The Best of the Sephora VIB Sale

It's the most wonderful time of the year!!! The holidays are so close, Taylor Swift's new album just dropped (who else stayed up wayyyy late listening???), Hallmark's cheesy but oh so good Christmas movies are on repeat, and the Sephora VIB sale is HERE! I know the majority of us are VIBs or Beauty Insiders, but if you're VIB Rogue and already shopped, props to you girl - no shame! ;) Ha! I still don't know how I spend enough each year there to be a VIB, but I guess that's what happens when you have an unnecessary addiction to the prettiest palettes and convince yourself you need every matte lippie on the market.
But if we're being honest, 20% off EVERYTHING in Sephora is a ridiculously good deal. Most department stores with the same brands don't even offer this, and being so close to the holidays it really is the best time to take advantage of getting started with your shopping! A little shopping for you, gifts for friends and all the girls in your life - nothing really beats this sale!
Last year the internet semi-freaked out because of the confusion surrounding the dates of this sale -- but it's the same this year, VIB Rogue members had their chance to shop and now it's the VIB and Insiders turn starting today. You can shop through the 15th with code 20FORVIB - so you have five days to talk yourself out of that splurge you know you'll end up getting anyway. ;)
When I think about what to buy during this sale, there's two things I can totally rationalize: my "always empties", AKA the products I love, use on repeat and can stock up on now that it's on sale, and that expensive palette/skincare product/mask or whatever else I've eyed but would never even try to justify buying at full price.

Always Empties:

Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer / YSL Lip Stain #20 / Beauty Blender / Naked Skin Concealer
Clinique Moisture Surge Moisturizer: you guys know I rave about this moisturizer over and over - it's something I use in my daily makeup routine and there's very few moisturizers I love this much! Clinique is one of the best brands when it comes to beauty if you ask me, and this is one of the things to stock up on right now. The 2.5 oz jar is the one I always buy because it seems to be the best buy for the money - it's on sale for $42 after the 20% off. There are smaller options though, and I always recommend grabbing one or two in the travel size - they're so great to keep in your handbag or travel beauty bag!

YSL Lip Stain #20: matte lip glosses/sticks/stains give the most classic look, and really do last SO long. I always stick to lip stains, and although the YSL line is rather expensive, the quality can't be beat. #20 is my go-to year round; it's the perfect shade of pink that isn't too bright or too dull and it looks pretty on just about every girl. It comes to $28.80 with the 20% off, so it's the best time to grab your favorite color and maybe even one or two for your girlfriends, sister and/or mom for the holidays.

Beauty Blender: I know this seems like a pretty generic, common buy... But to be honest, the BeautyBlender brand really does work THE best! It's like Vicki Gunvalson - she's the OG of the OC and this is hands down the OG of the beauty blenders! LOL. It comes to $16 after the 20% off, out of all of the blenders I've tried before, this one lasts the longest so it's worth grabbing a few. Another great stocking stuffer idea too!

Naked Skin Concealer: whether you need a new under eye concealer or something to cover small blemishes, this is the perfect concealer. I'm sure most of you have used this before, but it's my go-to and the concealer I always reach for over any others. It blends easily, looks smooth and natural and it's pretty impossible not to find the perfect color for you with their extensive palette! After the 20%, it comes to $23.20 and I bought two of these in the travel size to keep in my travel bag.

Holiday Gift Buys:

Sugar Lip Box / Dr Jart+ Mask Set / Tarte Toasted Palette / Fresh Umbrian Clay Mask / YSL Black Opium Gift Set / Joe Malone Gift Set
Sugar Lip Box: this entire line of lip products works incredibly, and there's nothing harder on your lips than the cold weather! These are great to stock up on to keep in your bag, or for a Secret Santa exchange, a stocking stuffer - anything! They're worth every penny and this set comes to $36 after the 20% off which is a great deal.

Dr Jart+ Mask Set: I just bought two of these sets for two of my friends for Christmas, what girl doesn't love a good face mask?! All that's missing now is the glass of red! ;) The set comes to $28.80 and there's 7 masks in this set that are all soothing and work wonders on your skin.

Tarte Toasted Palette: this palette just came out a few weeks ago, so it's so exciting that it's on sale! I'm a bit of an eye shadow palette hoarder #guilty, but if you're going to buy ONE thing from this sale, let it be this!! Buy one for you, one for your sister, mom, all of your friends - everyone on your list because it's THE prettiest! The colors are stunning and since it's brand new, there's nothing like getting 20% off! It comes to $36.80 and you'll be so glad you did.

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mask: I love giving face masks and pampering products for Christmas gifts, and this clay mask would be a great addition if you're putting a gift basket together! It's pricier, but it works really well and is one of the best out there that I've seen. It may not be one of the things you'd be adding to your cart normally, but take advantage of it being $49.60 post-coupon!

YSL Black Opium Gift Set: if you haven't gotten to smell the Black Opium scent yet, you are missing out! It is incredible, just like this gift set! This is the perfect holiday gift and it comes to $72.80 after the 20% - it comes with the perfume, a classic red YSL lipstick and the Rouge Per Couture mascara. It even comes in that pretty gift box, so buying this checks someone off of your shopping list that easily.

Jo Malone Gift Set: Jo Malone such classic fragrances and this set too comes in a beautifully wrapped box, so you can easily gift it. It's $68 after taking 20% off - you may just be tempted to keep this one for yourself too!

Splurges so good, 20% makes the difference:

Dyson Hair Dryer / Naked Eye Shadow Palette Vault / La Mer Moisturizing Cream / Virgin Marula Facial Oil
Dyson Hair Dryer: this was one of the many "it" beauty gifts of last season, but I've heard such great things about it that it's become a hot buy this season too. It's still $319.20 after the 20% off, but it does seem worth the splurge. It isn't for everyone, but for those obsessed with Dyson (I looove my vacuum, and the handheld vacuum is even cooler) it just may be worth it.

Naked Eye Shadow Palette Vault: this is actually a REALLY great buy even though it's still a splurge! You get all of the Naked eye shadow palettes, and after taking 20% off it's $156 - each palette retails for $48-52, so you're really saving quite a bit! It'd also make for another great gift idea for the holidays.

La Mer Moisturizing Cream: I have never tried more than a sample of a La Mer product, clearly the brand is filled with splurge-worthy products but they ALL always have awesome reviews. This moisturizing cream is still $136 after the 20% discount in the 1 oz size, but it's known to really heal your skin and plump it with hydration... It's known to do what it says it does, so it's up to you to decide if you want to splurge on something that could very well be worth every dollar!

Virgin Marula Facial Oil: I started using Drunk Elephant products a couple of months ago, and I can confidently say that this brand has some of THE best products and formulas that work ssooo well. This face oil is $57.60 after 20% off, and it's the splurge you need to buy. It's extremely hydrating and healing for your skin all without leaving a shiny look/feel like you'd think an oil would. I call it my miracle oil (ha!) and now is the time to buy it with this sale!

Time to get shopping! ;) What are you buying from this sale? XOXO -A