It's that time of year! The Sephora spring savings event is underway. Like many beauty enthusiasts, it is an opportunity to restock on favourites or save on investment pieces (we are looking at you, Dyson Airwrap) for a discount ranging from 10%-20%, pending your Beauty Insider status.
The Starlight brand is built on the foundation of providing industry-leading services and medical-grade skincare that will actually produce the results you expect from the products used in the spa. Starlight Skin's line of non-comedogenic skincare used during facials has undergone intense research and rigorous testing to ensure we only have the best ingredients.
But what about cosmetics?
When assessing makeup, Starlight applies the same strict protocols used for skincare to review cosmetic products. This method ensures no harmful ingredients slip through the cracks. In order to evaluate makeup according to their high standards, Kaye and Raquel look for three categorical ratings: comedogenic, irritation, and safety.
Comedogenic
If you have been a Starlight Glowgetter for a while, then you have heard us routinely preach the importance of non-comedogenic skincare. For a refresher, the comedogenic scale is a rating system that indicates how likely a specific ingredient is to clog pores. This rating is particularly important for those with acne-prone skin and ranges from 0-5, with zero being non-comedogenic and five being severely comedogenic.
Irritation
Irritation describes ingredients in skincare and cosmetics that produce, you guessed it, skin irritation. Irritants include a variety of ingredients, such as essential oils, drying alcohols, and fragrances, both natural and synthetic. The effects of irritants are often immediately apparent and cause sensations of skin tightening, tingling, or burning, but, in other instances, the effects of irritants occur over time, causing damage below the skin surface. Prolonged use of irritants can cause radically reactive and sensitized skin. Those with oily skin may trigger a response that increases oil production and breakouts, while those with dry skin often feel skin tightness and flaking.
Safety
The safety index assesses ingredients on a scale of 1-10 for the likelihood of dangerous/toxic ingredients. The lower the rating, the lower the risk an ingredient is. Unlike comedogenic and irritation, safety is a comprehensive rating that reviews long-term usage and exposure, according to reports from credible sources, like the FDA. The purpose of assessing the safety of an ingredient is to determine the risk for long-term injury to your skin, cells, and your body as a whole.
Now that you understand how we debunk cosmetic products for use, here is a look at the products Kaye and Raquel approve to purchase during the Sephora spring savings event and what items they recommend ditching during the sale (and forever.)
What's in Kaye's Cart for the Sephora Spring Savings Event?
Founder of Starlight Med Spa Toronto, Vaughan, and Starlight Skin, Kaye has built her career on researching the best ingredients for all skin types. Spending countless hours sourcing components to innovate Starlight Skin products and a lover of luxury, Kaye will only put the very best on her skin, and the same applies to Starlight clients. On a mission to embrace her natural and beautiful skin, Kaye limits the amount of product she applies daily, saving full glam for weekends or special events. Here is a look at some of her favourite products that she will purchase during the Sephora spring savings event.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Rated zero on the comedogenic scale, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk is the best foundation that will not cause breakouts or irritation. There is a reason it has been a beloved luxury product of celebrity makeup artists and beauty influencers for years.
Expert advice from Kaye: not wearing foundation daily? Pick up the mini-size to ensure your product does not expire before it becomes empty.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
Looking for a little extra glow? Enhance the high points of your face with a natural shimmer, or apply it as a priming base under makeup for luminosity that radiates from within. Produce a highlighting effect without clogging your pores.
Nars Talc Free Powder Blush in Behave
Blushes are a tricky product to debunk and approve because of the pigments required to produce them. Red-based pigments are in many formulations of foundation, concealer, bronzers and blushes, and are incredibly pore-clogging. If you are looking for a blush that is not likely to clog your pores, favour light pinks to avoid harmful red-based pigments. While Nars Talc Free Powder Blush in shade Behave is not entirely non-comedogenic, it rates only one on the scale.
Anastasia Brow Wiz
A good brow is a staple in Kaye's natural daily makeup routine. As a cult classic, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz is her pick for natural brows that shape her face.
Lancôme Mascaras
While embracing a natural look as part of her everyday routine, there is one item Kaye will never skip out on: mascara. While Kaye has a variety of mascaras on her vanity to achieve her desired lash look on a given day, she exclusively purchases Lancôme mascaras to avoid irritants.
What's in Raquel's Cart for the Sephora Spring Savings Event?
The queen of debunks herself, Raquel is one tough critic when assessing cosmetic and skincare products. And, we love her for it! As someone who has struggled with acne, Raquel is hyper-aware of what ingredients go into the products she applies to her skin. So, it is no surprise she has a relatively short list of items she recommends to clients and will be picking up during the Sephora spring savings event.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Rated zero on the comedogenic scale, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk is the only foundation you will find Raquel wearing. Loved by thousands of users, it is a medium-coverage foundation that offers buildable coverage, making it a perfect option for concealing breakouts. For weddings or special events, this is the foundation Raquel recommends.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Multi-Purpose Concealer
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer is the perfect counterpart to the foundation. Offering a lightweight and luminous finish, it provides hydration and comfort to the eye contour and rest of the face. Reduce the look of dark circles or blemishes with this buildable concealer.
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Sticks
To warm and contour her face, Raquel uses Rare Beauty bronzer sticks. The natural finish comes in several shades and rates zero on the comedogenic scale. This bronzing stick contains some dyes that rate on the safety scale, so Raquel recommends limiting your use to special occasions only.
Ditch these Products
Now for the products Kaye and Raquel strongly encourage you to pass on during the Sephora spring savings event. Love these products? Worry not. We have matched them with a non-comedogenic, non-irritant, and safe alternative sure to bring out your best skin - we promise!
Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser
Cleansing balms have been a beloved alternative to harsh makeup removers for some time. Offering a buttery-rich texture that melts away the day, the formula is soothing, especially for those with dry skin. This product does a great job of breaking down makeup as part of pre-cleansing your skin, but it contains fragrances and emollients sure to clog your pores.
Swap Slaai™ for Prepping Potion
Melt away long-wear makeup and refresh your face with Starlight Skin’s micellar Prepping Potion, the ideal precursor to your favourite Starlight Skin Cleanser. Formulated for all skin types, this gentle, no-rinse cleansing water leaves skin hydrated, revitalized, and pH balanced.
Ole Henriksen Banana Bright+ Vitamin C Brightening Eye Crème
A lightweight under-eye crème that claims to diminish dark circles and crows' feet with use, this formulation contains several comedogenic ingredients, fragrances (which it claims to not contain,) and some hazardous pigments. With several reviews which claim this product is irritating, we recommend strongly straying from this eye cremè.
Swap Banana Bright+ Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cremè for Bright Eyes
Illuminate, nourish and lift the skin surrounding the eye to create a youthful and hydrating effect. A transformational must-have for all ages and skin types, advanced peptides and orchid stem cells boost elasticity and resilience in the eye contour for an open-eye effect. Fermented sweet black tea and hyaluronic acid improve skin quality by enhancing suppleness, radiance, and uniformity.
Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Cream Nourishing Whipped Moisturizer
A cult-favourite moisturizer loved by beauty influencers and dry-skin sufferers, this moisturizer receives the Clean at Sephora stamp but is anything but. Full of comedogenic ingredients, irritants, and safety hazards, Lala Retro™ is one of the most debunked products our clients come to us with. While the texture is soothing, you will be amazed at how much your skin will improve when you swap this product out of your routine.
Swap Lala Retro™ Cream Nourishing Whipped Moisturizer for StarLux Moisturizer
Stimulate cellular metabolism and optimal luminosity with StarLux rejuvenating moisturizer. This dehydration quenching treatment offers a powerful complex of peptides which combat tyrosinase proliferation to illuminate the complexion while fortifying tone and elasticity. Silicone-free, yet intensely protective, your skin will feel nourished by this soufflé-textured moisturizer that delivers the perfect blend of antioxidants and natural emollients to retain a radiant appearance. A Starlight Glowgetter favourite!
Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots
Pimple patches are making your acne worse! A pimple patch covers a breakout and prevents oxygen from reaching the skin, which creates the perfect environment for p.acne bacteria to grow, thrive, and cause painful breakouts. P.acne bacteria - the most abundant bacteria on human skin and the leading cause of acne - is anaerobic. Anaerobic means the bacteria can survive without oxygen. When p.acne bacteria grows, it creates painful acne on the skin. These breakouts need to breathe to heal, meaning the presence of oxygen is essential to destroy the acne-causing bacteria.
Swap Peace Out Salicylic Acid Acne Healing Dots for Clearing Complex Serum
Use Clearing Complex as a spot treatment for breakouts instead of a pimple patch. A lightweight, oil-free serum that deeply penetrates pores to kill p.acne-causing bacteria. Clearing Complex is made with salicylic acid, niacinamide, and fruit-derived alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to promote cell renewal and clear skin.
Fresh Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
Another product we often debunk for our dry or sensitive skin clients, this cleanser contains some comedogenic ingredients and oils that are not ideal for acne-prone or sensitive skin types. A beloved cleanser with almost 9,000 reviews on Sephora, we are not surprised to see this product come back routinely with new clients.
Swap Fresh Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser for Illuminating Gel Cleanser
A soothing, hyaluronic acid-rich cleansing foam that softly washes away stubborn makeup and impurities without depleting essential moisture levels. Sebuless™, derived from lilac, enhances radiance and balance as it awakens the complexion.
Dr. Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro
At-home LED masks have soared in popularity thanks to your FYP, celebrity endorsement, and health benefits, and for good reason! Why would you not want the same skincare benefits offered at Starlight at home? While LED light therapy treats a range of skin concerns, not all LED devices are created equal - including this device by Dr. Dennis Gross.
Swap Dr. Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro for Omnilux LED Masks and Save 10%
FDA-approved and loved by celebrities like Bella Hadid, Omnilux is a leader in at-home LED masks. There are several key factors to consider before purchasing an at-home LED mask that we reveal here. To compare to the Dr. Dennis Gross mask, Kaye recommends using a flexible mask made of medical-grade materials. This flexibility ensures the mask can easily contour to the unique shape of your face, guaranteeing the skin can come in contact with the LEDs at a lower output to absorb the benefits evenly.
An Exclusive Discount on Non-Comedogenic Starlight Skin Products
During the Sephora spring savings event, save an exclusive 15% on our entire collection of products! The best skincare in Vaughan and Toronto, we know you will love the results you see when you switch to Starlight Skin.
Use code SPRING15 at checkout for 15% off your entire order!
Did you find some of your favourite products on our do not buy list? Or, are you curious where your products rank on our comedogenic, irritant, and safety scales? We have you covered. Download our Debunk Dictionary at an exclusive discount during the Sephora spring savings event.
Happy shopping!