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I’ll be honest: I am willing to splurge more than most people. For me, a product earns its place not just by performing well, but by being a genuine joy to use. The weight of a well-made case, the way a formula feels on the skin, the moment you pull something out of your bag and feel a little fancy. That matters to me as much as the results. If you share that sensibility, this list is for you.
High End Makeup Products Worth the Splurge
These ten products are the ones I keep coming back to because they deliver on all three counts: they are beautiful, they are a pleasure to use, and they work.
Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Moisturizer & Primer
If I am going for a foundation with a bit more coverage, I always reach for this first. This rich base hydrates and smooths the skin so that my foundation goes on flawlessly. No dry patches here.
Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint
I love lightweight foundation products. This one from Chanel gives more coverage than most skin tints but still feels light on the skin. Chanel offers a lot of foundation products, but this is my favorite from the brand. I never have an issue with it looking patchy or dry. It keeps my skin looking like skin, just more even.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Full Coverage Longwear Concealer
A concealer that matches and performs beautifully is something I will always splurge on. I don’t always use a full coverage concealer, but when I do it is this one from Hourglass. The formula blends well and sits beautifully on the skin. It also actually gives good coverage, unlike other concealers that claim full coverage but don’t deliver.
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick
This is a lip and cheek product, but I don’t use it on the lips. The formula is a bit stiffer than I prefer there. On the cheeks, though, that stiffness works in its favor. It lasts longer on the skin than more emollient cream blushes and blends out beautifully.
Victoria Beckham Beauty Reflect Highlighter Stick
This is a joy to use, starting with the gold case that feels heavy and genuinely vanity-worthy. On the skin it gives a beautiful, luminous glow, more present than a barely-there highlight but never overdone. It comes in two shades: Pearl, a sheer luminous glow that works beautifully on fair skin, and Amber, a bronze glow better suited for darker skin tones.
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Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
This powder is light, finely milled, and has a beautiful blurring quality without ever looking heavy or like you are actually wearing powder. One note: the shade range is limited, so if you have a deeper skin tone you may have difficulty finding a match.
YSL Couture Mini Clutch Eyeshadow Palette in Stora Dolls
This is the only eyeshadow palette I find myself reaching for. Stora Dolls is a quad of neutrals, wearable during the day but versatile enough to build a beautiful brown smokey eye. The quality of the shadows is superb. The colors are beautifully pigmented and easy to blend.
Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner
I own three of these liners and would love more. They glide across the eye with no pulling, and allow just enough time to smudge and buff before setting with impressive staying power. Cocoa, a matte brown, is my everyday shade, softer than black and endlessly wearable. The shimmer shades are absolutely stunning for when you want something more.
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Lancôme Lash Idôle Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara
I know most people don’t splurge on mascara. But I haven’t found a drugstore option that lengthens and volumizes like this one from Lancôme.
YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick
I own this in three shades. The packaging is luxurious and genuinely makes me feel fancy when I pull it out of my bag. My most-used shade is 02, a clear gloss with a pink hue that adds just a touch of color and the perfect amount of shine without being over the top.
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