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Expensive But Worth It
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items I am perfectly capable of buying the drugstore version, so when I spend more on a beauty product, I want to know why. These are the beauty splurges, tools and little luxuries I think earn their spot, plus a few surprisingly affordable products that p...
Sections
5
Worth It on My Face
Makeup I'll Pay More For
Beauty Tools Worth the Splurge
Good Hair Is Expensive Apparently
The Fragrances I Actually Wear
Worth It on My Face
Skincare is where I am willing to spend when a product does something noticeably different, but I also have zero objection to a slimy snail mask from Amazon earning a seat at this table.
This is one of those little jars that makes you understand why eye products can become an entire category of their own. I like that I can use it as an eye mask, under makeup or leave it on overnight.
Pro-Collagen Brightening Eye Revive Mask with Hyaluronic Acid - Elemis
I like the mini because this is exactly the kind of thing I want in my travel bag. Dry, tired-looking travel skin does not need a complicated 11-step intervention.
Mini Jet Lag Mask - Summer Fridays
This is skincare plus entertainment because you are absolutely going to look ridiculous while wearing it. 😂 The cooling rubber mask is the kind of extra little treatment I reach for when I want the whole at-home facial experience.
Cryo Rubber™ Moisturizing Face Mask with Hyaluronic Acid - Dr. Jart+
Yes, this is the slimy snail one I was trying to remember. Yes, I like it. Apparently this is where we are in life and I am completely fine with it. 😂
COSRX Snail Mucin Glass Glow Hydrogel Masks 3EA
These are proof that worth it and expensive do not always have to mean the same thing. I like having eye patches around for the mornings when my under-eyes are announcing that I did not go to bed when I should have.
Maskiss 24k Gold Under Eye Patches, 25 Pairs
Makeup I'll Pay More For
At this point I know the difference between expensive packaging and makeup that actually earns the splurge. These are the complexion, finishing and eye products that make the extra spend make sense to me.
This is the other Chantecaille complexion product I keep coming back to. It is polished and easy, which is basically my entire makeup philosophy at this point.
Chantecaille Compact Makeup Powder Foundation (Women)
This is the kind of finishing powder I want over 40: light, soft and not screaming POWDER from across the room. The goal is finished, not frosted.
Dim Light Ambient Lighting Powder - HOURGLASS | Ulta Beauty
Mascara is one of those categories where I will absolutely pay more if I get lift and definition without creating three giant eyelashes. This one is about making the lashes I have look better.
Glossy Black Lash Idôle Lash-Lifting Volumizing Mascara - Lancôme | Ulta Beauty
Tiny pink lip balms are apparently one of my weaknesses. I like a set like this because I can scatter them between my purse, desk and travel bag instead of wondering where I left the one tube I own.
The Lip Butter Balm Minis - Pink Set - Summer Fridays
This is the Chantecaille gel foundation I was talking about. It has that lighter, skin-like finish I want from expensive foundation instead of looking like I paid more money to put more makeup on my face.
Future Skin Foundation
I like the idea of getting coverage without automatically reaching for a traditional heavy foundation. These drops give you room to customize how much makeup you actually want on your face that day.
Kamo Triple-Peptide Multi-Use Serum Foundation - Drunk Elephant
Beauty Tools Worth the Splurge
This is where the prices get a little more serious. I look at these as tools rather than another bottle to use up, so the question becomes whether I will actually keep using them.
If I am spending real money on a red-light mask, I want a serious device rather than a random glowing mask I found while scrolling at midnight. This one uses red and near-infrared light and is the kind of beauty-tech splurge that belongs on this list...
Contour Face Antiaging Red and Near Infrared LED Mask - Omnilux
This is the microcurrent thing I was trying to name. 😂 It is small enough that using it does not need to become a whole production, which matters because an expensive beauty tool you never take out of the drawer is definitely not worth it.
NUFACE® MINI+ Starter Kit | Sculpt & Tone Facial Microcurrent Device - NuFACE
Not every beauty tool needs batteries, an app and a charging cable. I like a gua sha for a slower facial massage, especially with enough skincare underneath it to let it glide.
Rose Quartz Gua Sha - SEPHORA COLLECTION
This is the easy version of facial massage: put it somewhere cold, grab it in the morning and roll. I especially like this type of tool when my face looks as tired as I feel.
Rose Quartz Facial Roller - SEPHORA COLLECTION
A silk pillowcase feels ridiculous until you start preferring it to every regular pillowcase in the house. It is one of my favorite kinds of splurge because I use a pillow every single night anyway.
slip Pure Silk Pillowcase
A brush set created specifically with mature makeup application in mind immediately gets my attention. Good brushes are one of those boring purchases you appreciate every single time you do your makeup.
Angie Hot & Flashy Brush Set - BK Beauty | Ulta Beauty
Good Hair Is Expensive Apparently
Hair products are very good at convincing us we need another bottle or tool. These are the splurgier ones where the product or tool actually offers something different enough to get my attention.
This is not the hair mask you slather on because you have 45 minutes to kill in the shower. A small amount is the whole point, and I like a treatment that does not require me to rearrange my evening around my hair.
Leave-in Molecular Repair Hair Mask - K18 Biomimetic Hairscience
This is firmly in the think about it before you hit buy category. But when one tool can dry, curl, wave, smooth and add volume, I can at least see where the money went.
Airwrap Co-anda2x™ Multi-Styler and Dryer for Straight to Wavy Hair (2026 Model) - Dyson
The Fragrances I Actually Wear
I am not going to give you 17 perfumes I smelled once in a store. These are the two classic fragrances I actually wear, which is a much more useful recommendation.
This is my classic. CHANEL N°5 has been around forever for a reason, and it is one of the fragrances I actually wear rather than one I am recommending because the bottle looked pretty online.
N°5 Eau de Parfum - CHANEL
Miss Dior is my other real-life perfume pick. It is softer and more romantic than my CHANEL, so the two give me very different moods without needing an entire perfume counter at home.
Miss Dior Eau de Parfum - DIOR