A series examining the outer edges of style.
What’s more fun than a standard tub of moisturizer? A giant tub. What’s cuter? Try an itty-bitty jar. The fringes of beauty sizing can look weird to an outsider, but there’s a degree of practicality to it. Buyers who want to try a new product can buy tiny vats of expensive creams with fewer regrets. Meanwhile, if you know you’re committed to a product, it makes a certain sense to buy it in a super-size tub. Below, the Cut explores five luxury beauty products available in radical sizes.
A 5-Pound Candle
What is it? A five-wick luxury candle from Diptyque that smells like its name: berries. Club Monaco burns a giant candle like this in its SoHo flagship store every day, from morning to night.
How big is it? About the size of a small garbage bin.
How much does it cost? $295
For comparison: It costs $5.76 per ounce and burns at $1.55 per hour. The standard-size Diptyque candle costs $14.17 per ounce and burns at $1.70 per hour, so technically, it’s a deal.
Who needs this thing? Club Monaco, obviously.
Micro Tom Ford
What is it? Tom Ford lipstick in “Leonardo,” from his Lips & Boys collection. The brand calls the miniature lipsticks “clutch-size.”
How tiny is it? About 30 percent smaller than a standard tube of lipstick.
How much does it cost? $36
For comparison: The smaller size is actually a better buy than the standard size. At 0.7 ounces, the clutch-size would amount to $514 per ounce, while the 1 ounce standard tube amounts to $540 per ounce.
Who needs this thing? Anyone pining for the cheapest Tom Ford beauty item.
Godzilla Sunscreen
What is it? A non-greasy sunscreen for face and body.
How big is it? It weighs slightly over a pound and stands as tall as a gallon of milk.
How much does it cost? $48
For comparison: The standard 2.4-ounce package would cost you $7.92 per ounce. This one amounts to $2.67 per ounce.
Who needs this thing? Everyone! Skin cancer isn’t sexy. It is also deadly.
A Pint-Size Makeup Sponge
What is it? An adorable sponge designed to blend makeup around your eyes and nose.
How tiny is it? A little bigger than a peanut M&M.
How much does it cost? $18 for two sponges.
For comparison: The full-size Beautyblender is $20.
Who needs this thing? Anyone who pays close attention to detail.
An Adult and Baby La Mer
What is it: The world’s most luxurious, most speculated-about moisturizer.
How big is the big one? The 16-ounce jar is slightly smaller than a coffee tin.
How small is the small one? Roughly the size of a racquetball.
How much do they cost? The half-ounce tub is $85, and the enormous luxury size costs $2,095.
For comparison: The smaller jar amounts to $170 per ounce, while the one-pound tub is $127 an ounce. It’s a marginally better deal, presuming you have two grand to spare.
Who needs this thing? Anyone who wants to brag about using La Mer.
Production Credits:
Photos by Corey Olsen
Produced by Biel Parklee
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