Loving Lately | 10 Recommendations for the Sephora VIB Sale

It's been awhile since I've written about some products I've been loving, and so what better time than when the Sephora VIB sale about to start. This time, I've selected five skincare and five makeup products that I'm loving that can all be found in Sephora, in case you're looking for something new to try out while there is 10-15% off. As usual, I've been all about glowing skin and a more minimal makeup look, so these products are all perfect for achieving that.

The Skincare

Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner* - I've loved this for about a year now, but in the past few months it's really grown on me. I use multiple layers morning and night, and my skin has been feeling so much softer and more hydrated. If you love rose, you'll love this. It smells beautiful, just like everything from Fresh, and I just love how there's rose petals floating in the toner. There's an unused bottle pictured, but just know I've already gone through two of these.

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask - This seems to be the product of the moment. Everyone is raving about it, and for good reason. Summer Fridays is a new brand started by lifestyle bloggers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores, and the Jet Lag Mask is their very first product. It's kind of an all-in-one treatment, really. It hydrates, soothes, gently exfoliates, and depuffs - it's basically a facial in a tube. I've seen endless ways to use this, but my favorite is applying a thick layer and letting it soak in for 30 minutes to an hour, and then gently rinsing off anything left over. It instantly makes my skin smoother and softer, and it does an amazing job of depuffing my undereye area as well. I will definitely continually repurchase this as I run out. Unfortunately this sold out at Sephora as I was writing this post, but I still think it's so great it's worth paying full price for. It's currently in stock on the Summer Fridays website. Also, the Origins Mega-Mushroom Mask has been giving me similar results and is still in stock at Sephora.

Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream - I've only been using this for about a week now, so while I can't comment on longterm benefits, I'm already so incredibly impressed. This has to have one of the nicest consistencies of an eye cream I've ever used - it almost feels balmy, but it doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all. I love the airless pump packaging, and the pump is super easy to control, too, so you don't waste product. I've noticed this instantly seems to brighten up my dark circles a bit and really smooths out my undereye area. I've been using it every morning, and my concealer has been looking so much nicer - it doesn't cake up or look dry throughout the day. This may have beat Babyfacial as my favorite Drunk Elephant product!

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum* - I recently got to try a few things from Caudalie, and one of the standouts was this beautiful serum. It's a milky serum that works to hydrate, renew radiance, and brighten dark spots with the help of viniferine, an ingredient from grape sap that's proven to be more effective than Vitamin C. Dark spots are always an issue for me - I break out often, but the most annoying part of the breakout is waiting for the leftover mark to fade away. I've been using this every morning and have noticed my acne marks fading more quickly, and I just feel like I look more "glowy" in general. This is a "morning of the wedding" product for me, for sure.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops* - In case you didn't see my rave review of these on Tuesday, I highly recommend the newest product to hit Dr. Jart+'s Cicapair Line. I love the orignal Color Correcting Treatment, but I really love that the Camo Drops give me the same redness correction while feeling ultra soothing on my skin, giving a little bit of glow, and then also feeling completely weightless. If the thickness of the original held you back from making the purchase, I'd definitely try these instead.

The Makeup

Lancome Skin Feels Good Hydrating Skin Tint - I seriously can't shut up about this skin tint lately. The only thing keeping me from throwing out all of my foundations in favor of only wearing this all the time is that there isn't a perfect shade match for me available. There aren't many shades in the range, but it does cover a wider spectrum than what I've usually seen. Hopefully they expand the range, because this truly is the most beautiful base product I've ever tried. It somehow manages to look and feel like nothing while giving the skin a radiant (but not greasy) glow, blurring the pores, and evening out skin tone. It also lasts the entire day on me without fading or wiping away. It feels like a burst of water when applied to the skin and instantly makes me look more awake and healthy. Normally if a shade doesn't work for me I'll just return the product, but this performs so well and looks SO pretty on my skin that I've been experimenting mixing it with other products - the effort is worth it!

NUDESTIX Magnetic Eye Color - I want to be an eyeshadow person, I really do. But I can never drag myself out of bed early enough to have enough time to do a full look. So, I rely on cream eyeshadows and easy-to-use eyeshadow sticks, and my favorite by far are the NUDESTIX Magnetic Eye Colors. These come in so many pretty shades (both matte and shimmery), and once they've set they will not move at all. I normally have an issue with things creasing on me, but not with these. They glide on so easily, are nice and pigmented from the get-go, and are easy to blend out with just a finger. My favorite shade at the moment is Nudity, a glistening peachy champagne shade that really brightens my eyes.

Lilah b. Bronzed Beauty Bronzer Duo - Carrying around an eyeshadow palette and brushes seems like too much for me, but I'll happily pack a powder bronzer and brush for the day. My favorite bronzer at the moment (and also probably ever) is this beautiful duo by Lilah b. Not only is it the perfect shade for me, but the formula itself is just pigmented enough to easily bronze the skin without going overboard, and the packaging is stunning. You've probably heard people say how luxuriously heavy Lilah b.'s packaging is, but it's even more amazing in person. 

BECCA Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder - This sounded too intriguing to pass up, so I picked it up a few weeks ago even though I'm not usually a powder person. It actually feels wet/cooling when first applied to the skin, which I'll admit is the weirdest sensation ever. But what that does is make it able to set your makeup like a powder while diffusing everything to look like you've just used a face mist. It's a truly mind-boggling product in the best way. I can't comment on its oil-controlling abilities since my skin is on the dry side, but it certainly does extend the wear of my makeup and glides flawlessly over my skin. It doesn't make my skin look or feel dry and rather blurs everything out, like a filter in real life. I know powders don't seem like a very exciting purchase, but trust me on this one - you need it.

Dior Addict Lip Glow - I'm sure you predicted this one. If I had to only wear one lip product for the rest of my life, I would choose Dior Lip Glow in a heartbeat. I love that it's moisturizing enough for even my dry lips, and every shade I've tried (Pink, Raspberry, and Berry) has left such a pretty tint on my lips. If you're really looking to treat yourself and are more of a lip balm/stain kind of person rather than a lipstick person, then you can't go wrong with one of these. The Raspberry shade is pictured, although I think the Berry one is my current favorite to wear.

What are your favorite products from Sephora?

The Sephora Sale runs from 4/20-4/23 with 15% off for VIB and VIB Rouge and 10% off for Beauty Insiders.

Products marked with an asterisk (*) have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Camo Drops vs. Color Correcting Treatment

Back in November, Dr. Jart+ sent me a few products from the Cicapair line, including their Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment. It was instant love, and since then, I've been using it almost every morning. Recently they've come out with the Tiger Grass Camo Drops, a color correcting product that's meant to work like the original, but in a more lightweight form.

The Camo Drops are an innovative hybrid mixing one part soothing serum and one part color corrector. Like the original Color Correcting Treatment, it starts as a pale milky green shade and transforms to a beige color as you rub it in. It instantly helps to even out skintone and correct redness, and it delivers a hit of soothing moisture as soon as it's applied to the skin.

I know what you're thinking - do you really need both? Probably not, but I know I will use both of them interchangeably in my routine. It all comes down to your preference. The original Color Correcting Treatment has a thicker consistency that really forms a barrier between your skin and the environment. It also has SPF 30. The Camo Drops feel much more lightweight, like nothing on the skin, and they contain no SPF. The original has a more matte (but not drying) finish, while the Camo Drops feel more hydrating and give the skin a bit of a soft, radiant glow. They still completely set down on the skin, though, so I think any skin types that can use the original Color Correcting Treatment can also use the Camo Drops. Because they're more lightweight, I've noticed they give slightly (and I mean really slightly) less color correction than the original. I know I'll continue using the Color Correcting Treatment on days when I don't want to wear much makeup - I like to wear it on its own with a bit of concealer under my eyes, and that's it. I also reach for it on days I anticipate being on the lab bench at work all day because I really feel that the barrier it creates is protecting my skin from all the dust and chemicals I'm working with. The Camo Drops are great for layering underneath other products because they're lightweight, and the color correcting they provide is just enough that I can get away with my favorite sheer foundations on top without needing much or any concealer on top of that. The hydration boost makes it a great primer for makeup as well. 

TL;DR The Camo Drops are a great addition to the Cicapair line, and if you're looking for some color correction, glow, and are in need of some soothing skincare all wrapped up in one, then they're certainly the product for you.

Have you tried the Camo Drops yet?

Products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

The Birthday Makeup Look

It's my birthday! Birthdays don't mean much to me anymore (Brett so kindly pointed out that I'm now closer to 30 than 20, so I kind of would like them to stop), but I still like to use them as an excuse to throw all my favorite products on my face at once. This year I've gone for a bit of a purple theme.

I'm not big into primers, but my favorite is definitely the Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer. I start with a couple pumps of this every time I do my makeup, and it instantly hydrates, plumps, and smooths out my skin. It's the perfect product to prep the skin. For foundation, I'm reaching for my ultimate favorite Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation. It gives good coverage, makes the skin super glowy, and it's basically undetectable. I don't know how Charlotte Tilbury did it, but you really can't see it on the skin at all. It's been three years since I first tried this, and it's still one I reach for all the time. Concealer is, as always, the Milk Makeup Flex Concealer. I just love it so much - it looks so good and skinlike, and it works well both under the eyes and on blemishes. It has the perfect finish, between matte and dewy, so it's not too dry under the eyes and yet it doesn't slide off blemishes. Concealer used to be the one thing where I would bounce around the most, but I've stuck with this one through three tubes now.

For brows I'm still using the Nudestix Eyebrow Stylus Pencil & Gel - I didn't think anything would ever replace my beloved Boy Brow, but here we are. The triangle-tipped pencil makes it so quick and easy to fill in my brows, and the gel is amazing. It manages to fluff up the hairs but also set them into place. I always wear this in my kickboxing class and it doesn't budge despite constantly wiping sweat off my forehead.

I had such a hard time choosing what eyeshadow I should wear. I rarely wear much on a day to day basis, so I wanted something a little more special but that wouldn't be over the top. I'm starting with a layer of the Glossier Lidstar in Lily all over and then topping it with the Dior Five Couleurs Eyeshadow in Dream. The purple tones all go really well together, and I find the Lidstars not only look beautiful on their own, but they also make really good eyeshadow primers if you layer something on top. For mascara, I'm going for the Le Volume de Chanel Mascara. This is a new favorite but it's instantly become the only mascara I ever want to use. It makes the lashes super black, holds a curl really well, and makes them both super long and voluminous. It does it all, really. And it doesn't smudge on me, even though I don't have the waterproof version.

I've been neglecting my favorite Lilah b. Bronzed Beauty Bronzer Duo lately, but I'm picking it back up today. It's such a good shade - not too orange, but not too gray. It leaves me looking perfectly sunkissed and adds a little bit of glow.  For blush, I'm going with a two-step process - I'm starting with a bit of the Glossier Cloud Paint in Haze smudged over my cheeks, and then I'm topping it with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure. The Cloud Paints are my absolute favorites, so I have to use at least one every time I do my makeup. The Hourglass Blush is one I definitely need to remember to use more - Mood Exposure is such a pretty plummy nude shade that goes with everything, and it gives the skin such a pretty, subtle glow.

Speaking of glow, there's no other highlighter I could imagine reaching for other than the Glossier Haloscope in Quartz. It's my number one favorite, and I've gone through two tubes of it already. It just makes the skin look so naturally glowy and dewy, and yet it still can look pretty intense. 

I had a hard time choosing a lip product, but I'm going with the purple/berry theme here and using the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Save the Queen. It's the prettiest cool mauve shade that will really pull the whole look together. I'm still obsessed with these - they're perfect smudged into a lip balm for an everyday stain effect.

What makeup products do you reach for on a special day?

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