The 10 Best Luxury Skincare Products We’ve Ever Tried

A moisturizer so beloved you could say “The Cream,” and everyone will instantly know the formula you’re referring to. Yes, Augustinus Bader’s lightweight hydrator is worth the hype. Every time someone asks me if Bader skincare is worth the splurge, I respond with a resounding yes. That said, if you’re going to drop coin on just one product, I say go with the OG MVP. Along with the brand’s patented TFC8 complex to stimulate cell renewal, it comes infused with retinyl palmitate, panthenol, and vitamin C to soften fine lines, soften skin, and brighten tone. Essentially, when it comes to skin aging concerns, The Cream addresses them all.

I was literally scraping the sides of the jar to get an extra morsel of this eye cream. No lie, my under-eyes have never looked plumper and more hydrated since adding it to my routine. Plenty of eye products claim to be “eight hours of sleep in a bottle,” but I swear this is the closest it comes to that skincare magic.

Yes, $420 is very steep for an eye cream, but you just need a teeny pearl-sized amount for both eyes, so it will last you a while. (For reference, my own jar lasted eight months, and I used it every single night.)

Another worth-it eye cream: La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Eye Lift, which I used every day for five months until the very last drop. True to its name, the formula contains caviar micronutrients that help thicken the notoriously delicate skin and strengthen the tiny ligaments around the eyes that weaken with age. The result? Fewer fine lines and sagging in the orbital area.

Two words: liquid gold. That’s really the only way I can describe this supercharged essence. The fluid itself is so featherlight you’d be surprised to discover how many potent, professional-level actives live inside the multitasking formula (56 of them, to be exact!), all of which work synergistically to reduce breakouts, fade hyperpigmentation, tighten pores, strengthen the moisture barrier, and give the skin an ethereal, light-reflecting glow. Allies of Skin founder Nicolas Travis created it as a personal formula (hence the name, Founders Essence), but loved it so much he wanted to share it with the world—for a limited time, while supplies last. I’d snag this one while you still can!

I realize $170 for a pack of face and eye masks may sound a bit… much. I can assure you, the serum-soaked hydrogels from 111Skin are 1000% worth it. In fact, 111Skin masks may just be my favorite masks of all time—there, I said it. I’m partial to the Black Diamond line, which works overtime to lift the skin and plump fine lines, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the versions. (My runner-up is the Cryo De-Puffing mask, which deflates swollen eye bags in a snap.)

Rather than buying a pack of five, which will set you back $140, I’d suggest opting for this mixed bag of nine for $30 more. If you prefer to choose your own adventure, you could also create your own seven-mask kit on the brand’s website for $135. Again, each mask is pretty pricey (around $18 per eye mask and $35 per face sheet, give or take), so feel free to rely on these insider hacks.

There’s no shortage of hyaluronic acid serums on the market, so why would you ever buy one for over $300? The truth is that no HA serum has made my skin look quite as juicy as Dr. Barbara Sturm’s. The proprietary formula contains a custom blend of long and short chain hyaluronic molecules for an immediate plumping effect with long-term hydration; plus, it features purslane—an antioxidant-rich botanical—to calm redness and inflammation. Every time I use this serum, my skin somehow looks calmer and more radiant; I was genuinely bummed when I used my last drop.

At this point, I’ve written about Dr. Diamond’s Plasma serum more times than I can count. Will that stop me from recommending it to everyone I know? Never! It truly makes my skin look like glass, thanks to its human-identical growth factors, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. I’ve flown through two bottles already and refuse to do my nighttime skincare routine without it. That’s when you know it’s a winner!

It admittedly took me a while before I gave this Cleansing Complex a whirl. I’d heard countless testimonials from practically every beauty editor, but it wasn’t until this past summer that I finally got my hands on it. Oh my god, am I kicking myself for not incorporating it into my routine earlier! This stuff is seriously magic. My sweat-clogged pores immediately cleared, and my skin looked brighter in about a week. If you have an extremely dry complexion, you might want to skip gel cleansers entirely for something with a creamy, milky consistency, but it’s been an absolute godsend for my combination skin. I now understand why it’s received so much praise and am happy to report that it’s 150% worth the hype.

Here’s another MVP I haven’t stopped using since getting my hands on it years ago. If you have combination skin like me, you’ll fall head over heels. It’s intensely moisturizing thanks to the brand’s proprietary Hydra-Siren Capsules (which transport water into the deep layers of skin) yet surprisingly lightweight, so it doesn’t ever make my skin feel too greasy. Those ultra-hydrating properties also mean you get way more bang for your buck; I apply two small dollops on my entire face and neck, and I haven’t yet run out despite using it every single night for the past six months. Talk about cost per pump!

Allow me to list the many, many skin-loving actives brimming in this rejuvenating serum: peptides, amino acids, growth factors, niacinamide, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, ginger root, Manuka honey… overwhelmed yet? The formula is a true multitasker, addressing everything from fine lines, sagging, enlarged pores, texture, dehydration, and more. Essentially, it’s like six different serums in one. Not bad for $325 when you think about it, right? My skin has already drunk up three bottles at this point, and I don’t plan on swapping the hero out any time soon.