GIRL. Don’t even get me started…but here we go. Saving drugstore/budget options for another day!
- Clarins Face Moisturizers — My combination skin likes all of them. ? ‘Tis a blessing (because it’s always great to find something that doesn’t break you out, right?) and a curse. Their face moisturizers range from $48-128. Right now I’m using (and just about to run out of) the Extra Firming Day and Extra Firming Night creams, which are $87 and and $93 each, respectively.
- SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Antioxidant Serum — It’s $166 (!), but a few years ago when my skin was at its wonkiest and I found this and started using it consistently, it worked wonders. It dramatically helped to even out the uneven spots and the dark marks from old pimples.
- Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment — $158!! But IMHO, worth every penny if you can spring for it, especially if you’re looking for something to correct unevenly pigmented areas, or if you’re having trubs with pimples or flaky texture.
What about you? What are some pricey skin care products you love?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I love the Sunday Riley Good Genes, too. Another chemical exfoliant favorite is the Biologique Recherche P50. Both soo good at giving me a glow!
Loooove P50, Kate! Ya know, I’ve never tried the two together, but I bet it’s magic!
I alternate days and don’t exfoliate daily. I learned the hard way!
I’ve been meaning to thank you for introducing me to Sharon Randall’s writing. I’ve been binge reading her blog. Your Saturday Surfing series is one of my (many) fave features of your blog.
Girl you and I both learned that lesson the hard way! It seems like the more gentle I am with my skin, the better of I am.
I like Sharon Randall’s writing too. Glad to share her with you! If you ever find any good authors you enjoy, please send them my way.
I really like the SkinMedica Retinol ($93 but I’ve been lucky with sales/promos). Also a fan of Algenist Retinol Firming & Lifting ($102), but I see it’s been discontinued on Sephora. Bummer. I think those are the only two in the $100 range, thank goodness! 🙂
I don’t own this but I really want to purchase some of the Drunk Elephant products. I’ve heard so many good things about their products, especially their face serum.
Oh, my God…I LOVE Drunk Elephant products!! The Babyfacial, Protini, and both eye creams (the Shaba and C-Tango) are my favorites…I also really like the Vitamin C serum and Framboos.
For me, B-Hydra is so-so and the lip balm is a hard pass.
I would say the Clarins Double Serum was the most xpensive skin care product I purchased. I love Clarins skincare, but unfortunately, they don’t fit in my new budget.
I have tried samples of Dauphin, but have never followed up to purchase anything, again due to budget constraints.
NIOD CAIS 2:1. I swear it’s bringing the glow back to my almost-40 skin!
I’m also in general very happy with Clarins products, although lately I’m being cheap and just trying out cheaper moisturizer ?.
I always want to try the Skinceutical Ferulic acid! But I don’t know if I’m more afraid if it works or doesn’t work (that damn price tag!)
The Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid booster. It doesn’t seem all that expensive, $34 for .5oz but using it twice a day I’m almost out and it’s barely been a month! Dang. But it really seems to help my dryness without having to pile on heavy creams, I can use light to medium moisturizer over top and be good to go. Might try the Clinique new jelly that looks like it might work similarly but be way cheaper since you get a ton more.
PS The comment luv widget is giving me this error: It appears that you are offline or another error occured contacting the API url, have you set it to use www or missed the www off the api url?? check the technical settings and add or remove www from the api url.
I have that Clinique jelly and it’s great! The bottle is huge and it’s surprisingly moisturizing. I really like it in the morning under my sunscreen. I don’t use any additional moisturizer and I have pretty dehydrated skin. At night I still use a facial oils and medium weight moisturizer but the Clinique jelly has been awesome for day!
That’s great to hear! Thank you!
Oh man, I recently got hooked on Sunday Riley’s C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum through a 100-point Sephora sample. UGH. Don’t especially wanna spend $85 on that bad boy, but it’s SO NICE. I’m gonna spend as much time nursing the sample as I can, lol!
This isn’t really skin care but one thing that is expensive that I will never go without is DKNY Cashmere mist deodorant. It’s $27 a pop but seems to last longer than a regular deodorant and works and smells so much better! At the Nordstrom Anniversary sale they sell a 3 pack for a bit of a discount.
Rachel, I have that deodorant (reviewed it a while back) and it ROCKS. I’m going to get the 3 pack!
Seriously the best deodorant ever! And it lasts FOREVER. I need a new stick, I’ll check out the 3 pack!
Sale starts tomorrow for the rubes that don’t have to Nordstrom card!
I quite like the Peter Thomas Roth brand in general, they have great moisturizers, but they’re always around $50. That ain’t cheap for a moisturizer! I also like Exuviance and same thing, their prices overall are high.
I just tried the Tonique Confort toner from Lancome and I’m hooked, but it’s like $24 for the small size I think… for a toner. I’ll have to wait for sales to re-purchase!
I have rosacea so I use Dermadoctor Calm, Cool & Corrected ($85) and Revision Vitamin C Lotion 30% ($95 at my dermatologist!!). The Revision has done wonders for the rosacea. Have to add that I *never* pay full price for the Dermadoctor cream, I wait for 20% off coupons at Ulta (still pricey with that but it’s the best I can get) and once a year on Cyber Monday the Dermadoctor website has it for 30% off. I bought my first bottle of the Revision stuff from my dermatologist and then I found it on EBay for about $64. EBay has coupons too fairly frequently so I’m going to wait for one to buy my next bottle. I also use Dermadoctor Wrinkle Revenge eye cream ($50) but always get that with a coupon too.
Sunday Riley everything… I also like a lot of Dr. Jart, Darphin, Caudalie, Clarins, Farmacy (though it’s slightly more wallet friendly), Fresh, and some more expensive Korean brands. Luckily many k-brands are cheap and effective as is The Ordinary.
None of my skincare is very pricey at the moment! #blessed I’m experimenting with what works, I have to go pretty simple and gentle. I’m using a lot of Bioderma right now, with a face cream from a brand called Cheryl Lee MD. It’s bland dermatologist stuff but it’s great for my skin.
When I started using Erno Laszlo products 40 years ago they were pricey relative to whatever else was available. $20 for a bar of soap; $40 for a jar of moisturizer. Over the years those prices have gradually risen so that today they are triple the cost. Regardless, I’ve stayed with this line all this time – and my skin is glorious for it. Stable, balanced, invisible pores (strong genetic component there), no lines (I’m an indoor cat anyway), no need of corrections. I have tried – because I keep up – serums, gels, exfoliating things, sheet masks, and so on. My skin does not like these things. That’s when I get dry, tight skin – when I experiment. Skin is skin and if your body skin isn’t requiring masks, gels, Vitamin C things, balms, etc., why would your face? I love playing with all these things but have ALWAYS go back to EL – my skin loves it; it’s simple, straight forward and works for me. And that’s the key – find a line that works and make it your own. Products work best in sync – think base, color, and top coat – all work better when from the same line. Then when you DO play, your skin will tell you if it’s a good move or not. I have tried, and do like SkinCeuticals something or other because I have some freckling on the driver’s window side of my face which have been lightened considerably. And the oil from La Prunier is lovely as an alternative nighttime/day off moisturizer. Bottom line – the cost becomes secondary to results achieved.
I don’t mind splurging if it works! My favorites are Tata Harper Resurfacing serum & mask, Dennis Gross alpha beta pads, 2 different chemical exfoliants P50 & Paula’s choice, Elta MD Daily sunscreen after Skinceuticals CE Ferulic acid, Omorovicza gold products (ultra pricey, IMO), Sisley black rose mask & Fresh Rose Mask. My Nuface with the LED attachment is so worth it.
Not a product, but regular BBL treatments & my number one pick is regular Hydrafacials.
Amateurs ?. Sisley Rose Mask $165, SkinMedica Lytera $160, and Nutura Bisse The Cute eye cream $130.
I’m not rich, just a skincare lover. I use whatever works for me so my arsenal includes cheapies & bougies.
On my wish list is Vinters Daughter serum & Pixi’s new retinol tonic.
La Mer and Renova .
I use both . And both are $300 a pop so use wisely sparingly!
Kate Somerville EradiKate Cleanser (around $50 in Australia), Drunk Elephant C- Firma & TLC Framboos (both over $100) & Dermalogica Calm Water Gel (around $70), and that’s just my daily routine products. I have so many more pricey items I want to try
Clinique SUper Rescue Antioxidant Night cream for Oily skin, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum, Kate Somerville AntiBac Lotion, Drunk Elephant Protini Peptide cream. Lately I have also been jumping on the high end lip balm bandwagon. I picked up a Burberry one, Chanel les beiges balm, Bobbi Brown Extra. Bobbi Brown Extra is the priciest and of course, my favorite. why is that always the way?
It’s crazy how expensive some skincare and beauty products in general can be. I’m very much hitting the dregs of the Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturiser Tint which I think is £59.00 for 59ml.