How to know if a beauty splurge is actually worth it (and a face cream that I think is worth the $$$)

We always hear about Hollywood starlets and how their skin looks so good because they bathe in expensive beauty creams.  (La Mer, anyone?)  Sometimes it's nice to tell ourselves it's all about the beauty cream because it makes us feel better about the hard truth: GENETICS.  But just because you weren't born a supermodel doesn't mean you can't splurge on the newest hair serum or facial oil.  The fact is that there is no miracle cream for cellulite if you're someone who doesn't exercise, or facial lotion that is going to make you look 20 years younger.  But there are plenty of products out there that are actually worth spending your money on because they use the best that science and Mother Nature have to offer.

So how do you know if a product is really worth the money?  

Tip #1: Read the label so you know what the ingredients are.  

One line that I think has really done their homework is AMOREPACIFIC.  Granted, not all of their products are as expensive as the one we're going to talk about today, but they're all pretty awesome because they're not packed with fillers (water, wax, etc).  Their products are all highly concentrated so a little goes a long way.  Most of the time when you read the back of a product label the #1 ingredient is water.  The first ingredient is the most highly concentrated ingredient, so that means that most of that product is made up of water.  Water should be free!  Come on people!       

But before I get off topic, let's talk about the product of the day: AMOREPACIFIC Future Response Age Defense Cream ($195).  This product has an impressive ingredient list, including green tea extracts, mango seed oil, Shea Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rice Bran Extract, and Ginger Root Extract.  What you won't see on the ingredient list?  Fillers like water, or harmful ingredients like sulfates, synthetic dyes, or Petrochemicals.

Tip #2: Test the product before you commit.  

I don't mean like wear it around the store while you shop for something else and then pull the trigger.  Go to the spa in Soho and get a facial using that product.  Go to a store like Sephora where they will make you a sample.  This is a really concentrated cream, so that little sample will last you a few days.  Or, my best advice yet, take advantage of the holiday season and try out a gift set. 

This set pictured above is a limited edition holiday set that goes for $195, but you get to test the cream along with 4 other products.  This set will last you quite a while so you can really get to know the product.  You'll know how your skin reacts to it on a day when it's cold out.  You'll know how your skin reacts to it when you're hormonal or stressed.  The 

only way to know these things is to give it a thorough test run.

    

Tip #3: Read the reviews. 

Obviously as a blogger I think that reading honest reviews is a great way to know if a product will be right for you.  If you consistently read a curly hair blog because the writer gives honest reviews about products that pertain to you, you know that you can trust that person's feedback.  So utilize all the bloggers out there that will do the test run for you.  Other favorites for me are Sephora reviews and Amazon.com reviews.  You clearly can't take every word to heart, because everyone's skin is different, but most of the reviewers give a brief description of what they were looking for vs. what they actually got.  I find these honest reviews helpful, and hey, they spent good money on the product, so listen to what they thought!

BTW, I should mention that our AMOREPACIFIC cream that we've been discussing has a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Sephora at the time that I wrote this. 

 

Tip #4: Don't beat yourself up for making a poor choice. 

Beauty is a multi-billion dollar a year industry and there is a lot of marketing out there that might sway your decisions.  You wouldn't get down on yourself for buying a $3 eyeliner that J.Lo allegedly wore, so don't freak out if you bought something that was more expensive and it didn't work out.  Beauty is all about self-expression and exploration, so have fun with it.  This cream might not work for everyone who is going to read this blog, nor do I expect it to.  My skin is on the dryer side, especially in the winter, and this product is super moisturizing.  I don't expect all of my oily-skin readers out there to run out and buy this product.  Let yourself have fun the next time you walk into a Sephora.  Have an artist do your makeup or apply a new skin mist, and walk out feeling like you look like Gisele.  Enjoy the process of discovering new products, both expensive and inexpensive. 

As always, feel free to ask me questions in the comments section or on my email, twitter, or facebook!