It's been a long time coming, but Sephora finally landed in the UK [1] last year via a shiny new website. The first store then opened in the Westfield London shopping centre back in March, and now a second Sephora store is opening in Westfield Stratford on 15 November, showcasing a whopping 135 brands amongst the iconic monochrome stripes.
The bricks-and-mortar stores follow the online launch of the prestigious beauty haven which premiered in October 2022. Feelunique.com became Sephora.co.uk, bringing with it a lineup of exciting brands [2] previously only available across the pond. The shiny Sephora site also became the exclusive home of ILIA, ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starr, Skinfix, Vegamour, and Sephora's very own collection, including the coveted beauty Advent calendar [3]. As well as some familiar faces in the mix, including Pat McGrath Labs, Fenty Beauty, JVN Hair, and Rose Inc.
But for those wanting to get up-close-and-personal with the products before making the commitment, your time is now. Before you plan your trip to the new Sephora store (or wait for more to inevitably pop up around the country), let us arm you with some of the brands to target to stop you feeling too overwhelmed. As a beauty editor I see hundreds of products, so these are the 14 I think are worth bagging from Sephora.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Tarte Concealer
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer [4] (£27)
Beauty experts have been raving about this concealer for years, and for good reason. With a generous full but not cakey level of coverage, this is the kind of ally you want on your side on mornings when your skin isn't playing ball. It blurs everything from moody dark circles to angry blemishes, is easy to apply with the tapered doe-foot applicator, and blends seamlessly (although you might want to use a brush to buff it out). Keeping the pigment company in the formula are nourishing shea and mango butters, as well as brightening liquorice root, to help your skin feel and look smoother. Available in 27 shades.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: MakeupbyMario Sculpt Shaping Stick
MakeupbyMario Soft Sculpt Shaping Stick [5] (£32)
If anyone knows anything about sculpting, it's the man who carved out Kim Kardashian [6]'s signature look. Sharpen your own features with a few carefully placed swipes of this shaping stick. Use as you would your normal bronzer, tracing around the edges of your forehead, across the bridge of the nose and chin, and beneath your cheekbones. Then, use the built-in angled brush at the base to buff away any noticeable lines. The creamy formula dries down to a matte — not flat — finish, for natural-looking definition and glow.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Skinfix Restoring Gel Cream
Skinfix Barrier+ Skin Barrier Restoring Gel Cream [7] (£48)
If you're not familiar with the phrase "skin barrier", allow me to catch you up. While we might only really think about our skin in terms of how it looks, its key function is as a barrier, working to keep the good stuff, like hydration, in, and bad stuff, like pollutants and bacteria, out. When the skin barrier is compromised (by things like harsh cleansers and a more-is-more approach to acids) our complexions suffer, leading to things like dryness and breakouts. This Skinfix cream works to support this important barrier, with ingredients like niacinamide to balance and zinc to soothe. It locks hydration in the skin and is lightweight enough to keep oily and spot-prone complexions happy.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Sephora Collection Prebiotic Face Mask
Sephora Collection Prebiotic Face Mask With Oat [8] (£5)
I'm a sucker for a sheet mask and Sephora's are just purse-friendly enough to convince me to add a couple to my basket. The Prebiotic Face Mask is great for anyone with dry, dehydrated, or generally tetchy skin, as the ingredients are focused on soothing and moisturising. Prebiotics are food for the friendly bacteria (and other microorganisms) that live on the surface of our skin, helping to create an all-round harmonious environment. There are nut oils (like sweet almond) and hyaluronic acid in the mix as well, to hydrate and nourish. Of course the main appeal of a mask is its speed, and this quick-fix treatment only needs five minutes to work its magic. To fully reap the benefits, massage any excess into the skin.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 30 [9] (£46)
Sitting on the fence between skincare and makeup, this skin tint could play for either side. First up, there's the instant makeup benefits, which offer a soft whisper of fresh, dewy-looking coverage. The pigment payoff is light, so if you prefer something that will fully submerge any perceived imperfections, this isn't the base for you. Now for the skincare benefits. If you're serious about skincare you'll know that daily SPF is non-negotiable, and this tint uses mineral filters (zinc oxide if you're interested) to achieve an SPF30 – as long as you're applying generously. You can also find squalane, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid in the formula to nourish, balance, and hydrate.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Vegamour Detoxifying Hair Treatment Serum
Vegamour GRO Scalp Detoxifying Hair Treatment Serum [10] (£42)
The Vegamour brand is based around using sustainably harvested plant actives to improve hair growth by reducing fallout and protecting from external factors. In the simplest terms, hair grows from our scalps, so for the healthiest hair possible, we need to take care of the source. If our scalp is unhappy it shows, with itchiness, flaking, and a decline in the appearance of our hair. This hair treatment serum gently persuades away product buildup, flakes, and excess oil to reset the scalp, as well as moisturising and balancing. It has a zingy citrus scent too, for a refreshing feel.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Refy Brow Sculpt
Refy Brow Sculpt [11] (£16)
If you're yet to give the Refy Brow Sculpt from influencer Jess Hunt a try, take this as your cue. Use the wand to apply the product to and through your brows, before using the dual-sided brush and comb in tandem to brush them upwards and set into place. The brush is great for the bulk of the brow and creating that coveted fluffiness, while the comb is best for precision and teasing those teeny tiny little hairs into place. The gel itself is hardwearing and sets well, without the tell-tale white residue or flakiness that other brow gels are guilty of creating.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: JVN Hair Nourishing Shine Drops
JVN Hair Complete Nourishing Shine Drops [12] (£21)
Everyone wants shinier hair, right? For some, glossy tresses come easy, but if your hair is neither super dark or poker straight, that sheen requires a little more work behind the scenes. Enter the JVN Hair Complete Nourishing Shine Drops, promising hair as swishable as its creator, "Queer Eye [13]"'s Jonathan Van Ness. It's a hair oil, but not in the traditional slicked-back, weighed down kind of way. Instead, the formula is lightweight enough to not only use through the mid-length and ends, but can be smoothed up top near the hairline, too. Just go slow and sparingly – you can always add more. Hair doesn't just look better, it feels it, with hibiscus extract to prevent damage and colour fade and hemisqualane (a lighter take on silicones) to nourish.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Pat McGrath Eyeshadow Quad
Pat McGrath Labs Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad in Ritualistic Rose [14] (£55)
Call me dramatic, but I'm convinced you haven't experienced true beauty until you've felt the weight of a Pat McGrath eye palette in your hands. No one does colour quite like makeup artist and all round beauty-icon McGrath, reflected in the rich pigments of her makeup. This palette is a gleaming quartet of molten gold, bronze, and rose shades which can be worn alone, or combined for a synergistic look. They're best applied and blended with a fluffy shadow brush to cover the lid, or with a tapered detail brush to get nice and close to the lash line.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: ONE/SIZE Setting Spray
ONE/SIZE On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray [15] (£30)
This best-selling spray is best-selling for a reason. If you're in the market for a light, non-sticky setting spray, then it's time for you to become more acquainted with makeup artist, Patrick Starrr [16]. Using green tea to tighten pours and witch hazel which gives a matte finish, this spray keeps makeup in place for up to 16 hours. It sells out regularly, so you need to keep an eye and snap it up as soon as it is restocked – an essential for party season.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Rose Inc Cream Blush Cheek & Lip Colour
Rose Inc Cream Blush Cheek & Lip Colour [17] (£23)
With the small caveat that no blusher will give you Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's sky-high cheeks, this product does do something quite magical to your complexion. The creaminess of the formula not only gives you a radiant, healthy glow, but means it can be applied with either fingers or a brush. I personally prefer the first option, as the warmth of your fingertips helps to really melt the blush onto your skin. The added benefit of being able to use the colour on your lips too is not only music to the ears of the makeup multi-taskers, but means you don't need to put any thought into coordinating shades. Low maintenance beauty at its best.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Sephora Collection Exfoliating Body Granita
Sephora Collection Exfoliating Body Granita Argan [18] (£10)
When it comes to exfoliators, the Sephora Collection offers great options for great prices. Not only does this pot from the argan range get rid of dead skin cells, it smells incredible thank to the coconut and argan ingredients. Your shower routine will thank you.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Haus Labs Eye Library Shadow Palette
Haus Labs Eye Library Shadow Palette [19] (£46)
If you're after an eyeshadow palette that is seriously pigmented, then this Haus Labs by Lady Gaga [20] palette is worth adding to your basket. I love that there are vegan matte, shimmer, and glitter options so that I can build up the makeup depending on whether I'm after a neutral day look or a party look with more va-va-voom. Lady Gaga's beauty brand was given a rebrand last year making it only available in Sephora – and it's really paid off.
Best Beauty Products From Sephora: Salt & Stone Saffron and Cedar Scented Candle
Salt & Stone Saffron and Cedar Scented Candle [21] (£49)
The Los Angeles based brand is finally available in the UK and it's one to have on your radar. Salt & Stone produces a range of beautiful smelling deodorants, body washes, and hand cream, but it's the candles that are really gorgeous. They are aesthetically pleasing so will look sleek in any Scandi-decorated home and have scents that are perfectly paired together, inspired by nature.