The Sephora Holiday Savings Event is on — here’s what to score, splurge on, and skip

Ahead of the holidays, Sephora is offering up to 30% discounts on hundreds of its bestselling brands.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but for beauty lovers, Sephora is often a top spot to shop. As we enter the season of giving, the global beauty emporium is currently helping shoppers get a jump on their gift lists with its annual Holiday Savings Event, on now through Nov. 6 in-store and online. With the code “TIMETOSAVE,” shoppers can score discounts ranging between 10-20% on all products for Sephora Insiders at every tier and a flat 30% off of all items in the Sephora collection (so stock up!). But with over 800 holiday-ready value sets and stocking stuffers — including Kiehl’s, Tatcha, Amika, Charlotte Tilbury, and more — you may not know where to start. 

If Black-owned beauty is your preferred beat, rest assured, it’s ours, too. Thankfully, Sephora makes shopping for Black-owned brands easy with products in all categories, including both celebrity and up-and-coming brands cultivated through Sephora’s Accelerate incubator. So, with an assist from the retailer, which provided theGrio selections from this year’s assortment, we did some shopping for you to narrow down some Black-owned favorites worth getting and gifting this holiday season (and a few to put on the backburner).

If you’re a Fenty fan, now’s the time to stock up on Rihanna’s makeup and skincare brand, with items perfectly packaged for gifting (or keeping). For those already in love with the brand’s signature scent, the Fenty Eau de Parfum Perfume Set ($155; valued at $178), includes one full-size bottle and a twist-up refillable spray, making it a solid deal. However, given that fragrance is an intensely personal preference for gifting, we think the smartest score is Fenty Skin’s Lil Butta Dropz Mini Whipped Oil Body Cream Trio ($59; valued at $69). Once you’ve tried this super-emollient, delicious-smelling body butter, you’ll want one in every room of the house.

Ami Colé has been the hot name on every beauty lover’s lips this past year, and the brand’s limited-edition Hydrating Lip Treatment Oil Set ($42; valued at $60) in three melanin-friendly shades is an excellent opportunity to put it on yours. However, for an equally pretty pout in two ‘90s-nostalgic shades, we’re admittedly hoping LYS Beauty’s Speak Love Lip Oil + Lipstick Set ($19; valued at $32) will also end up in our stockings this season. 

Other buzzy brands to sample this season? Eadem aims to boost “bare-skin confidence“ with its mini-sized Brightening Trio With Niacinamide and Vitamin C ($45; valued at $81). Skincare expert Shani Darden also returns with bestselling skincare sets this year; if you’re new to her formulas, we recommend her travel-ready starter set, It All Starts with Retinol ($49; valued at $72).  

Tis the season to get ashy, which for us means stocking up on the Africa-inspired formulations of 54 Thrones. The brand’s Cloud Body Cream ($36) touts “ultimate barrier-repair” with the help of the resurrection plant of southern Africa, but for on-the-go ash prevention, we keep tubes of the brand’s Beauty Butters on hand — literally. To share the love, its African Beauty Butter Collection Deluxe Tin ($80) goes a long way, making it an investment that will last them until the next holiday season. Another ash-buster that intrigued us? OUI the People’s All Over Exfoliate + Smooth Body Renewal Set ($35; valued at $42). For a smooth, sexy and sustainable gift, pair it with the brand’s Weighted Non-Irritating Razor ($85).

For fans of Pat McGrath Labs (who isn’t?), it’s become a holiday tradition to await her annual limited-edition MTHRSHP palettes. With two blushes and nine shadows in romantic shades, this year’s Bijoux Brilliance: Starstruck Splendor Full Face Palette ($76) is no exception — and is a steal compared to the brand’s standard price points. However, with super-saturated jewel tones in 18 complimentary shades, if there’s one palette to splurge on this season, Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork V: I Am Palette For Eyes And Face ($125) is the one that tops our wishlists.

Like fragrance, haircare is a personal choice, and we all have our own preferences and favorite formulas. However, if you’re looking for new brands to gift or get into, we have a few tried-and-true recommendations. Launched from Sephora’s Accelerate Program, Bread Beauty Supply has deservedly become a cult favorite of Gen Z and younger millennials; the brand’s Best of Bread Hair Styling Set (currently $24) is a treat that shows them you’re in the know. 

For folks into their fitness, show them you support their habits with the sporty yet sexy Sunday II Sunday Minis, Post Gym Hair Kit for Travel and Workout Bags ($40). A worthy splurge? The sampling of products in Briogeo’s Don’t Despair, Repair!™ Hair Repair Remedies Gift Set ($58; valued at $83) allows newbies and frequent travelers alike a chance to try out the acclaimed collection. And for a gift that keeps on giving, Grace Eleyae’s All Silk Turban ($77) is a luxury that will last well beyond the winter season.

Editor’s note: Sephora provided some, but not all, products for this article with no compensation or guarantee of endorsement.

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