The time has come, the Spring Sephora VIB Sale is now upon us. I don’t know what your stance on Sephora is right now. I know many people boycotting Sephora for promising to standby their employees, just to turn around and lay off their part-time employees by a 3 minute conference call.
I’m going to link some articles, just for the sake of transparency and for you all to have enough information to make a decision on whether or not to continue to support Sephora. My personal opinion on the matter will be at the end.
Business Insider Article:
https://www.businessinsider.com/sephora-fires-employees-via-sudden-conference-call-2020-4
NYLON:
https://www.nylon.com/sephora-layoffs-coronavirus
NY Times Article (this is an opinion piece):
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/opinion/sephora-layoffs-coronavirus.html?smid=tw-share
That being said, I will be providing both links to each products when applicable: one to Sephora, and the other will be a direct link to that brand’s website. (In case you want to buy the product without shopping at Sephora.)
The sale: For different members, the discount as well as the dates vary.
VIB ROUGE: 20% (April 17, 2020 - May 1, 2020)
VIB: 15% (April 21, 2020 - April 29, 2020)
INSIDER: 10% (April 23, 2020 - April 27, 2020)
Use code SPRINGSAVE to get your discount.
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Makeup Cleansing Balm
This cleansing balm has been my favorite thing to take off my makeup. I wear waterproof mascara every single day and it takes off so easily. A little goes a long way with this product should last you a long time.
Direct Link or Sephora.
For my second cleanse, I like to use something like a gel cleanser. They’re gentle but still leaves my skin very clean. These cleansers don’t leave my skin feeling dry or tight at all.
BELIF Aqua Bomb Jelly Cleanser
Direct Link: https://belifusa.com/products/aqua-bomb-jelly-cleanser
Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/product/aqua-bomb-jelly-cleanser-P444057
FRESH Soy Face Cleanser
Direct Link: https://www.fresh.com/us/soy-face-cleanser-H00000002.html
Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/product/soy-face-cleanser-P7880
FAB Facial Radiance Pads
I have pretty much stopped with physical exfoliants on my skin. They’re just not good for you, they can cause micro-tears in your skin. However, exfoliating my skin is something I still need to do. Chemical exfoliators have been my favorite thing. These ones from First Aid Beauty are the ones I’m using right now, and I am loving them. I use them right after my double cleanse. They’re gentle enough for me to use every single night but they’re still effective. I have definitely seen less texture on my skin ever since I started using them.
Direct Link or Sephora
FAB Ultra Repair Cream
If you have incredibly dry skin, this is the moisturizer I would recommend. It’s an incredibly thick cream that will really sink in and moisturize. I do find that this cream can get a little too thick for me during the spring/summer. I just prefer something a little more lightweight. However, this is the cream I will always buy once the weather starts to get colder and drier.
Direct Link or Sephora
KIEHLS Ultra Facial Cream
Something that’s a little lighter than the FAB Cream, but still works very well with my dry skin. I’ve heard from my friends that this cream has broken them out before. That has never happened to me, but I thought I would let you guys know. Everyone’s skin is different. On my dry-combo skin, it’s been pretty good to me.
Direct Link or Sephora
FRESH Umbrian Clay Purifying Mask
This is a new clay mask I’ve been using and loving. It really just goes deep into your pores and cleans everything out. Whenever my skin feels a bit clogged, I love using this to just deep clean my skin.
Direct Link or Sephora
ORIGINS Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask
I love using this when my skin feels extra dry or I start seeing dry patches. It’s an overnight mask so when I take it off the next morning, my skin feels extra plump and hydrated. It’s literally like your skin drank a big bottle of water overnight. I’ve been recommending and using this product for years. Still a favorite of mine.
Direct Link or Sephora
NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
To be honest, I haven’t been wearing a whole lot of foundation for the past year. Whenever I do though, I usually reach for this foundation. I picked the shade Gobi L3, and it’s a little too light for me so I’ll usually mix it with the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (direct link or Sephora) in Punjab M1. I really hate that I’m in-between both shades most of the time. Both foundations work great on their own and mixed together though. So if you’re looking for a new foundation - this is it. It just looks super natural on the face while still providing a pretty decent coverage that you can build easily. Leaves my skin looking pretty radiant but not too dewy. Ugh I just love it.
Direct Link or Sephora
JOUER Essential High Coverage Liquid Concealer
I cannot tell you how many times I have repurchased this concealer, but it’s been a damn whole lot. I want to say around 4 to 5 times now. For the past year, this is pretty much the ONLY concealer I’ve been wearing just up until I forced myself to start trying something else recently. Definitely my favorite concealer at all times. It’s similar to the Tarte Shape Tape concealer but it’s more hydrating. It doesn’t crease too much on me and it covers so well. It blends like a dream and it has a pretty decent staying power - even in the summer. I cannot recommend this concealer enough.
Direct Link or Sephora
I fell off the liquid eyeliner train as of recently, it’s just too much work and trouble for me. I switched to pencil liner because it’s just more versatile and forgiving. These are super creamy so they don’t skip or pull on my lids, and they have a great staying power.
URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil
Direct Link: https://www.urbandecay.com/24-7-glide-on-eye-pencil/122.html?cgid=1_500#start=1&cgid=1_500
Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/product/24-7-glide-on-eye-pencil-P133707
MARC JACOBS Highliner
Direct Link: https://www.marcjacobsbeauty.com/highliner/gel-eye-crayon/MJ20004.html
Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/product/highliner-gel-crayon-P379434
MARC JACOBS Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer
Lip gloss is one of my favorite products of all time and I’m super picky about my lip glosses. I really think that Marc Jacobs lip glosses are just some of the most beautiful lip glosses I have ever used. They’re a little tacky but nothing that actually bothers me. They have a great staying power for a lip gloss and these just put this incredible shine onto your lips and make them look incredibly juicy. My personal favorite shade is: Pretty Thing which is just a beautiful warm nude.
Direct Link or Sephora
My personal opinion: I think it’s a pretty shitty thing for Sephora to promise to take care of all their employees and then to just lay them off. I do however, understand this decision as we are in the middle of a pandemic and a lot of businesses are force to lay off people left and right. The thing I can’t seem to understand why they couldn’t just furlough their employees (like a lot of companies are doing), so that their part time employees can at least have their jobs back once we start opening back up.
Will I be shopping at Sephora? I will try my best not to. Honestly, I’m just going to try and do as much research as I can to get the best deal that I can. I’m not loaded with money, so if I can save a few dollars off my purchases right now, I will. After things start opening up again, I try to only shop in-stores (to reduce carbon footprint). If I cannot find a physical store (from the brand) for me to go to, I will most likely be shopping at my closest Sephora. Honestly, my biggest question is: Can Ulta open more stores in NYC?