I Get So Many DMs About Sephora's Holiday Savings Event—Here's What to Buy First

Between me and you, perfume gift sets are my favorite gift sets, especially if you buy from Sephora. Firstly, the retailer's selections are unparalleled. Secondly, when you choose your favorite and then take the included scent certificate to any U.S. Sephora store or Sephora.com, you can get a full size of your favorite featured fragrance at no cost. Like, what?!
I own about 100 fragrances at this point, and after being gifted with this exact set by the goddesses at Sephora, I can honestly say they're all I've been spritzing the last few weeks. You can't really go wrong with this assortment, but my faves are Nest New York's Wild Poppy, Yves Saint Laurent's Black Opium (I mean, who doesn't want to smell intoxicating and like Zoë Kravitz?), Dolce Gabbana Light Blue (I drool for a throwback moment), and Maison Margiela's Replica By the Fireplace.

I was always a big fan of YSL's OG Libre Eau de Parfum, but I nearly fell over when this new variation of the classic landed on my doorstep. Guys, this is one of those one-in-500 perfumes that smells like it could be $300+ but comes in under $100 depending on what size you get. It's special, and the brand describes it on Sephora's website as "a luxurious, warm, and spicy interpretation of the classic Eau de Parfum with an endless floral trail." I'm a sucker for any fragrance that has spicy saffron—it immediately reads deliriously expensive once it hits the skin—and this one is also anchored by other velvety floral notes such as lavender and orange blossom. It's divine and one of my favorite fragrance launches as of late.

I'm a huge fan of everything and anything Ellis Brooklyn. In fact, at this point, I have 10 of the brand's clean, sustainably sourced fragrances at this point. But dare I say Après is my all-time favorite? Once the cooler months roll around, trust me when I say you won't smell anything more ideal. It's what I imagine someone smelling like after a few alpine ski runs while nibbling on candied pecans in front of a crackling fire with a side of something slightly boozy and very wintery. Idyllic, no?

"This candle smells so good it's stupid," says my best friend Dakota whenever she comes to my apartment. (But seriously, the things the mix of crystalized ginger, rose petals, and amber will do to your houseguests…)

Although Cameo by Boy Smells is my 365-days-a-year go-to, nothing, absolutely nothing can beat By the Fireplace once fall and winter hits. Buy one (or three) for yourself and anyone else you care about this season. The warm and subtly spiced melding of clove oil, chestnut accord, and vanilla accord is like a hug and a fire and hot toddy wrapped up in one.

There are some ridiculously expensive sheet masks out there, and while *some* are fantastic, you really don't need to be spending a week's worth of fancy dinners on something you could purchase way more affordably. I'm a huge fan of Sephora Collection's clean face masks. They're made from almost entirely natural ingredients, are instantly effective (the Matcha is heaven-sent if you run oily or acne prone like me), and are only $6 a pop if you buy a single. But why would you do that when you can get all six—Watermelon, Lychee, Coconut, Matcha, Pomegranate, Pineapple—on sale?

Initially, I was going to include this limited-edition set from Shani Darden featuring this exfoliating serum and the celeb facialist's very viral retinol and luxurious eye cream, but I am so obsessed with the transformative powers of this lactic acid serum that I had to give it some solo love. Nothing—and I mean nothing—has made my skin smoother, brighter, and more even than this fast-working serum. Plus, unlike other formulas I've tried, it's gentle enough to use every night. Just follow Darden's rule of letting it marinate on its own for at least five minutes before applying your moisturizer. 

I have a soft spot for Glow Recipe's adorable packaging, and the formulas are just as alluring. This potent (yet not irritating) eye cream is the brand's newest launch, and the 10% encapsulated vitamin C complex, niacinamide blend, and peptides work in harmony to brighten dark circles, hydrate, and depuff the eye area. 

I'm very careful about what I choose to put on my own face, let alone what I let my friends and family put on theirs. Truth be told, Tatcha's beloved line of skin-dewifying formulas is one of the few I'm always excited to recommend. It just so happens this amazing set features my three favorite Tatcha products to date: a full-size Dewy Skin Cream and travel sizes of the Dewy Skin Serum and Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser. I've already bought one for myself, my mom, my sister, and my niece. (Fam, if you're seeing this, you didn't just read that!)

I recently went on the most amazing press trip hosted by Sephora in Park City, Utah. Upon arrival, a handful of Sephora fairies had filled our *already unreal* rooms—we stayed at The Lodge at Blue Sky—with all of the newest and most exciting sets and products from the retailer just in time for the holidays. I feel weird for saying this, but my obsession with Laneige's Lip Sleeping Masks is so steadfast that this epic five-some of adorable minis featuring my favorite flavors (Berry, Gummy Bear, Mango, Vanilla, and Mint Choco) may or may not have been my favorite gift. Plus, it even comes with a handy applicator to keep your fingers dry.

Due to their TikTok fame, it was almost impossible to get your hands on these beloved blush and highlighter wands from Charlotte Tilbury this past year. Get 'em now, because I already know this set will be one of the first to disappear from the Sephoraverse this season. 

Ah, meet another TikTok-famous product that is truly more than worthy of all its fame and glory. I love a revival moment, so the fact that this product has been around for over 50 years really tickles my fancy. I won't beat around the bush: I love this lipstick-balm hybrid, and it's exactly the kind of formula I'm always wearing. When it comes to lip products, I want something hydrating (check), sheer yet buildable (double check), and in a shade that will enhance my natural lip color (triple check). Black Honey is so iconic for its magical powers. It looks good on everyone I've seen wear it, and it's so non-fussy that you can keep it in your bag and apply it whenever and wherever. It gives your lips a nice hint of shine, and I also appreciate that it's easy to layer with anything else you're wearing. 

I don't care who you are. If you wear makeup, then you absolutely need this buzzy liquid blush from Rare Beauty in your kit. If you haven't yet tried it, here's your sign to finally go for it, and if you, like many, are already besotted, it's the most strategic time to stock up. This trio features a full size of the shade Encourage (a soft, neutral pink) and mini sizes of Truth (mauve maroon) and Happy (cool pink). As luck would have it, they're my three favorite shades, so I snapped this set up the second I saw it. 

I don't recommend mascaras (especially new ones) lightly due to how supremely picky I am and how hopelessly devoted I am to a select few wands I've loved for years. Well, consider this new formula from Tower 28 Beauty—which is extremely cutting edge due to its memory-hold technology—the most welcome disruptor. I've never become so instantly fanatical about a mascara before. If you're a lash girl like me or even if you're not, you'll love it. 

I'm bad at keeping things short and sweet, but if you don't have naturally flawless, perfectly glowy, unreasonably bouncy-looking skin but want it, you're looking at my $24 secret. My mom recently commented on my skin ("What the hell are you doing?"), and keeping in mind that she never swears, I promptly told her to add this multifunction Face Glaze to her Sephora cart. It's the closest thing to magic I've ever experienced.

I'm not even an eye shadow person, but when I recently saw this brand-new palette from Huda Beauty IRL during the aforementioned trip with Sephora, my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. Be still my heart—I absolutely can't live without it now that I've been exposed. Trust me. There is no better way to add a little bit of glamour to your vibe this season, no matter your usual aesthetic.

You had to know you weren't making it out of here without an Olaplex shoutout. I love and swear by the entire line, but I couldn't have been more excited when I saw this handy trio, in particular. Together, they're the ultimate gateway to smooth, strong, blindingly glossy strands—dry, bone-cold winter weather be damned!

I can be a bit of a sick in the mud when it comes to my hair routine and tend to live by the age-old phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," but there is a but. After being influenced over and over again by so many people with the lushest, glossiest, smoothest, and healthiest-looking hair I've maybe ever seen, I decided to take Dae's fan-favorite Signature Shampoo, Conditioner, and Prickly Pear Hair Oil for a spin and was instantly filled with regret. It wasn't because I tried it—no, no—just that I waited so long to try it. Amber, you know what you're doing, and I'm obsessed.

For years, Amika's original 0.7-inch High Tide Deep Wave Crimper was (and still is) one of my most prized hairstyling possessions. (For context, I'm lazy AF when it comes to styling my hair.) But then the brand blew my mind by launching a slightly larger 1.25-inch waver that's maybe replaced my first love. If you want perfect mermaid waves that look professionally executed in under 10 minutes, here lies your solution. Oh, and thanks to the far-infrared and negative-ion technology, you'll get the frizz-free, super-shiny results of your dreams.

As I've established, I'm a little bit of a greedy SOB when it comes to my lashes. The limit simply does not exist when it comes to their length, curl, and thickness, and if I can get all of the above in A+ form before mascara, even better. I've been using Latisse for almost a year now and was looking for a non-prescription alternative when I saw Editor in Chief Kat Collings's lashes IRL recently. She said she started using this top-rated formula from Grande Cosmetics, and the results have been so good. (If I notice someone's mascara-free lashes from across a conference room, that's all I need to know.) Add. It. To. Your. Freaking. Cart.