Sephora is an undisputed household name. For years, it has been synonymous with cult beauty brands like Glow Recipe, Supergoop! and Tatcha, to name a few, but its own-brand offering — Sephora Collection — is arguably the most underrated (despite being legitimately good).
For the uninitiated, Sephora Collection is the store’s own-brand offering, encompassing makeup, skincare, hair care and body care products. The lineup is ever expanding and price points are all rather reasonable, with most bestsellers coming in at under £20. Perhaps due to the relatively un-flashy packaging or moderate marketing support, there isn’t much buzz about Sephora Collection. However, this by no means indicates that the brand is unpopular. Our American beauty editor peers almost always namedrop Sephora Collection products when we ask them about their beauty routines, and for good reason.
To help you get better acquainted with Sephora Collection’s greatest hits, we asked a handful of R29 staffers and beauty experts — from both sides of the pond — to share their top-recommended buys from the brand. We are willing to bet these reliable and affordable items will soon become permanent fixtures in your beauty routine.
Sephora Collection Waterproof Retractable Eyebrow Pencil, £12.99
“I am always on the hunt for a dependable eyebrow product because God forbid you find me in a situation where I don’t have one within reach. I have an eyebrow pencil in my purse, in my car, in practically every bathroom of my home — just in case of an emergency. This habit can become expensive, but it isn’t thanks to Sephora Collection’s Retractable Eyebrow Pencil. It rivals any of its more expensive competitors at just under £13. I love how smoothly it goes on and how tiny the applicator tip is so you are able to create fine, precise brow hairs. It also comes in so many different colours, you won’t have trouble finding one that matches your brows.” — Sara Tan, Beauty Director
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Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Matte Liquid Lipstick, £12.99
“I’d heard excellent things about Sephora’s makeup collection way before the store arrived on our shores, but I was especially excited to get my hands on its famous matte liquid lipstick — and it didn’t disappoint. I’d liken this to NARS Air Matte Lip Colour, but it’s a snip of the price at just £12.99. My favourite shade is Classic Red, which is a blue-based, retro red. The staying power is impressive. I wore it to a masquerade ball where I danced all night, and I only had to top up once in the very centre. It feels comfortable and doesn’t suck the moisture from my lips unlike some others, though the creaminess dries down after a few hours. Show me a liquid lipstick that doesn’t do that eventually. To mitigate this, I prep my lips with E45 Lip & Dry Skin Balm.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
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Sephora Collection Cleansing + Exfoliating Wipes, £5.99 £4.75
“I have oily, breakout-prone skin and I can’t stand to wait too long after a workout to wash my face, so these wipes have become a gym bag staple for me. The coconut one is my favourite. The wipes are packed with soothing, hydrating ingredients, and are so easy to swipe over my face and chest to remove sweat and existing skincare post-workout. They’re also a lifesaver for the bedside table on the rare occasion that I’m too tired to get up and use a face cleanser for oily skin.” — Marianne Mychaskiw, beauty writer and TV host
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Sephora Collection Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation, £17.99
“Ask almost any beauty editor, and they would normally advise investing in a foundation. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but luxury formulas tend to have more sophisticated finishes, shade ranges and ingredients. Sephora Collection’s Best Skin Ever Foundation feels expensive, but it’s only £18. The lightweight texture feels weightless on skin and the finish is undetectable while somehow providing medium coverage. (If that’s not makeup magic, I don’t know what is.)
“21.5Y is an exact match to my olive skin tone, and the soft-matte finish is perfect for my oily skin. If you are especially dry, I would recommend prepping with a dewy primer first. I also love that the bottle is made with 30% recycled glass, and that there are 50 shades to choose from. I’m also a fan of the Best Skin Ever Concealer, which reminds me of Tarte Shape Tape but with a slightly creamier feel.” — Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer
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Sephora Collection Outrageous Plump Effect Gloss, £13.99
“I follow a lot of makeup content creators on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok), and the girlies on that app are absolutely obsessed with this lip gloss. It’s been crowned the holy grail of the ‘no-make up makeup’ look many times over. What it truly excels at is making your lips look shiny, plumped up and moisturised. It has enough pigment to conceal the duller shade of your lips while still looking natural.
“I highly rate the clear (01 Universal Volume) and the baby pink shade (07 Pink Pout). Both are masterful at creating that juicy and alluring pout I love for the summer, and it leaves a minty fresh sensation, too. I also recommend layering this product on top of a lip stain or tint for that extra dose of shine.” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
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Sephora Collection 12H Colourful Contour Eye Pencil, £9.99
“Whenever anyone asks me for affordable eyeliner recommendations, the Sephora Collection 12H Colourful Contour Eye Pencil is always top of my list. The shades are vibrant and long-lasting, whether you prefer a standout shimmery blue like my favourite shade My Boyfriend’s Jeans or like to keep things simple with classic matte black (the shade Black Lace will be right up your street).
“The liner comes in three finishes; matte, glitter and shimmer, and they’re all genuinely just as good as one another. Don’t sleep on these liners until you’ve tried them. Trust me: You’ll be obsessed.” — Vanese Maddix, beauty journalist and podcast host
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Sephora Collection Intense Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, £13.99
“My cat-eye is like a security blanket for me, so I need a good liquid liner on hand every day. I’m obsessed with this eyeliner — the waterproof formula doesn’t budge or smear all day (even if you find yourself crying at a movie — I can attest), and the pen-like shape gives you the control of a pencil but with the intense payoff of a liquid liner.
“I prefer a felt-tip applicator over a brush since you don’t have to worry about it fraying or losing its shape, and the applicator on this pen liner is one of my favourites. I like how it’s firm and delivers an even finish, but flexible enough to wing out at the end without any pulling or tugging. A cat-eye with a dull wing is my biggest pet peeve, so I love how the precise tip allows me to taper the shape out to an ultra-sharp point.” — Marianne Mychaskiw
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Sephora Collection Size Up Waterproof Mascara, £14.99
“Convince me that this isn’t Too Faced’s Better Than Sex! The mascara wand is suspiciously similar in shape and size, right down to the varying bristle lengths and hourglass silhouette. As such, it captures and beefs up every single lash, even the teeny tiny ones in the corners. It’s waterproof, so I’d recommend also stocking up on Sephora Collection Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover, which boasts a biphase formula. In other words, it combines oil and water, and when shaken, it creates an emulsion that melts away mascara without the need to swipe aggressively.” — Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
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Sephora Collection Lip Stain Liner, £9.99
“I’ve waxed poetic about this lip liner a few times before, but even years after I’ve first discovered it, it remains the most reached-for in my collection. For starters, the texture is so creamy and smooth, making it easy to glide on and apply. Then there are the shades: beautiful, pigmented and long-wearing. My personal go-tos are the nudes and browns. For £9.99 — among the most affordable lip liners at Sephora — I truly think it’s the one to beat.” — Karina Hoshikawa, Senior Writer
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Sephora Collection Monoi Bubble Bath & Shower Gel, £7.99
“One of my favourite Sephora Collection discoveries has to be the two-in-one bubble bath and shower gel. While I don’t own a bath, using this in the shower is equally just as much of a treat. It lathers well on the skin and leaves it feeling super smooth. Plus, it’s available in different scents. My favourite by far is Monoi, which smells like tropical goodness and instantly helps me unwind.” — Vanese Maddix
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Sephora Collection Cleansing & Soothing Micellar Gel, £14.99 £11.95
“At this point, the importance of taking off your makeup at night has been drilled into all of us, but I am extra diligent when it comes to removing my sunscreen, too. To prevent breakouts, I use this Sephora Collection Micellar Gel on places I’ve applied sun care to make sure every last trace of stickiness is gone from my skin — and yes, this includes my limbs, my shoulders and my back, too. It’s a great alternative to micellar water since I only need a few pumps of the gel to cover my body, compared to almost a quarter of a bottle of micellar water.
“It leaves my skin so fresh and bouncy without any of the flaky residue I sometimes get from other gel makeup removers. One bottle will last me a whole summer, and £12 is a small price to pay to have my back acne-free.” — Venus Wong, Senior Writer
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