A Sephora Makeup Artist Taught Me 2 Looks With Items That Cost Less Than $20

If you’re a real Sephora Collection stan, you’ll fully understand how excited I was to write this story. In my humble opinion, any beauty aficionado needs at least one item from the retail giant’s treasure trove. Any time you’re looking for a good affordable concealer, primer, lipstick, or any other staple, they have you covered at a seriously killer price. That’s why I simply couldn’t resist asking Sephora makeup artist Helen K. Phillips for a little help in narrowing down the brand’s best products.

And as a bonus, she was kind enough to throw together a few easy looks using all Sephora Collection products that take less than 15 minutes each but are more than your basic, no-makeup makeup looks. Of course, I couldn’t just let her talk me through the looks without trying them myself, too. For the full rundown, including all the products, keep scrolling below.

Full disclosure, I couldn’t get my hands on the Charged Up Liquid Shadow (it’s so good that it’s frequently sold out), so I used a shadow that gives a similar vibrance for the look above. I did, however, use the other items Phillips mentioned for the look and all I have to say is wow. “This look is great for anyone who wants to throw on makeup in five minutes but wants more than the typical five-minute no-makeup makeup look. You don’t need a lot of skill-set to be able to do it. TV shows that feature really cool five-minute makeup are also a thing right now, and they don’t have a lot of foundation on!”

“You’ll want to start by applying the Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer just where you need it: under the eyes, any redness around the nose, etc. I love this concealer because it’s thin in texture and great for everyday coverage. You can just dot it on and blend it in with your fingers you don’t need any tools. It’s a great brightening concealer for redness or just the under-eye area.“

“Then using your fingers, apply any shade of the Charged Up Liquid Shadow. They are my favorite way to quickly achieve a stunning eye look. The shine and pigment they have is incredible. Some shades even give a wet-lid effect without the discomfort of having a sticky gloss on your eyes. For deeper skin tones the shade All Night looks really great, too!”

“I usually pair these with a great mascara like the Big By Definition Mascara which gives long-wearing length and volume. I like that this one builds up, but if you want extra length and volume right off the bat in one swipe, I would go with the Sephora Collection’s Size Up Mascara ($12).”

“Finish the look with a bit of powder to set your concealer like the Translucent Loose Setting Powder.”

“This one has peppermint oil in it and is really plumping and hydrating. It’ll also stay on a hot day.”

For this look, Phillips added in Sephora Collection’s Best Skin Ever Foundation, the Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick, and the option to add in the Ultimate Gel Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in Matte Lime if you really want to get crazy. Phillips loves a brighter pink lip shade for spring, but for my own look, I used the Cream Lip Stain in the shade Always Red. As you’ll see in the below photo I did, in fact, give the lime eyeliner a try because I like to step outside of my comfort zone every now and then. I honestly felt like I was having a major Euphoria moment.

“Start by applying the Best Skin Ever Liquid Foundation. I like it because it has 50 shades, medium coverage, and a natural finish. It looks really polished, has anti-pollution qualities to it, and is just an easy-to-use natural finish foundation. If you want to be more radiant you can add other things to it too. It really plays well with others.”

“Then I would do one of our matte bronzers. It has a good range to it for a matte bronzer. It has tons of payoff. You do one swipe and you’re like, ‘Okay, cool, we’re done!'”

“If Sephora Collection is known for one thing, it’s probably this lipstick. Always Red is a very true red tone, it doesn’t run blue and is totally neutral. You can bring in a hot pink shade to transition into spring, and I love Indian Pink—it’s such a rich, beautiful pink. They stay on forever, too.”

“Next, you can add in this waterproof liner. These have tons of pay off and come with a sharpener on the end for when you want a sharper look. They’re waterproof and really do last.”