This week, we were grossed out by a story that appeared on Glamour.com about used makeup – including lipstick, foundation and brushes – that is up for sale on eBay, with plenty of bids coming in.
We thought the idea of buying makeup that a complete stranger has used was absolutely disgusting, particularly used lipstick and mascaras, but a little digging around the Internet revealed that scoring used makeup online is actually pretty common and has been going on for years now.
Ever heard of mass market razor blades for leg and face shaving that feature diamond-encrusted edges?
We haven’t either, but a German company called GFD, founded by a man named Andre Flöter, has been selling synthetic diamond-coated razor blades for the last seven years. Up until now, GFD only sold the blades for industrial uses such as in medical scalpels and tools that cut plastic sheeting. That’s about to change, as Flöter plans to mine his way onto drugstore shelves.
The Snuggie is one of those odd products that end up proving surprisingly popular with consumers, but its new successor, the Snazzy Napper (dubbed the “snazzy way to sleep while you travel”), looks like it may fall short of becoming a best-seller.
If you thought the $3,000 price tag on T-shirts that popped up in Valentino’s Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles boutique this summer was ridiculous, get this: Hermès now offers a children’s coloring book going for $130. Hermès’ collection of pricey kid toys does not stop there, though.
Last week, the luxury fragrance house sent five perfumed taxi cabs out into central London to serve patrons the same way any other London black taxi would with a few exceptions. Each cab smells like either the brand’s Artemisia, Blenheim Bouquet, Endymion, Malabah or Orange Blossom perfume, and each one’s driver is specially trained to discuss Penhaligon’s fragrances and answer any questions about the brand. And Penhaligon’s is not the first company to embrace the taxi as a marketing tool.
If you were living anywhere but under a rock during Janet Jackson’s infamous Superbowl incident, you know Pasties are strange, but a man from Las Vegas named Michael Luongo believes he found a practical use for them – hiding private body parts from the TSA scanners that U.S. and international airports are rapidly acquiring.
First it was pastel streaks that brought back memories of My Little Pony. Now, pop stars seem to be going full circle to bright, vibrant Manic Panic hues. Rihanna debuted a bright red bowl cut at a concert in Brazil, while buddy Katy Perry walked the MTV Movie Awards carpet with a royal blue Betty Page style.
If you’ve ever seen Mean Girls, you’ll remember the scene in which holes are cut into Rachel McAdams’s top, exposing her bra. Well, the guests at June 1st’s MOMA event might have thought that Christina Ricci fell prey to a similar prank.
Rather than exposing the tops of the breasts in the traditional manner, the dress’s strategically placed collar left the under side of Ricci’s breast exposed. That quirky feature was enough to get every fashion blogger discussing the trend implications of underboob.
Appearing in the window of the Valentino boutique on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles last week was a red T-shirt adorned with a strip of lace at the neck, a bouquet of embroidered silk roses and a $790 price tag.
Who would buy these T-shirts? Perhaps the same lady who has a place in her closet for the holey $1625 Balmain t-shirt, but are $1000+ t-shirts (easily replicated by DIYers at that) really an effective strategy for expanding a brand?

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