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Confessions Of Sephora VIB Rouge Members

1
by Into The Gloss

If there's one status in the makeup world that matters and that's not a Covergirl contract, it's the Sephora VIB Rouge membership. Spend a cool grand at Sephora over the course of a year and you get 2-day shipping on everything, plus access to special sales, great samples, a pony, and probably some other stuff. Anyway, employees at Glossier are predisposed to overspend on beauty, so we've got a few rogue Rouge members in our midst. Yesterday, Emily Ferber sat two of them down to talk about what it takes (beyond the disposable income) to reach Sephora's VIB status, plus some of the best products they've purchased in the past year. Reach along and join the conversation below:

Emily Ferber, Senior Editor: Ready to chat?

Jessica Sheft-Ason, Senior Product Manager: Yes

Emily: Kelly?

Kelly Dill, Senior Operations Planning Manager: Hi!

Emily: OK let’s do this. So you both are VIB Rouge members at Sephora?

Jessica: Yes, my status just got renewed for another year on Sunday. Proud moment lol.

Kelly: Yes, I’m Rouge, too. Congrats, Jessica. Did you spend $1,000 already in 2017?

Jessica: I know it's bad....

Emily: Jessica what on Earth did you buy?

Jessica: Well there are special points on certain days and you get 2-day shipping on everything. And the return policy! You can return anything that doesn’t work, so I feel much more comfortable buying things.

Kelly: Yeah, I just returned something today actually.

Emily: Question for both of you—do you buy more makeup or skincare?

Jessica: Makeup.

Kelly: SKINCARE.

Emily: Ooh ok. What are the last five things you bought?

Jessica:

Emily: I've heard great things about the Clarins.

Jessica: It’s to complement the exercise I do!

Emily: Sure, sure.

Kelly:

  • Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial
    Because I hadn't used an acid mask and I love some of their other stuff. I've used it once and it tingles so good.

  • Drunk Elephant Juju Bar
    I'm not a bar soap person but this is an amazing gentle exfoliating product. It leaves my skin feeling balanced and clean, but never stripped.

  • Farmacy Hydrating Coconut Gel Mask
    I got really into the honey mask they have and wanted to try this cooling Gel Mask. I'm not a huge sheet mask person, but my skin was feeling a little dried out from the wind and weather. I love vitamin C and this has that.

  • Farmacy Eye Dew
    It's a nice light eye cream and I'm obsessed with eye creams. I go between this and the Supergoop one with SPF right now.

  • Sunday Riley Juno Oil
    It’s just the perfect oil.

Emily: What's the point of being rouge? Or does greatness just befall you?

Jessica: Respect! Also I looked and you can get your makeup done for free—maybe I should do that.

Kelly: For me, it sort of just happened, but I do buy in to some of the special gifts. I get really into new, exciting brands and once I try one thing, I have to try something else from that brand.

Jessica: The 2-day shipping is nice, but I live near three Sephoras so I do a lot of in-person shopping actually. I do think I make a conscious effort to shop at Sephora because it does feel like if I put all my firepower in one place than I get rewarded for it.

Kelly: Same!!!!

Jessica: Sephora is my place for the "Oh I’m going out tonight and want to feel cute, let me pick up a Dior eyeshadow.” I recognize the above might not be a common thought process.

Emily: I don't know that it's not common…

Kelly: I use to have "problem" skin and I wore a lot of makeup to cover it up. Actually, I remember going into a Sephora and this guy was like oh honey lay off the Clarisonic. I started to invest more time in my skin than my makeup. I stopped stripping it and over-exfoliating. Now, I just focus on my skin and doing a really simple makeup routine. I love finding a new product (like the Juju Bar) that I can incorporate into my routine. But let's be real—you don't get to $1k without a few eyeliners and mascaras.

Emily: TRUE. What brands are the ones that you really rely on?

Jessica: For makeup, I really like Urban Decay, Dior, and Benefit. But I’m not brand loyal, which is why I like Sephora—always so many brands to try.

Kelly: Hmm, right now Drunk Elephant, Sunday Riley, Clarins, Farmacy, Supergoop sunscreens but it changes.

Jessica: Dying to get on the Drunk Elephant train.

Kelly: Everything I have used has been great. And they don't make you stick your finger in anything—germs. I always look for something I don’t have to stick my hands in (so pumps > jars) and something for that vitamin C glow. One time I took a red eye and didn't sleep, but I used the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum and someone said I looked well-rested. So I drank that Koolaid.

Jessica: Wow. I should use more vitamin C now. * Drinks said Koolaid *

Emily: Is there anything you’ve returned immediately?

Jessica: Brown Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner. I should just stick with Black.

Kelly: I did the same thing!

Jessica: I was like, oooh all these models on ITG wear brown eyeliner... Not for me though. Oh! What do you guys think of Sephora Collection?

Emily: Honestly, it's really strong imo.

Jessica: I used to be bougie and shrugged it off. But now I’m like wait—they know what they are doing.... It’s priced really well, too.

Emily: Yeah. The Cream Lip Stain is incredible and the new shadow sticks with the smudger are annoyingly brilliant.

Jessica: The spray bronzer is better than the Guerlain one.

Emily: Wow shots fired.

Kelly: I want to try their Micellar Water—it's only $7.50! And I used to buy brushes from them. All I have are Sephora brushes, but most of my makeup is applied by hands now. The real question is: Why are the handles on makeup brushes so long??? Cannot fit them in my makeup bag.

Jessica: Startup idea: Makeup brushes that are literally just 1 inch shorter.

Emily: What's one sample you got through Sephora and then bought the full thing?

Kelly: Skin Inc. Pure Revival Peel! Gel turned magic dead skin remover—instant gratification (sort of gross).

Jessica: Lancôme Makeup Remover. Gentle and can remove SERIOUS eye makeup (waterproof mascara) in one fell swoop/swipe.

Emily: What’s the best product you purchased in the last year?

Jessica: That’s a really challenging question. I love all my products like children.

Kelly: So hard.

Emily: Desert island. Your Top Shelf is burning and you can only pick one.

Jessica: Perricone No Bronzer Bronzer. It makes me (look like) a better person. Inside and out.

Emily: How many times have you repurchased it?

Jessica: Twice.

Emily: What's your most repurchased product?

Jessica: Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner in Black.

Emily: Also, Kelly, you still have to pick one.

Kelly: I thought you would just forget about me.

Jessica: Not off the hook.

Kelly: Ugh OK I mean I've been most excited by the Juju Bar, but on a desert Island I would probably bring my Juno Oil.

Emily: What's next on your list of things you want to try?

Kelly: The Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask!

Jessica: The Drunk Elephant Babyfacial.

Kelly: I have an open relationship with masks. Like, you kind of go steady with a moisturizer or cleanser. But with masks, DFW.

Emily: DFW? Or DTF?

Jessica: Down for whatever.

Emily: Oh, what the kids are saying. Do you guys have an itemized list to know how much money you spent at Sephora last year? Do I even want to know?

Jessica: Why would I subject myself to such cruel punishment?

Kelly: I can't disclose, in case my mom reads it. Also, I don't want to know. Jessica, did you see that La Mer just arrived at Sephora? I tried to get a mini sample online but I was too late.

Jessica: Apparently the samples were VERY tiny. Me want tho the full size.

Kelly: Me too. They will need to create a tier beyond Rouge if I start buying La Mer.

Photographed by Tom Newton.