This Beauty Potion Could Bankrupt You

How does one review a face cream that costs $1,000? That's my (some would say enviable) task, as La Prairie has just unveiled a platinum-infused product that sells for exactly that much.

La Prairie claims Cellular Cream Platinum Rare uses nanoparticles of platinum metal to "maintain electrical balance of the epidermis" so that the "skin can function efficiently." Supposedly, that means all-day moisture, noticeable lift and firmness, and the most effective fight against age-inducing free radicals money can buy.

Platinum Rare users may notice a slight warming on the skin for about an hour after application. It's a gentle feeling, though I suppose the La Prairie clients who don't like it can always roll about on a pile of gold bullion to cool off. As for results, they're there, all right: Lighter than Lancôme's beloved Rénergie, more concentrated than almost anything you'll find at the drugstore, the Platinum Rare definitely brightens and delivers soft, exfoliating, enviable moisture within 24 hours of use.

But that's as far as I'll go. Sure, the stuff works, but whether any cream, infused with precious metals or not, performs well enough to command four figures—well, I'm punting on that one.