The 17 Best Luxury Makeup Brands That Are Worth Every Penny, Tested & Reviewed
We don’t discriminate when it comes to shopping for makeup—so long as the formula performs, we’re happy to wear it, whether it’s a budget-friendly pick or something from a prestige brand. But when we’re feeling a little fancy, there’s nothing like breaking out a product from a luxury makeup brand to really lean into that vibe.
Luxury makeup products are made with premium ingredients, offer advanced benefits, and come in elegant packaging. Quite often, luxury makeup brands come from fashion houses like Chanel, Tom Ford, and Hermès. That’s not always the case—some luxury makeup brands are founded by celebrities or celebrity makeup artists, others are connected to high-end skin care brands, and some still are totally independent.
Not all luxury makeup brands are created equally, though. To help you save time (and prevent buyer’s remorse) we’ve spent weeks researching and testing formulas to find the crème de la crème. Keep reading for 17 luxury makeup brands that are worthy of the investment; plus, find some of our favorite products from each.
Armani Beauty is known for its celebrity fans, including Sydney Sweeney (who happens to be the latest face of My Way Parfum) and Tessa Thompson. And though we love so many of the brand’s products, the Luminous Silk Foundation is a cut above the rest. Sweeney and Maude Apatow are just two of the celebrities who swear by Luminous Silk Foundation, even when they’re managing breakouts.
The elegant formulas aren’t the only aspects of the brand that deserve hype, however. Giorgio Armani himself is passionate about making products that are beautiful and sustainable. The brand is focused on achieving carbon neutrality by 25 percent, and it’s well on its way with packaging that is recyclable (and in some cases refillable).
Best Sellers: Luminous Silk Foundation, Lip Maestro Velvet Liquid Lipstick, Lip Power Longwear Satin Lipstick｜Cruelty-Free: No
Editors, makeup artists, celebrities—you’d be hard-pressed to find someone in this category who hasn’t tried (and loved) YSL’s iconic Touch Éclat All-Over Brightening Pen. Kaia Gerber, Zoë Kravitz, and even Barbie Ferreira are among the brand’s fans. Beyond the cult-favorite concealer, YSL Beauty leads in innovations. For example: The Rouge Sur Mesure Custom Lip Color Creator allows you to create thousands of lip shades at the tap of a button, so you can always have a personalized lip color at your fingertips.
While a lot of designer brands don’t offer perks when shopping on their sites, YSL does. You can sign up for auto-replenishment, so you’ll get 10 percent off every order and free shipping on it, plus there’s a beauty rewards club you can join for exclusive access to new products and events. If you’re into engraving, the brand offers that too, including on lipsticks, mascaras, perfume—and yes, Touche Éclat.
Best Sellers: Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Pen, Lash Clash Extreme Volume Mascara｜Cruelty-Free: No