My High-End Makeup Must-Haves

As much as we'd all love to have a collection full of high-end makeup goodies, most of our bank balances aren't going to stretch that far, but it is nice to treat ourselves to a little bit of luxury every now and again. Whilst I do love a lot of my high-end products, the high street has been producing a lot of good dupes recently, so I feel lots of them could easily be replaced at a fraction of the cost if need be. These products however, if my entire makeup collection was to ever disappear (god forbid!), are the five high-end products in my collection that I would save up to replace first.

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette I don't tend to buy many drugstore eyeshadows as, in my opinion, no one comes close to Urban Decay in terms of quality and, although the palettes are pretty pricey, the cost per shadow works out relatively affordable - that's how a justify it to myself anyway! I have many an Urban Decay palette stacked high on my chest of drawers but the one I reach for more often than not is the original Naked palette. It's got the perfect range of shades to go from a subtle daytime look to a more dark and smokey eye for a night out. The texture is so buttery smooth and easy to blend, as with all UD shadows. I would be lost without this palette and, out of the five items in this post, this is probably the one I'd have to make sure I got my hands on first.

2. MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle This is the most beautiful highlighter and is one a wear non stop despite having quite a sizeable collection. It's a gorgeous champagne colour which leaves a lovely sheen to the skin without being too glittery. I find the wear on this product to be quite long, which is something I've struggled to find with many highlighting products. A product I've already repurchased, and think I will be many times over!

3. MAC Lipsticks If my entire collection was to disappear, once I've finished quietly sobbing away to myself, I'd have to go and pick up a couple of MAC lipsticks. There's lots of great lipsticks on the high street but there's something about having that sleek MAC packaging in my collection that just draws me in. Plus, the smell is gorgeous! Although it's not the most season appropriate of shades, one I would have to make sure made it's way back into my collection is my all time favourite lipstick, Plumful. As the name suggests, it's a gorgeous plummy-purple shade and, due to the lustre finish of this lipstick, it's very buildable so it can be as bold, or not, as you like, which makes it a perfect day to night transition lipstick.

4. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation This is my go-to foundation for any special occasion. I'd love to be able to wear this foundation as my every day base but unfortunately, due to the price, I have to save it for those days when something a little extra special is required. That said, I'd always make sure it's there in my stash for when such occasions arise. Being someone with dull, dry skin, I'm a fan of the dewy look to give my skin a bit of life. This foundation blends in beautifully and leaves a slightly glowing finish, with a good lasting power. The only grumble I have with this product is that, although you can buy them separately, it doesn't come with a pump, so things can get a little messy if you're not careful.

5. Clinique Blushing Blush Powder in Iced Lotus This was actually a product I got in a Clinique Bonus Time pack but I'll definitely be purchasing the full size product when this runs out. Iced Lotus is purpley-pink shade with a hint of shimmer to it, and is my favourite shade discovery from the Clinique blush range. It's probably a shade more suited to winter, but I'm still wearing it now! Clinique blushes are nice and soft, well pigmented and long lasting.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your favourite high-end makeup products?