I'm thinking the answer is no. But not so fast—let's just say you've got money to burn. What could possibly justify the kind of price tag attached to Sisley's Supremÿa at Night (which is just launching now at Holt Renfrew)?

Well, first of all, let me say that Sisley makes EXCELLENT products. Always high quality and the owners get really involved right down to the smallest details. (They're also one of the few beauty companies that haven't been snapped up by one of the Grand Poobahs of the beauty biz, i.e. L'Oréal, Estée Lauder or P&amp;G... which probably explains a few things.)

So what makes this cream worth $850? Something called Phyto-Complex LC 12, which is supposed to be a "longevity complex." The complex contains four active botanicals that are supposed to extend the lifespan of skin cells. (Sound familiar? I just blogged about <a href="http://beautyeditor.ca/2009/09/02/next-big-skincare-thing-sirtuins/" target="_blank">the trend towards sirtuins in skincare</a>, and although I'm not completely certain this is what Sisley is talking about here, it seems to be along the same lines.)

The other compelling thing about this product is that it's supposed to feel like a cream, but acts as powerfully as a serum. Quick lesson on textures: serums, because they're thinner and lipid-based, can typically handle a higher percentage of active ingredients than can be added to creams. So Sisley has, apparently, managed some scientific feat with this one in order to get lots of actives infused within a cream texture.

What's a little disappointing to my geeky beauty brain is that the results were spectacular—but they were on lab cultures ("skin tissue explants"), not actual living, breathing, human females. In the lab, this product was able to double the life of the skin cells. Will it do that on your face? That's the <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">million dollar</span> $850 question.

Still, if this is anything like the rest of Sisley's skincare line, I have no doubt that it's amazing and WILL give you a firmer, smoother and more luminous look—even if your skin cells don't shave off half their age.

Available now at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.