Sephora Collection Must‑Haves: Affordable Fabulous Beauty Favorites You’ll Love

If you haven’t looked at or tried the products in the Sephora Collection, you should. For the most part, these are top quality products at a drugstore price point. The Sephora Collection has continued to amaze me in the last couple of years.  I cannot say this has always been the case.   Several years ago, I would have said, it was a haphazard situation. Some were terrible failures.   Now, I love them more than some other high-end brands.  

Drugstore vs High end

I still like trying out all sorts of beauty brands and products. Check out my post on my beauty wonderland to see how much.  Although, I am finding out, that some are remarkably similar to what is considered high-end for a better price point. Ultimately, I would say, that some brands are overpriced.  Yet, I am not a fan of a lot of drugstore brands either.   Which leads me to find superior quality products at a fair price.  The Sephora Collection has become one of my go-to brands for that reason.

Sephora Collection Price Point 

Should I start with my favorites or my recent loves?  This is a tough decision.  Let us start with my recent.  Who likes EM Cosmetics, Merit, or Rare Beauty?  Or who can not afford these brands?  Prices are ridiculous out there.  Although, Rare Beauty is reasonably priced for quality pigmented products. Overall, the Sephora Collection is in line with drugstore products now. That would make it an affordable alternative to higher end brands.

Sephora Collection Cream Contour Stick

The Sephora Collection Cream Contour Stick for $14.00 is close to the EM Cosmetics Contour stick.  The color is different, which is expected.  Different tones, different shades, and different glow or luminosity.  These differences aren’t usually huge, they are subtle in most areas.

All these brands’ contour sticks are all creamy and glide on the skin.  All are easy to blend in making them seamless with your skin. Just like EM Cosmetics, you can blend the Sephora Collection bronzer too much and it will disappear into a barely visible shadow. 

That is not the ideal application for me. So, I am careful not to over blend. It lasts 12 hours for me at least, but it will fade slightly.  The Rare Beauty one is more pigmented but lasts about the same on me.  Overall, I wouldn’t pay more for a slight bit of fading. It is highly rated on Sephora. This products is loved my so many as indicated on their website. Hopefully, this shows the quality of this product. Don’t just take my word for it. This is good stuff. Look for other reviews. It is hard to find people that don’t like it. My color is no 2. Light/Medium

Packaging

The packaging is simple just like the other three, I mentioned here.  This one has a tiny bit less quality in the packaging as compared to the Rare Beauty one.  That difference is slight.  It is plastic and feels quite light and thin. That being said, it is a great travel option, which I always like in a contour stick. Some times, the ones in the plastic tubing can have a bad moment. I carry all of my tube makeup in plastic bags for travel or in a purse just in case. This product you don’t have to worry about that.

Comparison to Drugstore

Sephora Collection Matte Bronzer Powder

To be honest, I got a few small samples of this one., It was hard to tell with the sample alone. I went to the store to try it out there as well. It was the same there (except for lighting) and I wore it all day. While I like the formula and how it wears on my skin, I don’t like the 01 color for me. It has more of a red-ish tone which is not as flattering on my skin. Overall this is another well rated product.

Overall, I would probably pick the color Sunkissed 00. That I would say is closer to other bronzers that I know and love in my collection. Like Benefit Hoola Matte Powder Bronzer Mini and Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Matte Bronzer.  I have these other two in my collection now, I will not be purchasing the Sephora Collection Matte Bronzer Power at this point.

If, I was going to I would purchase the color 00 is gorgeous. Even though it states light on the website description. I don’t usually get this shade range, it is more about tone. Tone is important in bronzer. The big advantage to this Bronzer is has the same staying power as my two high-end bronzers. However, this one is only $16.00 and on sale quite often.

Updated: As of the summer 2025 – I did buy this product and I like the 00 color so much. it is one of my favorites in my collection.

Tried and True on the Sephora Collection

Sephora Colorful® Powder Luminizer 

I am not going to go into a lot of detail on this one as I am going to post about a battle of the luminizers/highlighters in a future post. Needless to say, I have a few. I would say this one is right up there with the best of them. Although, it would be in the category of the more intense highlighters. If you are looking for a more subtle highlighter, these are not them. They do illuminate. I have rose quartz. It is more subtle that some of the highlighters in this collection. It is $14.00 and that is not a bad price.

I have used this as an eye shadow topper. As well, as over lipstick. Yes, a lipstick topper. Sometimes it is needed and this products works for all of it.

Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation

Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation is one of my favorites. If you have seen my makeup obsession post, you would know that is saying something. I have also posted about this beautiful foundation before. I know you are about sick of it. Then try it and see what you think. It has 4.2 stars on Sephora. Those reviews also state that quite a few people with dry skin aren’t fans.

However, that may be skin prep with dry skin. Don’t come at me. I have combination skin with very dry skin. This hasn’t always been the case in my life, I had combination/oily before tretinoin. My point is skin prep is important. Friends who are estheticians have told me on repeat that skin no matter the type needs prep.

This foundation is a satin finish on my skin. I use an extra moisturizing step on the dry portions of my face. In doing so, I have had no problems with it being drying at all on my skin and it looks natural.

Update 2025: They did change up. the formula a slight bit and the packaging. I did notice a slight difference. It is still one of the best foundations out there at any price point. Well, for great coverage. This is not a skin tint.

My Sephora Collection of Best skin Ever Foundations

As you have noticed from the pictures I have three 3 of these foundations. I usually do have 3 of the Sephora Collection Best Skin Ever Foundations on hand. Usually, I mix and match to get the correct color match for my skin throughout the seasons. I also have Anastasia Beverly Hills Foundation, Drugstore Foundation(s), Makeup Forever, MAC, etc.

Sometimes I mix with those other foundations. Sometimes I mix two of these foundations for the perfect match.

The one thing that has been consistent since I tried the Sephora. Is that is it the most used in my collection.

Although, I can’t say that I don’t love my some of my other foundations (and this isn’t a picture of all of them). This one in the Sephora Collection is a great value for the money. I mean, $22.00 are you kidding me. This is a huge value. This is right up there with Armani Beauty. You know what I am talking about. Save your money get this one instead.

Sephora Collection – going, going, gone, or just reformulated/repackaged?

Sephora’s Lip Mask

Sephora’s Lip Mask is the same as it was before, just new packaging. The packaging is the same color theme as the old one, so not that much updated. If you like it then you have another shot at keeping it in your collection. If you didn’t like it, you won’t like this one either.

To me, it was a disappointment. It wasn’t bad, it was great. It was a good lip moisturizer. Not what I want in a lip mask. I want a thick inclusive lip product that when I wake up my lips are still hydrated. That was not this product. It is only $7.00 but still not worth it to me.

The now-discontinued Bite Brand was one of my favorites along with the LANEIGE Sleep Mask, but this is certainly not close to either one of those beauties. Unfortunately, this is not one of the good ones in the collection.

Update: See my post on McoBeauty for a great lip mask similar to Lineage for less money. You can get that brand at Target, Fred Meyer and Amazon. Truly a great lip product.

Sephora Colorful Eye shadows

This is number 318 and the new Sephora Colorful® Eyeshadow number 318 is the same just repackaged. At least, I can’t see when I swatched in the store that anything is different.

I didn’t find anything different with the shimmers, I did with the glitters. They seem to not be as smooth as they were before and I have heard that they are patchy. They don’t last a long time. As far as the matte’s go, they are not as pigmented as the previous formulation. If you like pigmented eye shadows. I am afraid that is not the way things are going in the beauty industry. Customers are calling for less pigmentation. They want to build up the product. This trend may go away but I don’t see it as far as matte eye shadows go.

If you liked these shimmers in the past, you are in luck they appear to be the same as before.

Swatches

This is that eye shadow swatches. They all look slightly different, do they? The 1st and 3rd pictures are in low light with different angles. The one in the middle is in a brighter light, however, that one is truer to correct color. It is so funny how lighting can change how things look.

The Sephora Colorful Eye shadows are only $8.00 which is a great price point for some good eye shadows. Whether they are less pigmented than before or not, they beat out quite a few Drugstore Eye shadows.

A lot of drugstore eye shadows as far as creasing and staying power. They are all easy to blend. I have sensitive eye lids. These eye shadows have never given me any problems with the ones that I have tried.

Sephora Kohl Liner

It appears to me that either the Sephora Collection Long Lasting Kohl Pencil may be on its way out or maybe just repackaged. It very well might be reformulated. As I enjoyed this pencil for smudging out the top lid line. I didn’t use it on the water line or below my lower lashes. It didn’t receive great reviews in those areas. Kohl pencils are known for being for smudging. They are long lasting.

This pencil is only $10.00 which is a great price point. But it doesn’t matter what it costs if it doesn’t do what you want.

I did purchase a new one while it was on “last call” for $5.00. You can’t beat that price even if it is only to smudge out a top liner for a smokey eye. We will see if they come out with a new eyeliner that compares to Urban Decay. Okay, that is my dream as those puppies are wonderful pencils but $23.00 each. Wow!

I will be on the lookout for the new Sephora Eyeliners to emerge. Hopefully, on the new formulation.

Update: They actually don’t have a kohl pencil anymore it is gone. They have new 12 hour pencils. I have friends that rave and rave about them. Honestly, I have yet to try them. However, the reviews are great. $12.00 and 21 colors. I would say it is a safe bet you will like them.

Old hydrating concealer to the New Best Skin Ever Full Coverage Multi-Use Hydrating Concealer

Now the old Sephora Concealers were great right up there with Nars Creamy Concealers, almost. They were not quite as long-wearing but nearly there. They were also on the same numbering system as Nars. So it made it very easy to find 03- custard. Now it is in the same number system as their Best Skin Ever Foundations. You would think that would make it easier to find your color. It wasn’t for me. I don’t want the same color under my eyes. I have a bit more pink in my cheeks. It is more widely acceptable to have a lighter concealer. Not raccoon eyes but 1 shade maybe 2 lighter.

I picked up 18Y and it is too dark under my eyes. It looks like having a darker undereye coloring than I do. That one is going back. I do appreciate being able to exchange for the correct color easily at Sephora.

Updated: This is now the Best Skin Ever Multi-Use Concealer

I do think that the formula is longer lasting than the previous one but still hydrating. This concealer is only $16.00 which is a great price. However, I think it has gone up in price. What hasn’t, right?

Sephora Lip Products that appear to be gone forever

These Sephora Lip Products seem to be gone forever. Not that they were the best lip products ever.

The price of them wasn’t bad. They weren’t long-wearing or lip-nourishing. The only thing that I liked about them was that this one had a copper sun-kissed look on the lips. I love that look in the summer. Just a tan, glistening look on the lips. As you can see I will be using this one up shortly.

Will one of these companys come out with a great summer lipstick or gloss or lip oil that they keep for more than one year. Such a pain. If you see Sephora Collection come out with great summer lip products send me a message, please.

Sephora other New Lip products

I haven’t tried them, but I have some high hopes for their new lip products. Sephora Collection About That Shine Sheer Shine Lipstick is only $16.00. They are getting some great reviews right now. I don’t think the colors are what I want for summer lips. So for now, I will be waiting. How about you?

Sephora Collection About That Shine Lacquer Shine Lipstick is starting to get quite a few good reviews as well. This is promising because I have my eye on the number 13 Atomic Boost. The price point isn’t bad compared to say YSL Candy Glow Tinted Butter Balm for $40.00. This is only $16.00. I believe the formula of the YSL is closer to the Sheer Lipstick offered by the Sephora Collection. I am comparing the color choice, which I know I shouldn’t do because I will be disappointed.

Knowing that the Sephora Collection one is going to be more pigmented and not a lip balm. I am still willing to chance it and get it. Just for the color option. I can put on a lip mask, or CeraVe Healing gel underneath, if I want a balm. Then on the days I want lipstick I can just put it on by itself.

What did you think of the Best of the Sephora Collection? I didn’t touch on their brush collection, as I don’t owe any. I have a little of their skincare, so I could go over that in a future post. To me, the Sephora Collection shines in the quality of the makeup for a good price point.