I Scoured Sephora’s Labor Day Sale for the Best Beauty Deals
I’ll be stocking up on Sunday Riley, Isle of Paradise, and Iconic London.
Summer is over—it’s horrible, devastating, and worthy of shedding a tear. The silver lining, however, is that the end of the season brings about the best beauty deals of the season. Labor Day weekend (plus a few days before, and a few days after) ushers in crazy discounts across categories, making it the *ideal* time to restock on favorites, experiment with newness, and transition your beauty for fall. The best sale out there, surprise surprise, comes by way of Sephora. The retailer is offering—wait for it—up to 50 percent off select makeup, hair care, skincare, and more. The promo is running both online and in stores from Friday, September 1 through Monday, September 4.
The question becomes: What should you shop for? I’ve spent hours combing through the sale section to find the best discounts, deals, and price slashes being offered over the holiday weekend. From half-off self-tanners that will extend your summer glow to skincare with high levels of hydration to keep you hydrated through the fall, here are the best items to shop during Sephora’s Labor Day sale.
Nearly $10 off, this tanning serum will let you prolong your summer glow—despite the lack of beach days. It comes in three shades (light, medium, and dark) so you can customize your tan. Just combine a dropper-full of liquid with your go-to body moisturizer, apply away, and wash your hands. Four to six hours later, your skin will have a post-vacation bronze…in September no less.
This is one of my personal favorite products year-round, so I will jump at any chance to get a discounted restock. Cut to: The $20 off steal I will be getting during LDW. If there ever was a time to try out a new oil, it’s now. And rest assured, you won’t regret it. Sunday Riley's vitamin C serum instantly brightens skin, evens out skin tone, and balances uneven texture.
You can never have too many Beautyblenders. I don’t make the rules, that’s just how it is. In fact: You’re supposed to replace yours every six weeks, so I’d bet it’s due time for a restock. The good news: You can get 30 percent off your new and shiny sponge with any foundation or concealer purchase over the next five days. All you have to do is enter code “pinksponge” when you check out. If you’re looking for a foundation to pair with it, keep reading.
September is a fresh start and if you’re trying to get down to business, this is the candle you need to set the mood. Infused with hazelnut coffee and coffee vanilla, it’s a warm and spicy scent that will put you in a hyper-focused mode. It’s also 100 percent natural coconut soy wax, so you’ll be sure to get a good burn. Starting on the 2nd, you can scoop it up for 25 percent off.
Sephora Collection’s makeup assortment is filled with hidden gems. The lip glosses? Top notch. The eyeliners? Grossly underrated. Even the makeup sponges don’t get the hype they deserve. That said, there’s one on-sale item that I will be adding to my cart by the dozen: The Sephora Collection Colorful Waterproof Eyeshadow and Eyeliner Multi Stick. It comes in so many shades, has foolproof application, and doesn’t crease or smudge throughout the day.
A handful of Josie Maran products are on super sale from the 2nd through the 5th, but I have my eye on this particular product. As the weather gets a bit cooler, my skin can start to look a little dull and a smidge ashy. But I can continuously count on this enzyme cleanser to bring a little life back into my complexion—and give my pores the deep clean they need. Quite frankly: It’s the next-best thing to professional extractions.
Brow gel is hard to master: It must have a good hold, be white-flake free, and deliver a tint that’s *just* the right hair color match. I’ve tried my fair share through the years. One of my top contenders? This Iconic London formula, which makes my brows look fuller and thicker without the clumpy clown-like effect of others. I also love that its formula prioritizes hair health—the botanical oils actually make my own brow hairs look stronger, denser, and better even when I don’t wear the product.
Need a good foundation to go with that Beautyblender of yours? Allow me to intro Kosas’ Tinted Face Oil Comfy Skin Tint. It’s the foundation, neigh skin tint, perfect for those who hate the feel of heavy makeup. Lightweight, hydrating, and extremely glowy, this product will be a staple in your routine. Just a word from the wise: A little goes a very long way, so start with no more than a dime-sized amount of product.
This product needs no introduction—it’s fame speaks for itself. Whipped up by Rihanna (and the amazing Fenty Beauty chemists), the foundation somehow manages to be full-coverage and longwear yet lightweight and breathable. The finish is natural-meets-radiant, which makes it a safe bet for oily and dry skin tones alike. All that’s left to do is to choose your shade and enjoy the discount.
If you’ve never tried the 7 Virtues fragrance assortment, now is the perfect (discounted) time. As someone who is very hard to please on the perfume front, I was blown away by how enjoyable I found every single. My favorite of the lineup was this fruity floral number. It’s refreshing, warm, and gourmand marriage always has people stopping me on the street.
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.
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