Today I have done a little experiment with my calculator  and surprised myself with the results. (No, I didn’t spell ‘BOOBS’ by typing 80085! I did that yesterday.) I’d like to show you the results of my price experiment and perhaps briefly talk about the ‘price per ml’ phenomenon that has slowly, over the course of the last year, become a slight obsession of mine. I’m going to be using the Sjal Mineral Kalla Energy Tonic as my involuntary case-study example.

Firstly, the review. Sjal say this about their skincare: “based on principles of ancient eastern medicines, using the purest eco-ingredients, integrated with the latest
western bio-technology, charged with essential precious minerals and gemstones, for the ultimate performance skincare.” It’s a luxury range of just a few (eight, I think) products, and this is the only product from the range that I’ve tried. It looks like water in a spray bottle (as do most spritzes) but apparently it’s a deep penetrating tonic that will tone the skin and protect it against pollution. It’s also supposed to ‘energise’ the skin and provide longer-lasting hydration.

Does it? Yes, I think that it does. I have been using this as a toner between cleansing and moisturising in the mornings, and a number of people (one of them my mum, granted) have commented on how radiant my skin looks. The ingredients list includes Ginseng Extract (seems to be a frequently listed ingredient in ‘energising’ products) and, interestingly, Gold and Silver. I have no idea how much Gold and Silver, but it’s definitely in there. As a toner, the tonic swept away any remnants of cleanser and made my skin feel nice and fresh before applying face cream. It was pretty soothing, even on the day that I had experienced the makeup artist from hottest hell’s fires who decided to apply her cosmetics using what felt like wire wool.

I haven’t gone on about toner that much on A Model Recommends because I’m a ‘take it or leave it’ kinda girl with toners – if there’s one about then I’ll use it to make my skin feel extra-clean and cool – but the Sjal Tonic was a pleasant addition to my skincare routine. The packaging is a bit plastic and clunky for £42, but – oh, sorry, had I not told you that bit? Yes! This Tonic is £42! Keep your hair on though, because this is where my price experiment comes in:

£42 sounds outrageous for a tonic/toner/spritz but I want to compare it, ml for ml, to a few other sprays, mists and tonics on the market. Here are the ones I use on a regular basis with their price-per-ml:

Avene Spray: 6.5p per ml

Institut Esthederm Cellular Water: 15p per ml

Paul & Joe Mist: 21p per ml

Sjal Energy Tonic: 23p per ml

Caudalie Elixir: 36p per ml

Sisley Floral Spray: 43p per ml

Energys Elixir: 52p per ml

Interesting, no? Not the most expensive – under half the price of the Energys spray, in fact! The Sjal is in a humungous 180ml bottle, and it’s definitely got a nice list of ingredients. I really do like it – it would possibly be better for sales if it was sold in a 100ml bottle for £23 rather than 180ml for £42, but Sjal doesn’t make any apologies with its pricing; it’s a premium, luxury brand and that is that. I found my ml-for-ml experiment quite exciting (hello?! Is anyone still reading? Anyone?) and I have been using it to compare quite a few bits and pieces recently. It can be especially enlightening when comparing moisturiser or eye cream prices; the difference between a 10ml and 15ml tube can make a whole world of difference. Say you had two eye creams, one was £28 and the other £20, you’d naturally consider the £20 to be a much better deal. But if the £20 was a 10ml and the £28 was a 15ml, the prices per ml are about the same. The £28 cream would actually work out to be slightly cheaper!

Right. I think that I have bored you enough with maths for today! If you’d like to try the Energy Tonic for yourself, it’s on Zuneta HERE – I’ll be keeping a look out for more surprising ‘price-per-ml’ examples for you in the future!