Nope, this is not a drill. In lieu of the standard, long-winded, and public Labor Day sales we’re accustomed to, our beauty-devoted friends over at Violet Grey are hosting a special kind of beauty sale—the super-secret, exclusive kind—and you, dear Who What Wear readers, have scored an invitation.
In a loyalty-geared For Customers Only sale, Violet Grey is offering 20% off sitewide to a select audience of shoppers, and because you’re here and reading this, you’ve made the cut! The sale is two days only, Sunday, September 6, through Monday, September 7, and aside from gift cards and a few brand exclusions, the retailer is your shopping oyster. (Think hot-ticket labels like Augustinus Bader, Tata Harper, Tatcha, Dr. Barbara Sturm, Kosas, Byredo, and so many more.)
All you have to do is shop until you drop and apply the promo code CUSTOMERSONLY at checkout to redeem your 20% off. To whet your appetite, and because I’m personally very excited about this sale, in particular, I’ve gone ahead and done some premature shopping on your behalf. Below, 32 covetable beauty splurges I’d recommend adding to your shopping cart immediately. Keep scrolling!
With 20% off, now is the time to finally sink your teeth into the face cream everyone can’t stop talking about. I recommend sticking with The Cream (which is slightly lighter in consistency than The Rich Cream) unless you veer really dry or have more mature skin.
If you thought all rose waters were made equally, you have yet to experience the magic of this French export from Chantecaille. It’s so good and such a vital necessity within my routine that I stockpile in advance for fear of running out. Obviously, a sale is the best time to hoard.
Regardless of your age, prevention and protection is key for maintaining and encouraging ever-lasting glow and a healthy complexion. This best-selling anti-aging serum from Dr. Barbara Sturm is the ultimate cocktail for promoting well-nourished, bright, and dewy skin sans a stitch of makeup.
IS Clinical makes some of the best face washes in the business (my fellow beauty editor Courtney Higgs and I are also obsessed with the Cleansing Complex), but now that we’re moving into fall and inevitably colder temperatures, it doesn’t get more decadent than the brand’s luxe, honey-spiked warming cleanser. It’s moisturizing, pore-refining, and exceptionally healing for acne-prone skin types, in particular.
Trust me (and basically every skin expert I’ve ever consulted)—a hydrating personal humidifier or steamer is the most underrated tool you can have in your winter skincare arsenal. This professional device from Dr. Dennis Gross reigns supreme thanks to its specialized micro-steam technology, which delivers max hydration, while simultaneously clearing and detoxifying your complexion. Your newfound glow will be instantaneous. Oh, and if you really want to get wild, steam in conjunction with the brand’s Hyaluronic Marine Hydrating Modeling Mask.
I’m a firm believer that our eyes, necks, and hands are the first places we show our age. Not that that’s at all a bad thing, but I am vain enough to admit that I’d like to keep my skin as pert and peppy as I feel on the inside as long as possible. Therefore, I’m all about this super-restorative eye elixir from organic beauty brand Tata Harper.
I didn’t know what my lips were missing until I tried this lip mask. In true Tatcha nature, it quite literally transforms your skin into velvet, and I’m even convinced its made my pout look plumper and more pillowy. It’s become one of my favorite nighttime beauty rituals, and I have a hunch it will be one of yours too!
These sheet masks make me believe in the extraterrestrial. Seriously, they’re just that magical, and every time I apply one of these unique hydrogel masks, I’m left feeling like my skin has been touched by an alien (in a good way!). They have a handful of different kinds centered on different treatments, so I recommend picking your poison based on what your skin needs most. This de-puffing number is my personal fave because I’m never mad at a product that lets me have my salty sushi and eat it too. (Bonus points if you store them in the fridge!)
You can never have too many Beautyblenders, so I replenish my hoard any time a sale allows me to do so without corrupting my bank account.
I’ve been waiting for the right time to splurge on Giorgio Armani’s new concealer because, like every other makeup-wearing being on the planet, I can’t get enough with the brand’s iconic Luminous Silk Foundation. With the concealer, I’ll finally have the matching set I’ve been dreaming of.
It’s been about three years since a past beauty-editor co-worker introduced me to Kosas’s lipsticks, and three years later, I’m still just as much in love. They’re clean, they’re hydrating, they’re long-wearing, they’re featherlight, and the spectrum of colors is so juicy and stunning. Somehow, I’ve tried every single shade, and they all look amazing. There’s some kind of fairytale magic running through the Kosas water that makes its palettes comparably universally flattering. If I had to choose a few favorite children, however, it would be Rosewater or Stardust.
Let me tell you that I own this insanely beautiful eye duo (in this exact shade), and the second I tried it for the first time, I swore I needed every other hue Surratt makes of the stuff. The packaging is brilliant and is the next coolest thing to a Rubik’s cube for makeup-loving adults. The top screws off to reveal a dreamy, water-resistant matte cream, and the bottom deck swivels out to deliver an ultra-prismatic duo-chrome powder so you can layer on your desired amount of shimmer. Seriously, it’s one of my most-prized beauty possessions, and there’s nothing I love more than a chic two-for-one situation.
Gucci Westman’s line of makeup is undeniably lovely, but I always have a hard time recommending her clan of clean, super-high-quality formulas because they’re spectacularly expensive. That said, 20% is the perfect opportunity for me to wax poetic about her Baby Cheeks blush sticks. I appreciate that they’re multipurpose (which, again, makes the splurge feel more worthwhile to me), and they’re superimposed with some luxurious ingredients that will actually help heal and improve the health and glow of your natural skin. Think rare actives extracted from raspberry cells, organic jojoba oil, and on and on.
If you’re still using a regular towel, your hairdresser and I beg of you: Please use one of Aquis’s holy-grail turbans instead. You’ll have less breakage and frizz and more shine. Plus, it dries your hair roughly 50% faster than whatever else you’re using at the moment.
Do you have savvier things to spend $29 on than a comb? Probably. But then again, you’ll definitely have this incredibly chic and handy palm-size comb on your vanity—not only for its epic detangling abilities but for the fact that it just so happens to be the perfect size for scalp and de-knotting massages. (You’re welcome!)
Hair gel is one of those products people often think they’re allergic to but are really just misunderstood. Of course, getting your hands on a top-notch formula helps, and this vitamin-spiked number is definitely that. Created for all types and textures, it’s a protective, silky-smooth styling gel that creates mirror-like shine, light-to-medium hold, and an infinite number of good hair days. (No strings—aka crunch, grease, or stickiness—attached!)
I’ll probably use (and talk about) this damage-reversing treatment for the rest of my life. Thus far, no other copycat or rebuilding treatment has been able to hold a candle to how efficiently and effectively this antidote fixes dry, broken, stressed-out strands.
Does any other texturizing spray even exist? Technically, yes, but Oribe’s cult classic will always sit at the very top of the podium in my mind.
I don’t personally have curls or coils, but I’ve heard so many hairstylists recommend this glossy curl jelly from Jen Atkin for anyone who does. It’s a unique oil-gel hybrid that delivers a whopping dose of hydration and shine without sacrificing the bounce, definition, or texture of your curls. It also happens to smell amazing, so there’s that!
Steamy EOD bubble baths just hit different in 2020, yeah? Well, your ritual is about to get the best elevation thanks to these multitasking, detoxifying bath salts from African Botanics, which boast an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink laundry list of skin and wellness perks. Mineral-rich salt from the Kalahari desert helps remineralize the body to promote detoxification, muscle relaxation, and healing; seaweed hailing from wild kelp forests in South Africa help soothe skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and acne; caffeine helps de-puff and break down cellulite or stagnant circulation; and the aromatic melding of African buchu leaf, juniper, and lemongrass work as a natural antiseptic.
I’m not trying to sound snobby, but I’ve barely been able to look at any other body scrub since I discovered this Malibu-made concoction from C & the Moon. (Word on the street is that Kim Kardashian West is also a fan.) Not only does it beat out other scrubs due to how silky and hydrated it leaves your skin feeling, but it also has the most divine scent imaginable. It’s like your junior high Warm Vanilla Sugar obsession but super elevated and not overly saccharine. If an angel touched Earth, this pot of golden sugar is exactly what I imagine she’d smell like.
I’m newly infatuated with this shave cream from Fur and its Stubble Cream. I’m not sure what kind of witchcraft it’s using, but I’m extremely ingrown- and razor burn–prone, and I haven’t had one single incident since I swapped this into my shower routine. I use it everywhere I shave (so pretty much all over my body), and the calming mix of olive oil, aloe, and antimicrobial marshmallow root keeps everything smooth, hydrated, and free of sharp stubble.
If you think firming body creams and oils are a load of phooey (I used to be one of you!), this super-luxurious body serum will 110% change your mind. It boasts a botanical firming complex, hyaluronic acid, and the brand’s signature omega oil blend for maximum hydration but lightning-speed absorption. I love layering it underneath all of my other favorite body potions from the brand.
If you’ve been reading my content for a while, you already know how I feel about body oils. I don’t love them, and there are actually only a few formulas on this planet that I find even semi-palatable. So you’ll know how Earth-shaking it is when I say that this body oil (combined with the butter below) has borderline changed my life. Of course, that’s dramatic, but in a time of life when the little things really count and I’m leaning into my self-care routine, finding a body oil as delicious and gleam-inducing as this one feels big. First of all, it smells amazing. I can’t get over it. Second of all, it absorbs quickly (a detail I require), and the 100% botanical blend is laced with enough nutrients, antioxidants, and fatty acids to make Moon Juice’s entire supply look weak. The magic lies in the combination of rose-hip, grape, and apricot oils, which instantly awaken the skin and make it soft, supple, and ultra hydrated.
My love for all things Nécessaire runs deep, and I regularly use and recommend pretty much all of its products. In fact, I think it was Nécessaire that made me realize that not all body lotions and body washes are the same. That said, I usually tell people to try The Body Wash or The Body Lotion first—either will be an equally successful gateway into the rest of the line. I typically the fragrance-free, but its Eucalyptus and Sandalwood scents make you feel like you’re at the spa.
Back when I was going to the gym (remember those?), I never left the house without stowing a few of these in my gym bag. In a nutshell, they’re aluminum-free deodorant wipes that get the job done by effectively eliminating odor without irritating or disrupting sensitive skin. The MVP ingredient roster includes things like tea tree oil, açaí extract, chamomile, citric acid, and citronellyl methylcrotonate (to deodorize).
If you’ve ever wondered why or how celebrities look like angelic glowing orbs on the red carpet, it’s most likely due to this here bottle. It’s a wash-off face-and-body potion that gives you a subtle dose of a sun-kissed glow and a filter-esque blurred-out finish to your skin. Although it will wash off easily (when you want it to), it’s handily transfer-resistant, and it reflects light to camouflage anything you may be looking to camouflage.
There isn’t a wrong answer whenever Byredo is involved, but I find myself gravitating to this outdoorsy mix of bergamot, juniper berries, lemon, pepper, incense, orris, pine, amber, vanilla, and sandalwood again and again. It’s warm, cozy, and pretty much screams fall.
This iconoc perfume from D.S. & Durga is quite honestly unlike anything else I’ve ever smelled before, which, in my opinion, is the best kind of praise a fragrance can receive. Blame it on the rustic blend of musk, cream, peach, ambrette, coco, and cedar.
Perfumes from Frédéric Malle are a true investment, but they’re also such a treat and in a league of their own where originality, nostalgia, and beauty are concerned. There are so many amazing options, but Carnal Flower is known as one of the most intoxicating fragrances you can get your hands on thanks to key notes like tuberose, bergamot, melon, eucalyptus, ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, coconut, and white musks.
Last but not least, meet La Fille de Berline from French perfume house Serge Lutens. Juicy and bright, this perfume features bold notes of rose, violet, pink and black pepper, and musk. This fragrance will cause notice, so prepare for compliments on how amazing you smell. Up next: And Now, 14 Nail Polish Brands Manicurists and Beauty Editors Are Obsessed With
