Starting this weekend, Friday, November 9th – 12th, Sephora’s Holiday Bonus Event is open to VIB Members!  Just to clarify some things, Sephora has a loyalty program that is free to join.  When you sign-up, you are considered a “Beauty Insider.”  If you spend $350 or more within a year, you are upgraded to a “VIB” member.  If you spend $1000 or more within a year, you are upgraded to a “Rouge” member.  And the level of discount you get during the Holiday Bonus Event depends on your level in their loyalty program.

Sale Dates

• November 9–12: All VIB members will receive access to shop holiday event products at 20% off with code VIBBONUS
• November 16–19: Beauty Insider members will be able to shop the holiday event at 15% off with code BIBONUS
• Note: the Rouge sale has already passed.

Exceptions: Limit of one Dyson item, three Drunk Elephant items, and three Tatcha items per SKU per transaction.  Not valid on Google products. Not valid on previous purchases, purchases of gift cards or eGift cards, FLASH, PLAY! by Sephora, gift wrap, taxes, or shipping & handling charges.

By the way, if you also want to hear about some of my makeup picks, check out my last Spring Bonus Event post.

Sephora Holiday Bonus – Skin Care Picks

My Top 5 Skin Care

(Bougie-Ass Skin Care I’ll Only Buy On Sale)

I should give a few disclaimers before talking about my top 5 skin care items I plan to purchase during the Sephora sale.  First, I fully acknowledge this stuff is crazy expensive and I likely am out of my mind for having tried it in the first place.  I just can’t say it enough: this is some bougie-ass skin care.

And these are items that I only tried and fell in love with after spending hundreds at the drug store, seeing minimal results, and getting frustrated.  It got to the point where I’d rather stop throwing my money (and time) away on products that just weren’t working and spend more on something that does work.  Further, I did a lot of research and read reviews about these before I tried them or like in the case of the Shiseido’s eye cream, it came as a sample with another purchase.  But, most importantly, I am not a skin care professional.  These are my experiences and opinions.

My Skin’s Issues

Although most of these products are recommended for all skin types, they may not work for everyone.  As I mentioned in a previous post, my skin has been changing lately.  It has gone from combination-oily to combination-dry and sort of just dry in the winter.  However, I also, despite having fairly dry skin, deal with acne (still!), scarring, large pores, and ingrown facial hairs.

Yes, as I have gotten older, I have started having facial hair issues.  And as if that’s not bad enough, I get ingrown hairs every so often, which at times leads to infected hair follicles (pimples) and scarring because I rarely just leave them alone.  Who else performs “self-surgery” or does insane things, such as picking or worse, digging, with tweezers and a magnifying mirror, that they should not ever do?  (Raises hand).  I know, it’s horrible!  It is a terrible habit that I really struggle with.  Just keepin’ it real.  But, I will say that my new skin care routine has been so helpful with that.  I’ll explain in a bit.

Also, in addition to all of the above, I have dark under eye circles, which might be worse than I thought.  My mother, upon recently seeing me without make up on, told me she was shocked by my dark circles.  She said she thought I had left over dark eye makeup from the night before smeared under my eyes.  Nope, that’s just me, “au naturel.”  Thanks, Mom.

What’s Already Helping (Yay!)

#1 – Sunday Riley’s Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment – this is a chemical exfoliator that uses lactic acid, a type of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs).  Lactic acid is more gentle than the more common AHA, glycolic acid.  Plus, Good Genes is packed full of other ingredients that soothe and brighten.

My experience has been that it absolutely gets rid of layers dead skin, which prevents dry patches and poor makeup application.  But, more importantly, it helps prevent clogged pores.  I have also noticed some brightening of my acne scars too.  This stuff is a work horse because it manages all of this with only a short period of “problems.”

If you haven’t used a chemical exfoliator or AHA before, you should expect to have a period of time in which you skin gets worse before it gets better.  It may even seem like it is causing breakouts or irritation and you should stop.  Don’t!  You may have to cut back on the frequency of use, but unless you’re having an allergic reaction, chances are your skin is “purging.” Meaning all of the gunk trapped under the surface of all of those dead skin cells is now working it’s way out.  So hang on, it gets much better.

You should see a noticeable difference overnight, especially if you haven’t been using an AHA.  Your skin will be smoother and more radiant within 24 hours.

Over time, you’ll notice clearer and brighter skin with smaller pores, radiance you never knew you could have, and smooth and soft skin.  I swear my fine lines are less noticeable as well.  Plus, I almost never have ingrown hairs now.

You should always wear suncreen, but especially when using an AHA.  Because all of the dead skin is sloughed off, your skin has less protection from the sun.  And more vulnerable skin is exposed.

#2 – Sunday Riley’s U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil – this is where you get the 1 – 2 punch!  Prior to applying the Good Genes, I apply U.F.O. Oil.  It is similar in concept to The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Oil, only one million times better.  So so good!

It has the acne killing ingredients of tea tree oil and 1.5% salicylic acid.  Salicylic acid is a type of beta hydroxy acids (BHAs), which are great for clogged pores and acne because they are lipophilic, which is a fancy term that means they dissolve oil.  Basically, salicylic acid goes into the pores and breaks up the clogs/oils.  Just like Dawn dishsoap works on a greasy pan!

While both tea tree oil and salicylic acid are awesome, I have really struggled to use them due to irritation and drying out my skin.  However, this magical fast-absorbing oil is somehow able to soothe my skin at the same time.  I mean, I slather this stuff on and my skin just seems to love it!  It has no drying effects for me, it’s sort of unbelievable.

My acne is so much better now.  Far fewer break outs and far fewer blackheads.  My nose now looks like a different person’s with smaller pores, no noticeable blackheads, smooth and without dry patches.  The combination of U.F.O. and Good Genes is just amazing!

#3 – Shiseido’s Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream – As I talked about in my last post about Sephora picks, I have very dry under eyes.  Unfortunately, I also have very dark circles.  And when I use full-coverage concealers, which tend to be drying, to cover them, I end up with horrible crepe-y dried out skin. The best solution I have found is a good eye cream.  And I have tried many! 

The best one I have come across is Shiseido’s Benefiance Eye Cream.  It is incredibly moisturizing and plumps up my under eye area, also decreasing the look of my fine lines.  While some reviewers have said it has lightened their dark circles, I haven’t had that result.  Maybe mine are just too dark.  Regardless, this stuff has completely changed how I look with makeup on.  In my opinion, totally worth it!

My Next Steps

#4 – Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Night Oil –  I haven’t tried this oil yet.  I have been waiting for this sale.  But, it is a night time oil that contains a retinol.  Retinols also help with exfoliation, but go further to also help promote collagen production.  This night oil is raved about so I have been dying to try it!  It claims to boost skin plumpness, improve pores, reduce redness, and even fade spots.  You use it at night because it will make you more sensitive to the sun.

#5 – Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial –  Last but not least, this weekly treatment is supposed to be a “facial in a bottle.”  Also raved about by YouTubers and highly reviewed across the internet.  I have been wanting to try this brand and this product.  Drunk Elephant is all the rage in skin care right now.

It boasts a blend of AHAs and BHAs to give you a “youthful radiance.”  I think I will try the mini size right now, which also comes with a sample of the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil.  I’ll give it a try and let you know what I think!  

By the way, I use a lot Mario Badescu’s products but they aren’t available at Sephora, so I didn’t talk about them.  But, if you’d like to hear more, just let me know in the comments below.  Thanks!

Also, if you’d like to hear about the makeup in my Sephora cart as well, please let me know in the comments below!

And, for more of my makeup loves, see this post from last Spring’s Sephora Event.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click on or purchase through certain links, I may receive a small commission.