Joy Baccarat Pure Parfum retails for $1,800 and is the utmost in exclusive beauty products. Only 50 bottles are created each year, because the product requires 10,600 flowers for just one bottle. For two brief weeks each summer, the flowers are harvested as soon as they bloom in the Jean Patou flower fields of Grasse, France. How's that for giving "limited edition" a new meaning?
Photo 2/11
At Least It's TSA-Approved
When I'm forced to limit my beauty products to the mere three-ounce containers allowed in my carry-on bag, it feels like I might as well not pack anything. Thus, it's hard to imagine that one teeny, tiny ounce of Chanel Essential Revitalizing Concentrate can cost a whopping $425. Then again, the product does promise to make your skin baby-butt (our words, not Chanel's) smooth. Chanel uses their own exclusive purification technique to extract concentrate from the golden champa flower of the Himalayas, a flower used in many religious ceremonies.
Photo 3/11
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
At $100, Theodent 300 is the most expensive toothpaste in the world. Theodent contains Rennou, a blend of minerals and extracts naturally found in chocolate. And while you may think of chocolate and other sweets having adverse effect on your pearly white, Rennou is supposed to not only strengthen, but also stimulate the growth of new enamel. Sadly, it doesn't actually taste like chocolate.
Photo 4/11
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Marilyn Monroe may have been singing about the gems you wear around your neck, but beauty addicts may prefer H. Couture Beauty Mascara and Lipstick. One Las Vegas woman specifically requested the brand's smudge-proof mascara be made with an 18K gold case covered in 2,500 blue diamonds, and the lipstick packaged in 1,200 pink diamonds. The set totals $14 million and includes concierge service, lip and lash refills for life and 24/7-customer service. What customer service for $14 million worth of makeup entails we have yet to find out. When we win the lottery, though, we'll be sure to let you know.
Photo 5/11
Pampering Perfection
Some may treat themselves with a pampering facial at an exclusive destination spa, but others may prefer a luxury version of a DIY facial from the comfort of home. L. Raphael's Perfection Intensive Treatment, $958, contains 12 bottles of "skin rescue" treatment. Each day the user is to spread the contents of one bottle over their face and neck to revive cell renewal, restore fatty acid and balance the skin's moisture and texture. Well, the Swiss do know luxury.
Fellow beauty fiends know that our product "habit" can become a little expensive. Many times I have asked myself, "Do I really need to spend $60 on that night cream just because it promises to erase my every pore?" The answer is typically, "Yes, yes, I do." But even though I'll forgo a morning latte (or let's be real -- a week's worth of groceries), I draw the line at big-ticket items. These luxury beauty products are made up of the finest elements and ingredients on earth, and promise big returns. And although I don't quite have the budget for high-end makeup or luxury beauty products that cost as much as a car -- they are tempting. These high-end makeup brands and beauty brands contain diamonds, gold, even rare flowers from the ends of the earth. If I had money to burn, these would be the luxury beauty products I'd spend it on. A girl can dream.