Show and Tail Pt. 1: Angela’s Picks for Sephora Sale

Every November, I look forward to the chance to shop Sephora for 20% off.

That’s when Sephora’s annual Rouge/VIB/BI sale takes place, so I spend September and October carefully building my cart.  In this post, I let the cat out of the (shopping) bag and share my recommendations–a mix of splurges, staples, and smart gifts.  And don’t forget that Sephora has a whole K-beauty section featuring Belif, AmorePacific, Caolion, Primary Raw, Dr. Jart+, Erborian, and more and also sells Korean makeup brands such as Chosungah 22, Touch in Sol, and Too Cool for School.

What are *you* picking up at the sale?

Dior Lip Glow ($33) (reviewed here): After many years, 10+ tubes, and endless trials of dupes, this is still a daily staple (actually multiple-times-a-daily staple).  This is even better than the History of Whoo version.  There are now Lilac and Coral versions, but the original pink still works best for my pale skin.

Chosungah 22 Dual Lip Tint & Gloss ($19) (shown in Chiffon): The lip tint is high quality: applies smoothly, evenly, and with a POW of color.  A marked difference from TonyMoly quality ::side eye::  Unfortunately, the lip gloss flakes off.  Still worth trying.

AmorePacific Color Control Cushion ($60) (reviewed here): Smooth, luminous, dewy coverage that is noticeably better (but just slightly better) than my IOPE, Hera, and Laneige cushions.  I wear 104 when I’m NC20-25 in the summer and 102 when I’m NC15 in the winter.  And our friend Amy raves about the colorless version (if you don’t need any coverage).

Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist ($48): My favorite mist ever!  A superfine and moisturizing mist that leaves a dewy finish–especially when applied before and after my cushion.  Worth the splurge for dry skin, but might be too “heavy” and shiny for others.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette ($62) (reviewed here alongside my custom-made one): My pan shows just how well loved this palette is (well, mostly the left two powders).  Dim Light, the light beige finishing powder on the far left (and available on its own if you don’t want the whole palette), is quite unique because it adds a softly luminous sheen that’s hard to replicate with a highlighter or even my next pick…

Guerlain Meteorites ($62): I love Meteorites for adding clear and soft radiance all over.  One pot of these balls (heh) will last a lifetime, so choose one you’ll love.  Some of the special editions are purposely extra sparkly (if that’s what you want).  In this pic, Clair and limited-edition Rainbow are tossed together in a Laduree container.

Dior Addict Lipstick ($35): Ahh, I’m a longtime fan of Dior lip products for their smoothness and shine.  This one is 680 After Party (a mauve pink), which I swatched in this “What’s In My Bag” post.  I’m eyeing 780 Bold (another mauve!) for the sale.

Tatcha Gold Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm ($36) (reviewed here): This was a press sample, but I’d buy it with my own money.  It’s replaced my former favorite, the Hourglass Lip Oil, because it’s more versatile: moisturizing enough to wear overnight, sinks in after a few minutes so you can apply lipstick on top.  There’s a limited-edition one with even MOAR gold!

Dior Nail Glow ($27) (reviewed here): Yes, this is just clear nail polish with oomph.  But being able to add oomph in the few seconds it takes to apply and dry clear nail polish is invaluable for nails ravaged by repeatedly typing “roxy+angela 4ever” and “how to win custody of your friend’s cat” day after day.

Formula X Sheer Strength polish in Wondrous ($12.50): This is my HG sheer pale pink.  It levels out well, applies sheerly with one layer but can be built up, and isn’t too chalky or opaque on my lobster hands–qualities that were hard to find in the many Essie and OPI polishes I tried before this.

>>Read MOAR: Click to read Part 2<<