These Sephora beauty products might look a bit intimidating or downright weird, but you should definitely try them.
We love Sephora because it is filled with rows upon rows of pretty eyeshadows, lipsticks, and nail polishes in every shade of the rainbow, plus a few extras. Mixed in with the traditional products, you will find some strange-looking beauty inventions and intimidating skincare products that seem like they should come with instruction manuals. Plus, some hair products that you’re not entirely sure they are meant for your head. For makeup, it’s not even the hi-tech beauty gadgets that are intimidating; it’s some of the mascara and brushes. They’re the products that you sort of know what they’re meant to do but figure they are best left to the professional makeup artists/other braver people who visit Sephora. Instead, you will buy your regular blush and not spend money on something that they call “blush” but is in a medicine bottle. Don’t judge makeup by its packaging. These 12 beauty products might look odd, but they give you flawless results.
1. blinc Heated Eyelash Curler
Just looking at a regular eyelash curler strikes fear into 87% of us. You thought they couldn’t get any scarier until you saw this heated one. I know that putting anything hot near your eyeball sounds terrifying, but this one will not pinch your lid like the regular eyelash curlers. You just wait for it to heat up and brush it through your lashes like a mascara wand.
2. Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Mascara
Some people get worried if a brush is made out of plastic instead of bristles, so you can imagine what they think when they look at a mascara that has an end that looks like a morning star. If you haven’t tried Givenchy’s mascara yet, I promise it is not a torture device. The spherical brush lengthens your lashes from every angle, and it works for eyes of all shapes and sizes.
3. Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
Spraying your face with any sort of product after you have spent forever applying your makeup seems counter-intuitive. Contrary to what you think, makeup setting spray doesn’t smudge your freshly-applied makeup; it actually seals it. This ultra-fine mist is so light that you won’t even feel it. Promise. Think of it as a topcoat for your face.
4. Perricone MD No Blush Blush
I don’t think I’m the only one that is leery of blushes that aren’t in powder form. (I’m intimidated by gel formulas.) This cheek color has a doe-foot applicator that looks like it should be for lip gloss, not for cheeks. However, the intentionally small applicator deposits the right amount of formula onto your face. All you need is three little dots, which you blend to give you a natural-looking rosy glow.
5. Sephora Collection Eyebrow Trimmer/Brush
The mere thought of trimming your eyebrows might give you lopsided brow nightmares. These bizarre-looking scissors looking confusing, but the brush side actually acts as a guide and prevents you from chopping half your eyebrow off. You can even remove the comb for days when you just need a quick brow polish.
6. Too Faced Sweetheart Beads Radiant Glow Face Powder
I don’t know whether these are truffles or an actual beauty product–and the name “sweetheart beads” makes me think they are a different thing entirely. You may buy them because they would look oh-so-cute on your vanity, but you should purchase them to use them. To apply the product, pick up a heart and rub it over your cheeks/wherever you want to highlight. Then blend the hard lines with a brush.
7. beautyblender
Forget about sponges; we have enough trouble trying to figure out makeup brushes to worry about anything else. This sponge might look like it is better suited for an Easter egg basket than to apply your foundation with, but it is a cult classic. The edge-less design allows for a streak-free application. You can also use it with primers, cream blushes, and any other complexion product. If you need another reason to try it, it will help you use less makeup. You wet the sponge prior to application so the product sits on top and doesn’t get absorbed into it.
8. Make Up For Ever Aqua Seal
Sometimes makeup’s packaging doesn’t help us figure out what a product is. This could be a bottle of eye drops, but it is actually something much more exciting. This little bottle transforms powder eyeshadow and pencils into waterproof formulas and increases their intensity. And who wouldn’t want all of their makeup to be waterproof?
9. Estée Lauder Sculpting Foundation Brush 2
I could devote an entire list to all of the scary makeup brushes at Sephora. They look so professional, and they are expensive. And this one looks like someone ate a chunk out of it. The uneven shape is actually intentional. The ergonomically-designed brush contours to your face to give you a seamless foundation application.
10. Sephora Collection Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation
If a product isn’t a powder, cream, or solid, then it is usually something people shy away from. Sephora’s new foundation looks like a colored hairspray, but it is really meant for your face. You can apply the weightless formula by spraying it directly onto your face (remember to close your eyes) then blend it, or you can squirt a bit onto a brush, then apply it in a more traditional way.
11. Formula X DRY Nail Drying Drops
Hmmm…how does applying another layer to your manicure make it dry faster? And how does the dropper applicator not ruin my nails? The specially-formulated drops penetrate all layers of your mani from base coat to top coat and dries each one to create a flawless finish. The formula easily disperses on wet nails, and you don’t have to worry about washing it off afterwards.
12. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eye Primer
You may be comfortable with traditional eyeshadow primers, but you could walk right by this one and assume someone put the serum in the wrong spot. Don’t make that mistake. It works like a regular primer and prolongs the life of your shadow, but it is a liquid. It is fine to apply into directly onto your eyelids, or you can mix it with the product first. The best part is that the clear formula doesn’t change your pretty shadow into a frosted formula like some regular eyeshadow primers.
(Photo: Getty Images)