8 Beauty Staples I'm Stocking Up On During Sephora and Ulta's Sales
Honestly, I’d re-buy these products whether they were on sale or not.


The below is from editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike's weekly newsletter, Self Checkout. Subscribe here.
With close to 20 years in the fashion industry, I’ve not only seen it all—but also know how to parse through the endless sea of stuff. What’s worth buying? What’s not? In Self Checkout, you’ll find my highly specific recommendations with a few picks from my most knowledgeable, stylish friends.
I’m a creature of habit, especially when it comes to my makeup and skincare buys. So with Ulta and Sephora both throwing huge sales at the same time, I’m stocking up on my ultimate favorites. (Honestly, I’d re-buy these products whether they were on sale or not.)
Nikki Ogunnaike at Fashion Week.
I’m new to retinol, but have found that with every use of this oil my skin looks more even and glowy. So much so that my boyfriend (who sees me literally every day!) did a double take and told me my skin looked great. I prefer to use it at night and top it with a moisturizer to finish off my very simple evening skincare routine.
This lip gloss is a personal holy grail. Used with MAC’s Chesnut lip liner it creates the perfect ‘90s chocolate glossy lip.
Mascara is a key part of my makeup routine—I rarely go a day without wearing it—and I consider myself a bit of an expert in this category. This Buxom one is a new favorite. It makes my lashes look long and voluminous, but doesn’t clump. Even better, it’s easy to remove and doesn’t leave black residue behind.
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Nikki Ogunnaike is the Editor in Chief of Marie Claire US. She has previously held roles at Harper's Bazaar, GQ, ELLE, Glamour, InStyle, and Vanity Fair. You may also recognize Nikki from her time as the host of Snapchat’s Online, IRL and IGTV's The Run Through. Based in Brooklyn, New York, in her free time Nikki enjoys running half marathons, learning about wine, and watching reality TV without an ounce of shame. You can follow her at @nikkiogun.
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