Sephora

TeamBIC · ‎10-03-2022

2022 Holiday Shopping Advice

Happy holidays, Beauty Insider Community! We like to think of this thread as your ultimate resource for getting – and giving! – unbiased shopping advice for all your gifting needs and winter basket-building inspiration. Whether you’re ready to start making a dent in that gift list, or mainly looking to scoop up a few beauty steals for yourself, you’ve come to the right place to ask for all the recs, show off your shopping haul, get help making those hard purchase decisions… and don’t forget to share all your glorious unboxings, swatches, and more! 🎁❄

Reply below and let us know: What products are you eyeing to buy this holiday season? Be sure to tag any products you mention using the “#” sign!

WinglessOne · ‎10-04-2022

@CynthieLu Youth To The People Superfood Air-Whip Lightweight Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid 2 oz / 59 m... used to be my daily AM & PM moisturizer. Then YTTP reformulated it to add more fragrance components, so I had to stop using it. (I know fragrance isn’t a big deal to some folks, but those folks don’t have my fussy skin.) Also, I was confused about the INCI changes because Sephora’s site listed the new version while YTTP’s site listed the old version. When I contacted YTTP about it, I couldn’t get a straight answer from them. (I asked if they’d added new ingredients, changed %s of ingredients, or were simply calling out existing ingredients, like fragrance components, in better detail.) Neither could another BIC member who asked. In fact, at first they told her they hadn’t reformulated at all.

Since then, I’ve had little trust in the brand overall. So it’ll be a huge leap of faith for me to try their retinaldehyde serum. I’m not saying the brand’s products are bad—heck, I still like Youth To The People Adaptogen Soothe + Hydrate Activated Mist with Peptides 4 oz/ 118 mL during cold months. But I personally don’t trust them to be honest about what’s in their products anymore. 🤷‍♀️

Before all that, I’d tried their cleanser (much too drying, stripped my skin), adaptogen moisturizer (too greasy for my skin), facial oil (liked that one but prefer both of e.l.f.’s), and their original vitamin C serum that used a derivative instead of ascorbic acid (not bad but also not very effective for me). Oh, and a mask I don’t think they make anymore… came in a green jar. Pretty sure I’ve tried their superberry sleep mask (aka moisturizer) before, too, but don’t recall how my skin felt about it.

CynthieLu · ‎10-05-2022

Thank you for that explanation @WinglessOne I really appreciate your thought process and in depth knowledge.

I do think transparency and integrity are very important in business. I feel like if whatever customer reprentative didn't have the information for you or the other BIC member, they should have just said so rather than claim no formula change.

Question, Is it true in beauty products ingredients below 1% or something don't even have to be listed? I feel like I heard that somewhere but I'm not sure if it's real 😅 and I feel like you world know 😋

WinglessOne · ‎10-05-2022

@CynthieLu To make the YTTP thing even more interesting: if I recall correctly, it was a cosmetic chemist or someone from that dept. (vs. a customer service rep) who replied to our emails. And this was before L’Oréal bought the brand. Eh, their new parent company should give me more confidence in the brand when it comes to formulations and providing honest info. I do appreciate that they now list out so many of the fragrance components in some of their products.

About your question: in the US, per the FDA, all ingredients must be listed in order of highest to lowest concentration. Exceptions are any ingredient that's:

Spoiler

At or below 1% concentration - these still must be listed, but not in concentration order. So if a product uses 2% alpha, 2.1% omega, 1% beta, 0.5% gamma, and 0.2% delta, the ingredients must be listed as: omega, alpha, [in any order: beta, delta, gamma]. Sometimes things at/below 1% are listed in alphabetical order.

FDA-classified as a drug - these are listed before all other ingredients as “active ingredients.” Common skincare examples are salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, and hydroquinone. Note that retinol and retinal (retinaldehyde) don’t qualify because the FDA calls them cosmetic ingredients, not drugs. Retinol and retinal are not FDA-approved for acne control, but adapalene is. Arbutin's not a skin-brightening drug, but hydroquinone is.

Trade secret ingredients - things the FDA has exempted from public disclosure (there's a whole process companies must go through to get that exemption). If a product contains secret-sauce-zeta, and the FDA has said “yep, Brand X can keep secret-sauce-zeta a secret from competitors,” then it’ll appear at the end of the ingredients list as “and other ingredients.”

That’s not necessarily the same thing as trade name ingredients, which should still be listed—but not as their trade names.

Spoiler

Trade name ingredients are usually listed as their INCI/Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary names, which could be a combo of ingredients. Example: The Inkey List Retinol uses RetiSTAR™, a trade name ingredient created by BASF as a “stabilized retinol." The actual INCI name is “Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Sodium Ascorbate (and) Tocopherol (and) Retinol.” You’ll find all 4 of those ingredients on that product’s ingredient label, listed in order of concentration.

Color additives - even if their concentration’s above 1%, these can appear in any order after all other ingredients that aren’t color additives. This category includes titanium dioxide and all those "D&C [color] No. [x]" ingredients you usually see on makeup labels.

Incidental ingredients - usually something that was added and then removed to help chemists formulate a product. If it remains in the finished product, it should be present at an insignificant level and have no functional effect. These ingredients don’t have to be listed at all.

At or below 1% concentration - these still must be listed, but not in concentration order. So if a product uses 2% alpha, 2.1% omega, 1% beta, 0.5% gamma, and 0.2% delta, the ingredients must be listed as: omega, alpha, [in any order: beta, delta, gamma]. Sometimes things at/below 1% are listed in alphabetical order. FDA-classified as a drug - these are listed before all other ingredients as “active ingredients.” Common skincare examples are salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, adapalene, and hydroquinone. Note that retinol and retinal (retinaldehyde) don’t qualify because the FDA calls them cosmetic ingredients, not drugs. Retinol and retinal are not FDA-approved for acne control, but adapalene is. Arbutin's not a skin-brightening drug, but hydroquinone is. Trade secret ingredients - things the FDA has exempted from public disclosure (there's a whole process companies must go through to get that exemption). If a product contains secret-sauce-zeta, and the FDA has said “yep, Brand X can keep secret-sauce-zeta a secret from competitors,” then it’ll appear at the end of the ingredients list as “and other ingredients.” That’s not necessarily the same thing as trade name ingredients, which should still be listed—but not as their trade names. Trade name ingredients are usually listed as their INCI/Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary names, which could be a combo of ingredients. Example: The Inkey List Retinol uses RetiSTAR™, a trade name ingredient created by BASF as a “stabilized retinol." The actual INCI name is “Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (and) Sodium Ascorbate (and) Tocopherol (and) Retinol.” You’ll find all 4 of those ingredients on that product’s ingredient label, listed in order of concentration. Color additives - even if their concentration’s above 1%, these can appear in any order after all other ingredients that aren’t color additives. This category includes titanium dioxide and all those "D&C [color] No. [x]" ingredients you usually see on makeup labels. Incidental ingredients - usually something that was added and then removed to help chemists formulate a product. If it remains in the finished product, it should be present at an insignificant level and have no functional effect. These ingredients don’t have to be listed at all.

For all the nitty gritty on this stuff, read FDA regulation 21 CFR 701.3 or check the cosmetics labeling guide at the FDA’s site. I don't recall if/how Canada's regulations differ.

CynthieLu · ‎10-05-2022

@WinglessOne

Oh wow, if it was a chemist responding that changes alot of things. That would be one way to make a customer disheartened with a brand.

I don't know the FDA regulations in our Canadian Ingredient listing I really should look into it cause I'm curious now after this conversation, just an odd tidbit about food. I work in the food industry. Soy is in almost every cooking oil here, if it is below a certain very low percentage it doesn't have to be listed. For people with serious Soy Allergies I always reccomend steering away from deep fried foods due to the unknown trace amount of Soy present in the oils.

Ispend2much6 · ‎10-04-2022

@WinglessOne I didn't know Commodity was back. The Commodity Paper- Personal Eau de Parfum Travel Spray 0.34 oz / 10 mL sounds good to me.

WinglessOne · ‎10-04-2022

@Ispend2much6 I was so happy to hear they’ve returned. When they shut down, I raided a couple of local Sephoras to buy all the bottles/travel tubes of Orris, Leather, and Book I could still find. 😂

Nickelliebear1 · ‎10-04-2022

I’ll share my f&f picks here because I’m not entirely sure about when I’ll be hauling what.

The holiday makeup product that has my attention the most is the PATRICK TA Major Headlines Blush & Highlighter Palette Vol II ! I love his blush formula and the colours are so up my alley.
I’m not sure what my apartment is like right now but the most damage has been near my apartment collection. There’s a slim chance I have no eyeshadow palettes left in my collection, so I’m considering splurging on Natasha Denona Glam Eyeshadow Palette . If I were to pick, I would always gravitate towards cool tones. I’m still considering PATRICK TA Major Dimension Eyeshadow Palette or Natasha Denona Bronze Eyeshadow Palette ##as a contender— depending on my hair colour!

I’m going to need to replenish my beautyblender Blendercleanser® Solid Wave Sponge & Brush Cleanser and sponges. I may not get this from Sephora but I’m thinking about making the plunge and getting the holiday set from Beauty blender.

There’s a couple of holiday gift sets calling out to me. I plan on getting Drunk Elephant Drunk Break™: Weekend w/ My Baby Kit given the value and so I can finally try out the TLC Sakura Babyfacial—?it’s finally available in Canada! I also plan on getting K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask & Mini Detox Shampoo Set . I don’t need shampoo, I just bought a couple of litres, but the price is steep for K18 and I don’t see my salon ever caring this range so it’s the best value. I needed a new vitamin C so I am looking at Glow Recipe Hey You, You’re a Bright Light Brightening Set.

I need to replenish some boring stuff. I’ll be grabbing LANEIGE Limited Edition Lip Sleeping Mask and Too Faced Hangover Pillow Balm Ultra-Hydrating Lip Balm Mango Kiss . Depending on routes, I may finally repurchase Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil 6 oz/ 180 mL

Honourable mention to two more goodies on my list: Moroccanoil Perfect Defense Heat Protectant 6 oz/ 225 mL and Dermalogica Daily Milkfoliant Exfoliator 2.6 oz / 74 g.

for holiday gifts for others, I can see myself picking up a few Glow Recipe Hey You, You're Dew-ing Great Hydration Kit because it’s cute and Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Mini Kind Words Matte Lip Duo Humble.

I’m waiting to see if there’s a new Lash Stash for holiday.

faeriegirl · ‎10-22-2022

I really like the PATRICK TA Major Headlines Blush & Highlighter Palette Vol II @Nickelliebear1 . I used a rouge reward for it and it has been so easy to use.

SportyGirly125 · ‎10-04-2022

@Nickelliebear1 @Save your money and do not buy the new PATRICK TA Major Headlines Blush Palette I have it and it’s not that great.

Nickelliebear1 · ‎10-04-2022

@SportyGirly125 Do you not like the shades or the formula? 🥺. I’ve seen a couple of reviews on YouTube and it looked fine but I would love to hear your experience!

Nahnom · ‎10-04-2022

...

SportyGirly125 · ‎10-04-2022

@Nahnom I didn't find the blushes patchy or short lasting. Definitely not his normal formula because I have owned last years holiday palette, the duo blushes and the singles. The wear test wasn't the issue it was the patience it took to apply it. I did a look yesterday using it and you couldn't tell on me from my application that it wasn't that great.

SportyGirly125 · ‎10-04-2022

@Nickelliebear1 @The shades wasn’t an issue. It was the formula. Here’s my mini review on it.

I have tried PT single blushes as well as his duo blushes so I know what to expect from his brand. Sadly, this palette is nothing like the one from last year or the current singles or blush duos he has. The cream highlighter was easy to apply but the highlighter powder was hard to apply even using my fingers. It took several attempts for it to show up and left behind more glitter than I would like as a highlighter. The powder blushes had a lot of kick back which I wasn’t use to. It took patience for me to blend into the skin but did not look patchy. Overall, I’m sad this isn’t normal PT quality shades. Even though I got it on sale I would not recommend this product unless the formulation is changed for this holiday palette.

ather · ‎10-03-2022

@TeamBIC Yay holiday savings time is my favourite time of year!!! I already have a long list ready! Can’t wait to see what everyone gets!!

heartsmyface · ‎10-03-2022

@TeamBIC Oh gosh ha, I’m already accruing a list and it’s been just hours since a pretty decent f&f haul.
I know for sure I’ll be adding a couple more of the Gucci blushes to my collection. I’m collecting them like Pokémon. They’re lovely. Radiant pink is next;)

By then perhaps Guerlain will have released their holiday meteorites? They’re on my Christmas list:).

I’m also hoping to get my hands on this years Dior holiday nailpolish- or is it get it on my hands?🤭

I was also eyeing those buxom gloss sets and chose the Fresh Sugar set over them this last round.

Gucci Luminous Matte Beauty Blush 03 Radiant Pink DIOR Dior Vernis Gel Shine and Long Wear Nail Lacquer Junon 494 Buxom The Main Event Plumping Lip Set

SurprisedLemur · ‎10-05-2022

That gucci blush is so pretty, and thanks for reminding me of the guerlain holiday meteorites @heartsmyface ! Going to keep an eye out for those...

PrettyPaint · ‎10-04-2022

@heartsmyface That blush looks beautiful!

Kim888 · ‎10-03-2022

Oooh I’ve never tried any of their nail polishes @heartsmyface ! That looks interesting

AvianRose · ‎10-03-2022

Omg I forgot that the sale started in October! I just bought the pat mcgrath blush pallet today because her blushes are to die for!!! shoulda waited to use my 20%, will probably pick up more from the celestial nirvana collection if she releases it in time.

CynthieLu · ‎10-04-2022

That's a lovely blush palette @AvianRose

It's sooo pretty!

CynthieLu · ‎10-03-2022

Ooooooh the dates for the holiday sale! That is big exiting news 😁 *yay!*

With the F&F sale I have some really exciting goodies on the way 😄 including mini sizes of a primer and a setting spray I am testing out. If I like them it would be a great opportunity to grab them in full size. 💜

I have the mini size tube of Briogeo Superfoods™ Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Hair Mask 8.0 oz/ 240 mL (my second tube) I really want to get this in the full size tub. It's so what my hair wants. It leaves my hair so soft, shiny and manageable. Yum, even the way it smells. I really enjoy this one.

I have been putting off purchasing it for a long time (using up other conditioners and hair masks first) 😅 I have to dwindle my collection down before I splurge.

I will want to restock my hair oil The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density 2 oz/ 60 mL and decided on a face wash fill up. I have TULA Skincare Mini The Cult Classic Purifying Face Cleanser 1.69 oz/ 50 mL and Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser 5.41 oz/ 160 mL and they are both getting low. I really like them both, but I need to figure out which one I want to repurchase over all.

Also, I do want to wait and see all the gift sets that are coming out, I hope to grab skin care gift sets for Christmas Presents 🎁 gifts that let you pamper yourself are so fun to give 😊