I Attended Sephora's Biggest Event of the Year—12 Genius Tips I Picked Up Along the Way


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Each year, Sephora holds an epic weekend-long event in a different city. It’s called Sephoria, and it features hundreds of brands, experts, and activations. There are fun photo ops. There are master classes with industry experts. There are exclusive product samples and beyond-packed swag bags. Almost unbelievable in size and scale, it’s essentially a colossal beauty festival.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend it twice. The first time was back in 2019 when it was held in L.A. The second time was just a few weeks ago when it was held in Atlanta. Even though I might be a little biased as a beauty editor, I highly recommend snagging tickets to the next one. It’s not only an incredibly fun experience, but it’s also the nucleus of insider info with product recommendations, brand news, and beauty tips swirling around the event space.

It’s an understatement to say that I learned a lot during my three-day experience at Sephoria. Since I’m a beauty editor who doesn’t believe in gatekeeping, I’m laying it all out here. Keep scrolling to learn every single genius beauty tip I learned from seven (yes, seven!) top beauty industry experts.

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The Experts

Tip #1: The ’90s Dark Lip Is Back

Tip #2: Apply Cream Shadow Under Powder Shadow for Bold Color Payoff

Some of Razzano’s Favorite Beauty Products

Tip #3: Apply Eye Cream Around the Mouth

Some of Sewell’s Favorite Beauty Products

Tip #4: Silver Is the Color of the Year

Tip #5: Use Lip Liner Instead of Matte Lipstick

Some of Solares’s Favorite Beauty Products

Tip #6: The Messy Bun Isn’t Going Anywhere

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While there are multiple hairstyles Marjan is loving right now, including barely-there cool-girl waves and bouncy blowouts, she says the messy bun made famous by celebs like Kim Kardashian is here to stay. BRB, I’m going to try to re-create Marjan’s handiwork.

Tip #7: Make Sure Your Hair Is 100% Dry Before Styling

Some of Marjan’s Favorite Beauty Products

Tip #8: Sorry, Gen Z, But Side Parts Are *It*

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“I think the side part is making a comeback, which I’m really excited about,” Stephen says. “This will be paired with a length that is not super long or bob length—somewhere in between with gorgeous long layers and movement.”

Some of Stephen’s Favorite Beauty Products

Tip #9: Set Your Makeup Layer by Layer—Not All at Once at the End

Tip #10: A Blurred, Soft-Focus Skin Finish Is In

Some of Dedivanovic’s Favorite Beauty Products

Tip #11: Don’t Treat Bronzer as Contour—It’s Different

Tip #12: Do as Rihanna Does and Bring Blush Up to Your Temples and Use It to Distract From Tired Eyes

Some of Ono’s Favorite Beauty Products