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We know what you’re thinking. Splurging? In this economy?! Look, we get it. We’re in uncertain times, and shelling out big bucks on beauty products might feel a little nerve-racking. But if you are looking to spend, we also know that every single item on this list—18 Best of Beauty Award-winning Splurges—is worthy of your cash. Our confidence comes from the fact that after months and months…and months…of testing, these beauty products checked all our priority boxes: comfort, convenience, effectiveness, and innovation. And then they checked a few more: luxurious, pampering, and purely thrilling.
When it comes to comfort, there’s the face cream that coddles your skin as it fades dark spots and the detangling spray that turns straw into silk. There’s the refillable lipstick case that comes with a built-in mirror (the definition of convenience!), and the hyaluronic acid serum that brings your skin’s bounce back (effective, check). And as for innovation, there’s no short supply of it on this list, from the toothbrush that uses AI to adjust how you brush to the hot tool that can replace every other hot tool you own (and yes, it’s the Dyson Airwrap ID).
Luxury items aren’t necessarily defined by the price attached to them, but by their intrinsic value—and if glowier skin, thicker hair, and flawless-looking makeup are something you’re after, then these 18 winners are 100% worth it.
Best of Beauty Awards 2025: Splurges
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Best Splurge Skin Care
Colleen Rothschild Beauty Radiant Cleansing Balm
Best Splurge Skin Care
Colleen Rothschild Beauty Radiant Cleansing Balm
Amazon
Why It Won: Washing your face never feels like a chore when Colleen Rothschild Beauty Radiant Cleansing Balm is part of your routine. The indulgent balm smells heavenly—a gentle combination of clove, lavender, and allspice—bringing a spa-like calm to your nightly skin-care routine, while the coddling formula breaks down every last trace of the day’s makeup and softens skin with its blend of flaxseed, black seed, Moringa, and marula oils.
Tester feedback from senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor
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“Sure, there are formulas out there that’ll take off makeup effectively, but none that feel as luxurious as this. The melty balm instantly removes waterproof mascara, layers of sunscreen, and sweat, leaving behind soft, moisturized skin. As someone whose skin is extra dry and often dehydrated, that’s essential for me." —Jesa Marie Calor, senior beauty editor
N8iV Beauty Móyla "Moon" Polish Exfoliant
Best Splurge Skin Care
N8iV Beauty Móyla "Moon" Polish Exfoliant
N8iv Beauty
Why It Won: Founded by a California-based entrepreneur, Ruth-Ann Thorn, with roots in the Payómkawichum (Luiseño people), N8iV Beauty’s formulas are inspired by plant-based remedies handed down from her ancestors over thousands of years. Both a chemical and physical exfoliant, the Móyla "Moon" Polish Exfoliant gently sloughs away dead skin cells on the surface and boosts cell turnover below it using botanical extracts (sweetgrass, spirulina, white willow bark, and comfrey, to name a few) and a very low level of fine line-smoothing retinyl palmitate. Soothing ingredients, including niacinamide, chlorella, calendula, aloe, and chamomile, ensure your skin isn’t stripped dry in the process.
Tester feedback from senior vice president of global talent Alison Ward Frank
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“I love that this formula offers just the right amount of exfoliation yet isn’t the least bit harsh. Every time I use it, my skin is left soft with a healthy-looking glow—like it’s just been freshly scrubbed." —Alison Ward Frank, senior vice president of global talent
Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Age Reversal Eye Creme
Best Splurge Skin Care
Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Age Reversal Eye Creme
Amazon
Why It Won: Black truffles! Gold! Pearl powder! This eye cream is loaded with some fancy-sounding stuff. The reason it’s award-worthy, though, is that it contains a long list of highly effective ingredients with names that don’t conjure up fantasies of yachting in the South of France. Potent plant extracts (cucumber fruit, sunflower seed, and St Paul’s Wort), hefty hydrators (shea butter, glycerin, and sodium hyaluronate), and a powerful peptide are the reasons why this mighty little cream leaves our undereyes looking like a million bucks.
Tester feedback from executive beauty director Jenny Bailly
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“An eye cream has to work very hard to get me to bother with it. This formula is truly efficacious and so elegant. Our relationship has endured for many months now, and I have a tauter, silkier eye area to show for it. Every morning, I dab on a thin layer to brighten things up before concealer; at night, I lay it on thick and let the moisturizers and power peptide smooth and plump while I sleep.” —Jenny Bailly, exectuive beauty director
Angela Caglia Cell Forté Serum
Best Splurge Skin Care
Angela Caglia Cell Forté Serum
Amazon
Why It Won: Angela Caglia Cell Forté Serum is as sumptuous as it is science-y. The process starts with stem cells derived from human adipose (fat) tissue that is ethically sourced from a research lab in Texas (the people donating the tissue are healthy, consenting adults getting liposuction). The stem cells are isolated from the tissue, and then placed in a synthetic, human-like environment, where they can duplicate, ultimately producing exosomes (tiny “packages” released by cells that carry molecules like proteins and lipids), growth factors, cytokines, and peptides—the same molecules our skin naturally uses to regenerate, repair, and restore itself. The exosomes produced in this process contain no live cells or intact genetic material. These ingredients are then combined with more peptides, probiotics, and hyaluronic acid, as well as biomimetic exosomes and growth factors (which mimic their natural counterparts) to create a serum that boosts cellular renewal and improves tautness and elasticity (you know, the thing that lets you press on your skin with a finger and watch it enthusiastically bounce back). The price is breathtaking, but so are our testers’ ridiculously smooth and bouncy complexions after making this a regular step in their routine.
Tester Feedback from content director Kara McGrath
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“This super lightweight serum made my skin look glowy in just one use,” says content director Kara McGrath. “I particularly like it for the summer months, when I want a serum that hydrates without making me feel sticky.”
SkinMedica HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator
Best Splurge Skin Care
SkinMedica HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator
Amazon
Why It Won: With five different forms of hyaluronic acid, the SkinMedica HA5 Hydra Collagen Replenish + Restore Hydrator is what we’d call an overachiever. And we’re grateful, because our complexions benefit greatly. The lightweight serum is like a Stanley cup-size drink of water for the skin, flooding it with moisture and ingredients like avocado oil esters and vitamin F that help the skin maintain its moisture barrier, so in the end, it works smarter, not harder, to keep you glowing.
Tester feedback from deputy beauty director Elizabeth Siegel
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“I'm in my 40s, and my skin has started to look dull in a way that most moisturizing serums can't quickly fix. The second I put on SkinMedica's though, my skin gets a dewy glow that I've become hooked on. This serum makes my skin so radiant, so quickly that it has even replaced my usual highlighter. After I use it, my skin feels a lot smoother and softer, and my fine lines, like the ones between my brows, are less noticeable.” —Elizabeth Siegel, deputy beauty director
Chantecaille Blanc Peony Face Cream
Best Splurge Skin Care
Chantecaille Blanc Peony Face Cream
Nordstrom
Dermstore
Why It Won: It might have a flowery name and feel like a fluffy cloud, but Chantecaille Blanc Peony Face Cream is a serious cream that offers serious results—most notably visible fading of dark spots. It contains Thiamidol, a synthetic compound that research suggests gets to the root cause by blocking the enzyme tyrosinase, which plays a key role in converting the amino acid tyrosine into melanin, causing dark spots.
Tester feedback from associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen
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“From ages 12 to 18, I struggled with severe acne…it was rough. Thankfully, at 34, those breakouts are a thing of the past, but I still have the scars and dark spots to prove it. After using this as a luxurious night cream for a few months, I’ve noticed faint fading of a stubborn blue-tinted mark to the left of my mouth for the first time in years.” —Sarah Kinonen, associate beauty director
Best Splurge Hair Care & Accessories
Dyson Airwrap ID Multi-Styler and Dryer
Best Splurge Hair Care & Accessories
Dyson Airwrap ID Multi-Styler and Dryer
Amazon
Senior art director Ingrid Fowler applies the Dyson Airwrap ID Multi-Styler and Dryer.
Why It Won: Since it won a Breakthrough Award in 2019, the Dyson Airwrap has made it onto the Splurges list five years in a row (and earned a few Readers’ Choice Awards too). There’s no denying that it’s eye-wateringly expensive, but you also can’t argue with its ability to create salon-worthy styles in the comfort of your home—without relying on extreme heat to do it. The ID Multi-Styler and Dryer model can be connected to the MyDyson app to establish a personalized curling routine and launches alongside three new attachments: the Blade concentrator, for an extra-smooth finish; a Conical barrel, to create waves and curls close to your roots; and a Wave+Curl diffuser, to enhance natural texture.
Tester feedback from senior art director Ingrid Fowler
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“This is the best hair tool I've ever had and leaves me with a voluminous blowout that lasts days. It is a true multi-tool that works quickly and quietly. I love that you can select your hair type and length on the app, which then creates your custom heat and time formula: wrap time, plus curl time, plus cool shot. I no longer have to think about how long I'm holding the tool against my hair because it releases the curl at the end of my wrap time. I’m obsessed!” —Ingrid Fowler, senior art director
Jennifer Behr Amira Jaw Clip
Best Splurge Hair Care & Accessories
Jennifer Behr Amira Jaw Clip
Amazon
Why It Won: There are the claw clips you pick up while waiting in the checkout line at the drugstore, and the cutesy claw clips that look like flowers and fruit. And then there are claw clips that look like they belong in the Museum of Modern Art. With its sculptural shape and gilded finish, the Jennifer Behr Amira Jaw Clip turns any hairstyle into a work of art, regardless of whether you’ve hastily twisted your hair atop your head or carefully secured it in a voluminous, half-up style.
Tester feedback from managing editor Alessandra Foresto
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“A few instances in which I believe that splurging is worth it: a good mattress, quality handbags, direct flights, a good meal with friends, and this hair clip. It’s basically a piece of jewelry (it gives me Salvador Dalí vibes), so it makes even running errands with your hair quickly tossed into a clip feel fancy. Practically speaking, it’s very sturdy and grippy so it stays in place." —Alessandra Foresto, managing editor
Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo and Conditioner
Best Splurge Hair Care & Accessories
Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo and Conditioner
Amazon
Why It Won: A happy scalp means happy hair follicles, which means stronger, thicker hair. That’s the logic behind the Oribe Serene Scalp Densifying Shampoo and Conditioner. The divine-smelling duo pumps up thin strands like any volumizing formula, but then uses botanical extracts (pea sprout) and Capixyl (made from a biomimetic peptide and red clover extract) to improve scalp health. This creates a better environment for fuller, stronger hair to grow—something our testers began to notice after lathering up with it on a regular basis.
Tester feedback from deputy beauty director Elizabeth Siegel
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“After adding this duo into my routine, my hair looked so healthy and full! Even my ends, which are long overdue for a trim, seemed to be brought back to life." —Elizabeth Siegel, deputy beauty director
Cair Detangling Hair Mist
Best Splurge Hair Care & Accessories
Cair Detangling Hair Mist
La Bonne Brosse
Why It Won: Professional hairstylists have long made the comparison between caring for your hair and caring for your clothes. With that analogy in mind, the Cair Detangling Hair Mist is like treating your hair to a nice dry clean with every spritz. The nourishing spray uses rice, grape, raspberry, and bamboo waters, as well as softening glycerin, moisturizing shea butter, and film-forming polysaccharides, that, when blended all together, bring hair back to its best condition. And, as the name suggests, it loosens up tangles—and looks ridiculously chic on our bathroom counter in the process.
Tester feedback from associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen
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“I don’t know if I’ve ever said this about a hair product before, but the Cair detangling spray is almost too pretty to use—just look at that butter yellow glass bottle! The only reason I’m not just using it as a bathroom showpiece is because it actually works—and works really well—unraveling my freshly shampooed, unruly strands.” —Sarah Kinonen, associate beauty director
Best Splurge Makeup
Tom Ford Architecture Soft Matte Blurring Foundation
Best Splurge Makeup
Tom Ford Beauty Architecture Soft Matte Blurring Foundation
Nordstrom
Bluemercury
Why It Won: The Tom Ford Architecture Soft Matte Blurring Foundation lets you build a good, durable base for the rest of your makeup, not a heavy, cakey one. The full-coverage, soft-matte formula is lightweight, but offers impressive coverage that doesn’t crease or completely dull your skin’s natural radiance. This beautiful, blurred finish will last, thanks to the structure supporting this foundation—soft-focus microsphere powders not only diffuse light but also help control oil so that it can’t break down the formula over time.
Tester feedback from social director Kassidy Silva
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“Despite the fact that it’s full coverage, this formula feels weightless on my skin and lasts for hours. I apply a dime-size amount to the back of my hand and use a complexion brush to apply a fine layer all over my face. I let that sit for a minute and then apply a second layer to the areas that have more redness. If I've had another sleepless night with my baby, I'll add a few drops of concealer, but I find this foundation provides enough coverage to skip this step most days.” —Kassidy Silva, social director
Guerlain Rouge G
Best Splurge Makeup
Guerlain Rouge G
Nordstrom
Neiman Marcus
Why It Won: Sorry, Labubu, but our idea of the ultimate accessory in 2025 is a customizable lipstick case. The weighty Guerlain Rouge G case comes in a wide variety of fabrics, colors, and textures—glossy tortoiseshell, embossed gold, glittering crystals—that house one of the most luxurious lipstick formulas on the market. And while you can’t clip it to your bag (we prefer it tucked safely inside), the case flips open to reveal a slim mirror that allows you to touch up anywhere you go. When your lipstick is done, all you have to do is buy a refill and snap it back in. How’s that for statement-making?
Tester feedback from social director Kassidy Silva
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“There are very few items in my beauty collection that I know I'll pass on to my daughter, and the Guerlain Rouge G is at the top of the list; it’s a pocket-size luxury that's meant to last. I have three of the customizable cases in my collection—L'Art Déco, Le Fauve, and Le Croco. Lately, I’m reaching most often for shade 521 Le Grège Rosé (currently living in the L'Art Déco case), a soft pink hue that complements my look for any occasion and keeps my lips soft and hydrated.” —Kassidy Silva, social director
Best Splurge Body Products
Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige
Best Splurge Body Products
Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige
Amazon
Why It Won: The look of approval on your dentist’s face every time you see them will make the Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige feel like it was worth the steep price tag. The brand’s most souped-up model yet, this techy electric toothbrush analyzes your brushing habits, with sensors monitoring everything from the pressure you apply and the motions you use to how often and how long you brush. The brush then gives you real-time feedback, automatically lowering the intensity if you’re brushing too hard and offering advice on your brushing habits via the connected app, which is powered by AI.
Tester feedback from senior director of audience development Lexi Herrick
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"This is easily the most high-tech and effective toothbrush I have ever tested. It comes with an app that gives direct feedback on how to brush better—a perk I never knew I needed but now can't live without—and it actually leaves my teeth looking like I just had a trip to the dentist. I also love the stylish and simple travel case that makes it easy to keep the brush charged." —Lexi Herrick, senior director of audience development
Barefaced Shaving Kit
Best Splurge Body Products
Barefaced Shaving Kit
Barefaced
Why It Won: We’re willing to shell out a little more when it comes to putting any sort of blade near our face, and the Barefaced Shaving Kit is worth it for the peace of mind alone. Inside the metal carry case, there’s the dermaplaning Facial Razor, complete with one handle and three durable stainless-steel blades that offer delicate precision when removing peach fuzz and dead skin cells. The set also comes with the brand’s soothing Perfectionist Facial & Shave Oil that not only protects the skin as you shave, but can also be slathered on afterward to calm and refresh your complexion with moisturizing ingredients like golden seaweed, sunflower seed oil, and squalane.
Tester feedback from senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen
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“As someone with PCOS, my bar for facial hair removal tools is… well, above average. The Barefaced Shaving Kit exceeds all my very high expectations. Its sleek handle is weighty for added control and so sturdy that I'll never have to throw it away. The replaceable razors themselves are sharp enough to handle hair as gentle as peach fuzz and as coarse as full-blown beard stubble (but not so sharp that you'll cut yourself unless you're totally careless). And it all comes in a handy metal carrying case, so it packs easily when I’m traveling and doesn't just sit out on my counter when I'm not.” —Nicola Dall'Asen, senior news editor
Balmain Beauty Carbone
Best Splurge Body Products
Balmain Beauty Carbone
Balmain Beauty
Why It Won: Balmain Beauty Carbone is not your quiet, skin-like musk. It’s bold and in your face and full of contradictions, which is probably what we like most about it. The scent is smoky yet sweet, spicy yet smooth, dark but with an underlying lightness—the result of combining clean white musk with rose, tobacco, suede, and cumin. Beyoncé’s apparently a fan, but that’s not why you should invest in this eau de parfum. Not only is Carbone confidence in a bottle, it’s confidence that lasts hours and hours after the first spritz.
Tester feedback from senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor
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“Rose-based scents are divisive and not something I usually gravitate toward. Balmain Beauty Carbone is the exception—I wore it every day this past fall and winter. It's an unexpected, uniquely romantic take on the floral note, combining it with musk and a hint of spice. Viscerally, it's like putting on red lipstick (striking), putting on a vinyl record (moody), and the feeling of a great first date (exhilarating).” —Jesa Marie Calaor, senior beauty editor
Diptyque Home Fragrance Diffuser in 2L
Best Splurge Body Products
Diptyque Home Fragrance Diffuser in 2L
Nordstrom
Diptyque
Why It Won: Before you go into sticker shock, there’s a reason this Diptyque Home Fragrance Diffuser is so spendy. The heavy glass vessel is 1. stunning and 2. holds significantly more liquid than your typical scent diffuser (two full liters). Add that to the fact that Diptyque’s home fragrance concentrates are of the highest quality (and sold separately from the gargantuan glass vessel), and you end up with a gorgeous object that keeps even the most expansive rooms smelling exquisite for months on end.
Tester feedback from features director Dianna Singh
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“This mega Diptyque diffuser also comes with a mega price tag, but I say it’s worth it if you can swing it—because not only will it fill your entire space with one of the brand’s beloved scents (like the berry and rose-laced Baies), it’ll look good doing it. It’s a truly beautiful piece of home decor you can keep for a lifetime; striking enough to make a statement yet subtle enough to jibe with just about any design vibe.” —Dianna Singh, features director
Written by Sophia Panych
How does Allure determine the best luxury beauty products for Best of Beauty Splurges?
Allure’s editorial team—which is composed of in-house writers, editors, and contributors—painstakingly tests thousands of products every year (yes,thousands), including prestige and high-end options across makeup, skin-, hair-, and body-care categories. We consider each product’s performance based on ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance (when relevant), and user experience (such as texture and wear). A product earns a spot among the Splurges winners if it delivers exceptional results and offers routine-improving value that justifies its premium price tag.
Are expensive beauty products really worth it?
Not all expensive, luxury beauty products live up to the hype, but for us, every one that has earned a Best of Beauty Splurges award definitely does. These standouts have been thoroughly tested and vetted by our editorial team and chosen for their remarkable performance, luscious textures and fragrances, and exceptional quality. All 18 winners excel in their specific category and have been shown to bring incomparable value to one’s beauty routine.
What kinds of products are included in the Splurges winners?
This list includes prestige products across makeup, skin, hair, and body care. Each winner delivers something unique and extraordinary, whether it’s a face cream that brings back smooth, supple skin for the long-term, an electric toothbrush powered by AI that offers a fresh-from-the-dentist look, or a lipstick case that can become an heirloom passed down through generations.
Do luxury winners include dermatologist-backed brands?
Yes. Some of the winners in the Best of Beauty Splurges category are products that come from brands that develop products alongside dermatologists, aestheticians, and professional hairstylists. You’ll find high-end options that are cruelty- and fragrance-free, made with clinical-grade ingredients (depending on the category), or created in some of the most sophisticated labs around the world.
Is the Splurges category the same as Breakthroughs or more general categories?
No. The Best of Beauty Splurges category specifically highlights luxury, premium beauty products that justify a higher price point. Our winning list in the Breakthroughs category celebrates innovation regardless of cost, while more general winners are beloved staples that stand the test of time and span all price points. Some brands may appear in more than one category, but Splurges is all about luxury and performance.
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