My Top 10 Beauty Splurges

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. 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!

Top: Lorac Pro 2
Bottom: Urban Decay Naked, Tarte Tartelette

2. Cream Eyeshadow/Primer- You guys may have seen me rave about the bareMinerals 5-in-1 BB Eyeshadows ($18 each)...I can't believe more people aren't talking about these. You can use them as a colored primer base for powdered eyeshadow or on their own. They go on so smooth and opaque...not streaky at all, and they magically smooth out my eyelids and eliminate all signs of crepiness or uneven texture. They last all day on me without creasing or fading, contain SPF 15 and come in really pretty neutral shades that make my eye area look brighter. Sephora has five shades (here) and Ulta has six shades, a few of which are different (here). Or, you can find all ten shades at bareMinerals. There are some great cream versions at the drugstore, but none of them make my eyelids look this good, just sayin'!

Bare Minerals 5-in-1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow

3.Anti-Aging Treatment- Skincare is one area where I don't mess around. I tend to pick up cleansing products and masks at the drugstore but spend a lot more on anti-aging treatments. I just never saw results with any of the drugstore treatments I've tried, which leads me to believe that the maybe the active ingredients aren't concentrated enough. Sunday Riley's Good Genes Treatment ($105) is really expensive, but I splurged after trying a sample because it really transformed my skin. It's a gentle exfoliant, has greatly evened out my skintone, and has faded sun damage and discoloration. I saw results after the first night and it just keeps getting better.

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!

Sunday Riley Good Genes and Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM 

5. Lip Oil- The Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil ($45) is insanely expensive for a lip product and even though I kept hearing rave reviews, I didn't want to pull the trigger for the longest time. I finally did after my husband gave me a Sephora gift card and now I'm kind of upset that I like it so much because now I'll have to spring for it again at some point. It's thick, rich and drenches your lips with moisture that lasts, unlike other lip oils that tend to disappear into your lips quickly. I use this at night and always wake up to soft, smooth, lips with no hint of dryness in sight.
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.

Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil, Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

7. Blush- I have a lot of drugstore powder blushes that I love and are long lasting for the price (City Color's Be Matte, Milani Baked Blushes, Elf Baked Blushes) but none of them last as long as Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blush ($28). My dry skin likes to eat powder blushes and these last until bedtime! They also impart a really natural flush that looks like it comes from within that's pretty magical.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes (Big Blush Book no longer available)

8. Foundation- There are a lot of foundations I reach for at all price points, but my absolute favorite has to be the IT Cosmetics CC+ Full Coverage Cream ($38). It feels like you're applying a hydrating moisturizer and you would expect it to be sheer but it's actually medium to full coverage that dries to a beautiful satin finish. It doesn't sink into fine lines and pores, cake, or accentuate dry patches. It's basically perfect and I reach for it more than any other foundation I own.

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.

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?