With so many makeup brands and products it’s hard to know: what’s worth the splurge and what isn’t? New products are constantly being launched and it can be overwhelming to keep up with everything that goes on the market. We’ve got a list of luxury beauty products worth the splurge — from tools and foundation to highlight and lipstick, we’ve got you covered with ten products that would be a great addition to any makeup collection.
Tools
1. Beauty Blender
If you want flawless, airbrushed looking foundation (and who doesn’t!?) then you need to invest in a Beauty Blender. The first of its kind, this tear-shaped beauty sponge allows for 360 degree application, making it easy to stipple products in hard-to-reach places like the corners of your eyes and nose. It deposits just the right amount of product so you aren’t left with a cakey mess. Use the Beauty Blender damp so it doesn’t suck up all of your product and helps push moisture into your skin when pressing in your foundation. The Beauty Blender is washable, re-usable, recyclable, and made from latex-free antimicrobial foam. Most people associate sponges with bacteria, but you can easily disinfect this sponge by setting it in water and popping it in the microwave. Professional makeup artists swear by these makeup sponges; there’s nothing quite like them.
Primer
2. Veil Cosmetics Sunset Primer
The Veil Cosmetics Sunset Primer is a 3-in-1 formula that can be used to completely customize your look. Use it as a primer before applying foundation to prep your skin. This primer is the “glue” that keeps your foundation in place and sets up your skin for the rest of your makeup. Use it as a serum to help plump the skin by adding moisture while giving a blurring effect to the skin. Finally, you can use it as a mixing base with other liquid or cream makeup to help sheer out your product and help it glide on smoothly. This unique, water-based product feels substantial in texture but wears lightweight on the skin so you can wear it all day long without feeling like you’re wearing a mask.
Foundation
3. Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation
This creamy foundation comes in a stick so you can draw it right on your face for a precise application. Blend out and build up this full coverage foundation with ease, using either the Vanish Foundation Brush or a Beauty Blender for a flawless face. This product is heavily pigmented, acting also as a concealer to cover blemishes, redness, rosacea, and dark circles, giving a porcelain looking face while feeling light on the skin. The long-wearing formula allows up to 12 hours of waterproof wear that adjusts to your body temperature which allows the product to melt into your skin for easy blending and a natural finish. The unique triangular bullet shape allows this product to also be used as a contour and highlight product — to contour, use a shade 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone, and to highlight, use a shade 2-3 shades lighter than your skin tone. This will give more dimension to the face without having to use a second product like concealer or bronzer.
Powder
4. Laura Mercier Powder
This sheer powder helps set makeup for long-lasting wear while feeling light on the skin. Finely milled, this powder feels like butter and blends in seamlessly with the face. It absorbs oil to reduce shine, keeping your makeup looking just applied with its matte finish. It blurs pores and imperfections for a flawless finish and does not produce a flashback in photos. It truly is translucent on every skin tone and provides the perfect base (over foundation and concealer) for other powders such as blush, highlight, contour, and eyeshadow, which will apply evenly and blend with ease. This powder is award winning and a cult favorite — you will not be disappointed with this formula!
Highlight
5. Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting
This highlight is like candlelight in a bottle. It gives the perfect, dewy glow that can be applied to your skin a number of ways —
- On bare skin for a radiant glow
- Mixed with a primer for a more sheer application
- Mixed with foundation for a natural, dewy glow
- As a highlight on top of your finished makeup
This highlight is a cream/gel hybrid, bringing an illuminating effect to the skin without looking greasy or glittery. It applies to the skin beautifully and blends out easily for waterproof, creaseproof coverage. To highlight the face, apply it on the high points of your cheekbones for a dewy radiance, or on the Cupid’s Bow to make lips look more full. You can also apply this on your décolletage or shoulders for a gorgeous glow. This can be used for any occasion including a day at the pool or a night out in the city. The formula is so natural looking, people will be complimenting your radiant skin and asking, “What’s your secret?”
6. Champagne Pop
Champagne Pop was a collaboration between BECCA Cosmetics and YouTuber Jaclyn Hill that has become one of the most popular highlight colors at Sephora since its launch in 2015. This highlighter is a beautiful peach shade which compliments any skin tone.
“When you look at the color peach, it’s a mix of pink and yellow. And when those two colors are blended together, you get a shade that neutralizes your skin’s own undertones, which are usually some combination of yellow and pink, and warms up your complexion. It acts like a chameleon in the sense that the peach tone adapts to your skin tone.”
In addition to looking great on every complexion, this highlight is smooth in texture without any chunky glitter — so it blends beautifully into the skin. Give yourself some light, dimension, and radiance by applying this on your cheekbones and temples, your Cupid’s Bow, or even use it as an eyeshadow.
Bronzer
7. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
As if we have to explain why a bronzer that smells like chocolate is worth the money. Let’s be honest. This powder checks all the boxes for what we want in a bronzer — matte, natural, bronze (not orange), flawless finish, and let’s not forget it smells like chocolate. This powder uses real cocoa powder which offers a therapeutic effect while providing the face with a golden glow and a natural looking contour. This fine powder blends out gorgeously and has buildable coverage so you can customize your look. Available in three shades — milk chocolate, chocolate, and dark chocolate, so you get the perfect shade for your skin tone.
Eyeshadow Palette
8. Urban Decay Ultimate Basics Palette
If you’re in the market for a basic eyeshadow palette, you will not be disappointed with the Ultimate Basics Palette. Entirely matte, this palette has a variety of neutral shades that range in both warm and neutral tones. Their proprietary Pigment Infusion System gives these shadows extreme blendability, rich pigment, and long-lasting wear time, so you look great all day long. Some matte shades can be chalky or patchy, but not these. You can feel the velvety texture and smooth consistency with every swatch and application. This palette is great for everyday looks, and you will find yourself reaching for it constantly. You can create understated, natural looks with this palette as well as more bold looks with the darker shades. You won’t regret starting (or expanding) your makeup collection with this product; you’ll only regret that your other eyeshadows don’t go on as smooth as these babies do.
Brows
9. Anastasia of Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
It’s no secret that Anastasia of Beverly Hills does amazing things for brows. Their Brow Wiz is on their best sellers list, and with good reason. This award-winning slim, retractable pencil creates precise, hair-like strokes for natural looking brows. You can fill in sparse areas for a seamless, full looking brow without looking like they’ve been drawn on. Use the spooley to not only soften the look of the product, but to add a polished, well groomed effect. This long-wearing, smudge-proof formula applies effortlessly and is available in ten shades to match all hair colors. Eyebrows frame the face, and offer even a natural face a more pulled together feel.
Lipstick
10. YSL Volupte Rouge Lipstick
If you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg for lipstick, this is the one to get. This product is everything you want in a lipstick — creamy, smooth, moisturizing, pigmented, light, and super comfortable on the lips. It’s so light on the lips it feels more like a chapstick than a lipstick, but has the color payoff of a lipstick. It has a high shine but it’s not too sticky like a gloss. With over 25 shades, there is something for every skin tone to love.
Although you may have affordable makeup that you’ve used and loved for years, sometimes it just doesn’t quite measure up to the products with a higher price tag. If you want to incorporate these luxury items into your beauty routine but you have a hard time justifying the purchase (we totally get it, we’ve all been there!) rest assured that you’ll be happy to know you’re getting your money’s worth — and you can’t put a price tag on happiness, now can you?
Photo credits: Kristen Love
Source: Allure
