Top 10 Luxury Beauty Buys of 2010

So here is my round up of my favourite high end products I've loved using in 2010. Think of them as treats to see you through the gloomy winter perhaps!

Above is the airbrush concealer by Clinique which literally changed my life when I bought it after I saw Lisa Eldridge using it in a video. It is the best eye concealer I have found for my particular dark shadows. It has just enough concealing power to banish darkness without looking cakey and just enough illuminating properties to light the area slightly without looking white. It lasts for ages too. I will be repeat buying this in shade 04 (neutral fair) ad infinitum....

Ah Sisley! You are very expensive and I'm not sure if you are quite worth the huge prices but you are very, very nice to use indeed. This powder has a gentle sheen that perks up the skin so prettily and the leopard skin case warms even my utilitarian packaging preferring heart. At €97 I would have to close my eyes and take several deep breaths at the counter as I asked the sales girl to replenish it, but we'll see....

Who doesn't want a bit of Tom Ford? I think every girl would like to get her hands/lips on to one of these lipsticks! His Private Collection launched in 2010 to much furore and rightly so, as they are divine. The very spirit of luxury embodied in a little tube of pigment and wax! At €45, they are pretty steep but they are fantastic and allow us to buy in to a little of the Tom Ford vision of strong, sexy femininity if we can't afford one of his frocks!

Terry de Gunsberg's makeup range, By Terry, is chock full of luxurious items. Her textures are sublime, the shades are sophisticated and the entire line is infused with rose oil, so smells heavenly. Her latest mascara, Terrybly (not sure about the name though!) is quickly becoming known as the ultimate growth mascara. It is actually a tinted lash serum which promotes growth whilst also being a great mascara. I've used it quite a bit lately and I think it's very promising...

I was so excited when I tried this at first recently. I'm a fan of Laura Mercier in general. I think her line is a great classic that contains a good few star products ( I don't like her Secret Camoflage concealer though - it's like cement) . So I was eager to get my hands on this Creme Smooth foundation. I used it an several clients and models as well as myself and I was suitably impressed. Applied with a light touch and a foundation brush it looks like perfect skin. It's almost mannequin-like but in a natural way. Flawless, seamless, long-lasting, in great shades - it's a wonder foundation for grown up girls!
With Tom Pechaux leading the charge at Estee Lauder, things are looking bright for their makeup range. In my view, it always lagged a little behind the skincare, ever so slightly in the 'old lady' category to really be a contender. Not now, that's for sure!

These Pure Colour eye shadows are superb. They are intensely pigmented powders that feel like creams as they are so smooth. Great shades from vibrant jewel tones to subtle neutrals means you can look to Lauder for a great contemporary eye design from now on.

As prescribed to me by my skincare guru Peggy Stringer, this Transformation cream by Jan Marini has become such a staple in my bathroom cabinet that I get a bit panicky when it's about to run out! It contains tons of anti-oxidants and anti-agers and is sufficiently backed up by science so the price point is ok in my view (€120) Thankfully, it lasts for a long time and alongside my regular glycolic peels with Peggy, it has really transformed my previously out of control skin to the well behaved pelt I have now *touches wood*

It is classically beautiful.... Dragon by Chanel. There's just something so evocative about the Chanel brand and this polish delivers smooth, deep, rich gloss to the nails to rival no other. And as it looks so pretty on my bathroom shelf, I will always have to splash out on some more...

I tested Sisley's Global Firming Serum by proxy. As in, I gave it to my Mum to use to see how she got on and to say she loved it was an understatement! She raved about it and used it so sparingly that I'm not sure she even got it's full effects. She reported that it made her skin smoother, brighter, softer, less lined and firmer. Mighty praise indeed, but serums and super skincare are what Sisley do so very well. You won't get much change from €250, but consider it an investment in your skin's future...

Chantecaille make great bases and Future Skin is no exception. This gel/cream hybrid gives such a 'skin-like' finish that is truly stunning. A little goes a long way, so it's €70 price tag evens out over time. It is the ultimate 'your skin, but better' product and is suitable for all skin types and ages. Try it, you'll be hooked too....

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