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Shopping with Shauna is a monthly fashion and beauty series where commerce editor Shauna Beni-Haynes goes shopping at different retailers/brands on a budget to find the best deals on top-rated products and trendy new launches so you can see firsthand how you can get the most out of your coins.
Hello, and welcome to the very first edition of Shopping with Shauna. Since you’re here, I’m assuming you're looking to upgrade your vanity with some cool new items without spending tons of cash — and I feel you. As a beauty lover, there's nothing more disappointing than spending your hard-earned money on a meh product. One of the stores I frequently find myself waltzing into is to find the best beauty products is — drumroll please — Sephora!
Sephora has to be one of the best beauty retailers to shop for luxury and new up-and-coming brands (hello, Basma!), but with hundreds of new products hitting the shelves monthly, how’s one supposed to know what’s the best, what to try, and what's really worth it? Well, that's where I come in!
As part of my job, I take pride and joy in finding the products that are truly worth the price tag. I've done all the digging and searching through shelves and TikTok videos, tested out products on myself, and listened to reviews from colleagues and licensed beauty professionals to narrow down the best products to buy at Sephora with just $100. I actually got a Sephora gift card from my best friend for my birthday, so I wanted to go shopping in person to check out all the new goodies — and claim my free gift, of course. Let's get into it. $100 at Sephora. Keep scrolling for the full story, or use the arrows below to jump to the section you want.
→ THE RECEIPT
→ THE REVIEW
→ THE SHOPPING LIST
THE RECEIPT
Before we get into it, let me give you a peek at everything I spent at Sephora with $100 and, yes, come clean about the fact that I went over budget by one tiny dollar.
Before I plead my case for these products, let me also share a key piece of advice: I recommend going into Sephora with an idea of what you want before stepping into the store because you'll most likely get overwhelmed or distracted by all the pretty bottles, colors, and scents. It happened to me plenty of times, so make a plan and stick to it to prevent spending money on unnecessary items.
My focus for this year is getting my hair back in tip-top shape. I overdid it with hot tools last year, which ultimately damaged it but not beyond repair, so now it's time for me to invest in all the great haircare (like the best deep conditioners for natural hair) to bring my curls back to life. Another part of my body that always needs some TLC is my lips, so you know I had to stock up on some TikTok viral beauty picks, too.
THE REVIEW
First up: Lips, courtesy of Summer Fridays. This lip balm has the TikTok girlies in a chokehold, and I stand with them! The fragrance, the smooth texture, and the sheer color are all chef's kiss. It keeps my lips feeling hydrated and super soft. To me, it feels like chapstick and lip gloss in one.
A hot tip to get more bang for your buck: You can also use this lip balm as a nourishing overnight lip mask while you sleep, so this one was a no-brainer. (I actually now have two of these in my arsenal, but if I had to pick a scent, I'd go for Birthday Cake.)
While searching through the shelves, I ended up finding so many great products from Black-owned brands like Briogeo and Bread Beauty Supply, so I had to add them to my cart. As I was saying before, I got a lot of blowouts done last year and ended up with heat damage. Insert sad face here. One of my goals starting this month was to nurse my hair back to health, and since I’m not ready to do a big chop, I knew I needed to find the best hair treatments.
My hairstylist actually recommended using this Briogeo deep conditioning mask weekly. It’s designed for thick, curly hair types and works to strengthen damaged strands from the inside out. The ingredients include Rosehip oil, Algae extract, and B vitamins, which work to improve the texture and hydrate the hair. This is the regular standard size for this product, but the brand also sells a value size ($124), a bigger standard size ($46), and a mini size ($15).
Next up in hair. I received a sample size of this hair oil in a goodie bag and immediately became obsessed with it, so I definitely needed to get the full-size bottle. I usually avoid adding oil to my hair because it weighs down my curls and leaves my hair feeling greasy. But that is not the case when using this gloss. The texture feels smooth and lightweight. Also, it smells sooo yummy, thanks to the Kakadu plum ingredient. I got the full size because I loved it so much, but if you are not sure you can also save some coins either the small or mini size for $18 and $14, respectively.
Last but not least, with only $13 dollars left, I knew I had to have a look into the mini-sized beauty section and go for a foolproof option. Selena Gomez came correct with her line of liquid blushes. The formula is super pigmented, long-lasting, and gives off a glow-from-within look.
If you've ever tried any of these, you'd know that a little bit also goes a long way. You just need to apply two to three dots of product across your cheeks and blend it in with your fingers or sponge. I also like to mix colors based on the look I’m going for. The mini size will last you for a while, and for $14, it’s definitely worth adding to your makeup stash. (If you are fully committed, the full size goes for $23.)
THE SHOPPING LIST
If you've been thinking of what to buy with $100 at Sephora, hopefully, you've gained something from this post. Whether it’s a new product to add to your collection or just some shopping knowledge, I'm here to help, so stay tuned for next month's Shopping with Shauna to see which store I'll be ballin’ out on a budget at next!
