3.4 ounces of Evian water for $13.99

[slugline]

While waiting to meet someone, I was standing near a "beauty products" display at a store and I couldn't help but notice that they had misting bottles of Evian water for sale -- a two-pack for 13.99. Each bottle contained 1.7 ounces of mineral water that other people out there apparently use to "moisturize" themselves.

Naturally I couldn't stop myself from doing the math. The rate works out to $526.86/gallon . . . for water. The sheer genius of the packaging is that it uses compressed air as a propellant. If it was a pump sprayer, a consumer might be tempted to refill it with "cheaper" Evian mineral water from a grocery. But nope, this looks 100% disposable.

[GuitarStv]

That makes me sad on several levels.

[Papa Mustache]

The Amazon reviews are pretty humorous too - humorous in the that "Wall of Shame and Comedy" way. People talking about how great this water is sprayed on your face, armpits, etc when they could - as pointed out above - do the same with the 99 cent per gallon alternatives with a pump sprayer.

[partgypsy]

Yes it's not nearly as cool as this stuff
https://shop.goop.com/collections/2015-gift-guide/products/antioxidant-dew

[GuitarStv]

Do the dew.

[Papa Mustache]

So clue me in - are "essential oils" a real thing or are they only essential in the sense that someone must sell them to you at some higher than expected price? ;)

[GuitarStv]

They're essential in that they're the 'essence' of something.  Like you take some kind of herb or bark or something, boil the shit out of it and skim whatever oil comes off the top.

[Papa Mustache]

Thank you.

[gimp]

Spell "Evian" backwards.

[horsepoor]

Spell "Evian" backwards.

Love it!

This thread made me scurry over and take a pic of one of my very favorite t-shirts:

[Marus]

Spell "Evian" backwards.

Haha.  Now I can't help but think the Evian execs are playing a huge (and highly profitable) prank on their customers.

[Jschange]

the mist is really nice, it doesn't smear your makeup. If it's a hot day and you walk by a store sampling these, I suggest a little spritz. But even in my spendiest days I've always seen this as a ridiculous purchase.

I've seen more expensive versions of it. Probably from a more upmarket spring. In case your face reacts poorly to non artisanal spring water.  Evian is pretty affordable: http://m.sephora.com/face-mist-face-spray#params:{"sort":"price:1","filter":{}}

I do have water mists at home. Using tap water, repurposed bottles and whatever else took my fancy. Great for before I brush my hair year round, and every 5 seconds in summer.

[FIRE me]

Women almost always pay more for the feminized version of otherwise identical products.

http://consumerist.com/2015/12/23/study-shows-woman-pay-significantly-more-than-man-for-virtually-the-same-products/

http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dca/downloads/pdf/partners/Study-of-Gender-Pricing-in-NYC.pdf

[slugline]

I've seen the "pink tax" in action. But is there really a "marketed for men" version of this?

[Jschange]

I think there's one or two, but it is largely an item in luxury skin care: a unisex product marketed mainly to women.

I know that luxury cars and luxury gaming things are unisex, but I only see them marketed to men.

The pink tax is real, but it's most worrisome application is in everyday items