15 Beauty Treats Worth the Splurge

We're not saying that your life would be incomplete without any of these goodies. But if you're in the mood for a luxe-y beauty treat, here are the 15 that insiders swear are truly worth it.

1. René Furterer Karité Nourishing Cream

Supermoisturizing shea butter is everywhere in hair care products, but this one is less oily than most, so it softens without the usual heaviness–one reason high-end salons swear by it.

2. Chanel Aqualumière Sheer Colour Lipshine SPF 15

It's the eternal lip conundrum: glosses are moisturizing and shiny, but you have to reapply every five minutes. Lipsticks last, but they can be drying. Chanel's sealed the divide with a gorgeous hybrid that feels moist and stays put; it's a best-selling lipstick at the celeb-heavy Barneys in Beverly Hills.

3. Dior Addict Nail Color

Wouldn't an instant-drying polish that looks and lasts like a salon manicure be a nice thing? Voilà, Dior Addict. The color's beautifully rich and stays on like chic cement.

4. Guerlain Terracotta Secret Gold All-Over Powder

Guerlain claims to sell a terra-cotta powder every 30 seconds. One of the original body bronzers out there, it remains among the best, with gold and white flecks so it goes on subtly. And the bottle's top ups the class factor of any dresser.

5. SK-11 Facial Treatment Essence

Japan's hottest skincare line–beloved because it softens and brightens skin–just debuted on these shores, and beauty insiders are grateful. Says Glamour executive beauty editor Mary MacLean, "I'm tired of skin-care junkie friends asking where they can get this stuff in the States."

6. Lancôme Hypnôse Custom Volume Mascara

"This is like false eyelashes–it's nice and thickening," says celeb makeup pro Coleen Campbell-Olwell. "When I'm working on set, declumping a lash is literally an extra minute I don't have. But I can do six or seven layers of this and be fine." (Happily, your off-set life will never require more than two or three coats.)

7. Prescriptives Dermapolish System

Ever wanted to try microdermabrasion–the skin-sloughing treatment that improves smoothness and reduces the appearance of pore size–but resisted the hefty price? Here's a more reasonable DIY version that gets a thumbs-up from dermatologists.

8. Estée Lauder Pure Color EyeShadow

Powdery enough to apply with a brush but creamy enough to rub on smoothly with a finger, this very blendable shadow's color is strong, so a little goes a long way.

9. Kiehl's Creme de Corps Body Cream

Not many body lotions can say they've been a best-seller for over 25 years. This one's got all the limousine moisturizers (oils from apricot, almond and avocado), a host of antioxidants (to fight sun and pollution damage) and a buttery feel.

10. Bond #9 Eau de New York

How's this for culty: Before Saks Fifth Avenue even got its first order of this perfume, it had presold all 100 bottles. It's a feminine, cheerful blend of orange-based scents like mandarin that, rest assured, smell nothing like the streets of New York.

11. Yves Saint Laurent Total Fitness Slimming Gel

There's truth behind the hype, says Glamour senior beauty editor Laurel Naversen. "I used it daily for a month before a trip to Brazil. The skin on my butt did seem smoother and tighter–subtly so, but I'll take whatever help I can get!"

12. Frédéric Fekkai Glossing Cream with Olive Oil

The cream adds shine and body, fights frizz and controls tangles. It's one of those products you never dreamed you needed until you try it.

13. Shu Uemura 7.5 EX Badger

A makeup brush that's made like a top-quality paintbrush, its fibers are laid in by hand, so powder and blush go on smoothly. Makeup pros consider it the Rolls-Royce of brushes.

14. Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer

The price is steep, but one tube can last you two years, say fans. "It gives the most solid, natural coverage and lasts the longest of any I've used," raves Gina Brooke, a makeup artist.

15. Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream

What celeb doesn't use it? But the real stars are the ingredients: minerals and seaweed, originally cooked up to heal burns. This stuff is so prized for its softening powers, New York City's Rescue Beauty Lounge even offers a La Mer manicure and pedicure.

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Best of Beauty 2004-05