Beauty De-LUXE
By Carolyn Brundage

Recessionista. Budgetista. Economista. Three of the brilliantly original names that have grown in popularity of late. And while being practical seems to be in favor, being pretentious can be much more fun.

So this week I rounded up the top luxury beauty brands, because while the best things in life may be free, the best things in beauty can cost a pretty penny.

Spring showers for skin

The 100 percent organic Night Rainew came packaged with some fairly unbelievable claims and an even more fantastic price tag ($129 for 1.7 ounces). According to aprilrainskinscience.com, 92 percent of women surveyed reported that their skin felt more hydrated within 10 minutes of using the product. And after 35 days of using it, 100 percent of the women surveyed felt their skin was softer and smoother looking. Stranger still, after one use, even I was impressed with the ultra-hydration found in the dew-drop shaped bottle of Night Rainew.

According to April Rain Skin Science, it's a proprietary blend of ingredients in Night Rainew, including HydroPeptide, plus Buddleja and Echinacea extracts, that quench the skin. The paraben- and phthalate-free product is dermatologist tested and appropriate for all skin types. Despite its steep price tag, this is one skin-saving product that may just be a bargain. April Rain Skin Science is sold at Healing Touch Skin Care in Land O'Lakes or online at aprilrainskinscience.com.

Smells like teen spirit

Or perhaps, tween spirit, because, let's face it, even with the eight years that Ageless Fantasy perfume promised to take off my age, I'm no teenager. But wanting to look, er, smell younger, I was intrigued by the science and sentiment behind Harvey Prince & Company's Ageless Fantasy.

Touted as "the world's first antiage perfume," Ageless Fantasy promises to defy "skin's natural age-revealing scent" making its wearers smell younger, thanks to grapefruit, mango, pomegranate, jasmine and musk, all of which - according to agelessfantasy.com - have been clinically proven to smell younger. Naturally, youth doesn't come cheaply at $120 for a 3.4-ounce bottle of eau de toilette.

While doing some field work (wearing the scent out to dinner with friends), a male co-worker commented that I smelled great. "Do I smell younger?" I demanded. He looked at me quizzically before elaborating: "I'd say fresh and clean." Which is arguably the polar opposite of how Grandma smelled.

A-list skin care

We may not walk down any red carpets this year, but A-list skin care is available to all … for a price, of course. Luxtural, a luxury skin care collection, counts among its ingredients Pacific Ocean Rainwater, collected without ever touching the ground. Luxtural also reportedly counts among its celebrity fans Angelina Jolie.