From byrdie
For spring, we’re running a series showcasing the skincare products of our most-loved beauty influencers and what they’re buying at Sephora. Each week, we’re sending one of our favorite gurus to their local store to document their entire shopping spree on Byrdie’s Snapchat. Make sure to tune in each Saturday to follow along, and check back here monthly to see (and shop!) the items that made it into their Sephora carts. Enjoy.
Beauty lovers around the world know that Sephora is the place to go for every skin-, hair-, and makeup-related need. Our Sephora shopping strategy? While it’s fun to go in and aimlessly peruse the aisles of alluring products, we’ve found that if we head in with a specific beauty need in mind, we always leave satisfied. And we’ve got proof… Four beauty gurus went to their local Sephoras with one objective—testing out the retailer’s new Moisture Meter, a new type of skincare technology that measures how hydrated your skin is.
The best part? You don’t need to remove your makeup in order to use it. All you have to do is ask a Sephora cast member for help, and after they finish the reading, they’ll suggest a moisturizer based off your skin’s particular needs.
Curious? Find out how it went for each of the women and see what products were recommended for them to use.
Grasie Mercedes of Style Me Grasie was on a mission to find a few products that she and her husband could both use. But before she got started, Keshia, a Senior Skincare Advisor at the Sephora at The Grove in L.A., helped her get an accurate reading on her skin using the Moisture Meter, which measures your skin’s level of hydration by taking into account how much water you’re getting (or not getting). On the Moisture Meter’s scale of zero to 99, she was a 38, which means her skin is dehydrated. “Turns out I’m drier than I thought,” says Mercedes.
Together, Mercedes and Keshia found a product that was just what the newlywed had in mind.
Keisha described belif’s The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb ($38) as “an explosion of moisture,” which makes sense: You only need a pea-size amount for your entire face. But it’s important to apply it correctly. “I’ve been doing it all wrong,” exclaims Mercedes.
For best results, warm the product up while it’s in your hand and then press it into your skin rather than rubbing to avoid unnecessary tugging. You want to be gentle with your skin to prevent wrinkles. And while Mercedes was at Sephora, she decided to pick up Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15 in Rosé ($24) to get her lips on the same moisture level as the rest of her skin.
When full-time blogger Courtney Shields of Bring Your Own Beauty headed into the Barton Creek Square Sephora in Austin, Texas, she was looking for something that would help her dry skin and an eye cream to help combat the fine lines she’s starting to see around her eyes.
“I love when I can find an effective, universal product,” explains the 29-year-old. She noted this to Ashley, Sephora’s skincare expert at Barton Creek Square, who was happy to make a few product recommendations. First off, Ashley suggested that Shields try out the Moisture Meter.
After confirming that Shields’s skin was on the dry side, Ashley set out to find the right product. The winner? First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration ($30). Formulated with colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, and ceramide 3, this cult-favorite whipped moisturizer soothes and hydrates skin without leaving it feeling greasy. One tip from Ashley: This can be used on your face and body, which is really nice during travel season.
Next, Shields set out to find an eye cream. “I love trying new eye creams. It’s important to keep your under-eyes hydrated to fight signs of aging,” she tells us. She came across belif Peat Miracle Revital Eye Cream ($58) and was sold. Formulated with herbal peat water (which is rich in mineral and organic acids), the product visibly reduces fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, it revitalizes dull, tired under-eyes by promoting skin-cell turnover with a blend of natural apothecary herbs.
Beauty, fashion, and lifestyle blogger Tamira Jarrel believes that well-cared-for skin is the key to good makeup. Given that she juggles her time as a mom, a blogger, and working part-time in the medical field, she’s had her fair share of skin flare-ups over the years. “All jobs are stressful, so the occasional skin freak-out occurs if schedules are extra hectic,” says Jarrel.
Jarrel wants to improve her skin’s texture for better makeup application. To that end, she turned to the pros to help her find something appropriate. But before giving her any recommendations, David, a Sephora PRO-Artist and skincare guru at the NYC Times Square location, sat her down for an in-store moisture reading to get a better idea of her skin’s needs and which products would work best.
What did they land on? Since her skin was reading in between the normal to dehydrated range, David suggested the Clinique Pep-Start HydroRush Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 ($29.50) for its multitasking properties (she does have a hectic schedule, after all). This multitasking product hydrates while providing protection from the sun.
“It’s so important to protect your skin from UV rays, as they prematurely age your skin,” explains David. And because Jarrel normally has combination skin, the oil-free, lightweight formula is the perfect pick. Bonus: It even helps prep skin for makeup.
To further help prep skin for makeup, David suggested First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($30) since they’re gentle and easy to use on the daily. “It’s important to exfoliate so your products actually absorb into your skin rather than sitting on top of it,” he noted. Using these pads will help create a smooth canvas for a flawless makeup application.
YouTuber Caitlin Bea says she has definitely experienced a shift in her skin since moving to L.A. a year ago. The SoCal transplant also travels a lot for work, which is never easy on skin. “I’m on airplanes all the time, and my skin gets incredibly dry,” Bea explains. “I also want to help prevent aging while I’m young.” So naturally she was on the hunt to find a moisturizer for traveling and an eye cream to go with it.
Caitlin also visited The Grove in L.A. to get some tips and product picks from Keshia. After using the Moisture Meter, Bea found out her skin was normal but on the cusp of dehydrated. The perfect product to help turn things around? Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream ($45) is an anti-aging moisturizer formulated with Fresh’s super 7 complex, a blend of seven supercharged ingredients to help fight wrinkles, lock in hydration, and soften the skin.
Bea also grabbed Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream ($26.50), which visibly brightens and hydrates the under-eyes for a refreshed, wide-awake look. Not only that, but it also de-puffs skin and leaves a smooth canvas for makeup.
Next up,Shop: Fix Your Biggest Skincare Issues With These Sephora Top-Sellers