Not Another Sephora Sale Post

Everyone has an opinion about what you should or should not buy right now.

Affiliate lists full of things I’ve never heard of. Shop-shaming. Dupes for daaaays. It’s a lot, and none of it is actually helping you decide anything.

I’m not here to add to the pile. But I’m also not here to tell you not to buy anything. Buying things feels good! And makeup is genuinely fun.

The goal is just to be a little deliberate about it.

I’m a Gemini with a compartmentalizing problem, so I’ve sorted this into five buckets. Seasonal. Practical. Magical. Indulgent. New. Everything earns its place, with some room for joy.

A note before we start: 20% off is still 80% on. The best financial decision is buying nothing. That said, if you’re going to buy something, make it make sense.

The weather is shifting and so is what I want on my skin and hair.

Lip: Get a spring lip. The color is your business, not mine, but for reference, I’m looking at raspberry, poppy, apricot. Westman Atelier in Pippi feels like the very tone I want to set for the next four months.

Skin: Wedding season. A setting spray is worth having. One/Size is the one I wore on my own wedding day. It works like hairspray. It smells like hairspray. Hold your breath.

Hair: Anything that buys you time. Less blow drying more Aperol spritzing okaaaaay. I finally broke up with keratin so I’m manifesting ocean days, hair drying in the sun with nothing but Crown Affair Leave In.

The unsexy restock. The stuff you’ll run out of in three months and wish you’d bought when it was on sale.

Brow: I’m Armenian, so I don’t leave the house without a somewhat tamed brow. Rare Beauty gel is what I use – light hold if you’re gentle, laminated if you press. I’ve gone through more tubes of this than I can count.

SPF: If you’re not wearing it year round, start. Kiehl’s Better Screen is the one I can’t believe no one talks about. (Except Bridget Doyle.) Glossy finish, plays well under makeup, hydrating enough to skip moisturizer. I like it more than Beauty of Joseon, which is saying something.

Hair: Crown Gel. For slick-back days without next-day gunk. It brushes out, with minimal residue. Not strong enough to be my only gel, but it is my only empty gel.

We need more magic in beauty! I don’t just want to look good. I want to feel like a fairy. If a product doesn’t spark anything, put it down.

Eyes: Put some glitter on your lids. Pick something based purely on a color that makes you happy. Choose joy!!!

Skin: Magical skin, to me, is iridescent. Biodance Bio-Collagen masks. Finally tried them last week and was blinded by my own forehead.

Hair: Glistening hair is some form of magic. Kérastase Absolu Glaze Drops. The bottle looks like a potion, which is half of the draw.

New for the sake of new is how you end up with returns you never send back. Be specific about what’s actually missing.

Face: Ignore what’s trending. Think about what your current routine doesn’t do. I need a concealer that doesn’t crease by noon. ILIA’s might be the one. We’ll see.

Skin: This is where I’d slow down. Your skin doesn’t need novelty, it needs consistency. Don’t introduce something new just because it’s 20% off. Research first. Buy later. Your future face will thank you.

Hair: More forgiving. Play around! If you’re experimenting, Crown Affair and Kérastase are both safe bets.

We are allowed to buy things we don’t need. Sometimes that’s the whole point.

Face: Westman Atelier Lit Up highlighter. Rose gold and called “nectar.” Unnecessary by every metric and yet. (Note, you don’t need the full size.)

Skin: Rhode eye patches. I don’t think these do a damn thing. But I do feel like a person being taken care of when I use them. That’s good enough for me.

Hair: A mask. When did you last do one? Davines Oi is thick and buttery and smells botanical in an expensive way. It’s indulgent in every sense. Honestly though, any mask.

Like everyone on the internet, I have opinions on what you should or shouldn’t buy from Sephora. But ultimately, it’s your face, your time, and your wallet.

I hope these buckets help guide you to something that leaves you feeling better than you started. Beauty is supposed to be FUN. Don’t let anyone, including a sale, take that from you.

Take care of yourself,

Allison