I highly recommend checking out all of the Sephora Collection lines. Sephora is owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton) and though the brand's packaging is simple, the formulas are amazing.

The Best Skin Ever foundation is one of my favorite base products because it's the perfect formula for my dry skin.

This $22 long-wearing foundation has light to medium coverage and a natural, dewy finish.

The $14 Sephora Collection Colorful blushes are absolutely beautiful. If a shade you like is in stock, I recommend picking it up because they sell out quickly.

The blushes come in matte and shimmer finishes. The pigmentation is great, the texture is soft and buttery, and the application is smooth. 

If you're looking for a good eyebrow pencil, the Sephora Collection has got you covered.

The $13 Retractable brow pencil is waterproof and smudge-proof and has an ultra-fine tip for easy application. I love to brush the spoolie through my brows to soften the look. 

Rare Beauty has quickly become one of the best brands at Sephora. The brand's easy-to-use products and packaging and the mission alone make it worth checking out.

I recommend starting with the $23 Soft Pinch Liquid blush. It's extremely pigmented so you need the tiniest dot to blend into a beautiful blushed look.

I didn't use to be a cream or liquid-blush person but once I started using formulas like these, I fell in love.

If you don't apply your liquid or cream makeup with a damp beauty blender, you're missing out. After working in the beauty industry and using this sponge for seven years, I can never go back.

I know $20 for a makeup tool may sound like a splurge but something about the design of the original beauty blender and its soft texture blends my base to a flawless finish.

Though there are more affordable alternatives that create a similar effect, I've used other sponges and brushes and still think nothing beats the beauty blender.

I used to be a matte liquid-lipstick girl, but as I got older I thought it made my lips look dry and crusty. Now, I want my lips as glossy and juicy as possible and the $21 Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow is the most perfect lip-gloss shade and formula.

This gloss looks great on every single skin tone, age, and lip shape. I would recommend this to anyone who was looking for the perfect nude lip gloss.

I also love the shade FU$$Y, which is a soft pink. The formula is thick and moisturizing without being sticky and has a soft watermelon-like scent and a high-shine finish.

If you're looking for a great lip gloss from a "clean" beauty brand, I recommend the $16 Tower 28 ShineOn lip jelly gloss.

This unscented, lightweight formula isn't sticky and has the perfect amount of shine. This gloss looks amazing with or without makeup, and there are a variety of natural-looking shade options.

Clinique may not be a brand I use a lot, but I've always loved the .5-ounce $23 Acne Solutions clearing gel.

This gel is a lifesaver if you have a pimple that you want to get rid of quickly. It has salicylic acid, witch hazel, and laminaria-saccharina extract to eliminate blemishes and prevent new ones from forming.

I apply this gel at night and see my minimized pimple in the morning.

If you want to shop at Sephora but can't quite justify a splurge, check out the mini-sized, more affordable items in the Beauty on the Fly section by the register.

Though a lot of these products aren't a better value per ounce than the full size, they're still a good way to try something at a lower price or pick up if you need something TSA-approved.

Personally, I loved the $22 Supergoop Glow-Screen Sunscreen SPF 40 for the summer. I'm a fan of its dewy finish, how it works on its own as a primer, and the way it gives my skin radiance without makeup. I usually throw the mini size in my purse to reapply throughout the day.

This story was originally published on September 6, 2022, and most recently updated on December 12, 2024.

When I need coverage that looks like my skin but better, I reach for this Make Up For Ever foundation. It's lightweight, makes my skin tone look more even, and doesn't feel heavy even after hours of wear.

I don't like the feeling of having a ton of product on my face, so this foundation is perfect. It blends seamlessly and provides the right amount of coverage for both my professional and personal use.

The Danessa Myricks blurring balm powder is hands down one of the most innovative products I've used this year. It's like a magic eraser for skin imperfections.

The texture of the balm-to-powder formula, meant to prime, add coverage, or set products, is incredible — it's soft and silky and blurs everything in its path.

Whether I'm prepping skin for a glam look or creating a no-makeup moment, this balm is my secret weapon.

When I want a more dramatic, pigmented cheek moment, the Haus Labs blush in the shade Dragon Fruit Daze steps up to the plate.

Its pigmentation is incredible — a little goes a long way. Though it's intense, it blends beautifully, allowing for both subtle and bold application on various skin tones.

I spent most of 2024 searching for a product that would give me a perfect, natural-looking glow, and the Saie Glowy Super Gel illuminator is exactly what I needed.

This serum, meant to add luminosity to the skin, is lightweight, absorbs instantly, and leaves the most beautiful, dewy finish.

I love layering it under makeup or wearing it by itself when my skin needs extra love. I use the shade Sunglow.

As a makeup artist who doesn't always want to look "done up," this Maybelline skin tint, which lasts up to 24 hours, has become my go-to.

It evens out my skin tone and blurs imperfections, but it's so lightweight that I almost forget I'm wearing anything.

I apply it when I want to run errands or grab a coffee without looking like I'm heading to a photo shoot.

This One/Size mattifying primer has been a game changer in my kit. It creates the perfect canvas for my oily-skinned clients and helps product stay put all day.

I particularly love using this on my brides. I've recommended the primer to countless clients, and it's yet to disappoint.

This Saie product provides the most beautiful flush, so it looks like I'm naturally glowing from within. The formula blends seamlessly into the skin, giving me the perfect "I woke up like this" cheek color.

Whether I'm going for a minimal-makeup look or adding a pop of color to a full-glam moment, this Saie Dew Blush in the shade Dreamy has been my go-to.

As someone with combination-oily skin (meaning only some parts of my face get oily), finding the right primer is like striking gold.

This Danessa Myricks serum is a mattifying product that transforms from water to powder. It's made with kaolin clay to absorb excess oil without leaving the skin feeling dry and tight — a constant struggle I've had with other mattifying products.

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, meant for smoothing and plumping, has been my skincare indulgence this year.

It's great for priming the skin before makeup, though I also use it as a stand-alone moisturizer on no-makeup days. It's refreshing, hydrating, and luxurious-feeling.

This Topicals balm has been one of my favorite lip-care products.

It's more than just an average balm — this treatment keeps my lips feeling soft, hydrated, and healthy. I spread it on my lips before any makeup application.

The Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech foundation creates a natural medium-coverage look. This product has an amazing formula with skincare ingredients like fermented arnica, which can help reduce redness.

The brand's concealers are also fabulous and can even be used as foundation.

Full disclosure, I work as a brand ambassador for Ilia at some Sephora stores — but I genuinely love the Ilia Super Serum skin tint because it has great skincare ingredients.

The SPF 40 product contains ingredients like niacinamide, which can treat acne, and squalane, which hydrates the skin. It's a beautifully tinted serum with dewy light-to-medium coverage.

I usually point clients who want voluminous lashes to the Dior Diorshow 24h buildable-volume mascara. Personally, I prefer the waterproof formula for building volume.

My lips always feel hydrated and plump when I use the OleHenriksen Pout Preserve hydrating peptide lip treatments.

I love the Strawberry Sorbet shade because it leaves a beautiful hint of pink on the lips.

I was wowed when I first tried the Urban Decay Vice Bond glossy long-wear lipstick.

The highly pigmented colors stay on my lips longer than the rest of my makeup. To use it, shake the lipstick, apply it to your lips, and let it dry while you keep your mouth open.

Because I was encouraged to sell Sephora Collection makeup when I worked in the store, I've tried many of the products.

My favorites were always the setting products because they lock down makeup for a reasonable price.

I'd even say the Sephora Collection translucent loose setting powder is comparable to the pricier Laura Mercier translucent one.

Similarly, the Sephora Collection all-day makeup setting spray is just as good for setting your face as the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless spray.

I always tell my clients that sunscreen is like health insurance for the face.

I swear by the Ilia C Beyond triple serum SPF 40 because the tinted formula, which comes in three shades, can cover redness without leaving a white cast. It also layers underneath foundation beautifully.

The Tula Skincare Protect and Glow daily sunscreen gel SPF 30 gives the skin a gorgeous glow while protecting it from sun damage.

Double cleansing, or washing your face with two cleansers, starts with removing makeup and sunscreen with balms or oils.

I recommend the Farmacy Green Clean makeup-removing cleansing balm or the Dermalogica Precleanse cleansing oil. Be gentle when massaging these products on the skin, especially around the eyes, so you don't lose any lashes.

I recommend choosing a basic cleanser according to your skin type and concerns.

For example, I have combination skin (oily and dry), so I use the gel-based Shani Darden cleansing serum. The cleanser feels luxurious with how it foams up. I also felt like how it removes dirt and oil without drying out my skin.

If your skin is dry and sensitive, I recommend a cream-based product like the First Aid Beauty pure-skin cleanser. The fragrance-free cream formula even doubles as a makeup remover.

I usually recommend an enzyme exfoliant for those with dry or flaky skin and a chemical exfoliator with glycolic or lactic acids for clients with textured skin.

The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant exfoliant is an enzyme powder that's activated when mixed with water.

This gentle yet effective scrub helps even skin tone while cleansing and reducing the appearance of pores. It's a great step before applying foundation.

When I want a chemical exfoliant that nourishes my skin, I use the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta extra-strength daily peel pads.

I also loved using the First Aid Beauty facial radiance pads when prepping clients' skin at Sephora's Beauty Studio. They're a staple for preparing a good base to apply makeup to, and I've even found they work for people with sensitive skin.

I suggest people with dry skin go for a cream-based moisturizer because it has a thick consistency that will lock in moisture.

I like a few Skinfix products, but the Barrier+ strengthening and moisturizing triple lipid-peptide cream hydrates and helps to restore the skin barrier.

My all-time favorite eye cream is the Biossance squalane-and-marine-algae product.

It's the ultimate one-and-done eye cream because it can firm and instantly brighten the under eyes. For an extra refreshing application, chill your eye cream in the fridge.

This story was originally published on March 18, 2024, and most recently updated on November 22, 2024.