No matter how elaborate the process, skincare rituals have always been a favourite throughout time. Since time immemorial, women have always indulged to get the best when it came to skin. Think about Cleopatra, whose beauty regimen included bathing in milk and honey, and even gold.And when sky is the limit when investing in a beauty product — imagine real gold and diamonds in your beauty products, to the rarest of rare ingredients — a plethora of options are available to pamper your skin. We list a few expensive products that could be a part of your beauty ritual, if you have the moolah.

Adore Cosmetics Golden Touch Facial Mask, $3,300
Never underestimate the power of true, pure gold. While, on one hand, you can flaunt the yellow metal, on the other hand, it can also make you feel like a million bucks when you treat your skin with it. Of course, it doesn’t come cheap, and throwing away a facemask containing real gold requires a heart of steel. The makers — Adore again — assure that the pure gold can “equalise electrical energy of skin in the most delicate areas of your face”. They’ve also thrown in lavender in the ingredients of the mask for good measures and to help fight the signs of ageing.

OROGOLD 24K Cleopatra Nano Regime, US $8000
If you have ready money, live life queen size. This cream is said to be a mix of Cleopatra’s beauty regime. As the name suggests it obviously contains 24K gold, but also has three other ingredients that diminish wrinkles and lines. A cream, serum and eight envelopes containing gold sheets are to be left on the skin for 20 minutes. This is said to provide high levels of hydration for the skin. With nutrients and essential oils, this night recovery cream will leave you radiantly glowing.

La Mer Crème de la Mer Moisturising Cream, $2,735
If you believe in magic, you have the power to even buy some for glowing skin. And Crème de la Mer is the right fit. Made with the copyrighted and “secret” Miracle Broth, this cream is said to moisturise and rejuvenate the driest of skin type. This product promises to improve the firmness of skin, it diminishes the line and wrinkles, making one look ageless. The price for a 16.5 oz. Jar is $1,900.

Azature Black Diamond Nail Polish, $250,000
Being Goth and loving all things black takes a lot of commitment. And if you’re rolling in the dough, then Azature’s Black Diamond Nail Polish is what you really need. Touted to be the world’s most expensive nail lacquer, a single bottle contains 267 carats of black diamonds. Make sure you don’t spill any, though, because for this sky-high price, you only get 0.5 oz (14 ml) of opulence.

Adore Cosmetics Oxygen Booster Treatment Kit, $3,265
Bringing skincare an “affordable” price, Adore believes that the key to youthful and fresh looking skin is to keep it oxygenated. This microdermabrasion kit comes with a peel treatment, an activator and a nourishing cream.

For the price it commands, the package comes in a beautiful beige box. The makers recommend using the treatment procedure about three times a week, so do keep a stock handy, because the delicately boxed creams could run out soon!