Happy Friday! Here at Adventures in Polishland I have always focused on living a fabulous and affordable life. However, there are a few products that I do save up for and splurge on because I think they are worth the money. I thought it would be fun to share with you the products that I tend to buy high end. Of course, I am always looking for affordable alternatives, but because these products work well for me, I don’t mind splurging on them. Let me go ahead and share with you the products I buy high end!
Dry Shampoo
I’ve tried what feels like a thousand dry shampoos from the drugstore, but I always come back to the Klorane Dry Shampoo, which unfortunately costs about $20 per can. This is the best dry shampoo I’ve ever used because it absorbs the oil and leaves my hair looking fresh and clean. Unlike other dry shampoos, it doesn’t add texture. It also brushes out well so that no white film is left in my brunette hair. I always buy this from Birchbox when there is a coupon code because I don’t like to go without it!
I’ve also tried a couple primers from the drugstore. While they’ve worked, they haven’t been as good as the high end primers I’ve used. My favorite primers are from Smashbox. The Photo Finish Light is oil free and great for sensitive skin or oily skin. I’m currently using the regular Photo Finish, and it’s great for combination or dry skin. I think it’s worth the price for sure!
BeautyBlender
I know, I’ve talked your ear off about the BeautyBlender, but it really is that good! Buying a sponge for $20 might seem ridiculous until you try it. The BeautyBlender is truly the best product for applying foundation and other cream products. It is worth the investment because it will last you a very long time so long as you wash it regularly. Trust me, you’ll love it! And don’t buy a cheap one – the ‘dupes’ are never as good.
Highlighter
My highlighter stash is composed of half high end products and half drugstore products, but I can definitely see a big difference in quality. I love my L’Oreal highlighters, but they tend to be a bit more glittery than I’d like. That’s why I think it’s great to invest in a few high end highlights. I absolutely love Cheeky from Ofra that is pictured here. It’s a bit more expensive than the drugstore, but lasts for such a long time.
Setting Spray
Last but not least is setting spray. This is the one product in this blog post that I’ve never tried from the drugstore! I purchased Urban Decay’s De-Slick for the first time about three or four years ago now, and I loved it so much I’ve never tried anything else! I did try Urban Decay’s All Nighter, but that’s the only other setting spray I’ve used. De-Slick is where it’s at for me!
All in all, while I love to bargain hunt and buy affordable products, it’s always nice to splurge on a high quality product every once in a while. I can’t justify buying mascara, blush, or other makeup products high end regularly because there are so many affordable options. That being said, I would love to know what products you buy high end, so please let me know in a comment!




Here is a look at the three tiny bottles in the trio. They come with a traditional doe foot applicator, which I don’t mind when it comes to liquid lip products. I love the black and gold accents on the caps as well.
I wanted to share with you a one coat swatch of each product on my arm because I wear 2-3 coats on my lips. From left to right is: Sugar, Heartthrob, and Dahlia. You can see that Sugar is the most pigmented and creamy, and Dahlia is the least pigmented. I’ll talk about each formula more in the individualized swatches below, but I do want to point out that although these are all from the same makeup line, the formulas vary a lot. There is no consistency here unfortunately.
The first shade in the trio is Sugar. This is the shade that I owned as a sample previously and really loved. It is a beautiful mauve pink that is a ‘my lips but better’ color for me. I applied two coats of Sugar and allowed the first layer to dry before adding a second. I love how opaque and pigmented this lip stain is. It feels nice on the lips, and I know I’ll be wearing it often!
Next up is Heartthrob, a bright red shade. I immediately noticed a difference in Heartthrob’s formula in comparison to Sugar. It is quite liquidy, and I found it really difficult to apply. As you can see from my swatch, clean-up was hard, too. Because these are lip stains, they stain the skin upon application. I’m not a fan of Heartthrob because if a lip product is hard for me to apply and makes a mess, it’s one I’m going to avoid!
Last but not least is Dahlia, a dark berry purple shade. I also had issues with Dahlia’s formula. It was very sheer and took about three coats before I got a full coverage look. It also applied very patchy – you know that creepy ring around the lips look? Yeah, I had a lot of trouble avoiding it! While the end result is quite pretty, I’d rather find a different product that is the same shade with a better formula.





























The last creme I received is Princess Grace, what Julep calls a Papaya color. Princess Grace is the biggest disappointment for me, because I love the shade, but the formula is too much trouble. Unlike Kelsey and Jules, which I could work with, Princess Grace’s formula is too tacky and thick. I had to redo my nails to get a clean look, and they still aren’t perfect. I’d stay away from this polish!




















