list below will all look wonderful and compliment you. When I had my color analysis done, I was told I'm a Cool Winter, so I've been on the look out for cool toned colors in both my clothes and eyeshadow, taupe being one of the colors. I've also been experimenting with sparkly eye colors lately. If you didn't know, Pat McGrath and Natasha Denona are the "IT" brands right now for eyeshadow.

The last time I did a roundup of my favorite eyeshadow was in 2016 and it was mainly MAC eyeshadows then. As a professional makeup hoarder, I have to warn you that makeup does have an expiration date. Your old eyeshadow could have microorganisms on them such as bacteria, fungus and parasites. Eyeshadow should be tossed after 12 months. So if you still have your old Naked palettes from 10 years ago, time to toss them! Mascara is supposed to be thrown out after 3 months because afterwards contamination increases after that. I like to use eyeshadow as an eyeliner with a brush, so I want to be double sure that it's safe to use.

I store all of my makeup brushes in this container. My eyeshadow brushes are mostly MAC but I've recently purchased some Rephr brushes. My go to tip for eyeshadow application is to first apply an eyeshadow primer. It helps the colors stick to your skin, last longer, and if you have a deeper skin color it allows for the eyeshadow colors to pop more. I use the color Soft Ochre which any complexion can use.