I live for a good sale and am normally found browsing Sephora right at the beginning of their annual event.
As a card carrying member, you get early access to the Sephora Sale but worry not — there’s always enough to go around, so mark these dates.
- Sephora Rouge First Access 20% off: April 14 – 24
- Sephora VIB 15% off: April 18 – 24
- Sephora Insider 10% off: April 18 – 24
- Sephora Collection 30% off: April 14 – 24
This year, though, is a bit different. At least for me. The whole situation from the last couple of years has brought home the fact that we really don’t need to spend as much. Consume as much.
Plus, I have been more hyper-focussed on skincare than ever. While makeup is never off the table, good skin is the foundation of all looks for me.
So, this is an even tighter beauty edit than I usually do, focussing only on items that are absolutely worth the price (which means they are so good that I would buy them even without a sale) and have a hefty enough discount to make it worth the while to buy right NOW.
With that, here are my top beauty picks from the Sephora Sale 2023. I already each one of the items on this list and many of them are in my shopping cart again for a restock!
Dyson AirWrap Multi-Styler
If you’ve been planning to buy the new Dyson AirWrap Multi-Styler (or the Corrale Hair Straightener for that matter), this is the time — you could end up scoring almost $120 off! Which is the reason the AirWrap is one of the first products to sell out at every Sephora sale.
Hot tip I received from the horse’s mouth: In one of my first meetings with Dyson, they recommended buying the Airwrap Multi-Styler Complete Long, even though I only have shoulder length hair.
The reason? The Long version can handle all hair lengths easily, including short ones; but the other variant can only handle shorter cuts. So, considering the Dyson is a total investment product, you don’t want your hair to ever outgrow its barrels.
Crème de la Mer Radiant Hydration Set
La Mer comes at a steep price — for a reason. It really, really works.
Formulated by Dr. Max Huber, an aerospace physicist, to help heal his own skin after a laboratory accident, it contains a unique blend of nutrient-rich sea kelp, vitamins, minerals, and the proprietary “Miracle Broth,” a powerful, fermented elixir that promotes skin regeneration and healing.
I prefer the The Moisturizing Soft Cream Moisturizer to the OG formula because its easier to rub into the skin — though the thicker, richer Crème de la Mer Moisturizer has saved my skin on many a winter expedition.
If you are already a La Mer devotee, this is the time to stock up.
If you have been wondering about this brand for a while and are hesitant to dip your toes in (very expensive) waters, this is the perfect time to try out the mini size (15ml), which retails at $100 plus the discount.
The maths definitely works for me!
Augustinus Bader The Daily Essential Duo Cream Set
If there’s one thing that I’ve learnt in my life as a beauty editor, it’s that you get what you pay for where skincare is concerned.
And Augustinus Bader’s The Rich Cream, developed by one of the world’s leading stem cell and biomedical scientists, is worth every penny but it can skate right outside the very edges of affordability.
Hence, my Sephora Sale 2023 stock-up on this cult cream, which is so rarely discounted. One bottle costs $290 and on sale you have the full bottle PLUS a travel size version for $244 onwards (originally $305).
You can choose between the Augustinus Bader The Daily Essential Duo Rich Cream set and the Daily Essential Duo The Cream set.
Tatcha The Water Cream Limited Edition Value Size
This. Is. My. Favorite. Hydrator. Of. All. Time. And anyone who reads this blog know that by now!
The gel-like formula feels like a sprinkler for bare skin, thanks to the encapsulated water droplets. And it hydrates like nothing else!
Right now, Tatcha has a limited edition value size version to commemorate funding 8 million days of school with Room to Read. It’s 75ml for $85 and dressed with pretty butterflies (the normal 50ml clocks in at $70). Take another 10-20% off and you’ve got a steal to stock up on!
Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
This iconic hydrating mask is Summer Fridays’ star product, and for good reason.
The Jet Lag Mask is packed with nourishing ingredients like Vitamin C, niacinamide, and green tea extract, which work together to give your skin a healthy, radiant glow.
Perfect for long flights, late nights, or when your skin just needs a pick-me-up, the Jet Lag Mask is an undisputed favorite — and when you add between 10-20% off to the full sized version, your skin and wallet will thank you.
Guerlain Abeille Royale Anti-Aging Double R Advanced Serum
Skin feeling the effect of too many late nights, crazy deadlines, stress, or just the lacunae of daily living?Guerlain’s Abeille Royale Anti-Aging Double R Advanced Serum will revitalise it INSTANTLY.
This potent serum helps to reduce signs of aging and improve your skin’s overall appearance, giving you a more youthful, radiant glow. If only there was a way to pour it over the rest of my life!
Lancôme Genifique Routine Set
You know that I am in mad, crazy love with Lancôme’s Génifique range, which is basically like hitting the reset button your skin.
This is a serum that ticks all the boxes: It’s packed with antioxidants like vitamin C to fade hyperpigmentation and step up collagen production, hyaluronic acid to boost hydration and, of course, the star ingredient — 10% Bifidus Prebiotic, aka Bifida Ferment Lysate — to protect the skin against environmental damage (read about it here!).
And when I get a full size bottle of the coveted Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate plus a full size of the Advanced Génifique Night Cream AND the Advanced Génifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Cream as part of the Lancôme Génifique Routine Set (one full size bottle costs $88; the set costs $175 plus the discount) during the Sephora Sale 2023, it’s time to stock up.
Supergoop! Sunscreen
There’s a reason I keep raving about Supergoop! in pretty much every post that deals with SPF: Their sunscreens ROCK!
Not only do they provide broad spectrum and high SPF protection from harmful UV rays, they are lightweight, oil-free, won’t leave a white cast on your skin and work brilliantly under makeup (which is basically sunscreen gold).
If you are as obsessed about sunscreen as I am, or have a large family, it’s time to save big bucks and invest in the 18oz Supergoop! Play Everyday Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 PA++++ during the Sephora Sale 2023. It will last you all summer!
If your ambit runs to more regular sized products, you won’t go wrong with the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen for layering under makeup; or the Supergoop! Glowscreen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++, which has a pearlescent finish to give skin a luminous glow.
Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks
I work on digital screens A LOT. Which means my eyes are perpetually tired, puffy and itchy. When I first came across these gold foiled eye masks in my quest to soothe the irritation, they simply seemed to be Instagram bait. But after using them quite a lot for the past couple of years, I’ve found that the gold is not just decorative.
In the Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks, it retains heat when applied under the eyes, helping the aloe leaf extract, hyaluronic acid and lavender oil-infused serum to absorb more efficiently.
The result? A perfect pick-me-up for tired peepers, dark circles and puffiness.
Pat McGrath Labs Mothership Eyeshadow Palette
The ultimate luxury in eyeshadows, Pat McGrath’s Mothership palettes boasts 10 opulent shades in matte, shimmer, and metallic finishes. The rich pigments and blendable formula will take you from a subliminal look to an amplified OTT one with minimal effort.
My suggestions for the Sephora Sale 2023? The Divine Rose II Collection for colors that are wearable on a daily basis; or the Mothership IX Eyeshadow Palette Huetopian Dream for memorable nights out on town!
Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum
I’ve been sitting on this hair treatment for a while… wary that it would kill my blow dries! Now that we are sitting at home with nowhere to go, I started working it into my strands and there can be no going back.
The Kerastase Nutritive 8H Magic Night Serum sinks in almost immediately, so there’s no greasiness or transfer to pillowcases (or skin!).
And it genuinely makes my hair feel silky and glossy the next day. It looks more voluminous and there’s less breakage, even though I’ve not had a salon deep treatment in a very, very long time!
As for the blow dry… it does dismantle curls and the work of straightening irons. But it ends up giving my hair a lovely natural wave so that’s good enough for me.
Slip Silk Pillowcase
The many beauty benefits of sleeping on silk pillowcases include better skin hydration, preventing premature ageing and halting hair loss (read more here!).
And I can personally testify that Slip is the best in class by far! Pick it up at the Sephora Sale 2023 for the best discount you’re ever going to see.
Drunk Elephant TLC Happi Scalp Scrub
While Drunk Elephant’s hair line has a lot of good stuff, the TLC Happi Scalp Scrub is my personal favorite. There are a lot of scalp scrubs in the market but they work largely with physical exfoliation — like using sugar or salt granules to give a mechanical rub down to scalp skin.
Though this is not all bad, I prefer chemical exfoliation, which has less chance of causing micro-tears in the skin and gets really deep into the pores, purging dead cells and other grime.
The Drunk Elephant TLC Happi Scalp uses a 10% AHA blend to dissolve build-up and adds in Marula oil to calm and nourish the fragile skin on our scalp, which is crucial for healthy hair.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Triple Detox Shampoo
This has been another lockdown discovery. I usually have a deep cleansing and nourishing salon treatment every couple of weeks, so don’t find myself reaching out for detox shampoos at home.
But during the lockdown, when my hair started feeling crunchy with all the experimentation it was going through, this has became my new love! I found a sample while desperately looking for something that would cleanse my strands of buildup and chanced upon tiny tubes of the Living Proof Triple Detox Shampoo.
And it worked brilliantly at cleaning away all product, pollution and hard water residue. My hair has not looked so clean and healthy in a long time. It is still a staple in my hair routine, long after the lockdown has become just a memory.
Couple of caveats though: If your hair is not soaking wet, the shampoo won’t foam well, so add lots of water. And it dries out hair a lot so you will definitely need a hydrating, nourishing conditioner after — I recommend Gisou’s Honey Infused Hair Mask.
Christophe Robin Volume Shampoo Paste with Rassoul Clay and Rose Extracts
Clay in a shampoo? Yes, I didn’t get it either — till I tried Christophe Robin’s Volume Shampoo Paste, which has to be the most beautiful shampoo formulations I have ever seen!
The pure rassoul clay is brilliant at deep cleaning your hair and adding volume, while the rose extracts nourish it into silkiness and leave the behind the most gorgeous fragrance that lasts for days. Plus, the formula turns into a fluffy foam with just a touch of water and rinses out super-clean!
Nutrafol Women Hair Growth Supplement
I personally vouch for Nutrafol supplements — they boosted my hair growth post cancer radiation, doing away with all the bald spots in less than a year. Which is a miracle, since I didn’t have the best hair health to begin with, thanks to loads of blow drying and genetics.
Where Nutrafol scores above many other supplement brands is their patented Synergen Complex, which consists of bio-optimized ingredients that have been clinically shown to improve hair growth and quality. This complex enhances the bioavailability of the nutrients, ensuring maximum absorption and efficacy.
As for the other ingredients, there’s a unique blend of botanicals, vitamins, and minerals, which include biotin, marine collagen, saw palmetto, ashwagandha, and tocotrienol complex, among others.
This potent combination works to target hormonal imbalances, oxidative stress, inflammation, and nutritional deficiencies — all factors that contribute to hair loss and thinning.
And since the treatment can be expensive at $88 a bottle that lasts one month (you will start seeing visible changes only after 5-6 months), the savings are so enticing that Sephora has capped sales of Nutrafol products to only three per person during the sale.
I am getting all friends and family who are not buying for themselves to get three bottles each for me (don’t tell Sephora!)!
Valentino Voce Viva Eau de Parfum
There is not one single Valentino perfume that I don’t like but if I had to choose a favorite, it would definitely by the Voce Viva.
This fab fragrance is like a love letter to Valentino’s signature femininity. Imagine a fun combo of couture orange blossom and golden gardenia hanging out with zesty Italian bergamot and mandarin.
And guess what? There’s a surprise twist! A cool, mysterious hint of crystal moss and vanilla make this perfume totally irresistible. You’ve gotta try it — and what better time than right now, during the Sephora sale 2023?
Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum
Looking for something more floral? Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia is inspired by legends of the mystical powers of white gardenia, which is blended with sunny Jasmine Grandiflorum absolute.
You’ll be greeted by a cheerful pear blossom, and oh, there’s a sneaky touch of brown sugar to sweeten things up a bit.
It’s all floral and subtly sweet, perfect for free-spirited gals with tons of good vibes!
Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum
Every perfume lover needs to own Chanel No. 5 at least once in their lives. There’s so much history, so many innovations, so many secrets, so much glamour… all woven into these iconic bottle. This elegant floral-aldehyde fragrance exudes sophistication and is perfect for any occasion — a timeless classic that holds its own in any room 100 years after its birth.
For instance, did you know that the interlocking Cs were designed by Coco Chanel a combination of ‘Chanel’ and ‘Capel’, forever joining her name with Boy Capel — the only man she ever truly loved?
Or that the bevel-cut octagonal stopper was a monument to the famed Place Vendôme in Paris?
Go on, read my post on all the secrets about Chanel No. 5 that very few people have been privy to over the years — and then tell me how you can resist the bottle?
PS: When you do buy Chanel No. 5, invest in the Eau de Parfum. It’s the most vibrant form of the fragrance, and the one closest to the original that Mademoiselle Chanel formulated in 1921.
Don’t miss out on these incredible deals during the Sephora Sale 2023! Whether you’re treating yourself or shopping for a loved one, here’s to some retail therapy!
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