Cheryl Shops

Yep, it's that time: Sephora's Beauty Insider event starts Friday, April 1st. Rouge members get 20% off starting on the 1st. VIBs get 15% off starting on the 5th, and Insiders get 10% off starting on the 7th, all with code SAVESPRING through April 11th. It's a great time to stock up on your favorites or to try something new, and since it's been awhile since I've shared my full routine, now seemed like a good time to give you mini-reviews all of my favorite Sephora products. Here are my recommendations for everything to buy during the Sephora Beauty Insider sale. 

Skincare

The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream

I love The Inkey List; their products are clean, super affordable, and they do what they say they do. I use this eye cream morning and night, and not only is it great at depuffing, it also keeps my eye area super moisturized without being greasy. 

The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum

If you have dry skin, get. This. Serum. It needs to be the first layer in your routine (after cleanser and toner), but once you put it on, you have plump, bouncy skin all day long. It is an exceptional bargain, and I have no fewer than two of these in my cabinet at all times, just in case I ever run out. 

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

As I've mentioned many times before, my skin does not like to be cleansed because that tends to strip out its moisture; it responds by getting super tight, red, and dry. I do need to slough off dead skin cells just like everyone else, however, and I've found this to be the rare exfoliant that does not dry out my skin. I use this a couple times per week. 

The Inkey List Retinol 

This stuff is intense, so I only use it two or three times a week, but it makes my skin baby-soft and smooth. I layer the Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid serum underneath and the Omega Water Cream on top and wake up looking like I slept 12 hours. 

Kopari Coconut Rose Toner

When my skin is red and/or irritated (which is somewhat frequently), I mist it with this completely extra yet incredibly soothing toner. It feels so refreshing going on, and it adds an extra layer of moisturizer, which clearly my skin is in constant need of. 

Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster

I'm of the opinion that everyone can benefit from a vitamin C serum—they can even your skin tone, tighten the look of your pores, and give you a healthy glow. They can also irritate the crap out of your skin, but I've found this one to be both effective and gentle. 

The Inkey List Omega Water Cream

This moisturizer has a light, gel-like texture, and while I'm usually skeptical of a product claiming to work for all skin types, I haven't met anyone who hasn't liked this cream. It's just a good all-around moisturizer, and since I usually use at least a couple of heavier serums underneath, I've found it to be the perfect weight to lock everything in without making me greasy. 

Youth to the People Triple Peptide + Cactus Oasis Serum

I am somewhat new to this clean (and planet-friendly) brand, but I've loved everything I've tried so far from them, especially this serum, which is like Gatorade for your skin. It delivers so much hydration, I can get away with a lighter moisturizer, but sometimes I slather Weleda Skin Food on top for the ultimate in moisturizing decadence. 

Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

On days when I don't use the Dermalogica exfoliant, I use this chemical one, which I've called the poor woman's P50, although it's not that much cheaper, to be honest. What it does so well is smooth out the texture of my skin, especially these weird little bumps I tend to get on my cheeks, plus it delivers a nice glow, which is never a bad thing. 

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask

Speaking of glow, I am not always a big fan of Tata Harper's products—they tend to be heavily fragranced, which is nice in theory, but in practice irritates my skin—but this mask is one of my top-two favorites of all time. (For the record, the other is Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant.) Whenever my skin is looking dull and tired, 20 minutes of this perks it up right away, and nope, it doesn't make me red or splotchy. 

Youth to the People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm

Finding a cleanser that doesn't strip one's skin is, to quote Clueless, like searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore movie. And yet, this one seems to actually moisturize, as well as cleanse. This is what I use when I have a full face of makeup to take off, and one of its most pleasing properties is how the consistency changes to this lovely milky texture when you add water. Best part: it doesn't irritate your eyes. 

Makeup

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

I was reminded of how fantastic this stuff was recently when I ran out of my usual SPF and started using this in a pinch. (Yes, this is an old bottle and the packaging has since been updated; don't @ me.) It delivers just enough color to even out your skin tone and make it look like you're wearing nothing at all—which is how it should be. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Liner

Am I the only one who always hears RuPaul saying "Anastasia Beverly Hills" whenever I use their products? This liner is not clean, but it's affordable and it stays put, and if it's good enough for the winners of Drag Race, it's good enough for me. 

GrandeLash Lash Enhancing Serum

This stuff works a little too well. If I use it every night, my lashes get so long, they start to hit my brow bone. So I recommend using it every night for a few weeks, then taper down to every other night, max. This is the mini size, which lasts me several months, easily. 

Merit The Minimalist Foundation Stick

I use this as a concealer—under my eyes, on my nose, on my chin, and wherever I have a pimple. It reminds me a lot of the Clé de Peau concealer in consistency, but it's clean, and way more affordable. My only quibble is that you have to be very gentle with it; I'm near the end of the tube and I just broke the tip, which is super annoying. 

Kosas Air Brow

I did not think I could love another brow product as much as I love Glossier Boy Brow, but I dare say this one is even better (and it's clean). The Taupe shade matches my brows perfectly (this is very tricky when you are blonde), and the combination of coverage and hold is just right. This may just be my brow holy grail. 

Saie Glowy Super Gel

This is a product that seems entirely unnecessary until you use it once and realize you can't live without it. I add a pump to my tinted moisturizer for a little extra glow, or apply it directly to my cheekbones for a very sheer highlighted effect. Either way, I look like a baby angel, and I'm not mad at it. 

Ilia Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm

You know when your favorite lipstick gets discontinued and you straight-up panic? That happened to me, but thankfully Ilia's social media person commented on my post to say that they reformulated and renamed the product I loved, and yay, my routine was saved. This is just enough color for everyday wear (I use Wanderlust, which is a reddish berry shade), and I love that it keeps my lips hydrated. 

Gucci Westman Lit Up Highlighting Stick

This is one of my favorite parts of my makeup routine. I use the Brûlée shade, which is technically a highlighter, but the color is somewhere between a blush and a bronzer. The texture is incredibly sheer, and it glides on like a dream. Bonus points for very luxe packaging, which makes you feel like a fancy lady whilst using it. 

Lancôme Lash Idôle Mascara

If you like majorly dramatic lashes, this is not the mascara for you. It is the least clumpy mascara I've ever tried, which is a beautiful thing, however if you want a little volume, you'll need to do several coats. No matter how many coats you apply, it does not flake or smear, and it lasts all day. I wish the brush were not curved, but otherwise, this is a solid mascara. 

Hair, body & fragrance

Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo

This is not my favorite dry shampoo (that would be Briogeo, which I ran out of), but it is the best-smelling one out there. It doesn't absorb oil as well as a powder dry shampoo, but it does keep things fresh without giving your hair a powdery cast. And if your hair smells bad for whatever reason (secondhand smoke, food grease), this 100% nips it in the bud. 

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

I use this product on like my fourth day after a blowout or whenever my hair starts to look really flat—which, if you have fine, thin hair like I do, is frequently. It adds a sexy, tousled texture that's not sticky or gross. A little does go a very long way, so use sparingly! 

Olaplex No. 3, Olaplex No. 4, Olaplex No. 5, and Olaplex No. 6

I recently wrote an honest review of all the Olaplex products I've tried, so if you have a few minutes, I recommend reading that entire post. If not, here's the TL;DR version: No. 3 is a miracle product and you need it. No. 4 and No. 5 are super concentrated and work well, but they have silicones. No. 6 works best as a touch-up product (it also has silicones), especially overnight. 

Maison Louis Marie Antidris candle

Bois de Balincourt gets all the attention for smelling like Santal 33, but I actually prefer Antidris, which is a dead-ringer for Diptyque's Baies candle (and it's half the price). As with all candles, make sure you keep the wick trimmed to a quarter inch, because this one can smoke like crazy. 

Sol de Janeiro Brazilian 4-Play Shower Cream-Gel

I sadly get a rash from Sol's famous Bum Bum cream, but I love the addictive pistachio-caramel scent, so thankfully I can get my fix from this very moisturizing shower cream-gel. This is obscenely expensive for body wash, but worth an occasional splurge (this is the mini size). 

Now comes the fun part: tell me what you're getting in the comments!