Splurge-Worthy Products That Are Sooo Worth It

No one really has any money for splurging these days, do they? Most of us are in the same “this economy sucks so I must save every last penny” place. At least, I totally am. But dammit, I get sick of buying cheapie beauty products exclusively. Last weekend, I had an epiphany. If you’re already broke, what difference will a $95 eye cream make? Not much, to be honest. Because sometimes, a splurge is needed. When the heat isn’t working in your apartment, when your emotional life is messy, when split ends are staging a small revolution on your head—it’s absolutely necessary (and fully forgivable) to treat yourself to some luxury. Wouldn’t you say?

So yeah, I went a little crazy at a few department stores last weekend. And each overpriced product I purchased was totally worth it. Here they are.

The Fancy Foundation

Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation ($73) costs a pretty penny, and for good reason. No matter what kind of skin you have—acne-scarred, flaky, ruddy—it leaves your complexion looking otherworldy glowy. Radiant. Like, you got nine hours of sleep the night before, or just had a tumble with a Hemsworth brother. Not only is it blended with light-diffusing pigments, the formula’s spiked with chamomile, aloe, and arnica to help soothe sensitive skin, plus green tea, rosemary, and rice bran to protect against environmental damage.

The Fancy Skin Care Regimen

The most popular facial at Bliss Spa’s (it’s beloved by celebs including Madonna) is the Bliss Triple Oxygen Facial, because it gives skin a surge of oxygen—which instantly wakes up a tired, sallow complexion, leaving it fresh-looking and radiant. If you can’t make it to the spa, invest in the Bliss Triple Oxygen Trio ($138). It comes with an Instant Energizing Mask, Eye Mask, and C+ Energizing Cream, all of which revive and enliven even themost lackluster, ho-hum complexion. In five minutes, flat.

The Fancy Hair Mask

If your hair’s over-processed, chemically-treated, or consistently heat-styled (mine’s a combo of all three), you need an extra shot of moisture aside from your daily conditioner. Sachajuan Over Night Hair Repair ($60) is fancier than all the other “soothe while you sleep” masks for two reasons. One, because it’s loaded with specially harvested trace elements and minerals from the sea, which leave your hair feeling like silk (not sure how it works scientifically, but who cares?). And two, because it says it won’t leave an oil slick on your pillow—and it actually doesn’t.

Tia Williams has been a beauty editor for 15 years, at publications like Elle, Glamour, Lucky, and Essence.com. Back in 2005, Tia created one of the first beauty blogs, Shake Your Beauty, where she wove her love of products through hilarious vignettes from her life as a beauty expert and mom living in Brooklyn. She’s also written several books, including the best-selling novel The Accidental Diva and supermodel Iman’s The Beauty of Color. Follow Tia on Twitter @shakeyourbeauty.