It’s Christmas! What a fun time to talk about a year in makeup. A friend told me recently that if you haven’t updated your personal makeup collection since the pandemic began…that means your stuff is at least three years old. Talk about a wakeup call! So I overhauled most of my makeup and found some great replacements.

I’m back on the beauty scene in a big way - I want to know what new products are out there that I haven’t tried, and where I can start taking the leap and switching to as many clean products as I can that work for me. The availability and quality among clean beauty have improved a great deal in the last few years, so it’s time to start testing them.

Also, now that I’ve just turned thirty, I have a much better idea of what I like, what works well for my skin, how to take care of my skin, and more about makeup technique and application.

As always, if my product recommendations are good enough for my friends, they’re good enough for my readers. These are my favorite picks from Sephora in 2022!

Skincare

Sorry, apricot scrub from high school - turns out you’re a little too rough for my skin. As a gentler alternative (especially for my face), I’m now reaching for Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator on my exfoliating days in my skin cycle. It’s a pretty cool formula - it starts in a lightweight powder form, kind of like baby powder, but by rubbing a little bit of water in with your hands, it turns into a paste. Rub gently into your face and neck in circular motions, then rinse.

wins: vegan, salicylic acid, works for most skin types, Allure 2019 Beauty Award Winner

downers: price (mini size is $16), not clean formula

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For my Sephora birthday gift, I picked the Tatcha Birthday Gift Set. I really struggled to make a decision between this and a fun makeup option, I think a set from Charlotte Tillbury or Lancome. Turns out I absolutely made the correct choice.

I try to minimize the number of products I use that have fragrance, because it doesn’t do any favors for your skin, but I must say that Tatcha’s products smell AMAZING. Thankfully, I don’t have sensitive skin, so my skin can tolerate fragrance. This reward included the Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser, the Dewy Skin Cream, and the Liquid Silk Canvas. The moisturizer is lightweight and so great for a daytime moisturizer if I cleanse my face in the morning (usually after a sweaty workout), or to prep my skin before makeup. The rice cleanser is mild and also smells like heaven. And the primer, a product I really desperately need to purchase in a full size, flattens my skin and makes for a great base for foundation and eyeshadow.

wins: (cleanser) gorgeous scent, clean ingredients, super hydrating, hyaluronic acid, suitable to most skin types, helps with dryness, clinical results, PH-neutral, (moisturizer) plumping feature

downers: The full size of the moisturizer is a whopping $69, and the rice cleanser’s full size is $38. It’s not easy being clean.

Makeup

EYES

Wow…I have found my new favorite eyeshadow palette by an absolute football field: it’s HUDA BEAUTY The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette. This was honestly the quality I wanted but didn’t get from Urban Decay’s mini eyeshadow palette. The pigment is spectacular, and I love the mix of nudes and blushes, mattes and shimmers, AND straight-up glitters (three). I got it on sale for a steal for this quality and number of shadows, about $35. Just get it, hopefully it goes on sale again.

wins: shade variety, quality for price (especially on sale), super pigmented, Sephora community favorite, gorgeous packaging, unsung hero / undiscovered

downers: bit of fallout with the glitter, full price is high

LIPS

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Crush (soft beige)

SEPHORA COLLECTION Clean Lip Balm & Scrub (currently on sale for $3.50 and perfect for soft and smooth lippies! Also Clean at Sephora)

FACE

Hello sultry new foundation - Armani Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation (my shade is 4.5). She is luxury, she is sweet, she is all you need.

wins: natural and radiant finish, medium coverage, Sephora community favorite, oil-free, Allure 2018 Best of Beauty Award Winner, buildable formula

downers: price; not clean formula (though finding the right foundation for me is a journey enough, so I’ll cut myself some slack; the bottle pump has a sharp edge that scratches your skin when you pump straight onto your hand

FRAGRANCE

Umm hello my coconut dreams coming true in a bottle…SKYLAR Coconut Cove Eau de Parfum is serving ultra coconut-y realness.

Haircare

At the end of the summer, I decided to make my first haircare splurge and bought the Deep Hydration Routine set from JVN Hair. You know I love Johnathan Van Ness, and I would trust him to have his absolute f*cking way with my fair, so after reading rave reviews and hearing how amazing his products performed (and smelled), I bought the package on a discount. This was a few different firsts for me: my first scalp treatment, leave-in conditioner, multi-product bundle of the same brand, and first Clean at Sephora products.

Here’s what’s included in the Deep Hydration Routine:

• Pre-Wash Scalp Oil

• Hydrating Shampoo

• Hydrating Conditioner

• Deep Moisture Mask

• Leave-In Conditioning Mist

• Nourishing Shine Drops

• Tube Key

It’s been almost five months, and I swear this is not a paid ad (though it should be!)—my hair has never been softer, healthier, and more moisturized. She deserves TLC after all the head and color treatments. Full set review coming soon. xx

wins: sulfate-free, vegan, made with hemisqualane, silicone-free, color-safe, cruelty-free, sustainable packaging, LGBTQ-owned, Allure 2022 Beauty Award Winner (Nourishing Shine Drops)

downers: price, but honestly worth it if you really do want to give your hair the healthiest boost of its life and smell like a rich spa

That’s my list! I’m so excited to try new brands, as there are several on my list for 2023. What were some of your Sephora favorites?