When it seems that the ingredients for pricey skin creams can’t get anymore expensive, there is only one thing to do, fancy up the outside. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of La Prairie, they are packaging their Skin Caviar Luxe Cream in special Swarovski-encrusted jars. There are 645 50 ml jars available for an astronomical $2,000 each (the plain version can generally be found for around $345). The jar will be available at cosmetic counters in November.

Giorgio Armani’s new skin care product Crema Nera was inspired by his summer holidays on the volcanic island of Pantelleria which is located between Sicily and Africa. The mineral rich skin cream was inspired by Pantelleria’s formations of obsidian. The glossy black stone, which has been used by many cultures to make arrowheads and knives, also contributes minerals to the soil which makes it more fertile. Crema Nera is enriched with the same minerals found in the obsidian and is said to stimulate cell metabolism to function at peak energy levels for optimal cell regeneration, resulting in plumper and firmer skin.The cream is designed to be suitable for all ages and skin types. The cream sells for $225.

[via The Times]

How much would you pay for a bottle of shampoo? How about $60 a bottle? The Alterna Ten hair care products are infused with expensive ingredients including African cacao extract, caviar, white truffle oil, Champagne grape seed oil, Bulgarian Evening Primrose, and Arabian Frankincense to rebalance and nourish hair. As you might expect, the brand boasts a long list of celebrity fans. Other products from Alterna include the Luxury line which is made with white truffle extract.

I love the fragrance floor plan on the Lafco website. It is set up like the floor plan of a home, click on a room and it takes you to the candle for that room. Examples include cilantro orange for the kitchen, chamomile lavender for the master bedroom and fresh-cut gardenia for the living room. The candles each in a glass holder, sell for $48 each.

>The Byronic figure shown at right is Kilian Hennessy, a former marketing executive at L’Oréal and heir to the Hennessy cognac family, who has created a new luxurious line of six eau de parfums known as L’Oeuvre Noire, the Black Masterpiece, by Kilian. The fragrances are done in black lacquer wood boxes line in black satin. The bottles include a black metal pottle cap and subltle engravings on the side. The six scents grouped in three pairs Love and Beyond Love, Liasons Dangereuses and Cruel Intentions, A Taste of Heaven and Straight to Heaven. Love is soft with notes of neroli, Sambac jasmine, rose and iris. Beyond Love is tuberose with animal notes. Liasons Dangereuses includes notes of Egyptian geranium and cinnamon. Cruel Intentions includes bergamot, rose, vetiver and styrax. A Taste of Heaven is inspired by Absinthe and includes orange blossom, amber, and patchouli. Straight to Heaven has a rum scent deepened with nutmeg, Brazilian rosewood and cedar. The scents with their exotic ingredients sound a bit like Tom Ford’s most recent offerings. The refillable bottle sells for $225. There is also a refillable fountain that resembles a cognac barrel that sells for $2500.

[via International Herald Tribune]

Gallery: By Kilian Perfume

The Byronic figure shown at right is Kilian Hennessy, a former marketing executive at L’Oréal and heir to the Hennessy cognac family, who has created a new luxurious line of six eau de parfums known as L’Oeuvre Noire, the Black Masterpiece, by Kilian. The fragrances are done in black lacquer wood boxes line in black satin. The bottles include a black metal pottle cap and subltle engravings on the side. The six scents grouped in three pairs Love and Beyond Love, Liasons Dangereuses and Cruel Intentions, A Taste of Heaven and Straight to Heaven. Love is soft with notes of neroli, Sambac jasmine, rose and iris. Beyond Love is tuberose with animal notes. Liasons Dangereuses includes notes of Egyptian geranium and cinnamon. Cruel Intentions includes bergamot, rose, vetiver and styrax. A Taste of Heaven is inspired by Absinthe and includes orange blossom, amber, and patchouli. Straight to Heaven has a rum scent deepened with nutmeg, Brazilian rosewood and cedar. The scents with their exotic ingredients sound a bit like Tom Ford’s most recent offerings. The refillable bottle sells for $225. There is also a refillable fountain that resembles a cognac barrel that sells for $2500.

[via International Herald Tribune]

Gallery: By Kilian Perfume