12 Beauty Products I Cannot Live Without + Sephora Sale!

If you need to restock on beauty products or just feel like treating yourself after this long work week, today is the day! It’s the Sephora VIB + Beauty Insiders Event! Through April 23rd, you can receive 10-15% off products that never, ever go on sale!! The percentage varies depending on your Beauty Insider level.

To get the discount, you just need to be a Sephora Beauty Insider. What’s that mean? You just need to have an account created at Sephora. This account tracks your purchased items which makes repurchasing super simple, returning products a breeze and the best part? You accumulate points to redeem for products! You also receive an awesome box of goodies on your birthday.

The Sephora Beauty Insider program is honestly why I pool all my orders into Sephora and I’m not much of an Ulta shopper. Sephora’s points system is just so good. This is also how I discover a lot of products I end up loving, as you’ll see below.

To become a Beauty Insider, just click the “sign in or register” link on the top right hand side of the website. This is not a credit card or anything sneaky, just an account. From there, the more money you spend over the year, the more points you accumulate and then the higher the “ranking”. The tiers are:

INSIDER = $0 spent in the last year, code YAYINSIDER
VIB = $350 spent in last year, code YAYVIB
VIB ROUGE = $1,000 spent in the last year, code YAYROUGE

If you’re joining today, you’ll be an Insider and get 10% off! Wooop. VIB and VIB Rouge tiers receive 15% off.

Since both my dad and husband read my blog, I will plead the 5th and not self-incriminate. Although, that within itself probably states which tier I am. I like lipgloss, what can I say.

So I figured today I’d share my top 10, cannot live without, will run to the mall at 9PM if I run out products. Most of these have been shared on my blog before. Some are holy grail from four years ago. Some of these products were found last summer when I was testing every foundation, lip product and concealer known to man kind when finding the perfect mix for my wedding day 😉 Some are recent finds that have been repurchased and obtained the holy grail status reallll quick because they’re just that good.

Alright, this is potentially my longest blog post ever! Have fun shopping! Xo Mindy

SMASHBOX PORE MINIMIZING PRIMER
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For our wedding, S and I treated my bridesmaids to hair and make up. We wanted to cover both for everyone to feel pampered so we hired two beauticians to come on site to the bridal suite the morning-of! I felt like my girls were already spending a lot of money as bridal parties do, so this was one way to treat them.

I was included in the make up schedule as well, but honestly, I learned that I am way too picky to have other people do my make up. If I can do my own make up, know what photographs well and what feels like me, what’s the harm is doing it myself? Hehe.

Leading up to our wedding, I tested a so many products to nail what I’d wear on my wedding day. My bridesmaids were like “wait why are you doing your make up!?” Lol. I just had the beautician apply my lashes.

Anyways, this primer is one product I discovered though that process and it’s now a staple for me. Your foundation applies on top of it so beautifully, it keeps my base fresh all day and minimizes pores and impurities.

MAKE UP FOREVER HD FOUNDATION
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Makeup Forever was one of the first brands to add me to their PR list when I was just a little, baby blogger. That’s how I was introduced to the brand and now four years later, I haven’t found a foundation I love more than their HD Foundation. IT’S AMAZING.

Why? The coverage is out of this world, but it feels light weight. The pigmentation is really great. It doesn’t oxidize. Plus, the color range they offer I feel like will allow any girl to find their skin tone.

My #1 reason though? There is not a single foundation out there that photographs so beautifully. None! I have tried so many other products, then shot blog photos and was immediately reminded on how amazing the this one is. Your complexion is FLAWLESS with just one layer of product, so while it’s buildable you really don’t need much. If you have a big event coming up that involves photos – grab this!

I apply with this brush. I wear shade Y245 naturally and Y255 when self tanned so I keep both colors on deck.

IT COSMETICS CC CREAM
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Even though this is my go-to foundation, I only wear it for blog shoots, big events or if I need my make up to last all day. I work from home 3ish days a week, so I honestly try to not even apply any make up on my face so that it can breathe. On days I am working from the office, running errands or just feel like having some color/coverage, I wear this CC cream.

I’ve hated every single CC cream I’ve ever tried, other than this one. Most are super runny and very light so they don’t provide any coverage or pigmentation at all.. so what’s the point? I LOVE this one because  the pigmentation is amazing, coverage is out of this world and for my sun ray blocking self, has SPF 50!

ST. TROPEZ SELF TANNING MOUSSE
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I love me some self tannahhh! I self tan around once a week, year round. Since 1. I live in New England and 2. wish I could wear a sweatsuit to the beach to block the rays. I get my tan from a bottle lol and it’s really easy to do at home, girlfran.

I apply this mousse with this mit. I’ve tried many different self tanning products, but the this mousse is my favorite because it fades without looking patchy, has green undertones [counters any orange] and lasts 7-10 days. I’ve been testing this one and will report back soon. I prefer mousse to lotion [even tho lotion is more hydrating] because it’s lighter and less sticky, icky . Here is a post with my natural skin color and here I am as you see me 99% of the time with self tanner on.

SHOP OTHER BEAUTY PRODUCTS I LOVE

BUMBLE & BUMBLE’S HAIR PRIMER
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This product is one I’ve shared on my blog since it started. It’s a 100%, absolutely cannot live without product because it multitasks and keeps hair really healthy! I spray it all over my hair after getting out of the shower.

This product detangles, heat protects, moisturizes, softens, reduces frizz. Uh -EVERYTHING! I’ve had readers email me after finding it through my blog and say they are hooked.

IGK TEXTURE SPRAY
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In January I was headed to Denver and hopped over to Sephora to grab some products.. using any excuse to get to Sephora as you can see. At the checkout line, I grabbed this volumizing product to test.

The verdict? I LOVE IT and have repurchased. For massive volume, I spray it on the roots of clean hair and then also on the bottom of my hair when I have curls. The body of my hair increases by like 2X.

TOM FORD SOLEIL BLANc PERFUME
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Don’t tell my dad how much this costs, lol. Another wedding day find! I had a lot of fun with beauty products last summer if you couldn’t tell 😉

While this perfume is most definitely a splurge, it’s luxurious, smells like no other perfume I’ve ever come across and is now a special momento from our wedding day. I loved having a special scent day of because anytime S and I smell it now, it fills up my heart with memories. #SappyButTrue

TOM FORD ULTRA SHINE LIP GLOSS
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Another gem I found while testing out products to wear on my wedding day. I’m a gloss girl through and through so I tested a bunch of glosses until I found the perfect one. I didn’t want to reapply liner, lip stick and gloss day of [who has time for that?!]. This gloss ended up being perfect. So perfect. It has so much pigmentation and is the most gorgeous color. I’ve never come across one comparable! The ‘Sahara’ color has a cult following, so it took me awhile to snag, but it’s in stock for you today.

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TARTE 12 HOUR AMAZON CLAY BLUSH
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Blush is a must-have for me because it instantly makes me look alive! I never would have picked this color blush [called ‘Paaaaaarty’] off the shelf. I received it as a sample from Sephora and have repurchased three times. THREE TIMES! It’s the most gorgeous color that I really think would be flattering on all skin tones. And just as it states, I don’t find myself reapplying through the day.

URBAN DECAY VICE LIPSTICK
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As I mentioned above, I’m a gloss girl through and through. I like my make up to look natural, so other than the occasional festive red lippie, I normally throw on a clear or pink lipgloss. This lipstick changed my mind! I love, love, love this lipstick and wear it almost every day lately. It’s the most beautiful muavey nude hue and the ‘comfort matte’ style is shinny like a gloss. Here it is on!

LIVING PROOF DRY SHAMPOO
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This is another product that I’ve been screaming from the rooftops about for years. The year I started my blog, Living Proof invited me to their headquarters [and lab!] in Cambridge, MA to preview their newest product – this dry shampoo!

While dry shampoo was already a hot ticket on the market at this time, Living Proof waited until they had a formula that really worked and surpassed that of other brands. It really is the best dry shampoo on the market and this is coming from the girl that washes her hair every 7-10 days. Yes, my husband thinks it’s gross. No, I am not changing my ways!

Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day dry shampoo may be a splurge compared to the drug store’s $8 bottle, but it works like no other.

When I was testing it out years ago, I applied before work. When S got home, he walked in an asked me what smelled so good. IT WAS MY HAIR. MY FIVE DAY UNWASHED HAIR. It has time release technology so random bursts of the classic LP scent [the best smelling hair product ever] bursts throughout the day. It also leave 0 white power residue and removes built up oil and sweat. S stuffs bottles of it in my Christmas stocking because he knows I love it so much. You need to try it!

HOOLAH BRONZER
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If you asked me four years ago how to contour, apply false lashes or what a matte lipstick was I’d look at you with a deer in headlights. Now? Well let’s just say my dad walked into my room last time he was visiting and was [I think] appalled at my four-tiered make up stand.. and he didn’t even see the boxes I have in the loft haha. Okay maybe appalled is a strong word, but most totally SHOCKED and he knows I’m an ultimate girly, girl.

Anyways, in 2014 I started watching YouTube videos on how to apply make up products and reading reviews on specific products as well. If I wanted a bronzer, I researched for hours and watch videos to understand which to invest in because let’s be real, make up is not cheap.

Long story to say, when I first started using bronzer [contouring didn’t come for a couple years after that lol], I tried this one. I’ve used others since, but always come back to this.

Why is it awesome? It’s amazing for beginners because it comes with a stipend brush [more bang for your buck!], the color is universally flattering and it’s blendable. Most importantly.. it doesn’t have sparkles. Sparkles in my bronzer makes me look like a disco ball.

So what’s in my cart?
This new product with raving 5 star reviews that’s a savior for textured hair girls.
This product I want to test because it sounds way too good to be true.
A restock of these because they are an essential.
This mask because I’ve had my bottle for three years [!!!] and it’s a weekly staple for gutting my pores.

Let me know what you’re getting in the comments! Xo Mindy

SHOP MY TOP 10 HOLY GRAIL BEAUY PRODUCTS