Battle for Youth

I popped in to a shop yesterday to get a sample of an Elizabeth Arden product that apparently does wonders for those of us in our mid-30s who are starting to notice the wrinkles more and more...

I used Clinique for years and was pretty happy with it. But I found as I hit 30 it no longer kept my skin as moisture-rich as needed, especially with the products I was using.

I've used the cheap and cheerful Tea Tree Oil stuff, I've dipped my fingers into the Olay pool, I've used whatever was lying around at the time, but it was time to try some of the high-end goodies. Just to see if they're as effective as they claim to be.

Well I know they work - my skin feels fantastic. But that may be offset by the snippet of info I picked up along with my samples. Namely, price.

You see, to invest in a tube of 3-in-one cleanser (and it is an investment), it would take R180. Which is reasonable as beauty treatment costs go - Clinique isn't too far behind. But the moisturizer.. sorry, "Serum" they gave me a few drops of... well that comes in at near TWO THOUSAND BUCKS a bottle! My few drops may well be worth near a hundred.

And here's where vanity vs practicality comes into play. Obviously I can't go plonking down two grand for something to smear on my face, even if it does last a year. But there are those who do - quite obviously, or Elizabeth wouldn't still be in business. So how far does one go to maintain a youthful glow? How much are you willing to fork out to keep age at bay - at least on the surface?

As much as I love how my skin feels this morning, I'm not sure I'm vain enough to hand over that much cash for a fountain of semi-youth. I'll just have to age gracefully on cheaper products instead.