There are two distinct groups of makeup and cosmetic connoisseurs: those who believe beauty products to be a necessity and those who believe them to be a luxury. With the price of makeup and skincare products continuously soaring, you may be experiencing a bit of an identity crisis. In these cases, dramatic comparison is the best elixir for finding your sense of balance. A roundup of some of the most expensive—and we do mean expensive—beauty products on the market should soften the blow of your most recent splurge.
Allow us to set the tone: Not long ago, Guerlain manufactured a lipstick tube made of 18-karat gold and encrusted with rubies, emeralds, and almost 200 free diamonds (totaling a weight of 2.2 carats). It sold for $62,000. A few years back, you could buy a $14 million (yes, we said million) tube of mascara from the now-defunct cosmetics line H. Couture Beauty. The mascara inside the tube could hardly compare to our drugstore favorites. The tube itself—with 1000 Swarovski crystals, 2500 blue diamonds, and 18-karat gold tubing—was responsible for the price. To the credit of these products, both items would be refilled (free of charge) by the brand whenever you ran out. Nonetheless, there’s a reason neither one is available today. While the products in this list don’t inspire quite as much sticker shock, they are among the most expensive you can buy today.
Scroll through to see 12 of the most expensive products in the world.
Theodent 300 Clinical Strength Whitening Crystal Mint
Starting off our list at the measly $100 mark, we have toothpaste. That’s right, toothpaste. Many of us shell out a Benjamin for a high-powered serum or a luxe makeup brush set, but toothpaste is another story. This pricey paste is a blend of minerals and the brand’s proprietary ingredient Rennou, which contains theobromine, a fluoride alternative found in cocoa beans that strengthens tooth enamel. The classic variety costs $16 (still about quadruple the price of Crest), so why the massive price jump? Theodent 300 represents the “extra-strength” version of the proprietary formulation of nontoxic ingredients.
Decorté X Baccarat AQ Meliority Cream
If beauty products are going to take up precious real estate on your vanity, they might as well look the part, no? This limited edition iteration of the legendary AQ Meliority Intensive Regenerating Multi Cream comes housed in a unique Baccarat crystal-cut jar. The collaboration celebrates the 50th anniversary of Decorté and comes with two 100g refills of the brand's AQ Meliority Intensive Regenerating Multi Cream. And while the $5000 price tag may be exceptional, you may be thinking the spectacular jar's refillable nature softens the blow. Alas, the fine print clearly states refills are not sold separately. Considering purchasing a non-limited edition jar of the cream-to-serum formula? You can pick it up at select retailers for $1000.
La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation
All of La Prairie’s products find themselves in the luxury category, thanks to their unique, potent ingredients. This foundation-and-concealer duo promises to fight off environmental damage and plump fine lines, all while keeping your skin looking dewy and fresh. The secret is right in the name: caviar. It’s one of La Prairie’s longstanding anti-aging ingredients, which means it delivers skincare benefits, plus the coverage of makeup, for $280. At least you get foundation and concealer for that price, right?
Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Mask
Masks typically stay well under the $300 mark (and $200 and $100, for that matter) because you wash them off. How much change can you really make in 20 minutes of masking? Guerlain says a lot. Its Gold Orchid Technology promises to replenish skin’s energy and vitality while a soy protein extract is meant to firm and lift and mango seed butter is meant to hydrate and nourish. We’re guessing the chic packaging and dainty brush add to the product’s steep price tag. Consider it bathroom décor and skincare in one.
La Prairie Cellular Serum Platinum Rare Haute-Rejuvenation Elixir
Serums are probably the best beauty splurge because they have the power to make serious skin improvements. Would you pay over a grand for one packed with platinum, though? Colloidal platinum, a rare precious metal, helps maintain the skin’s electrical balance in order to preserve its youthful appearance. (Platinum: It’s not just for wedding rings.) The futuristic-looking serum also contains tensing agents, a brightening complex, and a blend of antioxidants designed to leave you with firmer, brighter skin, according to the brand.
RéVive Peau Magnifique Youth Recruit Intensive Neck & Décolletage Serum
We all know how important proper care is for the delicate skin on our neck and décolletage—and so does Révive. Its Peau Magnifique Youth Recruit Intensive Neck and Décolletage Serum promises dramatic, visible results in just four weeks. But it’ll cost you a pretty penny. For $1600, you’ll get four vials of the targeted treatment. Before you get too excited, thinking that means a four-year supply, we should explain it doesn’t. You use one per week for four consecutive weeks (meant to coincide with your skin’s natural renewal cycle, according to the brand), and the product promises to work firming skin and improving elasticity.
La Prairie Cellular Cream Platinum Rare
For the third (and final) time on this list, we have La Prairie—this time with the accompanying cream to the aforementioned Platinum Rare serum. At about $1090 per ounce, this luxurious, platinum-infused cream has been creating buzz for years. The jar—with that diamond-shaped lilac inset—is practically famous in and of itself (did you know it weighs more than a pound?). In addition to the DNA-protecting and cell-recharging platinum, the brand claims that this moisturizer contains exclusive “smart crystals” to boost the anti-aging properties and climate-activated hydration and deliver the perfect amount of moisture.
Orogold 24K Nano Night Recovery
If gold is more your speed, look no further than this “night recovery elixir.” It’s infused with 24-karat gold and essential oils, which deliver nutrients and hydration to the skin. Nano-gold (the key anti-aging ingredient) is said to be small enough to efficiently penetrate the deep layers of your skin, ensuring a younger-looking, tighter, more radiant complexion. At least this $1300 per 1.76-ounce product is only a weekly treatment.
Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Cure Face Treatment
Guerlain makes a second appearance on our list. This intensive, four-week treatment (found in the same Orchidée Impériale line as the mask in our #4 spot) is supposed to accelerate the renewal cycle of your skin to leave you with a visibly younger-looking complexion in 28 days, according to the brand. Much like the RéVive eye treatment, this product contains four vials, each of which is designed to address a different skin concern. Weeks one and two focus on stimulating and activating the regenerative process of your skin, which allows for better absorption of the Imperial Orchid Molecular Extract in weeks three and four. In the end, the brand says that the bioenergetic innovation should leave you with firmer, more radiant skin, and fewer fine lines and wrinkles. This treatment also comes with a twice-per-year recommendation (that’s a total of $6800 per year, in case you’re counting).
Roja Haute Luxe The Scent-Maker's Scent
No roundup of the “most expensive” would be complete without a little fragrance. This 100ml bottle of women's fragrance combines lush notes of jasmine and oakmoss with rose. Roja is a British perfume house that prides itself on creating unique fragrances that are both evocative of lingering memories and inspiring. The weighty crystal bottle is certainly handsome enough for display, and when spending $3500, you’re going to want to show it off.
Frederic Malle The Night by Dominic Rapion
If the name Frederic Malle sounds familiar, it's possibly because you've already heard the buzz around the brand's most iconic (and most popular fragrance), Portrait of a Lady. Perhaps you already thought the perfume house to be expensive, with Portrait of a Lady flaunting a $470 price tag. Au contraire. The Night, described by the brand to be master perfumer Dominic Rapion's "love letter to the Middle East," will cost you a very pretty four figures. The olfactory symphony of Turkish rose, Indian oud, saffron, and amber has a starting price of $1250.
Jean Patou Joy Pure Parfum
The flower that gives this perfume its unique scent only grows two weeks out of the year. During those two weeks, the blossoms are harvested from Jean Patou’s proprietary field. And here’s the real kicker: More than 10,600 blooms go into each and every bottle of Joy Baccarat Pure Parfum, according to the brand. The result is a floral bouquet of Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, tuberose, and Grasse jasmine worthy of its original destinctinon as "the costliest perfume in the world."
