Our skin is basically like sausage casing for our bodies (nice thought, right?), except sausage casing doesn't agonize over how to look FLAWLESS in every light. It's just busy holding our bones and all the other ooey-gooey stuff inside of us where it's supposed to be, while also providing a pretty great water-proof shell for us. Needless to say, skin serves a very important purpose.

While the appearance of our skin won't have much effect on how well it does its job for us, most of us have some concerns about our skin and how to make it look and feel its very best. The biggest concerns tend to be anti-aging, wrinkle treatment, acne, redness, dullness, and managing oily or dry skin.

I'm lucky in a lot of ways with my skin: it isn't overly sensitive and I can sample a lot of products and not suffer reactions or breakouts from them. I get a few small bumps here and there, but I've never struggled with major acne or anything like that. That being said, my skin is nowhere near perfect. My skin is on the normal to dry spectrum, but I've had times of really painful dry patches many times (I've also had eczema since I was a baby, although only on my hands and luckily not my face). My biggest complaint about dry skin is how it affects the way makeup looks.

Think of applying foundation on a snake and how it would look going over the scales. Yeah, not good! Of course, that isn't the only reason you shouldn't makeup on a snake. Anywho, putting makeup over your own dry skin is very much the same. Makeup clings to the edges of dry, rough patches and it gives your skin a dull, flaky appearance and magnifies areas of dryness. When your skin is painfully dry, it can also really hurt to apply anything to it.

But have no fear, I've got you covered.

As a Sephora junkie, I've tried a LOT of their products over the years, and I've compiled a list of tried and true makeup and skincare products that are saviors for my dry skin!

*This post is NOT sponsored in any way. These are products I genuinely use and enjoy. You can click on any image to go right to Sephora and shop these products.

SMASHBOX PRIMER OIL $50. This is my OG primer. The most moisturizing primer I've ever used (and it doubles as a facial oil as well). It makes your makeup glide on seamlessly and this is something I keep repurchasing.

First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Priming Smoothie Moisturizer $35. An excellent moisturizing primer, that can be worn on its own as well. It smells SO GOOD and if you do decide to wear it on its own, it has a very, very subtle glow to it that lights up your whole face.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Face Cream $98. Don't let the price of this one scare you away - it lasts forever because you don't use much, and you also don't use it every day. You might think exfoliating dry skin is a bad idea, but a gentle exfoliant is so important to remove dry patches and keep the surface of the skin clean and smooth. This is the holy grail of exfoliants (just check out its reviews on Sephora!) and is a total game-changer for overall skin texture.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask $32. Another old fave! This super rich, moisturizing mask is affordable (and it comes in single use packs as well!) and works wonders. When my skin feels extra tight or dry, I slather this on and wake up feeling so much better! I also love to put it on before a long flight!

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer $32. Ever had dry under eye skin? For your sake, I hope not! It hurts and covering it up is nearly impossible. A lot of people choose regular eye cream to moisturize, but the nice thing about this one is it adds an extra bit of light to the under eye area and starts the dark circle coverup process before you even apply concealer.

 

 

 

 

 

L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil With Almond Oil $25. If you love hot showers, you've probably noticed they aren't the best thing for dry skin. If you want to protect your skin from the hot water (and smell great in the process) this shower oil will be your new best friend! It kills two birds with one stone because if you don't have a chance to moisturize again when you get out of the shower, you're already covered!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation $52. I love the ease of a stick foundation, and this one is great for dry skin. Some stick foundations (Anastasia Beverly Hill's version, for example) are designed to work better on oily skin, but this one works really well on my dry skin. It applies smoothly and blends evenly. I use shade Y225.

Laneige Power Essential Skin Toner for Normal to Dry Skin $33. I love love love this stuff! I use it every night after I wash my face as well as before I apply my makeup. I used to think toners weren't for me because they seemed to aggravate my dry skin, but this one is gentle and effective. Your skin doesn't feel tight and dry after using it, but it does feel clean and smooth. Any little flakies I would get around my nose or chin have been handled by this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sephora Collection Cleansing and Exfoliating Wipes $10. I've used the coconut version and the rose water version and I love them both! Another great product that cleanses the skin and removes makeup really well, but doesn't dry out your skin and leave it feeling tight. And you can't go wrong with that price!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation $47. If you have dry skin, powder products might be your worst enemy because they have a tendency to make you look cakey and cling to dry patches like white on rice. This one is an exception though! I've used this for years and I love that it's loose, versus a pressed powder. You can easily control how much coverage you get from it and it leaves the skin feeling soft as though you used a liquid foundation.

Okay, I could go on forever, but I'm going to stop here with these holy grail products for dry skin! I love trying new stuff, so please comment your fave dry skin products from Sephora down below!

- xo C