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Sephora

Source: Astrid Stawiarz / Getty

Here at HelloBeautiful, we make regular trips to one of our favorite stores ever, the makeup candy shop that is Sephora (ok, I’m literally salivating at the thought of my next visit!) But with so many products to choose from, we too can confirm that there are plenty of “holy grail” beauty products, as well as a few “not if-you-were-the-last-mascara-on-earth” items we wouldn’t purchase again.

Through a fun, yet investigative report from Jezebel, one anonymous Sephora employee kept it real and revealed what products she truly thought were worthy of our makeup bags and others that, contrary to beauty blogger belief, were just plain overrated. This in-the-know tipster even shouted out some drugstore items!

Makeup lovers, let’s take notes!

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Below is the breakdown by product type (thanks Racked) and, according to tools or items, the brands worth your hard earned cash!

Eyeliners: “Try Marc Jacobs. It’s the only one that doesn’t transfer from my upper tightline when I blink.”

Eye shadows: “Make Up For Ever reformulated their shadows this fall and they are gorgeous.”

Mascaras: “A lot of people like Too Faced ‘Better Than Sex’ and Benefit ‘They’re Real,’ but I don’t because the brushes are too big. You have to get to know what brushes you like best, I think. And if you like a dryer or wetter formula….And to be honest, there are some GREAT drugstore mascaras! (CoverGirl is under-hyped.)”

Lipsticks: “NARS Audacious!”

BB Creams and Tinted Moisturizers: “Dr. Jart makes some decent ones. The Waterfuse (blue tube) is good for anyone with dry skin. The down side is that there is no shade range. I personally love the Diorskin Nude BB cream (pink tube) but again, only four shades and a bit pricey. NARS pure radiant tinted moisturizer offers decent coverage, glowy, but not too glowy, and a much larger shade range. I’ve even been selling Sephora Collection CC cream lately. Fairly decent shade range, good price point.”

Foundations: “I like the [Make Up For Ever HD foundation] for a more natural finish but some decent coverage (I use a beauty blender to sheer it out a bit)…I like UD Naked because it’s lightweight but covers decently.”

Contour Kits: “The Smashbox has been pretty universal, even on dark-medium skin tones that I didn’t think it would show up on, it has worked!”

Highlighters: “I like Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors. The powders are more glittery, but the liquids are gorgeous and they are coming out with a cream that I can’t wait to get my hands on!”

Skincare: “FAB (First Aid Beauty) because they seem to be gentle yet effective. I can safely recommend them to most skin types. Same with Ole Henriksen. I think Peter Thomas Roth is over priced but decent (love his Pumpkin enzyme mask and the new Irish Moor mask).”

Favorite Expensive Product: “YSL Touché Eclat may cost all the monies, but is totally worth it.”

And now here’s juicy part: The products or brands that just aren’t as great as you’ve been told, and the ones that just plain suck.

Sephora’s worst products: “Smashbox is always very ‘meh’ to me, but they do have some workhorses. NARS also makes some hit and miss products. (Their eyeshadows are often chalky). Strivectin and Peter Thomas Roth can be SO over priced. I think a lot of luxury brands struggle to justify their costs (Dior, YSL, Guerlain, etc).”

Sephora’s most overrated brands: “That’s hard. Benefit can HYPE a product like nobody’s business, but they’re not a bad brand. I think a lot of luxury brands are hit or miss at the prices they ask you to pay. You know, now that I think about it, people think Bare Minerals is God’s gift to skin, and it’s just not. But people are LOYAL to that brand. It amazes me how much we sell. Josie Maran may be slightly overrated too, but she doesn’t have a huge line.”

Wow! That was a lot of information! We can agree that, as fun as it is to have and wear high-end makeup, sometimes those prices really do induce the ultimate side-eye glare. Like $42 for foundation? Major yikes. At least through this handy guide, the next time we are feeling ourselves and head toward the Urban Decay or Make Up For Ever section, we’ve already been reassured that it’s still okay to splurge on products that work for you. But if you don’t like the results of that blush or moisturizer, please don’t feel pressured to fork over $25 for it again!

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Secret’s Out! Anonymous Sephora Employee Reveals Hits, Misses Of Our Favorite Store  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com