Beauty Buys: Best Luxury Products From 2013

The beauty industry is so extensive that it's hard to whittle it down to a few must-have items. With numerous new releases each week, choosing what to buy can be a difficult task. Luxury beauty products are much like designer shoes, they have a funny gooey effect on us and it somehow becomes essential to get that gorgeous gold embossed compact right now. We have looked at some of the products released this year and picked out the five products that actually work, give value for money, oh and...they are exceedingly pretty too. Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effect Faux Cils Baby Doll Mascara, €32.50 A gold case embossed with pink writing, this is the embodiment of a luxury product. The ultimate glamorous addition to your handbag, it's perfect for a Christmas present to a beauty obsessed friend or if you're in the mood for some self-gifting. This multifaceted brush alternates between wide bristles to magnify the lashes while fine bristles cater for even the thinnest of lashes. The result equals a false lash effect without any of the fiddly fingerwork. Essie Luxe Effects, €9.99 Although glitter isn't to everyone's taste, a little sparkle can be a welcome addition to your Christmas beauty routine. Nail gods Essie have just released a new range of polishes that are designed to be worn over your favourite nail colour. From subtle shimmer to full-on disco queen, there is something to suit everyone here. Another attraction of Essie products are the adorable names of the nail colours, the latest offerings include 'stroke of brillance' and 'a cut above'... how's a girl to resist! Kiehl's Skin Rescuer €35 This product is designed to the lessen the effects stress has on the skin, "rescuing" the skin from outwardly visible signs of stress. The brains behind Kiehl's skincare focused on three key areas with this product: reducing the release of stress signals, protecting the skin from future break-outs and calming the skin. Skin Rescuer works quickly and thoroughly, reducing redness while hydrating parched skin and Team Her can attest to this product's successful results. Yves Saint Laurent Youth Liberator Serum Foundation, €42 This foundation is designed to give you a radiant glow which means it might just come in handy over the Christmas season, when you've been out gallivanting three nights in a row. A luminous complexion with zero effort, now this is something we can get on board with. It is on the higher end of the price scale but the effect is worth the extra euros. Containing an all-important SPF 20 and antioxidant Vitamin E, it's not just a pretty face. Armani Eccentrico Star Palette, €65 New make-up palettes are released every season but every once in a while something truly special comes along. The Eccentrico Star palette is made up of four different shades of blusher which when swept together create a fresh sophisticated look. It can be difficult to achieve the right shade of blush, too red and you risk looking like a clown but too pink and it's a childlike look. Using a mixed blusher is advisable as it creates an understated look, rather than going overboard with a single block colour. MAC Divine Nights Collection If there's a collection more party perfect than this particular range, we have to see it. Packed full of suave sophisticated metallic and berry shades, this is the ideal way to update your make-up bag in time for the festive season. It's difficult to narrow down our favourites but we are quite taken with the Flair for Finery lipstick (€20.50), a chic nude pink. If you're a fan of the smoky eye, you are sure to lust after Gilded Night... a dreamy combination of gold and black mineralized eye shadow (€24).