The One Product You Should Actually Buy From the Most Expensive Makeup Brands

There's just something about high-end makeup brands—the shiny packaging, rich formulas, and all-around prettiness. Just holding a luxe product makes you feel fancier. However, sometimes your bank account is something that does not make you feel fancy. As great as it'd be to drown yourself in lavish makeup products, it's not always realistic.

Of course, indulging yourself every once in a while isn't a crime. When you do, you should always make sure you're splurging on the best of the best. Might as well make it worth it, right? Picking out just one product to buy from the most expensive makeup brands is tricky, so we've called in the experts to help. We had some of the top makeup artists in the industry weigh in on the number one products they would choose from some top high-end brands.

Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat All Over Brightening Pen $38.00

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Considering it's been compared to a magic wand, it's no wonder this concealer is an industry favorite. Says celebrity makeup artist Brittany Spyksma (who has worked with Olivia Culpo and Chelsea Handler): "Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat concealer is amazing. It's brightening and looks fresh on the skin. One of my all-time favorite concealers." Touche Eclat has been around forever, and while YSL still officially claims it's a brightener and not a concealer, we all know what to use it for.

Tom Ford

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick $89.00

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According to makeup artist Suzy Gerstein, this foundation stick is worth the splurge. She says it has the smoothest finish of any foundation on the market, with versatile coverage. Her special trick: "I often mix a bit with moisturizer to sheer it out, then I use a small synthetic brush to apply it directly to areas where I want more coverage, like under the eyes and over broken capillaries and blemishes." We tend to agree—this foundation, blended out, is perfect for covering up imperfections when you don't want to cover your entire face in foundation.

According to Azra Red, another great Tom Ford pick is the Waterproof Foundation ($87), if you're not a stick kind of person.

Surratt Beauty

Surratt Beauty Relevee Lash Curler $36.00

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Nothing says "I actually got eight hours of sleep last night" like curled lashes to open up your eyes. The Surratt lash curler is celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes's "jam." She's collaborated with famous faces like Kerry Washington and Naomi Campbell, so you know she knows what she's talking about. Says Hughes, "It's the biggest opening of a lash curler and somehow fits most eye shapes best." It's not just Hughes's favorite though—it's actually Surratt's best-selling product.

Hourglass

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette $68.00

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There's something about Hourglass packaging that's just unabashedly luxurious. From their lipsticks to their eyeshadows, their meticulous design is a reflection of the quality products inside. Their Ambient Lighting Palette is no exception. Not to mention the powders capture, diffuse and soften the way light reflects on skin, enhancing your complexion in any type of light. The Ambient Lighting product "makes the skin look like it’s glowing from the inside out," says Spyksma. You almost can't over-highlight—everything looks completely natural.

Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation $64.00

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Probably the most talked-about foundation in the beauty realm, this was, unsurprisingly, recommended by three major makeup artists: Hughes, Spyksma, and Kelli J.Bartlett. Each had their own rave reviews for the product. Ask any beauty editor or writer, and we'll bet they would second Bartlett when she says "just get it already."

Dior

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette $62.00

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Dior have one of the most active luxury makeup brands on the market, so it's no surprise when their products go in and out of style. However, almost no product has the staying power of their 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palettes, which are a stalwart in the brand's beauty division. If you want a look on the go to keep in your purse, this is it.

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette Colour Coded Eye Shadow $53.00

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Charlotte Tilbury's eye shadow quads are first-class. Each shadow is full of color-rich pigments, and they're wuldly easy to use. The colors are buildable but not unpigmented, so it can be used as a natural day look or sultry going out look. Says Spyksma, "The formulas are really wonderful, and the colors are fun and unique. I can always create something I love with her shadows."

Chanel

Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder $52.00

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A good loose powder should be a staple in everyone's makeup bag, and this Chanel powder is Spyksma's first pick. It sets and perfects your makeup for a natural and matte finish, while still illuminating your complexion. Spykma says she can "dust on as little or as much as I need to, and it always looks pretty and flawless."

Clé de Peau

Clé de Peau Concealer SPF 27 $75.00

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Yes, it is a $75 concealer. Yes, the shade range needs to be extended to fit a more diverse consumer base. But yes, it is absolutely—absolutely—the best stick concealer on the market. If you're not a big foundation person, or you're just a big makeup person, you can't go wrong with Clé de Peau's legendary and much-beloved concealer. It even has light SPF. This is a "keep it with you at all times" type of product, and it's compact enough to keep in absolutely any bag (even the Jacquemus Le Chiquito).

La Prairie

La Prairie Skin Caviar Powder Foundation $245.00

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It's hard to pick the best product from La Prairie, because we're pretty obsessed with everything they come out with. However, the fact that this is an article on makeup and not skincare made this one a little easier. La Prairie are almost as known for their price tags as they are for their products, but their updated Skin Caviar Powder Foundation hits that sweet spot where it's worth the price. It's going to last you forever, and it evens out your skin without making it look too matte or too shiny—it just looks like skin. But your best skin.

Gucci

Gucci Rouge à Lèvres Satin Lipstick $45.00

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We'd buy this lipstick just for the tube, but thankfully what's inside is as beautiful as the golden etchings on the outside (which were originally drawn by Alessandro Michele himself.) It goes on like a dream, and isn't so satin that it looks like one big smear. It's also pigmented enough that you won't have to swipe it multiple times for a consistent look. A plus? It doesn't dry out your lips, either.

Want more advice from makeup experts? Check out 18 holy grail products celebrity makeup artists use on themselves.