I love Caudalie's Beauty Elixir. I love it so passionately that I scammed my way onto the payroll of a beauty website so that I could tell a small portion of the world just how much. Everything about that tiny bottle of scented liquid drives my hormones ballistic—from the sweet, minty aroma, to the way the cool frosted glass feels against the skin on my fingers. One spritz and: ahhhhhhhhhh. Are you as turned on as I am right now?

Sorry, back on track. Beauty elixir is one of my absolute favorite beauty products, even though it is totally and completely useless. Skincare-wise, that is.

Perhaps you disagree—fine! Perhaps Caudalie's scented water is the only thing that calms your redness, or maybe the fragrance drew a lover to you, and the lover is me, and I love you very much. The appeal of Beauty Elixir is manifold, and for me it has absolutely nothing to do with the product's efficacy. I'm still going to buy it repeatedly and spritz myself before bed or on long car rides, because it makes me feel fabulous.

Even the most pragmatic minimalists among us all indulge in the occasional beauty product. Ayn Rand loved lipstick even though it has no inherent value or survival benefit—I feel the same way about Caudalie Beauty Elixir. What's your Ayn Rand's lipstick?

—Brennan Kilbane

Photo via ITG.

Answer more burning beauty questions in the Open Thread.