My Sephora Sale Picks (Only What Survived My Testing)

Sale runs October 30 – November 9.

Every sale, the same thing happens: a wall of "must-haves" appears online, most of them recommended by people who opened the product the day before. This list works differently. I'm a bridal makeup artist, so everything below has earned its place in my professional kit, on my own face, or both. Nothing is here because it's trendy. A product gets recommended when it survives real testing: wedding days, long wear, photographs, and repurchases.

One thing before the list, because it's the most important shade advice I can give you: I recommend formulas, not shades. A formula is what makes a product good. Your undertone picks the shade, so where I've named my own shade below, treat it as a reference point, not a prescription. If you're unsure, get colour-matched in store or book a makeup lesson with me so I can help you select them for. you!

Heads up: some links on this page earn me a small commission at no cost to you. It never changes what I recommend, everything here earned its spot before any link existed.

Skincare

The Argireline Solution— my 11s-softening serum (those two lines between the brows). It doesn't paralyze the muscle, so you keep your movement but I find it genuinely softens the lines. I apply morning and reapply in the evening.

Rejuran PDRN serum— I was referred to this one by a client with truly incredible skin, and that's the best kind of referral there is. It's new to Sephora, and PDRN is an ingredient I'm deep into right now.

Base & Blur

Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm (universal shade) — my blur pick for dry to normal skin.

Smashbox Photo Finish primer— and this is the blur route for oily skin. Matching the formula to your skin type matters more than any brand name; that's why there are two picks here, not one.

Charlotte Tilbury blur soft-focus powder (fair/light translucent) — blurs makeup beautifully, and I especially love it in the T-zone. One technique note that changes everything: apply with pressing motions only, never swiping. Pressing sets the blur; swiping breaks it. Make sure you get your shade, don't do the brightening shades of powder, just do your skin depth shade.

Cheeks

Patrick Ta Blush Duo— gorgeous, buildable, and very forgiving in application, which is rare for blushes this pigmented. I won't recommend a shade here, because I don't know your undertone or your contrast level — that's exactly the kind of thing we figure out in a makeup lesson. (Yes, you can book one— it's the best money you'll spend before buying another product.)

Brows

Makeup by Mario brow pencil— very easy to use and almost impossible to go in too heavy, which makes it the brow product I trust in anyone's hands, not just an artist's.

Tools

Makeup by Mario brushes— everything above goes on with these. My lineup:
F3 for highlight
F2 for blush,
F4 or cream blush and foundation, and the
concealer brush for precise placement.

If your application never looks like the product promised, the brush is usually the missing piece.

Fragrance

Valentino Born in Roma— my current perfume. But please, go smell it in store first: fragrance is deeply personal, and you may not love it the way I do.

A few things I'm trying from the sale

I practice what I preach: nothing gets recommended until it survives. So the rest of my own cart, new skincare, a couple of blush auditions, isn't on this list yet. If something earns its place, you'll see it here and on my channels with an honest verdict either way. This is my cart: