The One Sephora Sale Buy

A very specific, very good deal

Oct 27, 2023

Maybe it’s the Black Friday countdown or maybe it’s just The Row sample sale FOMO talking but: I am not feeling very moved to indulge in the Sephora Savings Event that starts today. There was a time (I think) when Sephora had like, 1 sale a year. Max 2. I will not be fact checking this. Back then it felt like a real event that required all hands on deck. Now, less so.

If you happen to be running out of your favorite serum or blush AND you have Rouge status (affording you the full 20% off and a 4-day head start), have at it. Your timing is impeccable. That said, I’d be willing to bet that better skincare deals are right around the corner. Last year, I absolutely cleaned up on Black Friday beauty deals galore. I have no reason to believe we’re not about to witness the same.

All that said, I do think there is one particularly good Sephora deal that everyone can take advantage of, that I have bought myself, and that I don’t regret for a second:

The Sephora Pro Brushes

In the past year, I have become a Brush Girl™. I used to be a sponge girl and before that, I don’t really know what I was. Good brushes will change your life. And the Sephora Pro brushes are not just good enough — they are truly excellent. Vegan, soft as a kitten, very sleek when you put them all in a jar together, and they never, EVER shed on your face. Even better: They’re 30% off starting now, for everyone, regardless of VIB status.

I’m in the process of switching my entire brush collection over to a Sephora Pro set. And not just because it delights me to see them all next to each other in uniform. The quality is just outstanding! What can I say?

For years, I put up with a brush set from a luxury French fashion house with a just OK beauty line (I’m sure you can guess which) as the brushes shed hairs all over my face and broke apart in the palm of my hand. I was blinded by the brand name! And the celebrity endorsements! No more. I have one or two non-Sephora brushes that have earned their place, but I dream of a totally matching set. Here’s what I’d start with:

Pro Bronzer Brush #80

I’ve completely converted to Mary Philips’s foundation technique — I apply my foundation (or tint) with a brush like this, instead of a more traditional foundation brush. It gives a very light-handed, seamless finish without much work. (Disclaimer: This is the one brush I don’t actually have in my collection — I am still using a Sisley Powder Brush for this since it doesn’t shed and walks the fine line between being big and fluffy and appropriately dense. They look very similar.)

Pro Contour Brush #78

I like to have a really dense brush like this at my disposal to buff out contour or cream blush, particularly from stick products like my Westman Atelier favorites. They are richer formulas that benefit from firmer bristles that can get them moving on the skin for a natural, from-within finish.

Pro Blush Brush #96

One of my favorites — I use her for any and all powders, not just blush. It’s light as air, with an angled tip, making it a more precise way to set parts of your face, instead of all of it.

Pro Concealer Brush #71 and Pro Concealer Brush #45

I like to have 2 different ways to apply concealer. With #71, you get a denser head that works well to buff out concealer under your eyes, between your eyebrows, around your nose, and so on. If you tend to use concealer as your main base product or as a part of building out your highlight/contour look — this is for you. #45 is what I reach for to cover blemishes. It has a lighter touch than your finger and helps to actually cover without ending up with that packed-on, cake-y concealer look.

Pro Angled Liner Brush #22, Pro Shadow Brush #18, Pro Shadow #14, Pro Crease #26, and Pro Brow #20

Eye makeup is not usually my game (we’ve been over this), but I get by with this assortment when I need to. Better to have the tools than to find yourself halfway through a smokey eye with no way out other than your fingertips and your wits.

Are you partaking?

Curious what’s on your list — for the Sephora sale and beyond. Should we start a collective Black Friday wishlist? That could be kind of fun. Hit me up in the comments.