My Top Skin Care Picks From the Sephora Sale

Our time is upon us, beauty lovers: The annual Sephora Beauty Insider Holiday Sale is here!

Here are the deets on scoring the discounts, according to Glamour:

“This year the beauty behemoth is kicking off the deals with two exclusive shopping weekends for VIB Rouge members (shoppers who spend more than $1,000 in a year). Running from October 26 through October 29, and November 9 through November 12, Sephora’s biggest spenders will get 20 percent off all purchases in stores and online with the code ROUGEBONUS. VIBs (people who spend at least $350 per year), meanwhile, will get their time to shop from November 9 through November 12, using the code VIBBONUS to also score 20 percent off. Beauty Insiders (anyone who signs up for Sephora’s free program) get the last leg of the deals from November 16 through November 19. The code BIBONUS landing them 15 percent off, according to TrendMood.”

I take advantage of the Beauty Insider sales events by stocking up on skin care, from the products I can’t live without to new releases I want to try. I rounded up a list of my recommendations for the sale to help you wade through all the product clutter and find the best stuff (in my humble, skin-obsessed opinion).

Let’s start with my holy grails that I always restock; these are the products I wouldn’t want to live without that I’ve re-purchased at least 3 times in the last 24 months. I take advantage of every Sephora sale and stock up on these favorites at a discount.

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum – This antioxidant vitamin-C serum completely transformed my skin — smoother texture, brighter complexion, and reduced dark spots — and although it hurts to shell out the cash for it every 4-5 months, it’s a splurge that’s worth every penny if it’s in your budget.

Kate Somerville Nourish Moisturizer – There are definitely fancier moisturizers out there with more bells and whistles, but I love the way this one sinks right into my skin and never feels heavy or greasy. It’s my daytime go-to, sandwiched between the C-Firma and a good sunscreen. (I’m also a big fan of the pump packaging that keeps the product air-tight and hygienic and lets you get to every last drop in the jar.)

Belif ‘The True Cream’ Moisturizing Bomb – If you want a seriously hydrating night cream to seal in all your serums and potions, this is it.

Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm – This clean cleansing balm knocked my previous favorite out of the top spot; it dissolves every speck of makeup and is gentle enough to use around the eyes.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir – For more information about my love affair/hoarding habit with this face spritz, see this post.

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask – It’s easy to forget your lips as part of your skin care routine! I use this lip-softening treatment mask morning and night; it’s like lip balm on steroids and a tube lasts forever. (It’s also perfect for keeping lips exfoliated and smooth for matte lipsticks this season.)

Shiseido Facial Cotton – After these super soft pillows of cotton touch your face, you’ll never want to use a drugstore cotton round again. My must-have for applying toners and removing eye makeup.

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The next lineup includes products that are relatively recent additions to my routine (all purchased within the last 6-12 months) that I highly recommend.

Fresh Soy Face Cleanser – I’ve used this gentle makeup-removing cleanser every night as a first cleanse. It’s quicker and less mess than a cleansing balm, but works similarly at destroying dirt, SPF and makeup without stripping the skin. I’ll definitely repurchase this one again and again.

Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil – You don’t know blissful skin care relaxation until you’ve massaged a cleansing oil onto your dry skin, soaked a washcloth in hot water, draped the washcloth over your face to steam your pores for 30 seconds, and then wiped it all away. I’ve used cleansing oils for years, and this one is easy to remove and doesn’t clog my pores. I use it in the evening as a second cleanse, after removing my makeup with the soy face cleanser or cleansing balm.

Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum + Drunk Elephant Marula Oil – check out this post about new additions to my skin care routine for the deets on these. Spoiler: five stars.

Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 – Are we tired of hearing me talk about this bougie sunscreen yet? It checks all the boxes for me: all natural ingredients, no white cast, pore-blurring, demi-matte finish, and primes the skin for makeup. I still love it; I still purchase a tube during every sale.

Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel – I’m about to finish my second bottle of this eye cream, and I’ll probably purchase a backup before the sale ends. If you’re in your 20s, you really don’t need an eye cream — and you can get away with using a good moisturizer as an eye cream as you age — but I love how this absorbs into the delicate skin under the eyes and keeps things smooth and hydrated. Also,  I find my concealer looks better and less cakey/creasy when I use it consistently.

Biossance Squalane + Micronutrient Fine Mist – This stuff is super hydrating, and fulfills my desire to saturate my face in pampering spritzes for half the price of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir or Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist. I like to use this in the morning after I cleanse my face before I hop in the shower; I feel like it gives my skin a little barrier from the heat and steam.

And finally, these are new-to-me skin care products I purchased last weekend during the VIB pre-sale. They’re either products from my wish list that are highly recommended by beauty bloggers I trust, or products I received in my Play! box that I enjoyed and wanted to buy in the full size with the discount. I don’t have any reviews on these yet, so I’ll give you a quick description of each from Sephora’s website.

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream – “Think of Protini™ in your Drunk Elephant skincare routine like adding a shot of protein to your smoothie. Abundant with proteins and nutrients, and formulated at a pH level of four, it replenishes and gives your skin a strong, healthy appearance.”

Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream – “C-Tango™ is a dance of potent antioxidants, replenishing ceramides, plant oils, and soothing actives, all designed to refresh and restore a radiant appearance. Gentle enough for AM and PM use, it’s powerful enough to improve even stubborn signs of damage.”

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum – “This cult favorite brightening serum is powered by viniferine, a natural ingredient from grapevine sap that is 62 times more effective at brightening than vitamin C. Its lightweight satiny formula immediately absorbs into skin so it can get to work correcting dark spots such as acne scars, pigmentation, melasma, and sun spots.”

Caudalie Vinoperfect Glycolic Brightening Essence – “Instantly brighten with this effective yet gentle concentrated essence, which combines two powerhouse ingredients: glycolic acid to eliminate dead skin cells and Caudalie’s exclusive 100 percent organic grape water to soothe and hydrate. White peony extract enhances luminosity, revealing a new, fresh layer underneath dull skin.”