Indulgent Self-Care Nights Are My Secret Talent—Here Are the Items I Swear By
I'll be honest—my collection of candles, bath salts, body elixirs, and masks of all varieties has been exercised at an unparalleled level this year. Stress and anxiety are at a universal high, and relaxing into a tension-releasing bubble bath surrounded by flickering candlelight and fragrant notes of violet or jasmine is not to be underestimated. I'm a huge proponent of self-care, and taking moments to sit and relish stillness is what gives us the energy to push and perform through the tricky and important stuff.
As a bath-, body-, and skincare-enthusiastic beauty editor, you can only imagine the copious amounts of products I've tried and worked my way through this year, but trust me when I say some have been far superior to others—and, unfortunately, significantly more expensive. In case you missed it, Sephora's annual Holiday Savings Event is officially in full swing, so I'm taking the opportunity to stock up on some of my most prized self-care possessions in addition to recommending all of said favorites to you.
As with all of Sephora's Beauty Insider Events, there are three different tiers to the savings opportunities. (And if you're not already a Beauty Insider, you can join for free right here!) Rouge members will receive 20% off from October 30 to November 9, VIB members will receive 15% off from November 3 to November 9, and Insiders will receive 10% off from November 5 to November 9. Simply enter HOLIDAYFUN at checkout, and you'll be set to live out your most indulgent self-care dreams (wherever the Sephora shopping winds decide to take you). Keep scrolling! My relaxation-time necessities are just below.
Light a Candle…
This clean, vegan candle melts away stress with a lush blend of alpine violet, iris woods, and midnight jasmine.
Your daily reminder courtesy of Tom Ford and his most iconic scent.
An orange bitters–inspired candle? The ultimate cocktail pairing.
Make Your Tub Extra-Luxe…
The most detoxifying antidote when your muscles have officially turned to knots.
Refill your prescription with these cheeky, jasmine- and rose-scented bath bombs.
Trust me. This frankincense-, chia seed oil–, and Himalayan pink salt–studded bath soak is even better than (or, at least, the next best thing to) an actual martini. (Though, I highly recommend opting for both simultaneously if you're into that kind of thing.)
Quench Your Strands…
Rare Mirsalehi honey is the key—it will make your hair bounce and gleam.
This need-to-have hair butter is the ultimate pick-me-up for curls dealing with burnout.
Shampoo your hair, saturate your strands with this mask, wrap them in a towel, and steam, baby, steam.
The MVP for that inevitable moment when blonde hair goes brassy.
Put Something Nice on Your Face…
This hydrating botanical matrix of aloe vera, rose, hollyhock, and sodium hyaluronate recharges lackluster skin with moisture and nutrition.
Melatonin and bakuchiol (nature's natural version of retinol) lull your skin into glowy, good behavior pre-bedtime.
A puff- and dark circle–poofing overnight eye mask that leaves under eyes dewy and revitalized come morning. (If you love Laneige's cult-loved Lip Sleeping Mask, $22, you definitely need this in your life!)
Give Your Skin a Liquid Glow…
The scent and results are both intoxicating, so everyone deserves at least one skin-firming elixir from Sol de Janeiro in their life. Right now, I'm on this bump-busting scrub.
Steeped in CBD, this is the richest and most decadent thing you can treat parched skin to this winter—your skin will glisten with long-lasting hydration.
Practical magic—a crème de la crème balm that instantly melts into your skin upon contact for a hint of shine and velvet-to-the-touch finish. (It's expensive but worth it.)
My top recommendation if you want to smell like a million bucks (literally) but aren't one for slick or overly glossy residue on your limbs or strands.
Up next, Sephora's Beauty Director Has Access to Thousands of Products—Here Are Her Musts
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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