Because they're worth it

It's 6am and I still haven't gone to sleep. I figure I have to be awake in half an hour anyway so why bother sleeping?

Anyway...

I love beautiful packaging. Guilty. The prettier the compact, tube, bullet or bottle, the more I'm willing to pay. However, sometimes the product itself just doesn't live up to its beautiful packaging. It's basically the equivalent of meeting a really attractive person with zero personality. Incredibly disappointing.

These are the products I own that have beautiful packaging and are worth (almost) every penny:

1) Guerlain lipsticks

Out of all the high end brands I've tried, Guerlain easily has some of the most moisturizing formulas. Incredible packaging, beautiful shade selection and formulas that are to die for. Out of the three formulas I've tried, I would have to say I like the Rouge Automatique the best. You do have to careful if you don't like frosts though; many of their lipsticks have a frosty finish. 

2) NARS lipsticks

NARS lipsticks have always been among my favourites. They don't dry your lips (not even the matte finishes), have so many shades to pick from and of course I love the packaging. Many don't like the black rubbery compacts/bullets, but I'm actually pretty fond of it. My newest obsession is NARS Red Lizard - perfect red!

3) CHANEL glosses

I went through a short obsession with Chanel cosmetics. The habit became a bit expensive though, so I kicked it to the curb. However, their glossimers and Rouge Allure glosses are still my favourite high end lip glosses. They aren't sticky, never goop up into that nasty white line you get when you talk too much and have the most perfect glittery shine (at least the glossimers do). If you're looking for a gloss that's pigmented enough to be worn alone, try the Rouge Allures. The glossimers are also fun on their own but I prefer wearing them with a lipstick because they're really quite sheer. 

4) YSL lipsticks

I will admit I originally bought these lipsticks based solely on the beauty of the packaging. Wasn't a huge fan of the formula or the smell but forced myself to use it because it cost me $38 ($43 with tax) and wasn't about to waste that money. I de-scented the lipstick, used a tissue to blot and applied loose translucent finishing powder on top to get rid of the silky feeling. Talk about making it work. I feel like the formula has changed since I bought my first one though because I'm in love with the lipsticks now! They don't dry out my lips, don't have a scent nearly as strong as the first one and definitely don't feel as slippery on the lips. #2 and #10 are my absolute must-haves.

5) Guerlain blushes

Guerlain and YSL definitely have the most beautiful packaging. Their 4 Eclats Sculpting blushes are seriously drool-worthy. They smell amazing, are unbelievably smooth and blend easily. The only downside is the shade selection. I find Guerlain face products a bit tricky. Many don't work for me because I have a lot of yellow in my skin. I have Rosee Du Printemps and Lueur D'Automne. 

6) Bond No. 9 Chinatown

I only recently bought this fragrance so I don't want to give a full review just yet but this is serious stuff. It lasts 10-12 hours on my skin and is way more complex than what I'm used to. This is probably the only fragrance I have that I can actually smell a distinct difference in the opening, middle and dry down. Love it. At $185 for 50 ml, I had better love it. 

Those are just some of the products in my collection that I think are worth the seemingly obscene prices. Don't get me wrong - a lot of what I use is from the drugstore. Sometimes it's fun to splurge though. 

Do you think I've left anything off this list?
What do like splurging on?

xx
Elise