You guys know I'm all about beauty on a budget, but that doesn't mean I don't like to splurge on higher-end items once in a while. I've tried so many products over the years that turned out to be total duds, so when I find something that lives up to all of it's claims I don't mind paying more for it...especially if I can't find a suitable dupe at the drugstore. Sometimes, it just makes more financial sense to own one or two expensive eyeshadow palettes that you use every single day than a drawer-full of $10 palettes you barely use! So I wanted to share my top ten beauty splurges with you. These are items I would purchase over and over again because these brands just got it right. If you read the reviews of these on the Sephora and Ulta sites, you'll see that I'm not alone...these are all 4-5 star products! Let's take a look...
1. Eyeshadow Palettes- Drugstore eyeshadow palettes have always been notoriously bad...they're dry, lack pigmentation, and go on streaky. The past few months, we've seen some major improvements and they're definitely stepping up their game, but I still find myself reaching for my tried and true palettes like the Lorac Pro and Pro 2 ($44), the Urban Decay Naked 1, 2, and 3, ($54) and the Tarte Tartelette and Tartelette in Bloom ($45). Whether I want mattes or shimmers, these palettes always deliver with buttery soft formulas that are packed with pigmentation. Totally worth the splurge!
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Top: Lorac Pro 2 Bottom: Urban Decay Naked, Tarte Tartelette |
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Bare Minerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow |
4. Retinol Serum- A lot of skincare products claim to reduce wrinkles, but there are only a few tried and true ingredients that are backed up by science, including retinol. I've tried drugstore retinols but saw absolutely no difference after months of use. I've also tried stronger versions that ended up creating dry patches, peeling and making my skin look worse (and even more wrinkled because it was so dry and dehydrated!). Then I got my hands on Peter Thomas Roth's Retinol Fusion PM ($65). This serum is so light it feels like water, and it absorbs instantly with no greasy feel. It contains high amounts of encapsulated retinol, so it releases it slowly for hours after application and I never experienced any irritation, redness or peeling. In fact, I noticed my fine lines fading after several weeks of use and I can honestly say they look better than they did five years ago when I look back at pictures. It's literally the first retinol product I've tried that actually does what it claims. It's amazing!
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Sunday Riley Good Genes and Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM |
6. Lip Balm- Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask ($26), is the richest lip balm I have ever tried. It's a leave-on mask that can heal your lips no matter how chapped they are...it's hands-down the best lip balm and totally lives up to the hype. Plus it smells like a vanilla cupcake...so good! I also like to use the colored version, Smashed during the day, and it gives your lips the most beautiful rosy tint. These two products may be expensive, but if you're prone to dry lips like mine, once you try them, you won't want to go back to anything else.
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Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil, Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask |
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Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes (Big Blush Book no longer available) |
9. Concealer- When it comes to full coverage concealers that don't crack, crease, dry out, or accentuate fine lines there's only one for me...IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye ($24). It covers everything and still manages to look natural, blending beautifully into the skin. Just be careful to only use a tiny dab, because you can definitely overdo it! There's also a travel-sized version available at Ulta for $10 if you don't want to splurge on the full size right away.
10. Primer- OK so I know I have two of them here, but I couldn't decide between them since I love them both equally! The Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($52 full size, $18 for travel size shown in photo below) is almost like magic because it feels so light and disappears into your skin, but it still creates a silky smooth base for foundation. It doesn't have that heavy feeling most primers have so it's my ideal summer primer. Once you try it, you'll be hooked...there's nothing else like it!
I'm also obsessed with Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Poreless Primer ($35)...it fills in lines, pores and wrinkles and makes my face so smooth. This has been my go-to primer for years...it has that silicone feel, but isn't as greasy as most primers. It feels more matte, if that makes sense. Once it absorbs into my skin, I don't feel like my makeup will slide around over it and it makes my makeup last a lot longer. Mally also suggests using it at night to seal in your skincare products, and when I use it that way, my skin is baby-smooth in the morning.
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It Cosmetics CC+ Cream, IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye, Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, Mally Beauty Perfect Prep Poreless Primer. |
So that's it...my top ten beauty splurges! Of course, there are many other splurge products that I use often and love, but these are my absolute favorites. What are your favorite splurge products?