Beauty

The Best Luxury Beauty Products

These beauty essentials are renowned for their powerhouse ingredients and luxurious formulas.

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What makes a beauty product iconic? Many of these favorites have stood the test of time. Devoted clients have used them for years, if not decades, and credit their youthful appearance to them. Others are from young brands that boast cutting-edge technology. In today’s extremely competitive beauty landscape, breaking through is not easy, but the results of these products speak for themselves. Our selection of the best luxury beauty products will help you look your best. 

La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream

This lifting and firming cream from La Prairie harnesses the power of caviar to deeply hydrate, lift, and firm skin. The luxurious cream comes in the Swiss house’s iconic cobalt blue jars, a color from artist Niki de Saint Phalle. This cream has an instantly recognizable signature scent that we adore. The Skin Caviar collection was first introduced in 1987, and La Prairie’s scientists have continued their research over the years, expanding the collection into serums, eye creams, and face oil. The Luxe Cream debuted in 1998, and the latest formula was introduced in 2018.

Augustinus Bader The Cream

If your skin-care routine has gotten out of control, The Cream by Augustinus Bader is for you. This cream does so much more than moisturize. It’s proven to reduce hyperpigmentation and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, stimulate collagen, reduce redness, and calm skin. Professor Bader spent 30 years researching the key technology, TFC8, which is exclusive to his products. Meant to be an all-in-one product, it includes vitamins A, C, and B5, as well as shea butter and aloe vera leaf juice. There’s also a Rich Cream if you need a bit more hydration.

La Mer Crème de la Mer

After a laboratory accident left him with burns on his body, Dr. Max Huber spent more than a decade creating a product that would help heal his skin. It took 6,000 experiments, but he finally created “Miracle Broth” from fermenting giant sea kelp with other ingredients. This Miracle Broth is at the heart of La Mer’s iconic Crème de la Mer. This rich cream is renowned for its deep hydration that lasts all day. Over time, it also helps lift the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum  

Vitamin C is a crucial ingredient for protecting the skin from environmental damage, such as pollution and free radicals, which is why many experts and doctors recommend using a vitamin C serum every morning. (You don’t need to use it at night.) It also helps to brighten skin complexions and can help fade dark spots. SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum is a potent formula that features 15% pure vitamin C. This patented formula is scientifically proven to neutralize free radicals on the upper layer of the skin.

SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment Essence

SK-II Pitera Facial Treatment Essence has been a must-have product for years, and for good reason. It’s the secret weapon behind many celebrities’ smooth, ageless faces — including Cate Blanchett. The main ingredient, Pitera, was first discovered by the brand’s scientists in the 1970s when they noticed that older sake brewers’ hands were smooth and appeared much younger than their faces. They experimented on the yeast strains used during sake fermentation and discovered the strain that kept the brewers’ hands looking young. This ultra-lightweight formula goes on like water and can be used before other serums and moisturizers. It’s touted for its hydrating properties, as well as for evening out skin tone.

Bioeffect EGF Serum

This all-in-one serum from Iceland improves many visible signs of aging. Not only does it help hydrate skin, but it minimizes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, evens skin tone, and improves skin elasticity by boosting collagen production. It has just seven ingredients, including a powerhouse epidermal growth factor (EGF) derived from barley. Bioeffect conducted more than 50 scientific studies — some lasting up to three years — to prove the effectiveness of this serum.

Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum

Hyaluronic acid is prized for its moisturizing and plumping capabilities, and Dr. Barbara Sturm has one of the best ones on the market. Her Hyaluronic Serum immediately sinks into the skin, aiding hydration and contributing to the skin’s overall glowiness. The lightweight, fragrance-free serum is suitable for all skin types.

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50

It seems as if every Top Shelf on Into the Gloss features Biologique Recherche P50. This exfoliating lotion has quite a strong and rather medicinal smell, but legions of fans say it’s worth it. It exfoliates, cleanses, purifies, and also balances the skin’s pH levels. It’s great for clearing up skin, especially pesky blackheads. Lotion P50 is quite powerful, so if you’re using prescription skin products, check with your dermatologist first. 

Prescription Retinoids (Retin-A or Tretinoin) 

Technically, this isn’t a luxury beauty product, but it’s one of the most recommended anti-aging products out there. Prescription retinoids have higher percentages of active ingredients than products you can buy at the store, which translates to better results. The brand name most people know is Retin-A, but a generic prescription works just as well. These products are great for reducing and preventing fine lines and wrinkles, evening pigmentation and tone, and lightening age spots. 

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