My Sephora Wishlist: What Was Worth It and What Wasn't
Hint: It's less than you think.
For me, makeup and skincare are a very personal experience. I often joke that if I’m ever having a bad day, an hour of window shopping in Sephora or Barnes & Noble will pull me out of a funk faster than anything else — I get just as much of a dopamine hit perusing the CVS drugstore makeup aisles as I do swatching YSL blushes in Sephora. I’ve always been a huge proponent of drugstore makeup and I’ve never believed in the notion that you have to spend an arm and a leg for your makeup to be good. My own collection is a great mix of high-low brands, and I think the relationship between price and quality should be judged on a case by case basis.
Here are the products I took the plunge on, and whether I think they’re worth your time (and money)…
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer $38
I wear 1.5 Creme.
A drugstore concealer I’ve used for years is the NYX Bare With Me Concealer Serum and this reminds me very much of that. The biggest difference between the two would be NYX’s pump bottle packaging vs. Hourglass’s frosted glass doe-foot. I’ll go ahead and say the Hourglass has a bit more coverage but they’re a really similar consistency. I was unimpressed by the amount of deep shades available and, although I like this very much and will use it up entirely, I don’t think it’s extraordinary enough for me to purchase regularly at that price point. It’s also worth mentioning that they make a mini verson that is $20 if you wanted to try out the formula for a lower price point — would also be great for travel!
Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick $48
I wear Biscuit.
I originally used this product a few years ago with no complaints but the price point. No matter what low-cost product I tried to replace it with I just mostly wished I still had it in my bag. The selling point for me with this product is the shade Biscuit. It is the perfect contour shade for my skin tone without being bronzer. A little goes a long way, and it blends seamlessly. If you have the coin to spend, you won’t regret it.
Freck Beauty The Original Freckle $22
Fake freckles are one of my favorite beauty trends to come out of the last year. This is another product that I tried to replace with something more cost-effective and just ended up just wishing I had bought the real thing. I love this product for summer and, in my opinion, there isn’t enough of a price difference to convince you to go for the mini. Just get the full size — you’ll use it all summer.
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil $24
My shade is Wherever Walnut
Lipliners are actually something I don’t think you need to really invest in, and while this one tested that theory it didn’t disprove it. This lip liner is great and it has great staying power, but it’s not blowing my mind. Do I think you need to spend over $20 on a lip pencil when there are plenty at the drugstore that do a great job? I do not. That being said, if you’d like to invest in a quality one… this is the one!
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm $24
I purchased Pink Sugar
The first time I purchased this, I could swear it gave me periorial dermatitis, but I think it may have been the lip liner I was using at the time. I previously purchased Vanilla Beige, and ditched it when I thought it was the reason for my breakouts. Here to say I like Pink Sugar better in all ways. It’s nice, very hydrating, not sticky, and you get plenty of product. In my opinion: worth it.