Share your pick! And don’t forget to share why 🙂
My top picks… Guerlain Rouge G, Givenchy Le Rouge, Tom Ford Blushes, Guerlain Foundation/Pressed Meteorites, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, La Prairie Foaming Cleanser, Hakuhodo brushes.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
YSL lipsticks and Lancome Bifacil!
I’d love to know if there exist high-end eyeshadow that’s really honestly worth the splurge? (I’ve tried Le Metier de Beaute’s eye kaleidoscopes and while they are not bad, I don’t feel the difference in quality is as great as that between mid-end foundation or lipsticks and high-end counterparts).
MAC 217 (with the price always rising, it’s getting closer and closer to a splurge purchase, plus I know there are lots of people that don’t like to pay so much for a brush, so…) – best blending brush I’ve ever used.
My Wayne Goss brushes! The eye brushes have been a game changer for me. I love them to bits.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting powder (I only own Dim light but would love to try more)
Guerlain pressed Meteorites & Voilettes
MUFE cream blushes
Dermalogica PreCleanse oil
Laura Mercier lip glaces & pony tail brush (& Artist palette)
Burberry blushes
Rae Morris brushes, Tom Ford eye shadow palettes, Obagi Nu Derm skin care.
Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair serum, without a doubt!
Apparently it was reformulated this year and is even better than before 🙂 I saw results within a few days on a sample and will purchase the full size on my next beauty budget!
I still got the older version: I bought six estee lauder travel packs to store it! But I’m happy to know that the newest is better and it’s not only a marketing operation 😉
Thanks for the news!
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine!
Suqqu brushes.
Tarte’s maracuja creaseless concealer. The stuff is super full coverage, goes a long way with a little amount, and is the only concealer that I’ve found that really stays put over the 12-14 hour days that I have to put in. Plus concealer is one of two makeup items (the other being lip balm; dry lips are a serious pet peeve of mine) that I absolutely won’t leave my home without!
I’d say Hourglass Primer (the original) and their eye shadow duos. Also, Guerlain eye shadow quads. And I have to agree with Rikki about the MAC 217 (and also the 224 – I was going to buy an extra and the I heard the current price). Guerlain Lingerie de Peau and the new Shiseido Sheer and Perfect foundations are also on the pricey side but so very worth it.
Givenchy le rouge, burberry eyeshadow, hakuhodo brushes, ysl glossystains, giorgio armani foundations (maestro and lasting silk), chanel rouge coco shines and inimitable mascara.
The items I have in my collection that were worth the splurge for me are the Burberry sheer eyeshadows (I have Pale Barley and Rosewood) and the Chanel creme blushes (I have Revelation and Presage).
Becca Mineral Blush; Chanel Blending Foundation Brush #7, Le Blush Creme, Joues Contraste, and Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour; Guerlain Lingerie de Peau, Meteorites Pressed Powder in Wulong, Meteorites Voyage Powder in Mythic, Parure de Lumiere, and Rouge G; La Mer Cleansing Foam, Eye Concentrate, Moisturizing Gel Cream, Radiant Serum, and Refining Facial; Lancome Visionnaire Correcting Polishing Cream; Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil; Tom Ford Cheek Color and Cream Foundation Brush
Hakuhodo and Suqqu brushes….because they are so incredibly soft on my skin and pick up the perfect amount of product and lay it down beautifully. And Chanel cream blushes…because they look and feel divine and apply and wear well.
Tom Ford brushes. I’m saving to buy more.
Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo and Suqqu brushes, Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder highlighter, Tom Ford blushes, Burberry eyeshadows, Chanel Inimitable mascara.
For me: Guerlain Lingerie De Peau Foundation, Burberry Sheer Eye Shadow in Pale Barley, Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation, Chanel Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Brow Pencil, Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara, MAC 239 eye shadow brush, fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream, Trish McEvoy Intense Gel Eyeliner pencils
Givenchy Le Rouge $36–pigmented, comfy, beautiful wearable shade ranges
YSL glossy stains $34–actually stains your lips and STAYS glossy
Creme de La Mer- the original version.
Sisley- eye cream, the $205 one…Sisley has the $325.00 one but I like the 205.00 better. It keeps my skin around my eye not dry and emoilient (sp).
As for Creme de La Mer, my skin does not look dry.
I look younger than my age.
And everyone says Suquu brushes etc…I agree with all of those brushes. You should try the Sheisado (sp) brush $50.00 and it is soft too. Great for that price.
My pride and joy, the Dior Cherie Bow spring collection palette. Eye wateringly expensive, but the ultimate indulgence for me.
Guerlain pressed Voilettes!!! Can’t wait ’til the day I own it!!
Fortunately, mine are mid-range in price. When MAC’s In Extra Dimension line is a hit, it is worth the splurge. Conversely, when it’s not a hit, it is more for those addicted to the finish. Usually can’t wear shimmer or glitter, but these shadows often add sheen without shimmer.
Ditto with some of the In Extra Dimension skin finishes. And the blushes are matte.
Also, NARS and Shisheido blushes.
Suqqu face brush. I can’t quite justify buying one, but I have touched one of these glorious objects, and believe me, if I could splurge on one, I would!
MAC 190! I eyed this brush for a long time and all the times that I tought to buy another less expensive my toughts came to it 🙂
Here in Italy the MAC 190 costs 40 euros 🙁
Every so often I splurge on Dior mascara. Laura Mercier exfoliator, Hourglass powders, Lancome skincare.
Recently I fell in love with Estee Lauder’s smoothing concealer. I probably have a lot more but I’m just blanking!
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders
Hourglass Mineral Primer
Wayne Goss Brushes
Foreo Luna Mini
I think what the online makeup community thinks of as “cheap” makeup is unaffordable for the majority of the world, which means that all spending on makeup is a splurge. I’m on a project to both reduce my makeup collection and limit my spending on makeup, so “high-end” products are out of the question for me.
Out of the expensive things I have, though, the only one that I really like is NARS’s blush in Taj Mahal, since it’s a unique colour that is perfect for my NC40-42 skin tone. (Hate the name, though.) So I would say, if you have a similar skin tone to me and have the money to splurge on something, that would be my pick… at least until a brand like Sleek comes out with a perfect dupe!
In general, I think a good foundation is the most important thing to splurge on and then concealer, next. I love splurging on nicer lip products that I truly love the color/texture/formula of that I know I will get good use out of because many just sit unused in my collection.
Guerlain Meteorites wins hands down! And those really expensive Hakuhodo brushes too!
Guerlain Rouge Automatique, Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes, Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palettes
My Chanel eye shadow blender brush and #2 powder brush, Nars Yachiyo brush. Guerlain meteorites and Guerlain eye shadow palettes, Revitalash eye lash serum, Estee Lauder advanced night repair serum really with worth the splurge!
Hourglass’ primer. Wow.
Armani Lasting and Luminous Silk foundations – they give me the complexion I always wish I had!
Tom Ford lipstick – I’m a new convert to these gorgeous lipsticks. I only have one so far, but I would love a few more!
Lancome Effacil makeup remover – I’ve tried to find a less expensive equivalent, but so far I haven’t found anything that works as well AND doesn’t burn my eyes.
Guerlain – rouge g , foundation and meteorites
YSL – rouge volupte and glossy stains
Tom ford – lipstick
Chanel – powder blush and foundation
Urban Decay palettes! Addict.. Tarina Tarantino Parasol blush and Eyedream Hyperlight (lifesaver). Clinique CC Cream newfound HG! Pixi eyeliners.. Stuff of legends.
Guerlain meteorites and primer, shiseido perfect foundation brush, and chanel illusion d’ombres!
Guerlain Pressed Meteorites, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, Eve Pearl Primer/The Eye Palette – Ultimate Eyes/Salmon Concealer, Lancome L’EXTRÊME Mascara, and Hakuhodo brushes.
Guerlain Rouge G, Tom Ford blushes, Shu Uemura cleansing oils, Givenchy Le Rouge, MAC #130 brush, NARS Yachiyo, YSL gel eyeliners
And Estee Lauder Sumptuous extreme Mascara!
Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation and Natural Lighting Powder! Super expensive but so worth it for me – I love the way it makes my skin look and it doesn’t make me break out.