Best High-End Skincare: 8 Luxury Beauty Brands and Their Hero Products

The luxury beauty brands worth your money each have one product people keep rebuying, and that's the one to try first. Our top pick for high end skincare is Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, a lightweight serum with peptides and hyaluronic acid that layers under any moisturizer and is made without synthetic fragrance.

Below are eight brands and their hero products: three serums, three creams and two eye creams, matched to skin type. Each is sold on Amazon by the brand itself or by Amazon. If you only buy one, buy it for the step you'll do twice a day, not the one that looks best on the shelf.

Quick picks

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum

Best for: your first luxury skincare product, if your skin is normal, dry or combination.

What we love

• A serum with peptides and hyaluronic acid that Estée Lauder says "locks in moisture" and leaves skin feeling firmer.
• Made without "synthetic fragrance, parabens, phthalates, sulfites, sulfates and mineral oil," per the brand.
• Four W Magazine editors used it for a few months. Jenna Wojciechowski called the texture "lightweight, soft," and Hannah Westbrook said her skin felt "hydrated in the morning without any stickiness or greasiness."
• It works morning and night, so one bottle covers both routines.

Keep in mind

• It has a scent, even without synthetic fragrance. One W editor, Oona Wally, said she didn't enjoy it.
• It's a serum, not a moisturizer. Dry skin still needs a cream on top.

Key ingredients: peptides, hyaluronic acid.

How to use: a few drops on clean skin, morning and night, before moisturizer. In the morning, follow with sunscreen.

Check price on Amazon

Augustinus Bader The Cream

Best for: normal to dry or mature skin, if you want one moisturizer that feels like a treat.

What we love

• Augustinus Bader says it's suited to "normal to dry skin, mature skin types, and colder, drier climates."
• Built on the brand's TFC8 blend of "natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins, and peptides."
• Fragrance-free and vegan, per the listing.
• Ama Kwarteng at Coveteur, who has combination skin "prone to dehydration," said it "absorbed quickly," left her skin looking plump, and was "absolutely worth the money."

Keep in mind

• It's the lighter of the brand's two face creams. Very dry skin may prefer The Rich Cream.
• It's one of the most expensive moisturizers you can buy. A drugstore cream with ceramides does the basic job of keeping skin moisturized.

Key ingredients: amino acids, vitamins, peptides (TFC8).

How to use: smooth over clean, dry skin on face, neck and chest, morning and evening. The brand suggests "upward sweeping motions."

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Lancôme Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum

Best for: all skin types, and anyone who likes the idea of refilling rather than rebuying.

What we love

• Hyaluronic acid to hydrate, vitamin CG (a water-soluble vitamin C) to brighten, beta-glucan, and licorice extract "to soothe redness," per Lancôme.
• Lancôme says it's for "dry, normal, oily, and combination skin types" and labels it non-comedogenic.
• The bottle is refillable, with a self-loading dropper that measures one dose for you.

Keep in mind

• It's a newer version of Génifique, and we didn't find an independent review of it yet.
• Lancôme calls it "dermatologist-tested," which isn't the same as suitable for every sensitive skin. Patch-test first.

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, vitamin CG, beta-glucan, licorice extract.

How to use: Lancôme says to apply it "morning and night after cleansing and toning, before your other face serums."

Check price on Amazon

TATCHA The Water Cream

Best for: oily and combination skin that feels greasy in rich creams.

What we love

• A light cream made for "hydrating oily skin," per Tatcha, with "all-day hydration."
• Japanese coix seed for smoother-looking texture and pores, multi-weight glycerin for hydration, and wild rose and heartleaf for visible redness, per the brand.
• In Tatcha's own self-assessment study of 40 people, all of them reported less oil after one week. That's a small, brand-run study, but it's the right claim for this skin type.

Keep in mind

• Probably too light on its own for dry skin in winter.
• We didn't find an independent review in our research.

Key ingredients: Japanese coix seed, multi-weight glycerin, wild rose, heartleaf.

How to use: a pea-sized amount over serum, morning and night. In the morning, sunscreen goes on top; our moisturizer or sunscreen first guide explains the order.

Check price on Amazon

ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream

Best for: a morning moisturizer that sits well under foundation.

What we love

• A "lightweight gel-cream texture" that ELEMIS says "absorbs quickly" and "leaves a silky-satin finish that is never greasy, making it an ideal makeup base."
• Made with a "Marine Algae trio" for long-wear hydration, per the brand.
• ELEMIS says it suits all skin types.

Keep in mind

• It has a "fresh-floral aromatic scent," per ELEMIS. Skip it if fragrance bothers your skin.
• The brand's bigger claims are about firming. Buy it as a good lightweight moisturizer, and expect that first.

Key ingredients: marine algae.

How to use: smooth over clean skin in the morning, then sunscreen, then makeup.

Check price on Amazon

Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream

Best for: sensitive or reactive skin that wants something soothing and fragrance free.

What we love

• Labelled "fragrance free," as well as paraben- and PEG-free, per the listing.
• Purslane and skullcap, which Dr. Barbara Sturm says "calm the skin," plus vitamin E, panthenol, squalane and shea butter.
• Dr. Barbara Sturm says to pat it into "the face, neck and delicate skin around the eyes," so it can stand in for a separate eye cream.

Keep in mind

• It's a simple, comforting cream rather than one with retinol or acids. Pair it with a serum if you want more.
• We didn't find an independent review in our research.

Key ingredients: purslane extract, skullcap, vitamin E, panthenol, squalane, shea butter, glycerin.

How to use: pat onto clean skin, morning and night.

Check price on Amazon

Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Contour Cream Supreme

Best for: a once-in-a-while splurge or a gift, if you'll actually do the massage routine.

What we love

• Made with Retinol ACE and lempuyang (an Indonesian ginger extract), per Clé de Peau's ingredient notes.
• Clé de Peau says it gives "24-hour moisture."
• The brand's instructions include a four-step eye massage. Gentle massage is part of what makes an eye cream feel worth the time.

Keep in mind

• It contains retinol. Start every other night, patch-test first, and wear sunscreen during the day.
• It's the most expensive product on this page by a lot. We didn't find an independent review.

Key ingredients: retinol, lempuyang extract, citrus unshiu peel extract.

How to use: a small amount around the eye area with a clean fingertip, then follow the brand's massage steps, working outward toward the temples.

Check price on Amazon

Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment

Best for: dry under-eyes, and a first step into prestige skincare that won't stretch your budget.

What we love

• Kiehl's calls it "a delicate eye cream suitable for tired, fatigued eyes."
• Avocado oil, beta-carotene and sodium PCA, "known for its moisture-binding capacity," plus caffeine, per the listing.
• Paraben- and silicone-free and "Ophthalmologist-Tested," per Kiehl's.

Keep in mind

• It's rich. On oily skin it can feel heavy; use a little.
• It's a moisturizing eye cream, not one with retinol or other actives.

Key ingredients: avocado oil, beta-carotene, sodium PCA, caffeine.

How to use: Kiehl's says to warm "a pea-sized amount" between your fingers, then gently apply around the eye area. Our under-eye puffiness guide has more on the morning routine.

Check price on Amazon

Is high end skincare worth it?

Sometimes. In our opinion, you pay for three things with high end skincare: textures that feel lovely to use, research and formulation, and packaging. All three can make you more likely to use a product every day, which is when skincare actually does anything.

What expensive skincare can't do is replace the basics. Sunscreen every morning and a moisturizer that suits your skin do more for how your skin looks over time than any single luxury jar. Our wrinkle prevention guide covers that.

Where we'd spend:

• A serum you'll use twice a day. It's the step with the most in it.
• A moisturizer, if the texture is what keeps you consistent. Augustinus Bader and Dr. Barbara Sturm are both fragrance free.

Where we'd save:

• Cleanser. It's on your face for a minute.
• Sunscreen. Pick the one you like wearing, at any price.

How to choose from the luxury beauty brands

Start with your skin type

• Dry or mature: Augustinus Bader The Cream, Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream, and Kiehl's Avocado Eye for under-eyes.
• Oily or combination: TATCHA The Water Cream, and a light serum like Lancôme Génifique.
• Sensitive: fragrance-free picks first, like Dr. Barbara Sturm and Augustinus Bader. Estée Lauder is free of synthetic fragrance.
• Wearing makeup daily: ELEMIS Pro-Collagen Marine Cream as the base.

Pick the step, then the brand

Decide whether you want a serum, a cream or an eye cream before you look at brands. One brand's hero product will usually suit you better than a whole luxury line.

Check for fragrance

Several luxury products are scented. ELEMIS lists a floral scent. If your skin reacts easily, stick to labels that say fragrance free.

Patch-test before you commit

Add one new product at a time

Give each new product a few weeks before adding another. If something irritates you, you'll know which one it was.

Comparison table

FAQs

What are the best luxury skincare brands?

The ones with a proven hero product. On this list: Estée Lauder for serum, Augustinus Bader and Dr. Barbara Sturm for moisturizer, Tatcha for oily skin, Lancôme for a refillable serum, and Clé de Peau and Kiehl's for eye cream.

Is expensive skincare better than drugstore?

Not always. Many drugstore products use the same key ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, peptides and retinol. Luxury formulas often win on texture and feel, which matters if it keeps you using them. Our anti-aging serum picks and night cream picks include budget-friendly options.

Which high end skincare product should I buy first?

A serum. It's the step with the most in it, and you'll use it twice a day. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair is our pick for most skin types; Lancôme Génifique if you'd like to refill rather than rebuy.

Can I use luxury skincare on sensitive skin?

Yes, if you pick fragrance-free formulas and patch-test first. Dr. Barbara Sturm and Augustinus Bader are labelled fragrance free. Introduce one new product at a time.

Is luxury skincare a good gift?

It's one of the best, because few people buy it for themselves. A single hero product, like a serum or eye cream, feels generous. For more ideas, see our beauty gifts for her.

Pick the one step you'll never skip, and spend there.