Clean Sephora Favorites

The fact I’m here typing something on this blog I’ve only used twice in the past year and a half feels like madness. But I figure a permanent listing of my favorite buys at Sephora is probably a good resource for both you and me, so here we are!

When I first started my clean beauty journey (2015), it was not easy to shop clean at Sephora. It would be standing in the skincare corner trying to read every label reading ingredients. That’s not to say they haven’t always had some cleaner brands (looking at you, Boscia) but it just wasn’t a popular enough movement for them to put in any effort in marketing it. But WOW how times have changed!!! Not only has Sephora started marking their cleaner products with the Clean at Sephora certification, but they’ve also introduced clean brands I would have never expected them to sell (Ilia, my forever love, is now a Sephora mainstay after their packaging rebrand). As a decade long VIB rouge and a clean beauty enthusiast , I’m excited to share my Sephora favorites with you.

SKINCARE:

Before I list my favorites, let me talk to you a little bit about my skin. My skin is sensitive and highly reactive, leans drier, and doesn’t absorb most oils well. I have dealt with acne in the past but have only had the rare spot or two for the last few years.

Ren Clean Beauty Evercalm Cleansing Milk - The best creamy, soothing cleanser you’ll ever find.

Ren Clean Beauty Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask - I will always have this mask stocked in case I try a product that gives me a reaction or my skin is just feeling extra sensitive. It soothes any irritation or redness and feels like a hug for sensitive skin.

Ren Clean Beauty Overnight Recovery Balm - I did not think I would like this, because it is so oily and my oils don’t sink into my skin well. But my skin SOAKS this up. It’s a wonderful little topper after your evening skincare and ensures that I wake up with balanced and hydrated skin.

Moon Juice Acid Potion - This is my favorite exfoliating toner. I’ve been using it on and off for years (I love their rebrand). I use it every third or so day after cleansing.

Youth To The People Yerba Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial - I use this exfoliating mask in the shower on days I wash my hair! It’s gentle and the slightest bit scrubby and helps unclog pores. I only leave it on for a minute or two (I think the suggested time is five minutes).

MAKEUP:

The fun category!

Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara - We will never break up. The best clean beauty mascara ever, hands down. Using it the past few years has also helped my lashes grow significantly.

Kosas 10-Second Liquid Eyeshadow - The eyeshadow of my dreams. No tools necessary and it really stays put. I have a lot of different shades of these and I truly hope they come out with more.

Kosas Revealer Concealer - Best concealer I’ve ever used and it comes in a pretty extensive shade range. My only thing is that both tubes I’ve had of this have broken and leaked. So, just be careful. I hope they fix it eventually!

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint - I LOVE SKIN TINTS. I have not worn thick foundation since my Disney performer days and I never will. I used to the Gl*ssier ones for years because it was the only one on the market, but I’m so glad other brands have started doing lightweight skin tints. AND this one has SPF. It’s great. I’m planning on trying a darker shade to blend with my current shade for summer.

Tower28 ShineOn Jelly Lip Gloss - The most moisturizing, least sticky lip gloss you’ll ever use. My goal in life is to have every shade, but the public has not seen my face without a mask in a year so it’s lofty.

Tower28 Beach Please Lip + Cheek Cream Blush - My favorite way to add a little color. I apologize in advance because it’s always sold out!!!

Tower28 Bronzino Illuminating Cream Bronzer - I place this like I would place highlighter, and it makes me look delightfully sunkissed which is wildly untrue because I don’t leave my house. I also almost always wear it on camera because it looks captures so beautifully.

Tower28 SuperDew Shimmer-Free Highlight Balm- The ultimate no-makeup makeup product. If I’m not wearing makeup, I still wear this for a little extra dewiness. Glazed doughnut vibes.

HAIR:

I don’t use a ton of haircare from Sephora (their clean haircare selection isn’t huge), but there are a few products I love! I will say I appreciate that their website allows you to filter and find products that are silicone free.

Olaplex No. 3 - I mean duh. I’ve been using Olaplex since I bleached my hair 6 years ago (it used to be IMPOSSIBLE to find it outside of a salon). My hair isn’t damaged anymore, but using it before shampooing about once a month has helped my hair grow longer and stronger.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Mask - This one is a crowd favorite for a reason. Though it’s probably a touch too heavy for my hair, it’s a great protein heavy mask to help repair and soften hair thats been damaged by heat, chemicals, or just environment.

Playa Pure Dry Shampoo - I rarely use dry shampoo, but when I do it’s this one.

BODY:

So Sephora sells Nécessaire, which is what I use for all my body needs. But I am a Nécessaire affiliate so I will encourage you all to wait for a Nécessaire sale so you can use my affiliate link and code and get yourself the best body products and support your favorite internet lesbian while you do it. Tysm.

FRAGRANCE:

Two years ago, Sephora really STOCKED their clean fragrance collection in store and it was a game changer. I was fresh off my college internship at Le Labo, armed with niche fragrance knowledge and learned all about the clean offerings at Sephora. I’m in the mental process of switching from being a “signature scent” person with one fragrance to “bitch with a fragance tray”, so while I don’t own a lot of these, I have tried samples and will hopefully one day own them for my future chic fragrance tray. How chic would I be with a fragrance tray.

Maison Louis Marie No. 4 Bois de Balincourt - This one I own. This one I will always own. In fragrance form, in perfume oil form, and in candle form. I’ve been buying it for years wherever I could find it, and now it’s very conveniently at Sephora. It’s often noted as a dupe for Le Labo Santal 33, though the MLM is lighter with less tobacco and more cinnamon. Also - the ingredients are much cleaner! It’s much more for me than Santal 33 (I prefer Santal 26, which is the home fragrance), and smells less like a mixologist in South Williamsburg.

Phlur Sandara - I’ve been crushing on this fragrance for years. I’ve had a few samples of it and while it isn’t as warm as I usually go for, it’s delightful. Will I add this to my dream perfume tray? Probably.

Heretic Dirty Vanilla - I’ve heard a lot of mixed reviews on Heretic over the years, but “Dirty Vanilla” is probably my dream name for a fragrance and I’m still curious about it. Heretic doesn’t use any synthetics whatsoever, which I think is very cool and something I’ve always been excited about. Also - Heretic does all of the GOOP perfumes and candles including the Gwyneth vagina candle. So, just something to note.

By Rosie Jane James - If you are sensitive to fragrance or prefer something lighter, By Rosie Jane may be for you. I was sent a few of their fragrances a few years ago and they are wonderful for lightweight wear. James is my favorite for the warm, woody notes.

So that’s where we’re at! I will likely update this as time goes on and I find more things to love, but hopefully this is helpful for those of you into (or flirting with) clean beauty. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need any specific recommendations!

Thrifting At A Bigger Size

I started #thriftweekclub on accident. After five or so years of looking for vintage Levi’s that actually fit my hips and thighs, I finally found a pair by total chance at a Goodwill. It felt like when Glossier launched mascara. Just like I could finally wear a full face of Glossier, I could finally wear an entirely thrifted outfit. So while sitting in my brother’s car driving from Newport Beach to Santa Barbara, I decided to post about my little goal of wearing only thrifted pieces for a week. And shockingly, a lot of my followers wanted to join. And that’s the story of how the #thriftweekclub came to be.

During the first thrift week, I was in a weird place. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about my body or any of the trials and tribulations of being almost plus sized. Cristiana and I recorded an episode of Body Banter a week before, and I was so out of it that we recorded a terrible, unfunny episode and never released it. I was sick of everything being about how I don’t fit in because of the way I look and why things have to be hard for me. So needless to say, I was not in the mood to talk about thin privilege and how it relates thrifting. But not talking about it during that first thrift week still feels like a missed opportunity. One I’m going to make up for now.

There’s a specific look that always comes to mind when I think of “the girl that thrifts”. She’s blonde with tousled (but very done) beach waves that put Jen Atkin to shame. She pairs an oversized wool sweater with her vintage Levi’s in a way that’s effortless but also perfectly draped. She’s the one that goes to Goodwill and finds that perfect 80’s skirt made for a mannequin and actually fits it. She’s able to come up with eclectic combinations that have her answering “thanks! it’s thrifted!” every time a stranger compliments her (which is often). Oh, and she’s a size 2.

I have nothing against this girl. Sure, I envy her ability to find perfect thrifted pieces with ease and pull them off like no other. But I don’t hate her for it. Especially because I think I just kind of described my own sister, and I love her to pieces. The important thing is that I’m not her. Not even close.

There is a tremendous amount of thin privilege when it comes to thrifting, but it is so often ignored. That girl who wears a size 2 can fit into 99% of the pieces at any thrift store. If something is too big for her, it’s tastefully oversized. She can wear all of the dresses and skirts and tailored trousers with ease. The options are endless and it’s simple for her to have an entirely thrifted wardrobe. Sometimes, it even goes as far as that girl judging someone like me for not exclusively shopping secondhand. But that girl doesn’t know what it’s like for someone like me to shop secondhand. And news flash! It’s not easy.

I’m a person who wears a size 12 or 14, and I typically only thrift tops. Why? Because those are the only pieces I can easily find in my size that actually fit my style. My thighs are too big for most pants, even if they’re technically “my size” (tagged sizes are often bs), and there’s just no way a vintage dress with any shape would fit my broad shoulders. I have two thrifted skirts, both technically too small for me, that I barely squeeze myself into. I sold or gave away all my thrifted dresses because they were so ill-fitting and just not my style. This all circles back to the fact that up until maybe 3 years ago, fashion wasn’t for anyone over a size 8. Anyone remotely close to the plus size range was forced into shapeless dresses, thick turtlenecks, and stretchy pants. There were no '“fashionable” pieces available for folks my size. And that means that finding them years later in a Goodwill is rare.

For the most part, my thrift finds are often monotonous and look a lot different from those “high fashion thrifters”. And I’m still tremendously privileged. Why? Well, first, there’s still much more available in my size than in sizes bigger than mine, and I can still fit into smaller sizes occasionally. Second, I have a pretty simple fashion taste. I like solid colors, simple silhouettes, etc. That means I actually might wear the basic pieces that are available in my size at the thrift store. Someone with a more eclectic taste might not. There’s this quote that keeps going around, something about how powerful someone is when they wear an entirely thrifted outfit and are still the best dressed person in the room. Every time I see that, it bums me out. Because I don’t think the combination of my thrifted Lands End turtlenecks and baggy dad jeans will ever make me the best dressed person in the room. I need a few new pieces in there to complete my style. Why does my size limitation make me any less powerful?

I am also limited to where I can thrift. Fancy, curated vintage stores? They never have anything that fits me. And I would know because I lived in Brooklyn and visited those stores often. Depop? Terrifying, because the measurements are so rarely perfectly accurate and there’s no return policy. So I typically stick to traditional thrift stores like Goodwill or online retailer ThredUp. Both are great options, but still limited when it comes to sizing. There’s also great pages on Instagram like @selltradeplus that resell pieces in sizes L and up. But those are really the options. Thrifting isn’t easy for me. Sure, I enjoy it, but it’s not easy. And I think that’s the important distinction.

We have to stop saying it’s easy to thrift certain pieces. And we have to stop shaming people who buy those pieces new. Because when someone says that anyone can easily thrift a piece, that demeans the experience of those who have a harder time finding that piece because of their size. It makes it less exciting for them to finally find that piece after looking for months. And it even invites people (likely people who don’t understand the struggle) to come after that person if they have to buy it new. Don’t believe this would ever happen? Well, I do. Because I’ve seen it (recently!) on Instagram. And it’s not okay.

Here’s what I propose. Let’s all come together to understand our own individual experiences when it comes to secondhand clothing and not label something as “easy” to find. No more judgement if someone buys something new that looks a little bit like something you thrifted. Because what is that really going to do? Let’s celebrate everyone’s personal experience with thrifting and stop the shaming all together. You deserve to show off your secondhand style regardless of if you relate to my imaginary “girl that thrifts” or your experience looks more like mine. Which is, of course, the whole point of #thriftweekclub.

Gifting vs. Advertising on Instagram

I remember the first time I was ever gifted on Instagram. It was the winter of 2015, I had about 1,000 Instagram followers, and I woke up one morning to an email from someone at E-Shakti. They wanted to send me a piece from their collection (my choice!) in exchange for a blog post and a feature on my Instagram. I immediately accepted, picked out a cute denim skirt, and couldn’t mask my excitement. Someone wanted to send me something for free and all I had to do in exchange was post on my Instagram. How crazy is that?

I think every single person in the “influencer” space has had this same experience. The first time you realize that your influence is worth something to a brand is unlike anything else. And it’s a feeling you never want to end. Which is how we’ve gotten where we are now in the industry with a completely blurred line between gifting and advertising.

My E-Shakti example is the hybrid of gifting and advertising that has unfortunately become the norm. Brands offer an influencer a certain item or perk in exchange for some kind of post. This kind hybrid is great for the brand, but a total rip-off for the influencer. But because being offered something for free makes anyone feel like they’re on the cast of Riverdale, they say yes anyway. I once saw Dylan Sprouse on the street and that’s the closest I’ve been to becoming a teen star (and I know he’s not even the one on Riverdale so don’t correct me:). So, if a brand wants to send me a free necklace, I should do whatever they want me to do, no holds barred.

But therein lies the problem. The cycle continues and brands can take advantage and profit while influencers can forfeit credit for actually creating and distributing advertising if they’re not careful. Both gifting and advertising are very real things on Instagram, but again they are two different things that shouldn’t be combined to make one - like oil and water, or me and Forever 21. Let’s define both so we can all understand what’s gifting and what’s advertising.

Gifting

Instagram gifting should be intuitive because it’s the same as a getting a gift for your birthday. On your birthday, your friend will give you something they made or spent money on that they think you will like. Let’s say in this scenario that your friend gifted you a sweater for your birthday. Once you’re given the sweater, it’s yours to do with as you please. You can keep it and wear it every time it’s cold out or you can let it sit in your closet forever and never wear it. You can even re-gift it to someone else or try to return it for store credit. It doesn’t matter, because once you’re given the gift from your friend, it’s yours to do whatever you’d like with it. In the same way, if a brand sends you a gift, it’s yours to do whatever you’d like with. Yes, you most likely post it because you love it and appreciate it, but you’re not obligated to.

So here’s the part where I’m going to get a little bit technical. Yes, I have a marketing degree. Yes, I’m the worst. But I’m going to make this really simple. Gifting is a form of public relations, which is part of promotion in the marketing mix. Public relations is any form of public brand mention that the brand didn’t pay for. This could be a feature in a magazine or a celebrity wearing a dress on a red carpet. The brand didn’t pay for this exposure, but they gifted something they want to promote to a public figure or a member of the press for possible recognition. However, there is no guarantee that they will get that recognition because the transaction was not a paid one. So basically, Instagram gifting.

I was lucky enough to intern for a brand that I think runs one of the best gifting programs on Instagram. They gift the coolest people and make it clear that when they’re gifting, it’s just a gift. There is no guarantee to post and they are free to do whatever they want with this gift. There’s no tricky email after the gift is sent saying “we can’t wait to see your post!” when all you were offered was a gift. Getting to be involved on the brand side of a program that is so sound was hugely inspiring. After being a content creator and just so frustrated by Instagram gifting for years, I finally had an example of how to do it right.

So what is gifting not? Anything where you are required to do something in return for a gifted item. This is often being offered a “trade” (a term brands love to use) of a product for an Instagram post. That is a brand offering gifting in exchange for advertising. That’s not a thing and it shouldn’t be a thing on Instagram.

Advertising

I know that everyone reading this is familiar with the concept of advertising. It’s TV commercials, it’s billboards, it’s spreads in magazines. It’s been around forever and has always existed for one purpose: to sell you more stuff. The most basic definition of advertising is promotional material that a brand pays for. Money is exchanged for promotion.

On Instagram, a paid advertisement is either marked with a “paid promotion with so and so brand” or #ad. A brand or agency pays an influencer a certain rate to create a post promoting a product or service. This can also include a gifted product. I’m just going to say it. Influencer advertising on Instagram is great. I mean it’s not all perfect, but for the most part it’s a huge improvement from traditional advertising. Influencer advertising allows for more diverse voices and representation in the marketplace.

A paid advertisement is the only way a brand can make an influencer sign a contract and it’s the only way to guarantee a specific post from an influencer. If a brand sends an influencer a tee-shirt, there is no guarantee that the influencer will post it on their Instagram. But if the brand sents a tee-shirt and $50, the influencer will guarantee a post that fits the brand’s guidelines.

Advertising is a topic that is easy to research, so instead of getting too into it myself, I encourage you to do that research. There’s so much to learn and if you’re interested in these topics, you will get a lot out of it. Also: if you’re a college student and have the ability to take an integrated marketing communications course, you should.

Now, here’s the part where I use a real world example. This is an actual email from an actual brand that I actually received. At this point, I had already had a long conversation on Instagram DM’s with the founder of this brand explaining that I don’t accept “trades” and would be open to gifting. I’ve very messily removed all the names for confidentiality, but this is an excellent example of what’s not okay.

You know what? This makes me so frustrated that I’m going to list everything that’s wrong and done in bad form.

1) Brands gifting shouldn’t even say that someone is required to post, ever. Saying that they have to post in a certain timeline is clinical. If a brand gives you a “due date”, run.

2) So, from what I can understand, the brand is asking the “partner” to post 4 times for one product, within two weeks. I would charge $100 for this. They’re giving you one product. And if you want more than one product, you have to do this for every single product you’re gifted.

3) If a brand is asking you to send them your photos, they are asking for something more than gifting or advertising. They’re asking for freelance content creation and they will then be able to use your high quality photos for whatever the hell they want whenever they want. Content creation is hard work and should never be done for free.

4) The fact that this requires a signature is the most not okay part of this whole thing. The only time anything should be signed is when there is money being exchanged.

The saddest part of this whole email is that I genuinely tried to explain to the founder of this brand that what she was asking for wasn’t realistic and isn’t considered standard in the industry. And she completely wrote me off. She told me that she didn’t believe in working with “influencers” and didn’t believe in paying for promotion. She said that she wanted people to post because they genuinely loved the product. And those are totally valid opinions, but that’s not what this agreement is doing. This is an advertising and content creation contract, with the added complication of giving the brand unlimited use and maybe ownership of the influencer’s photos. The people she’s sending product aren’t posting because they love the product, they’re posting because they were required to sign a contract.

Okay, but does all of this mean I’ve never promised a post in exchange for a product or signed a contract for gifting? No, of course I have. In fact, I did recently in a situation I deemed worth it. This is a new industry and not an exact science. We are all trying to navigate it the best we can while keeping our heads afloat. You can, of course, do whatever you want and whatever feels right. The point of me even explaining and talking about this is to educate. If we all have the information, than we can make the best decisions for ourselves and hopefully navigate the industry a little better.

If you’re an influencer, think about what you’re signing before you do. Know your worth and make sure brands know it, too. Be your own advocate in situations that just don’t feel fair. And if you need support or just a second opinion, always feel free to send me a DM or email.

If you’re a brand, I hope that this maybe gives you a little insight on your role in all this. You have all the power in these situations, and you also have the power to change how this whole industry runs. Treat those promoting your products fairly and know what you should and shouldn’t ask from them. You want your influencers to be your biggest fans, and they are, so make sure you treat them that way.