Do Decadent Caviar and Gold Facials Work?

In Southern California, where the rich and famous live and play, extravagance often abounds. So does the pressure to be beautiful. Combine the two, and what do you get? A facial, using caviar!

Yes, you heard right.

The posh Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills offers the fish-egg delicacy as both a $148 appetizer, and a beauty aid.

"The caviar facial is very popular for us year-round, but we do see a pick up in bookings around the red carpet season."

Caviar--rich in minerals and vitamins A, B and D--is said to leave the skin looking healthy and radiant.

"We get those people who say, are you actually going to open up a can of caviar on my face? There's a little more to it than that."

A 12-step process, to be exact, that will set you back $270.

And if that's not extravagant enough, head on over to Malibu. At veronica skin care and yoga center, owner veronica Barton-Schwartz pumps up luxury a notch with 24-karat gold.

"We get everybody from celebrities to first ladies to, uh politicians."

Veronica didn't believe in gold facials when she first heard about them, but then she saw the sparkling results.

"The 24-karat gold facial lifts and firms the skin, lightens and brightens the skin, it helps with fine lines and wrinkles and it gives the skin a translucent glow."

At least that's the claim. One thing's for sure, though. You get to take the gold with you. It's massaged right into the skin.

"Wow!"

The price tag for this golden treatment? $300.

A bit expensive, perhaps. But for some, the promise of a rich glow is priceless.

This entry last modified on: January 11, 2012 12:28 PM