18 Luxury Skin Care Products Worth the Investment
Be honest: Does your heart skip a beat when you see a medicine cabinet full of the very best skin care? Skin has always been in, but the days of slapping on any old moisturizer are long gone—now having a curated routine is completely normal, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a Sephora shopper who doesn’t know the difference between essences and toners. Critics might call such a devotion vapid or useless, among other things, but we firmly believe putting time and energy into a skin care regimen isn't an empty pastime.
So whether it's a vital part of your self-care, you're looking for something specific to add to your top shelf, or you're just curious about what the latest and greatest exfoliator is, take a look at the luxury skin care products that live up to their name—and price tag. Our editors and beauty pros share why.
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
1/18I’ve considered the SK-II masks to be the gold standard of how masks should be done. This version isn’t a sheet mask, but a gel you apply overnight and wash off in the morning. It has the same key ingredient: a by-product of fermented sake, which has been proved to improve your skin’s texture and clarity. —Macrene Alexiades, M.D., dermatologist
2/18Do you need a $655 pre-serum treatment? I mean, no. But after a month of using it—and after I finish justifying its cost—you'll be glad you did. Think of it like a benefit-boosting primer for your skin care products. This lotion, which goes on like an essence but has the texture of a serum, sinks deep into your skin to trigger your cells' power centers (that's the mitochondria for those of you who still remember biology). What results is faster cell turnover, which helps with signs of aging, plus the brand claims it makes the other products in your routine more effective. I've been using it with a mix of serums and moisturizers the past three months (both luxury and drugstore), and I swear the lines on my forehead are softer. —Lindsay Schallon, senior beauty editor
3/18This heavy moisturizer is packed with purple rice bran, which does way more than lend the contents a charming lilac hue. The ingredient is rich in anthocyanin, an antioxidant that helps your complexion recover from stress and pollution. Other botanical extracts, such as algae, thyme, and marjoram, are added to intensely hydrate, reinforce your skin barrier, and retain more water. Apparently, when you mix this up—and sprinkle in whatever magic Tatcha adds at the end—you get the first moisturizer that has ever made an instant, dramatically noticeable change in my complexion. —Sarah Wu, contributor
4/18If you’re looking for a weightless serum that makes you glow, this is it. It's very wearable under makeup or combined with other skin care products. —Alba Ramos, beauty blogger
5/18It took only two nights of using this to notice a big difference in my skin's texture. It decreased the size of two pimples I had on my face, and there's a noticeable change in the way my makeup goes on. It definitely tingled the first time I used it, but that's completely normal according to the packaging. The exfoliating acids are intense but powerful—all in a good way. —Khaliha Hawkins, producer
6/18I thought glass skin was the stuff of myths and Photoshop until I started using this K-beauty serum. It's packed with vitamin C to brighten and green tea to calm, plus it smells delightfully rich. Paired with the brand's new sleeping mask, it left my skin more revitalized within a week. —L.S.
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7/18Hands down, this is one of my favorite active serums that I consistently use to the last drop. It’s the first thing I recommend to anyone who’s transitioning from conventional beauty products to clean or natural products because it performs and has a well-formulated consistency that holds up to any traditional serum. I love how brilliantly it balances my skin's need for moisture and cell turnover to keep it hydrated and glowing at the same time. —Sandra Lanshin Chiu, acupuncturist and holistic herbalist
8/18If, like me, you have trouble catching up on your beauty sleep (totally guilty of rewatching Gossip Girl until 2:00 A.M.), this mask does double duty to help you wake up looking fresh. It's enriched with mineral water and hyaluronic acid to deeply moisturize dehydrated skin, as well as apricot and primrose extracts to brighten. The lavender scent will help destress and lull you to sleep. The next thing you know, you'll be looking better rested than Sleeping Beauty. —Bella Cacciatore, beauty assistant
9/18Nurse Jamie's roller is a must, especially before a big event. Because of its shape and cooling properties, it works to promote lymphatic drainage and debloat your face, which creates a more sculpted look. I always keep one in my makeup kit and use it before a night out or a wedding. Don't believe me? Just ask Nurse Jamie's dozens of celebrity fans, like Lea Michele and Khloé Kardashian. —Jillian Ruffo, contributing editor
10/18I’m seriously impressed with the number of plant actives in this nourishing hand cream. Alfalfa, eucalyptus, green tea, sunflower, and barley extracts all help to heal your skin barrier, which is crucial for hands that are subjected to constant wear, tear, and washing every day. —Macrene Alexiades, M.D., dermatologist
11/18I'm officially obsessed with my NuFace. I know this thing is expensive, but it really does what it promises—the microcurrent technology helps tone and tighten your face muscles while also reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I use my device for three to five minutes at night with my Sunday Riley Luna oil, and I can feel the effects of the microcurrents going to work immediately. —Azadeh Valanejad, video producer
12/18Once you introduce yourself to the magic that is SK-II's essence, you'll wonder how you ever lived without. It’s been bestowing women with more hydrated, glowy complexions since it first launched in 2004. It’s packed with pitera—SK-II’s signature sake-derived ingredient that rejuvenates and moisturizes skin—and while it’s not cheap, all you need is three to five drops, so the bottle really lasts. —L.S.
13/18I’ve got plenty of undereye concerns that need correction: puffiness, dark circles, and a general look of exhaustion are pretty much regular fixtures on my face. After tapping a single pump of Auto Correct under both eyes with my fingertips, there's noticeable deflation and lift to my sleep-deprived skin in under five minutes. —Tara Gonzalez, commerce editor
14/18I'm always on the hunt for a good eye cream; I blame that addiction on two toddlers. Being that the chances of getting more sleep this year is next to nil, an eye cream has to hydrate and revive—fast. I’m particularly pleased with how this cream absorbs: immediately and without tackiness. I also see and feel a visible difference in how moisturized my undereyes are even in the dead of winter. —Bee Shapiro, New York Times columnist and founder of Ellis Brooklyn
15/18I never believed in jade or rose quartz facial rollers until Angela Caglia gave me the most incredible facial and recommended I use her Rose Quartz Facial Roller at home. Not only is the product beautiful (it makes me happy to see it among all my beauty product clutter), it also feels incredible gliding across my face. I'll pop it into the fridge an hour before using so it's nice and cool for application. It instantly helps depuff my face, which makes it both feel and look more alive and bright than before. —T.G.
16/18This one of those products that lure you into self-care by being so sensorial you actually look forward to carving out time for yourself. I can’t go to sleep without slathering myself in its glossiness—and not just on my neck and around my eyes—on feet, legs, arms, and hands too. The soothing scent is incredible, so for that reason alone, I love it right after a shower and before bed. It’s pure gold for your whole body. —Katey Denno, celebrity makeup artist
17/18In between my daily face wash and moisturizer, applying GlamGlow's SuperSerum is a two-second step with huge benefits. The serum's mix of its six-acid blend and an activated charcoal powder removes impurities and plumps my skin (exactly what I need with my dull combination skin). I'm already noticing a difference in my complexion—it's brighter and more even—after using this serum for two weeks. —Halie LeSavage, fashion associate
18/18Face oils can be heavy, but this is lightweight and massages beautifully into your skin. You can press it directly in or mix it with your moisturizer for a quick hit of extra hydration. —Nam Vo, makeup artist
