Luxe Beauty Items Worth the Splurge

It’s a sad truth that many of the most famous and universally beloved products also happen to be the most expensive. Spend a lot of money on something and it usually turns out to work pretty well. But that makes the intense disappointment when a hyped-up luxe purchase doesn’t work out all the more poignant. 

Luckily, I’ve got you. Having spent more than my fair share on beauty products, I feel uniquely qualified to share the best of the best. Here are the highly-priced, highly-regarded beauty items that I believe are worthy of their fame and fortune.

I’m of the opinion that if you’re going to spend a lot on something, it should probably be complexion. While the difference between a cheap and luxury lip-gloss might mainly come down to the packaging, pricey-based products do tend to give a more polished, imperceptible, and, well, expensive-looking finish.

Skincare Luxe

Spending money on skincare can be annoying. If you want to see immediate results, it’s tempting to go for something sparkly or colourful instead. But investing in certain skincare products will have your future self thanking you. The Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum is one such product. It offers almost immediate brightening effects, but over time will also help slow down the skin’s ageing process. 

Luxe Foundation

The Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is the best foundation on the market. It’s double the price of other high-end foundations, but to me, the price is right. It offers good coverage with a lightweight formula, and it straddles that difficult line of looking glowy but not sweaty, while still lasting all day. I can’t imagine anyone not liking this product.

Luxe Concealer

In terms of concealers, there are two numbers that really stand out from the crowd. The Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer is a weird but wonderful product. Essentially, it’s a pot of pigment. It’s incredibly opaque but still has a creamy, slightly sticky texture, making it ideal for dried-out blemishes. Or for those who favour an extra hit of dew.

For a more matte effect, the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer deserves all of its bountiful praise. This is really like having peace of mind in a tube: if you’re concerned your skin isn’t looking its best, Shape Tape will have your back. It covers up everything, and the skin looks instantly perfected. It’s not matte, but it does set without powder and lasts forever.

Powder

Speaking of powder, I pretty much universally dislike them. I find they always make makeup look dusty, dried out, and overdone. But the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder is the exception that proves the rule. It has a light and imperceptible shimmer, meaning that when brushed over finished makeup, it sets while also adding a soft glow. Diffused Light is also fabulous for brightening and correcting any redness. 

My final complexion recommendation though is far less subtle. But sometimes subtlety is for losers, right? And when you want to replace subtlety with cheekbones that look dipped in molten metal, I must point you toward the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed. These are, quite simply, the best highlighters on the market for maximum glow. “Pearl” is the best for translucent complexions like mine, but they have one to suit every skin tone. 

The Eyes

In terms of mascara, there’s no denying there are many cheap options that work really well. But if you enjoy a more luxurious mascara experience, you won’t go far wrong with the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. Not only does it offer the large, fluffy, fluttery eyelashes of your dreams, but the iconic pink packaging turn applying your mascara into an event. 

And for brows, has there been a more iconic launch in living memory than the Glossier Boy Brow? This innovative, moustache wax-inspired pomade gives fluffiness and lifts without ever getting crispy, delivering the model-off-duty brows that dreams are made of. Often imitated, never duplicated.

When it comes to luxury eyeshadow, sparkle is the only way to go. And in terms of sparkle, the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks are second to none in my eyes (get it?). One swipe gives opaque colour with an incredible depth of shimmer. And even better? They last without creasing even on the oiliest eyelids. I know, because I have them.

The Lips

Again, with lipsticks, the myriad of affordable options make justifying a splurge-y purchase difficult. But when it comes down to it, the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks do feel different from their drugstore counterparts. Not only is the formula incredible (soft and powdery, yet never dry-feeling) but applying lipstick from one of these rose gold tubes just makes you feel…fancier. And sometimes, that’s half the battle.

Luxe Fragrance

Aside from a base, I do believe the best allocation of a beauty budget is on fragrance. Sure, there are some nice cheap scents out there. But finding something a little bit off the beaten track and slightly unusual, better befits the individual you are, right? The Diptyque fragrances reign supreme for me. “Philosykos” is the most lightweight yet substantial fig scent, “Eau Duelle” is vanilla with incredible woodsy depth, and “Eau de Sens” is an orange blossom delight. All last better than basically anything else I’ve tried, even if you’re a little stringy with the spritzes.

Now, it’s time for two final miscellaneous pricey items that I see as worth every cent. The Skindinavia Setting Spray will make your makeup everything-proof in seconds, without ever looking dry, cakey or feeling tight or heavy. And if you want rich-girl hair, the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray is your one-way ticket. Spritz through the length and toss backwards for a good hair day every day—and don’t ever try to calculate how much each of those little spritzes costs, okay?