High End Beauty Products Worth The Splurge

 This post contains gifted items.

I love trying out all makeup - whether it be from Primark or Essence, Rimmel, L'Oreal, Natasha Denona or Huda Beauty - I am definitely not a makeup snob! But today's post is showcasing all of the high end products which I think are worth the splurge...

The only body product in this post (mainly because I had so many makeup products I didn't want to make this post horrendously long) is the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream (£25.00 for 240ml). I adore anything watermelon scented and if something is called Pink Dream I just have to try it! This beautiful body cream contains vitamin-rich Watermelon Seed Butter, naturally smoothing Hibiscus AHA, soothing Watermelon and multi-weight Hyaluronic Acid for deep moisture. Lightweight on the skin, with zero greasy residue left over, this super hydrating cream really is a dream to use!

Onto skincare and I adore the Jane Scrivner Skinfoliate* (£29.00 for 150ml), which uses Malic, Glycolic, Lactic, Salicylic and Citric Acids in a unique staggered penetration blend to work on every level of skin exfoliation and stimulation. Skinfoliate works deep to stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis and cell renewal, to leave the skin feeling super smooth and soft. AHAs stimulate collagen and cell turnover, while BHAs dig deeper and exfoliate the pores, especially oily pores and acne-prone skin. This really is a dream if you suffer with enlarged pores, oily skin or uneven skin texture and you only have to use it 2-3 times a week.

One of my favourite facial oils is the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Oil (£67.00 for 15ml), which is small but mighty! Firstly, the packaging is so pretty! This replenishing facial oil harnesses the power of the sea to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles whilst leaving the skin looking revitalised and radiant. Formulated with a trio of marine actives including Padina Pavonica, Golden Seaweed and Roaring Water Kelp, the lightweight formula delivers maximum, skin-plumping moisture and is such a treat for the skin. This will give you clear results in just four weeks of continued use.

I chose two products for the eyes, and first up is the Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Gel (£64.00 for 15ml), which comes in a little pump-action pot. This is a super cooling gel that refreshes and hydrates puffy under eyes immediately. The formula contains Dragon's Blood, Arnica, Haloxyl and Rose Water, along with Hyaluronic Acid to hydrate the skin for a refined, smoother surface, whilst Haloxyl and Arnica work together to help brighten the eye area and reduce puffiness. I find this such a delight to use, especially first thing in a morning when my eyes are super tired, it really helps to refresh the area.

You know how much I love a multi-use product and the Keys Soulcare Comforting Balm* (£10.00 for 7.5g) is amazing! Packaged in a handy-sized glass pot, and smelling of warm vanilla, this balm is full of nourishing, healing and moisture replenishing plant oils and butters. Lightweight, yet deeply hydrating, this Balm relieves any dry, scaly patches all over the body and gives the skin a luminous, dewy-skinned finish. Other key ingredients include brightening Camellia Seed Oil, elasticising Avocado Oil, barrier-boosting Shea Butter and hydrating Rose of Jericho.

My final skincare product is the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Eye Base (£34.00 for 15ml). One of my favourite Bobbi Brown products is the Vitamin Enriched Face Base, and this is such an excellent partner to that. This all-in-one eye cream wakes up eyes by hydrating, nourishing, plumping and softening the look of fine, dry lines and it smooths the area beautifully, which makes it the perfect base for eyeshadow, whether it be creams or powders. A little goes a long way and even though it is a richer formula, it is lightweight once applied to the skin, so it doesn't feel at all heavy.

Moving on to makeup and I will begin with the Honest Beauty Matte Primer (£25.00 for 30ml). This is a moisturising yet mattifying primer that is infused with micronized Bamboo Powder, and the oil-free formula helps to perfect the skin without drying it out. It has a creamy, moisturising texture to it, which massages easily into the skin and is fragrance free, and is therefore perfect for those with sensitive skin. After trying many mattifying primers, this one is the most successful for me as it keeps oiliness away and keeps my makeup in place.

The first foundation product I chose for this post is the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser (£33.00 for 50ml), and I have the shade Light 1.2 Gotland. I much prefer tinted moisturiser type products at the moment on an everyday basis and this has been my go-to. The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser contains SPF30 and is packed with skincare ingredients to hydrate, smooth, brighten and protect the skin. Vitamin C helps to protect against environmental aggressors and it works like a skincare product in that it evens out the skin tone in just four weeks, helping it to look brighter and healthier. Even though it is essentially a Tinted Moisturiser, you still get a good amount of coverage, so it really is the best of both worlds.

For when I want a full coverage base, I love the Monika Blunder Beauty Blunder Cover (£45.00 for 17.6g). This is a foundation and concealer in one and has a super comfortable formula that gives a natural, skin-like finish, which isn't something you always get from a full coverage foundation. The skin-friendly formula contains Arnica to reduce redness, Edelweiss to keep skin soft and supple, Aloe Vera to attract moisture and plump up the skin, Sunflower Extract to enrich with free radial-fighting Vitamin E, antioxidant-rich Rosemary Extract to calm the skin and anti-inflammatory Chamomile to soothe the skin. This is a very versatile product and you can take it from a sheer finish to full coverage.

I have four bronzers to talk about, as there are just so many great ones at the moment. The first is the Iconic London Sheer Bronze (£18.00 for 12.5ml), a liquid bronzer that is easy to blend and has a unique gel-to-watercolour formula that melts into the skin to leave it radiant and luminous. Infused with plant extracts known for their anti-pollution benefits, this gives a soft-focus finish to the skin and can be used sparingly for a natural-looking subtle finish or built up if you want a deeper bronze look. Don't be intimated by the fact it is a liquid bronzer, I find they melt into the skin for a more flawless look.

Another amazing bronzer is the Vieve Modern Bronzer (£31.00 for 18g), which comes in a sleek black and gold compact and has two shades, enabling you to use it all year round. I opted for the Medium shade, which is perfect for light to medium skin tones and I love the shades included in this. The powder itself is finely milled and gives a soft satin finish, melting into the skin for a natural glow. You are getting a lot of product for your money here, and as I mentioned, I love that you get two shades, as then you can use the lighter in the colder months and the deeper in the Summer months.

Cream bronzers have been my absolute go-to in the past couple of months and I am obsessed with the NARS Sunkissed Bronzing Cream (£30.00 for 19g) in the shade Laguna. This is a velvety cream-to-powder bronzing hybrid that gives a soft matte finish and warmth to the complexion. The silky texture blends seamlessly into the skin, blurring, minimising the appearance of pores and evening out the complexion. It is scented with the NARS signature French Polynesian Monoi de Tahiti Oil, so it smells incredible and whilst their are currently only two shades available, I would definitely recommend picking this up as it is so quick and easy to use.

Westman Atlier create some of the most beautiful, yet pricey, products and my absolute favourite has to be the Westman Atelier Beauty Butter Powder Bronzer (£69.00 for 8g) in the shade Coup de Soleil. It comes in a gold compact, with a mirror on the inside of the lid and the bronzer itself, which has little love hearts pressed into it. This bronzer has the softest texture to it, delivering a matte finish to enhance a natural look and is formulated using innovative pigment technology which protects the skin from pollution. The formula contains Plant Butter which adds nourishment to the skin and this really is a joy to use, adding warmth to the skin, in a seamless fashion.

My first high-end blush pick is the Givenchy Prisme Libre Blush (£38.50 for 6g), and here I have the shade option Mousseline Lilas, four light pink and lilac cool toned shades. I love that you get four shades within one pot, so you can use them individually or mixed and the photochromatic pigments diffuse light and bring depth to the colour, for a healthy, radiant and multidimensional finish. This blush is a loose blush formula, which has an ultrafine, silky texture to it that gives a second-skin-like-finish of colour and an ambient lightening effect to remain luminous and flattering in all lights.

NARS make some of the best blushers, and one of my favourites is the NARS Blush in the shade Bumpy Ride, a shimmering candy pink (£26.00 for 4.8g).  NARS Blushes deliver healthy-looking colour that immediately livens up the complexion and gives a natural-looking flush that flatters a plethora of skin tones. Silky, superfine powder pigments ensure irresistibly soft, blendable application in just seconds. I love the shade Bumpy Ride for my light cool-toned complexion and colouring and a little goes a long way due to such high-quality pigment.

For one of the best cream blushes, I would highly recommend the Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick (£44.00 for 6g) and my favourite shade is Chouchette, a soft, natural pink. This blush stick effortlessly melts into the skin, keeping it moisturised and allowing for buildable coverage. Not only can it be used on the cheeks, but you can also use it on the eyelids and the lips, so you are getting three products in one. The formula is second to none, and it doesn't remove any of your other makeup, adding a flush of colour to the cheeks, whilst still looking completely natural on the skin.

The first highlighter I recommend purchasing is the Code8 Highlighter Palette in the shade Between Two Women (£33.00 for 9g). You get two shades within this palette - a dusky pink and a champagne gold and the product is made using revolutionary Knead Technology, a unique mixing method that creates a shiny, sculpted long-lasting effect. The formula contains pre-baked pearls, Olive Oil, Macadamia Oil and White Tea Extract to moisturise and nourish the skin. The palette's light-reflecting properties increase radiance and boost's the skin's glow. Super pretty!

My favourite cream highlighter is the Jane Iredale Glow Time Highlighter Stick* in the shade Cosmos, a pearlescent light pink. This multitasking highlighting stick can be used on the body, face or even the lips and creates a pretty, lit from within glow. The formula is super creamy and so it gives a natural, streak-free application and contains Jojoba Seed Oil to hydrate and smooth the skin. It comes in a twist-up stick packaging and so it is really quick and easy to use - I like to apply it straight onto the skin, and then blend it out slightly using my fingertips and I adore the glow it gives my complexion in just seconds.

For setting powder, I adore the Tatcha The Silk Powder (Around £60.00 for 20g), which I actually got in a Trendmood Beauty Box. The Silk Powder is a talc-free, shine-control setting powder that effectively blurs out pores and masks any unwanted shine while still providing the complexion with a gorgeous, radiant glow. The powder has been formulated to be a pollution and Blue Light shield that protects the skin whilst perfecting it at the same time. It is so finely milled and silky soft that it is untraceable on the skin, but does its job perfectly. It comes in pretty packaging and even has a stopper so that powder doesn't go into the lid when you aren't using it.

The other finishing powder I am in love with is the Chantecaille Flower Power Perfect Blur Finishing Powder (£79.00 for 8g) in the shade option Light/Medium. This wins packaging goals hands down - the cute colourful flowers adorned on this compact makes me smile every time I look at it. This is an ultra fine instant blur powder that smooths and perfects the complexion, with a weightless finishing formula that helps skin appear softly filtered and flawless. The long-lasting gel-powder is infused with a special combination of optically correcting pearls and blurring spheres to filter out imperfections. This is the closest to perfect skin you can get using makeup.

For the undereye area, I recommend the Fenty Beauty Bright Fix Eye Brightener (£18.00 for 10ml) and I have the shade Golden Ivory, which is a warm shade for light skin tones. This is an undereye brightener that easily hydrates, brightens and conceals the area, delivering a fast, natural, no-makeup-makeup effect with sheer to buildable coverage. The formula is long-lasting and is crease, humidity and sweat-resistant. A little goes a long way, and you apply a small amount and tap to blend it into the skin to really brighten and lighten that often dark area around the eyes.

Another higher end concealer that works superbly is the Kosas Super Creamy Revealer Concealer (£26.00 for 6ml), which I have in the shade 2.5 - light with cool peach undertones. The Revealer Concealer is a medium to full coverage concealer that improves the appearance of the undereye area and complexion to reveal better skin, covering and reducing the look of dark circles and blemishes whilst still looking incredibly natural on the skin. Not only does this cover blemishes and dark circles really well, but it also brightens the skin, leaving it looking healthier and more radiant.

The first of two mascaras I enjoy is the Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara* (£22.00 for 5g). This pitch black mascara separates, lengthens and amplifies each and every lash and provides a smudge-proof, flake-proof and tear-proof finish. It has a slim-line brush that enables access to those hard to reach corner lashes and allows you to get super close to the roots, for thicker, longer-looking lashes in an instant. This is the perfect mascara for those who have sparse or fine lashes, like myself, to dress them up in long-lasting colour with added volume.

For a treatment/mascara hybrid, the NudeStix Lash Lengthening Mascara (£20.00 for 8ml) is a winner! This Mascara gives you natural looking, lengthy, feathery lashes, both instantly and over time via its rich, creamy texture. This unique formula uses three peptides to encourage innate lash growth with continuous use, and the mascara has a flexible, soft texture that mimics that of your lashes with a blend of plant waxes, lengthening and defining them without any clumping, drying, cracking or stickiness, to give fluffy, long lashes. It has a natural bristle brush wand that isn't too large, so you are able to reach every single lash.

When it comes to eyeshadow, I just had to include the Huda Beauty Chocolate Brown Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette* (£27.00 for 7.5g). This is a modern edit of milk and dark chocolate mattes blended with decadent fudge metallics, brown sugar and berry shimmers. The metallics are out of this world! I love these neat, petite palettes as you get such a mixture of textures, so the amount of looks you can create is never ending. The mattes are beautifully soft and well pigmented, too, and you can really go all out with this formula, which has never let me down. Quality is everything when it comes to eyeshadows, and this is definitely up there for me.

Another eyeshadow formula that never fails me is Natasha Denona's and one of her most recent releases is the Natasha Denona Zendo Eyeshadow Palette (£60.00 for 19.25g). The Zendo Palette is a mix of warm and cool tones inspired by an ambience where nature meets minimalist architecture. The rows of shadows unite a range of powerhouse pigments including shades of pink, brown, coral and peach with pops of turquoise, allowing you to create endless looks with this palette, whether you want to go neutral, or all-out colour. Each shadow has amazing pigment to it and the metallics and shimmers are buttery soft and smooth, allowing a one-swipe-swatch situation.

One of my favourite lip balms is the KKW Beauty Glossy Lip Balm ($18.00 for 0.39oz). This is a clear, glossy lip balm that is enriched with Shea Butter and nourishing oils to help soften and comfort the lips for long-lasting moisture. There is a sweet coconut vanilla scent to it and there is a soft rubber slanted applicator, which adheres to the curves of your lips and is super comfortable to apply. Nourishing oils include Camellia Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Aloe Vera Oil and Jojoba Oil to ensure lips are maximumly nourished and hydrated.

A tinted lip balm that I am obsessed with is the Gucci Glow & Care Lip Colour (£35.00 for 1.8g) in the shade July Blush, a pretty coral pink colour. This sheer/satin hybrid has a long-lasting, dual-action formula that provides 24 hours of moisture and a beautifully pigmented shine. Formulated with nourishing and antioxidant ingredients, the creamy texture and shine helps the lips to look fuller and plumper and it is so comfortable and lightweight to wear. The Lip Colour comes in super stylish, vintage-inspired packaging, and is such a joy to behold.

For an excellent matte lipstick, I love the Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick (£22.00 for 3g) formula. Here I have the shade Dirty Thirty, which is a cool-toned sassy purply brown. The Power Bullets give instant full coverage from the very first swipe with a silky smooth texture. They are highly pigmented and the plush matte finish is not at all drying on the lips, and is actually very moisturising and creamy, making it the most comfortable matte lipstick I have ever tried. There are well over 20 shades to choose from too, so you are bound to find your perfect shade.

Last, but never least, I wanted to recommend the Emolyne Complete Kit* (£45.00), which comes with a Metamorphosis Velvet Semi-Matte Lipstick, a Metamorphosis Velvet Long-Wear Lip Definer and the Metamorphosis Gel Nail Lacquer in your choice of colour. I love the shade Fes, which is a muted peach and suits my fair to light skin tone perfectly - there are over 30 shades to choose from. The Lipstick comes in the most gorgeous sparkly tube and has a weightless, hydrating creamy formula that gives instant intense, full coverage and lasting colour. The Lip Liner has a smooth, creamy, velvety formula that doesn't pull or tug on the delicate lip area and provides you with a smudge-proof finish to define and plump up the lips. Who doesn't want to match their nail colour to their lip colour? The Gel Lacquer is a quick-drying gel effect polish that gives a high-shine effect without having to visit a nail salon! I am in love with this shade as it is perfect for all year round.

All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx