Darling, Delicate, and Expensive-Looking—These “Rich Grandma” Beauty Staples Double as Heirlooms

“It’s giving grandma—but, like, in the best way,” a fellow beauty editor muses at a recent event. We’re both swatching Les Filles en Rouje’s Face Palette, a gorgeous, six-pan tortoiseshell compact featuring ethereal, multitasking highlighters and blushes. I nod, instantly understanding what she means. Creamy, highly pigmented formulas aside, the compact itself just exudes elegance, like something you might have spotted on your grandmother’s vanity (and perhaps used a few sneaky times, just to feel like the chic lady she is).

Since the event, I’ve been casually compiling other beauty products I adore for their heirloom energy, beautifully packaged staples that not only put in the work but also look incredible on display. This list below has them all (and, no, they aren’t all investment pieces). Trust, each of these 16 pretty picks gives grandma—rich Upper East Side grandma who regularly lunches in pillbox hats and opera gloves and never leaves her sun-drenched apartment without fastening an antique-style brooch to the lapel of her coat. You feel me?