I’m a Beauty Expert, and These are the 9 Products Worth Buying From Sephora

Beauty experts have been raving about the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer ($50) for years, and for good reason.

With a generous, full but not cakey level of coverage, this is the kind of ally you want on your side on mornings when your skin isn’t playing ball. It blurs everything from moody dark circles to angry blemishes, is easy to apply with the tapered doe-foot applicator, and blends seamlessly (although you might want to use a brush to buff it out).

Keeping the pigment company in the formula are nourishing shea and mango butters and brightening liquorice root to help your skin feel and look smoother. Available in 30 shades.

If anyone knows anything about sculpting, it’s the man who carved out Kim Kardashian‘s signature look. Sharpen your own features with a few carefully placed swipes of MakeupbyMario Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick ($46). Use as you would your normal bronzer, tracing around the edges of your forehead, across the bridge of the nose and chin, and beneath your cheekbones. Then, use the built-in angled brush at the base to buff away any noticeable lines. The creamy formula dries down to a matte – not flat – finish, for natural-looking definition and glow.

If you’re not familiar with the phrase “skin barrier”, allow me to catch you up. While we might only really think about our skin in terms of how it looks, its key function is as a barrier, working to keep the good stuff, like hydration, in, and bad stuff, like pollutants and bacteria, out. When the skin barrier is compromised (by things like harsh cleansers and a more-is-more approach to acids) our complexions suffer, leading to things like dryness and breakouts. Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream ($81) works to support this important barrier, with ingredients like niacinamide to balance and zinc to soothe. It locks hydration in the skin and is lightweight enough to keep oily and spot-prone complexions happy.

I’m a sucker for a sheet mask, and Sephora’s are just purse-friendly enough to convince me to add a couple to my basket.

The Sephora Collection Coconut Face Mask ($8) is great for anyone with dry, dehydrated, or generally tetchy skin, as the ingredients are focused on soothing and moisturising.

The inclusion of AHAs provides gentle exfoliation, while coconut oil infuses the complexion with hydration.

Of course, the main appeal of a mask is its speed, and this quick-fix treatment only needs five minutes to work its magic. To fully reap the benefits, massage any excess into the skin.

This quick-fix treatment works its magic in five minutes flat. Pop it on before bed, massage the excess into your face, neck and dec and wake up glowing.

Sitting on the fence between skincare and makeup, Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint SPF 30 ($68) could play for either side.

Reach for this concealer when you want subtle, dewy and fresh medium coverage.

You can also find squalane, jojoba oil, and mandarin orange peel oil in the formula to brighten, balance, and hydrate.

This concealer is better for when you’re wanting to achieve a no-makeup-makeup look. If you’re wanting high coverage and full pigment-pay-off, reach for Tarte Shape Tape mentioned above.

Now for the skincare benefits!

Haircare is similar to skincare: an unhappy scalp means unhappy hair so approach your haircare scalp first.

IGK First Class Detoxifying Charcoal Shampoo ($39) addresses flakes and excess oil, while hydrating and balancing meaning hair stays silky, soft and oil-free. A win in our books.

Everyone wants shinier hair, right? For some, glossy locks come easy, but if your hair is neither super dark or poker straight, that sheen requires a little more work behind the scenes. Enter JVN Hair Complete Nourishing Shine Drops ($37), promising hair as swishable as its creator, “Queer Eye“‘s Jonathan Van Ness.

It’s a hair oil, but not in the traditional slicked-back, weighed down kind of way. Instead, the formula is lightweight enough to not only use through the mid-length and ends, but can be smoothed up top near the hairline, too.

Just go slow and sparingly – you can always add more. Hair doesn’t just look better, it feels it, with hibiscus extract to prevent damage and colour fade and hemisqualane (a lighter take on silicones) to nourish.

Call me dramatic, but I’m convinced you haven’t experienced true beauty until you’ve felt the weight of a Pat McGrath eye palette in your hands.

No one does colour quite like makeup artist and all round beauty-icon McGrath, reflected in the rich pigments of her makeup. Pat McGrath Labs Mothership Moonlit Seduction Eyeshadow Palette ($206) is a gleaming quartet of molten gold, bronze, and rose shades which can be worn alone, or combined for a synergistic look.

They’re best applied and blended with a fluffy shadow brush to cover the lid, or with a tapered detail brush to get nice and close to the lash line.

I’ll say it louder for the people at the back, but everyone has pores. Even if you think someone’s skin is so flawless that you can barely perceive them, trust me, they’re there. And while having pores is a very normal and necessary thing, that doesn’t mean you have to let textured skin steal the focus when it comes to the finish of your makeup.

Enter makeup artist Patrick Starrr’s ONE/SIZE Secure The Blur Makeup Magnet Primer ($55), which mattifies the surface of the skin so it looks smoother and more even, as well as holding on tight to your foundation to help it stay put for longer. The best way to start your routine.

Additional reporting by Angeline Barion.