Sephora VIB Sale Wish List + Recommendations Nov. 2016

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I’m all about a good deal and when you have the sort of taste I do in beauty and makeup, you KNOW you pay attention to when the sales happen – because they don’t happen often. Sephora holds two big sales – once around April (typically 15-20% off for their VIB Rouge and VIB members) and in November (YAY!). This November’s sale has been confirmed for VIB Rouge members Nov. 4-7 (!!!this weekend!!!) then opening to VIB Members Nov. 11-14th. In the past, Beauty Insiders also got access to the sale but I have heard rumors that this no longer is happening. If you need some inspiration on what to fill your shopping cart with, here’s my top Sephora VIB sale wish list and recommendations for Nov. 2016…

Stila Stay All Day Foundation | $40

I tried a sample of the Stila Stay All Day foundation out of the blue months ago and really loved it. This is a repackaged version of the foundation/concealer duo Stila formerly made and now it’s without the concealer. Many of the negative reviews on Sephora’s website are due to the disgruntled customer’s loss of the former packaging – NOT the product performance. Now, the foundation is in a push-pump bottle (airtight), so your foundation stays fresh. It’s a medium coverage, natural/satin finish and lasts *all day*. Totally underrated!

Sephora Microsmooth Baked Foundation Face Powder | $22

I purchased the Sephora Microsmooth Baked Foundation powder back in April when I finished my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder and was looking for a less-cool/neutral undertone pressed setting powder. This Sephora powder has the exact same finish – except the shades run a lot more yellow/golden/olive, which is perfect for me. The one drawback is it doesn’t have a mirror for on the go touch-ups.

First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Bouncy Mask | $38

The First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Bouncy Mask is another underrated gem. I tried this a few weeks ago after watching Alexandrea Garza on YouTube mention she thought this was a great ‘at home’ hydra facial. She was right. I had my first hydra facial at Caesar’s spa in Las Vegas and tried this a few weeks afterward. It’s not AS effective, but the results are extremely similar and great if you’re on a budget. Love the bouncy/squishy texture, too!

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Balm | $45

I tried a sample of this Estee Lauder cleansing balm back in August and fell for it hard. I love removing my makeup at night with a cleansing oil. I find it’s much more gentle on my face and eyes than a makeup wipe and removes way more product. The caveat is oil is hard to travel with. That’s why these cleansing balms are where it’s at. You scoop up the tiniest bit of the balm (feels like solid coconut oil) and massage it into your face as it breaks down into an oil. When you rinse, it turns into a milky lotion and rinses clean – all of your makeup included. This particular balm is advertised as a cleanser and toner – therefore, it’s three products in one – makeup remover, cleanser, toner. It feels heavenly and soft on the skin – if you don’t pick this up, at least get a sample.

Clinique High Impact Mascara | $17.50

When I did my “Real Girl Beauty” interview with my friend Lauryn, she raved about this High Impact mascara (and their Chubby Lash Fattening formula), so I figured this was the perfect time to pick this up and really try her technique.

Clinique Almost Powder Makeup | $27.00

Another recommendation by my friend Lauryn from my “Real Girl Beauty” interview, the Clinique Almost Powder makeup felt really smooth and had great coverage when I swatched it in stores a few weeks ago and ironically, I *just* ran out of my HG mineral powder foundation (Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation). I’m excited to try this one – especially since it’s a lot less expensive than the Laura Mercier powder.

Benefit Gimme Brow | $24

If you’ve disliked Benefit Gimme Brow in the past, you may want to give the newly repackaged/reformulated version a try. I had a hard time finding a shade that would work for my brows in the past but now, shade 01/light works amazingly on me and I’m hooked (another “Real Girl Beauty” interview favorite from my friend Katie, too). Everything about this formula and packaging is awesome. The spoolie is tiny so it doesn’t overapply product to your brows, the shade is the perfect ashy taupe, and the fibers give a refined finish to my brows that lasts all.day.long.

amika Nourishing Mask | $10-28

I talked about loving a ton of amika stuff in my How To Curl Hair with a Flat Iron post, but the Nourishing Mask is definitely a top favorite. Besides all of amika’s products smelling incredible and long-lasting, the mask is a deeply hydrating formula that works wonders on my dry/coarse, wavy hair. It makes my hair feel soft, yet maintains bounce and volume – something a lot of deep treatment masks can’t do. Love that they make a travel version for $10, too.

amika Silken Up Dry Conditioner | $10-24

Another top product recommendation from amika, the Silken Up Dry Conditioner was something I initially thought sounded pretty useless. Dry shampoo… fine. But dry conditioner? Hm. BUT THEN I TRIED IT. You know how when you use dry shampoo, the rest of your hair just starts feeling a bit dry/rough/dirty? Yes, it’s nice to have that texture and volume at the root, but I don’t want my hair to lose shine or softness. amika’s dry conditioner instantly gets rid of that feeling without weighing the ends down. On the days I douse my roots with dry shampoo, I spray a little of this on the midshaft to ends and my hair feels freshly conditioned and blown out.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette | $42

Alright, this is the mama of the list. The Modern Renaissance eyeshadow palette been obsessed over by beauty bloggers and beauty editors everywhere for months (myself included… I’ve already hit pan on a couple of the shades… #notsorry). At the time of writing this post, it’s currently Out of Stock on Sephora.com, but make sure to check your local stores because if you have brown, green or hazel eyes… this palette looks incredible on you! Hey, blue-eyed babes can totally look stunning in it, too, but something about the richness of the shades really brings out the golden warmth in brown/green/hazel eyes. It’s the first ‘neutrals’ eyeshadow palette that has come out in years that I felt was truly unique.

House of Lashes Eyelash Adhesive | $9

Recently, I had to restock my eyelash glue and begrudgingly bought Duo lash glue. I never have luck with Duo working for me. My lashes almost instantly peel off at the edges, but my go-to Revlon lash adhesive has been sold out/MIA nearly everywhere. After having my lash totally pop off after just two hours while in a Skype conference call using duo, I cursed it out, chucked it in the trash, and ran to Sephora last week to pick up the House of Lashes Eyelash Adhesive. I couldn’t even wait for this VIB sale. I needed my lash glue and I needed it now.

They say this lash glue is hard to remove, but I’ve tested it for three days and it works well and works quick (you only need to let it dry 30 seconds before it gets tacky). I found it removed with no problems when using a waterproof eye makeup remover-soaked q-tip along my lash line. The tube is tiny but the formula is very liquidy, so you don’t need much. Most importantly, my lashes aren’t flying off into the wind. If you’re sick of Duo sucking, find Revlon impossible to find, and/or just don’t think lashes are easy to apply – give this one a try!

Bite Beauty “The Perfect Bite” Set | $25

While I was picking up the House of Lashes glue last week, I saw this Bite Beauty set and thought it was perfect – the shades are neutral, versatile, and some of Bite Beauty’s Amuse Bouche’s most popular shades. They’re tiny little nuggets but perfect for your purse and a great way to try the popular Bite formula. A great gift idea that won’t break the bank, as well.

What are you planning on picking up during the sale? If you’ve tried any of my recommendations, please let me know your feedback in the comments to help other readers and if you found this post helpful, I’d greatly appreciate if you shared it with friends, family or on social media 🙂 Links below!

Happy shopping,

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-Steffanie