I spent $1,000+ on beauty products in 2024 — here are the most effective I tried

There's an entire World Wide Web of vitamin C-serum-heads debating individual products' pH levels and the inferiority of C derivatives such as sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) over the gold-standard L-ascorbic acid. However, once you get DEEP in wonky skin-care Reddit, you find the consensus: For an affordable, high-quality vitamin C serum, the closest to Skinceuticals is this one by Timeless. 

The serum is lightweight, absorbs quickly, is less sticky than C-Firma and contains the right percentage of the main ingredient, combined with vitamin E and ferulic acid. Timeless's version boasts more than 6,000 exuberant five-star reviews on Amazon, all repeating something along the lines of this one: "OMG! Someone finally did vitamin C right, and they’re not charging 100s of $$ per ounce!"

CosRx has helped popularize snail mucin as a coveted skin care ingredient, but its sleeper-hit Hyaluronic Acid Moisturizing Cream is equally as good. A favorite among the K-beauty crowd, this face cream packs and seals moisture into dry, dehydrated skin without pilling or leaving behind the kind of tacky-stickiness I despise.  

I love it for its texture (creamy, but lightweight), its fast-absorbing formula and, especially, its high-quality antioxidant ingredients. In addition to hyaluronic acid, the rich cream contains vitamin tree water (also known as sea buckthorn), which is filled with vitamins, amino acids and fatty acids that help strengthen the skin barrier and increase hydration even more. The midrange price is the cherry on top.

I've tried literally dozens of products to reduce the appearance of my enlarged pores and eradicate my copious nose blackheads, and this is by far the most effective. Just a few drops of the watery formula shrunk the dime-size pores on my upper cheeks within one week. It's easy to use and non-irritating and actually, unbelievably works to gently clear out skin grime.

More than 77,000 five-star Amazon reviewers agree and have made it a No. 1 bestseller.

I've been re-testing eye creams to update our best eye creams list, and I have to say, I'm newly impressed with this version from Peter Thomas Roth. After three weeks of regular use, it minimized the fine lines under my eyes and had an immediate impact on my under-eye puffiness. 

No skin-care product will ever perform miracles, of course, but this eye cream helps smooth surface texture (the dreaded crepiness!) on upper lids while improving the appearance of bags underneath. And at this moderate price (not a total bargain, but still not luxury), it's an all-around win.

It's hard to find a better quality eye serum than this vitamin C version from Paula's Choice (it's clinically formulated to brighten under-eye discoloration while smoothing and firming the delicate skin in this area). The texture is lightweight, supple and extra-emollient and, while it doesn't contain retinol, for the ideal mix of antioxidants and actives, this is a cream I'd use in tandem with one that does.  

In midlife, I've developed blackheads on my nose that seem worse than when I was 16. But these truly revolutionary patches help solve the problem fast. You just carefully apply the soft, wide strips across your nostrils and the bridge of your nose, shuffle off to bed and let them do the hard work of clearing your pores while you sleep. In the morning, you'll be astonished when you see all the grime that was trapped inside.

"Amazing" and "miraculous" are common themes among five-star reviewers.

One happy reviewer said, "I was amazed! It was slightly annoying to have on at night, but when I woke up, all of those problem blackheads on my nose were either gone or loosened up. ... The patch is easy to remove and doesn't hurt at all, like some of the other nose strips. I'm so impressed!"

Another reviewer called these "Seriously an unexpected miracle. ... Pore strips have always pulled a few [blackheads] out, but mostly just left a white film behind. I applied this clear plastic patch and went to sleep. [In the morning] I could see that about 75% of my blackheads/sebum were gone."

Sunday Riley's Good Genes is one of the most effective beauty products I've ever tried for turning over dead skin cells and leaving behind an overall skin glow. Honestly, I like this skin rejuvenating serum so much, if I had to pick one desert-island beauty product (aside from sunscreen), it would be this. The lactic-acid treatment gently yet effectively exfoliates dull surface skin, giving even the dullest, dreariest complexion a healthy, vibrant glow.

It also smooths and plumps rough texture and clarifies an uneven tone. My skin never looks better than when I use this every night and, while this price isn't cheap, a little goes a long way.

I haven't tried chemical lash serums due to my ultra-sensitive eyes, but I've tested a number of brow-growth products and this one from Neubrow is, by far, my favorite. Within weeks of use, I sprouted seriously robust arches, the kind of Brooke-Shields-level eyebrows that harkened back to what I had as a (pre-90s waxing!) teen.

This is the product I'd recommend to anyone with scant or thinning brows — it's a breeze to use (just a swipe in the morning and another at night) and is non-irritating to most skin types. As a beauty editor, I find so few products meet my insanely high expectations, but this one truly works. It's so stellar I've re-upped several times. It's admittedly not inexpensive, but if you feel self-conscious about your balding brows, is worth every penny.

At age 50, I started developing a bit of hyperpigmentation on my face and redness around my nose and chin, which means I now look better in makeup than I do without. Still, I despise foundation. It always feels too thick and too "done" for my everyday life, like I'm cosplaying (Kosplaying?) as a Kardashian at school pickup. But once I came across this excellent tinted moisturizer (with bonus SPF!), I knew I'd finally found the complexion-smoothing solution this no-makeup makeup girl will actually use.

If you're searching for a light coverage foundation that will leave your skin dewy and noticeably luminescent like you got the best sleep of your life; with the kind of glow that suggests you actually drink all the water you plan on drinking and chase it down with a green juice, then Ilia's Skin Tint is for you. As a moisturizer-makeup-sunscreen hybrid, it's made for lazy people. It also comes in 26 shades and contains skin-fortifying ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide so you're treating your face while protecting it.  

This product hits the retinol serum sweet spot: At 1.5% concentration, it's just potent enough to really work, while not so strong that your face will start molting within the first week of use. Plus it's made with eight-hour slow-release microencapsulated retinol, which tends to be less irritating. Moreover, it's brimming with skin brighteners like vitamin C and healing emollients vitamin E and squalane, which help keep your face hydrated while soothing redness. 

The texture of this serum is particularly standout: It's silky and smooth, as opposed to tacky and viscous. When I used this product last year for three months, I saw an almost immediate skin-tightening effect. Over the weeks, there was more clarity in my skin tone and the lines in my forehead appeared less deep. 

It's difficult to choose a retinol serum that will work "best" for all skin types, but with its high-quality ingredients and thoughtful formulation, this one comes closest to being a one-size-fits-most skin-care star. 

L'Oreal's Magic Root Cover Up is the gold standard of temporary silver hair concealers and for good reason: It's available in nine shades, as opposed to the three that many brands offer and, once applied, it quickly and effectively conceals gray roots until your next shampoo. It's a super popular product, with tens of thousands of five-star Amazon reviews and even has celebs like Eva Longoria singing its quick-fix gray-covering praises. 

"Great product!" one five-star reviewer wrote. "Always a saver. When I can’t get to the salon to get my hair done this saved me so much, even when I didn’t go for like a month or two longer than I should’ve gone. You can always depend on this. And it really matches well with my hair. No one could really tell."

"I got this to spray on the dreadful grays that show up in the part on the top of my head," another reviewer explained. "I hate paying the high prices at the salons, so I use this to hide the grays and extend the time between visits."

Some fans consider it a beauty lifesaver, calling it "a staple I can't live without."

For a quick-fix problem solver and a product that actually works and works well — especially for $10 — the pros here far outweigh the cons.

Dream Coat is an award-winning anti-frizz treatment that works at the cuticle layer of hair, rendering it humidity proof. It's the ideal product for taming both frizz and more wiry gray hair and roots. After applying Dream Coat for the first time and blowing my hair out, it looked silky and shiny without feeling at all crunchy or weighed down.

But my favorite part of this product is how it lasts — the treatment stuck around through four shampoos. I was able to air dry my hair without putting in any additional product and it remained entirely frizz-free. Though you can totally use other styling products with Dream Coat, I found I didn't need to.

I try hundreds of products a year and it's rare that I enjoy one this much. My only regret with Dream Coat is not testing it sooner — it's excellent for fine, thin, mature hair and I've found few products better for taming frizz without a tedious amount of drying and ironing. If I had to find a complaint, I'd say that it's not the most budget friendly. I've already gone through my initial $12, 1.7 ounce travel size and — since Dream Coat is now in my regular product rotation — I'm already burning through my $28, 6.7 ounce bottle.

I picked up this stellar hair dryer on a whim during Prime Day this year, and I have to say, I've been nothing but impressed since. It's lightweight and easy to use with five heat settings, three speeds and works with ion-generated energy, which dries my hair stunningly fast. There's also a handy button for a "cool shot" at the end, which further helps tame frizz.

In addition to the top-rated dryer, this set includes a high-quality, detangling paddle brush that works for all hair types and a 2.5-inch round brush for professional-grade styling.

This repairing mask is, by far, not only the best leave-in conditioner I've tried but also among the best hair products I've ever come across. The formulation contains a patented peptide that works at the innermost layer of the hair (the cortex) and is clinically proven to repair damage from bleach, color, chemical services and heat — all in just four minutes. 

My experience with this mask is that it has made my hair silkier and shinier than it's been since my high school yearbook portrait. I wish it wasn't close to $30, but I also felt like the quality was worth it.

After testing dozens of dry shampoos, I finally found my dream middle-aged hair product from the Nicole Kidman-approved hair-care brand Vegamour, a product so good it does triple duty: absorbs excess oil, texturizes hair and promotes growth. Best of all, it made my hair look instantly thicker. While the regular size can be a bit pricey ($36), this travel size is the perfect entry point — it's affordable, compact and a little goes a long way.  

Read my complete Vegamour Gro Dry Shampoo review. 

If I could purchase only one thickening hairspray for the rest of my days, it would be this truly fantastic product from beloved hair care line Living Proof. The lightweight, gorgeous-smelling spritz manages to thicken my fine strands without making my hair feel at all crunchy or weighed down. 

It's one of the few hair care products I travel with — the dry formula also extends shampoo time by days

My issue with many drugstore mascaras is they can be too harsh for my sensitive eyes, or irritating on the days I wear my contact lenses. But Lash Sensational is both ophthalmologist and allergy tested, making it suitable for even eye wimps like me.

It also lengthens and thickens without being a globby hassle to apply, and the dark onyx tints lashes on the first swipe out of the tube without the need to apply several coats to achieve the desired results.

Last, in addition to having this beauty editor's vote, more than 75,000 reviewers rave about Lash Sensational on Amazon, all stating something along the lines of this shopper's review: "10/10 would recommend, I've ordered this six times now ... it's the best mascara I've ever used." Truly, it's that good. 

This gel formula serum and concealer goes on sheer and natural looking and the finish is satiny-smooth. It's buildable — layer more on days when you need heavier coverage. It's compact, comes in a dozen shades and is (perhaps best of all) affordable. Full disclosure: The formula did settle into at least one or two of my fine lines, but I easily blurred it back out with a sponge or a brush.  

Even if you don't think of yourself as a "lipstick person," the ultra-popular, 90s-chic (Drew Barrymore fave!) Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey will change your mind. Its creamy, universally flattering formula is made from a blend of blue, red and yellow pigments, so it works for any and all skin tones. It's particularly good for drier, more mature lips like mine, as it glides on like a balm and has none of the waxy feel of some lipsticks. The shade looks dark in the tube but, once on, works like a customized tint, lightly staining the lips a natural-looking berry hue that's just a hint or two above bare. 

This lipstick has been around for decades, but after re-trying it this year, I can't believe I went so long without adding it back into my makeup arsenal. I've been wearing it casually to lunches and meetings at my kid's school. As the name suggests, Almost Lipstick makes you look pulled together but not too "done." It's my new favorite everyday lip color and a clear winner for winter. 

I've owned the same version of this highly compact brow treatment (technically a gel-pomade) for so long the label has worn off. It still works immaculately and effectively, leaving behind just enough product to temporarily tint and thicken my brows while also holding them in place in a non-stiff, natural-looking way. The formula itself is rich but not at all gloopy; it's both ophthalmologist- and dermatologist-tested, made with beeswax and other natural ingredients and comes in a skin-tone-inclusive five different shades. Since its launch in 2018, Boy Brow has been the go-to brow gel for celebrities and normies alike (in 2020, Glossier claimed the waiting list for the sold-out, bestselling product was 10,000 eager-fans deep) and it remains the simplest and best brow thickener I've tried. 

My stars did I ever fall in love with the all-natural bronzing powers of this wonder stick by organic beauty brand Ogee. It goes on clean and is completely naturally-looking while still lending a sun-kissed glow. It's also creamy and hydrating, which makes it ideal for drier, mature skin. Best of all, the ingredients are top-notch, including coffee oil to stimulate collagen, tree resin to refine the appearance of pores and tapioca powder to both smooth rough texture and even absorb excess oils. This is a wonder product, among the best I've tried.

If price were no object, I would buy everything offered from Ogee, including the entire contour-stick kit and the brand's lush, beautifully pigmented lip oils, which would make a luxurious gift.