Walking into a Sephora now, I still feel like that same 10 year old girl who got butterflies in her stomach by the prospect of endless shades of glittery lipgloss. In honour of my impending trip, and anticipating the ultimate destruction of my bank balance, I thought I'd gather some of my staple trans-Atlantic beauty buys.
Victoria's Secret Body Butter
Okay so not technically a Sephora buy, but a regular on my American shopping list nonetheless. I began using Victoria's Secret beauty products way before I ventured into the realm of lingerie so I've spent years cultivating my collection. Their body butters are incredible - there's no other way to describe them! I always find myself picking up body butters so I've tried my fair share over the years from all sorts of brands. But I always find myself coming back to good ol' Victoria's Secret. They're the only moisturiser that combines subtle, feminine scents with actual results. They leave you feeling soft and smooth without that cheap greasy residue - a problem I have with a lot of high street alternatives *cough cough* The Body Shop *cough cough*. They're so wonderfully hydrating and the scents always make me feel pampered even if I've had the speediest of showers.
Plus, my annoyingly sensitive skin also seems to tolerate these moisturisers which makes a nice change from boring old E45 cream. 'Sheer Love' is the last scent I picked up in New York but my old favourites are 'Love Spell', 'Pure Seduction', and 'Amber Romance' - the Victoria's Secret brand shines through in these names, am I right? Of course, there are two branches of Victoria's Secret in London now but I always pick up a few tubs of moisturiser when I'm Stateside. The US stores have the widest range of products and they're a hell of a lot cheaper too.
Sephora Acne-Fighting Mattifying Moisturiser
It upsets me that this wonderful moisturiser won't make it another four months before my trip. I'm going to have to find a quickie dupe before I stock up in Sephora. For oiler skin types like my own, this moisturiser is ideal. I used to avoid moisturiser like the plague, thinking it wasn't suited to my oily, blemish prone, combination skin. For me, this product has been a real game-changer. It's incredibly lightweight and soaks into the skin quickly and smoothly. Personally, there's nothing worse than your skin feeling 'heavy' with product. This little Sephora miracle provides my skin with just the right amount of moisture to replenish without making it spot-prone. Although I'm not convinced of its spot-fighting abilities, it really is the best formula for my tricky skin type.
Sephora Express Cleansing Wipes
I know, I know - a beauty blogger using face wipes? Hard to believe since we've all sworn them off. But these Sephora own brand one-swipe wonders are too good to eliminate from my nightly routine. They're the perfect solution for when I'm feeling too lazy for the whole cleanse, tone, moisturise routine. I've been using them for years and can't count the number of packets I've gotten through. The great thing about these wipes is that they don't leave your skin feeling stripped and oily - they do a really good job of cleansing while also removing every trace of crusty mascara and embedded foundation. I tend to bulk buy these so no doubt I'll be smuggling about ten packets back in my suitcase.
Sephora Blotting Papers
So blotting paper isn't exactly the most exciting buy but I couldn't do a American beauty post without giving these wonders a mention. Although my skin isn't quite as oily as it used to be (one of the plus sides of turning 20!), I always have these in the bottom of my handbag in case of oily T-Zone emergencies - hence why they've gotten a bit grubby. I bought these in Summer 2013 and I'm only just approaching the end of the packet now so 50 sheets was more than enough for me. They're a real life-saver in Summer, I used the majority when I was working in retail, as they're so easy to whip out and just give your a make-up a lil spruce up. All you do is press them on your nose/chin/forehead to eliminate shine and you're ready to get on with your day. Presto! After all, I like to keep things simple. From what I could tell from the website, it looks like Sephora have developed their blotting papers for more specific purposes - their new range includes a Vitamin C alternative and Lavender-scented papers. I will without doubt be picking up another couple of these make-up lifesavers.
Of course, there's plenty more on my wishlist. The Marc Jacobs beauty counter will be raided and I'm desperate to try another Fresh Sugar lip balm. But these are the products I always find myself coming back to. Sephoras of Manhattan, watch out.
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