Sephora’s biannual savings event is well-timed. It’s arrives a little before the mania of Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but not so far from gifting season that you can’t start chipping away at your list. If you follow us closely, you’ll know my colleague Bella Druckman, regularly keeps tabs on what’s on sale at Sephora. But as the staff beauty expert, I’ve also put together a curated list of my own favorite things from the savings event— like the Summer Fridays ubiquitous lip balm and the strand-saving K18 hair mask. There are thousands of products to sift through, so I’ve focused on the products we’ve written about before and things I’ve had my eye on or tested but haven’t written about yet.
To access the deals, you’ll need a Sephora account, and like last year, the sale is happening in tiers. Rouge members (people who spend at least $1,000 a year at the retailer) save 20 percent sitewide. VIB members (customers who spend a least $350) will save 15 percent sitewide. That’s also when Insiders will gain access to the sale and save 10 percent sitewide. Regardless of tier, the Sephora Collection sale starts today, discounting the retailer’s in-house line 30 percent.
To get the discount, you’ll need to use the code SAVINGS at checkout, which will apply to your cart depending on your tier. We’ve applied the 15 percent VIB discount to all of the products below.
Skin care
As the lip-balm-story czar, I test lots of formulas, and Summer Fridays is among the best. It’s one of the rare products that’s both ultraviral and good. It uses thick, moisturizing butters like shea and murumuru to nourish lips and leaves behind a glossy sheen.
The Laneige lip mask is also incredibly popular, so much so that five separate celebrities said they couldn’t live without it in 2023. The key to this mask is its versatility. Sure, you’re supposed to wear it overnight, but it’s exceptional at all-day moisturizing thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid and thick butters and oils.
Hypochlorous acid is great for keeping acne at bay. It’s well tolerated by virtually all skin types and a go-to post-workout. Plus, the spray nozzle is convenient. In addition to my face, I also like to spray any sweaty bits to avoid body acne.
A non-stripping gel cleanser that cuts through grime and contains a blend of antioxidants like kale, spinach, and green tea.
The Paula’s Choice exfoliant is a favorite of beauty editors for a reason. It manages to unclog pores and keep skin clear without irritation and also contains green tea, which has a soothing effect.
As temperatures drop and skin gets drier, I reach for thicker, barrier-supporting moisturizers. This one is a favorite of beauty columnist and aesthetician Rio Viera-Newton, who says that the very rich, peptide-packed cream is perfect for wintertime.
For something lighter weight (and oily skin friendly). I like Dieux Air Angel, a jelly-like gel cream that’s packed with glycerin and contains amino acids to plump skin.
Makeup
Back in 2022, Strategist writer Rachael Griffiths said the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder was the best product she bought all year. “I don’t think I’ve gone a week without tapping on a layer of this powder,” she wrote, noting that it manages to smooth her under-eyes and conceal any purplish or red tones.
This tinted moisturizer is a serum, base makeup, and sunscreen all in one. Strategist writer Kitty Guo is a fan, as is actress Heather Morris, who says it “smooths things out and makes [her] face a little brighter.”
Lip glosses have a reputation for being sticky, but the Tower28 Lip Jelly manages to be shiny without feeling like glue. Viera-Newton has been raving about these glosses since 2019, describing the formula as “extremely high-shine with soft subtle pigment that gives a your-lips-but-better wash of color with a juicy, high-impact glaze.”
I personally love the brand’s blush. Most recently, it added the limited-edition red shade, designed for the release of Kung Fu Panda 4, to its permanent collection, and it’s the perfect shade to create a believable flush.
Celebrity beauty brands can be mixed from a quality standpoint, but this blush from Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is actually good. It’s a makeup-artist favorite because it’s creamy and buildable, and I can also attest that it’s easy to use. It’s my go-to for everyday use and the color, Believe, is a perfect mauve pink.
Few lip glosses are as statusy as the Dior Lip Oil, which has been making the rounds on TikTok since 2021. It comes in an array of beautiful sheer shades and moisturizes while adding color to the lips.
The Dior Lip Oil is admittedly pricey, though, and according to Sephora employees, the Sephora Collection glossy lip balm is a good dupe.
Hair
Another popular reparative option is the Olaplex No. 03 Treatment, which has been recommended to us many times over. It can help just about any hair type and issue — from double-processed platinum blonde to high porosity hair. Maria Elizabeth, the founder of Salon deZEN, says the mask “visibly strengthens hair, reduces breakage, and truly improves the overall look and feel.”
Griffiths said that if she could only use one anti-frizz spray, it would be Color Wow. After a trip to a salon, she noticed her very shiny hair and immediately incorporated it into her at-home routine. Her best tip for optimal results is using a lot. “The key to this product is to absolutely drench your hair in the stuff,” she says. “Once you’ve applied a coat thorough enough to feel ridiculous, go ahead and spray on a little bit more.”
A deeply hydrating hair mask that Rio once described as a dupe for the “gut-wrenchingly expensive” Christophe Robin.
For a lightweight oil that moisturizes without weighing down hair, I like Verb Ghost Oil, which contains a mix of moringa and argan oils along with bamboo extract.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
