• I’ve worked at Sephora for over a year, and there are some products I absolutely love buying there. 
  • The Drunk Elephant B-Goldi bright illuminating drops make for a beautiful, glowy makeup base.
  • I always recommend the Benefit Cosmetics Fan Fest fanning-and-volumizing mascara to customers.

Over the past couple of years, consumers have cut down on spending in many categories — but beauty was not one of them. In fact, beauty and cosmetic products were the fastest-growing retail category last year.

There are tons of great brands and products on the market, but as a Sephora employee, I have my own opinions on which ones are worth shoppers’ hard-earned cash.

I regularly test new beauty items, so I’ve probably tried at least half of the makeup on my store’s shelves. Because of this, I’m often asked which products I recommend for a full face of makeup.

If I had to pick, these are the eight beauty products I couldn’t live without.