When is a bottle of water not a bottle of water? When it’s a glittering, lacy, limited-edition Christian Lacroix Prêt-à-Porter Evian bottle of water.

Yes, the economy may be taking a nose-dive, but that likely meant little at New York’s recent Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, where excess will always spell success.

Evian, long the “official bottled water” for the Bryant Park runway shows, came out with the Lacroix collectible, part of their new line of designer-developed bottles. Decorated with glittering snowy crystals in a coppiced lace pattern, the bottle reminds us of the French Alps, the source of Evian springwater since 1826.

The Lacroix bottle will take its final bow this fall to make way for more high-end designer bottles. But you can still snag one for $14 or buy a case of 12 for $118.

Now that you’re drinking from that trendy bottle, how dare you freshen your face and set your makeup with that same old Evian Brumisateur (that’s French for “facial (more…)

Consider yourself au courant with all things stylish and beautiful? Here are a trio of new products headed to store shelves that you can tell your friends about before they see them. They could be impressed, or they could know that you have a subscription to WWD.com, like we do.

First, Maybelline, the ruling maker of mascara, is coming out with a new one in January called Lash Stiletto. The new mascara, which is shaped like a stiletto heel, is intended to lengthen lashes, give them a shine and (using a ”crisscross brush”) coat each and every lash. It will be a mere $8.95 and come in three shades.

(more…)

There are important events - four, to be specific - happening in the world of mascara. Not satisfied with the humble wand, three new products are out (or are on their way) that put a new spin on an old makeup favorite. One rotates, one oscillates and one vibrates. The fourth one doesn’t move but it’s very interesting.  The first on the scene was SpinLash, a $15 product found in drug stores or online. The bloggers at Beauty and Fashion Tech kind of liked it, saying it doesn’t spin as much as it slowly turns. It comes with its own mascara, or you can dip the wand into your favorite. Other beauty experts say it takes some getting used to, so can watch a video of it at BellaSugar and decide for yourself. However, SpinLash may need to step aside, because the big guns of beauty are bringing out their own moving mascaras. Estee Lauder launched the vibrating TurboLash ($30) a few weeks ago and it sold out fast. Lancome is right behind, with their $34 Oscillation Power Mascara that has 7,000 oscillations a minute! (It’s pictured, left, oscillating).  A few were made available, but they sold out and now they won’t hit Lancome’s Web site or Sephora.com until November. The ladies at Allure loved it, and comments from Lancome’s designer of mascara brushes (it’s true) can be found on Temptalia. The fourth mascara is from Givenchy. Called the Phenom’Eyes, it has a teeny round brush (pictured, right) that claims to separate each eyelash and grip lashes “at the roots.” It hits shelves this month and will cost $27. Opinions are mixed, but everyone agrees: Do not try to use these wiggling mascaras while driving.

When Two Fat Ladies aired on PBS and the Food Network from 1997 to 1999, it was an unusual, droll take on the cooking show. Jennifer Paterson (right) and Clarissa Dickson Wright (left), the portly women of the title, traveled around Britain in a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle and sidecar to prepare old-fashioned British meals for different sets of guests. The setting for each dinner was nearly as interesting as the food — Westminster Cathedral, an Irish convent and a safari park — and the ladies always made a point of collecting fresh ingredients from local farmers, fishermen, butchers and bakers. They often broke into song, glorified “streaky bacon” and cream, and joked about vegetarians. The series ended when Paterson died of lung cancer in 1999. All 24 episodes are now available on Two Fat Ladies: The Complete Series ($38), a two-disc DVD set that includes a tribute to Paterson. As for the recipes, they’re available in the cookbooks Cooking with the Two Fat Ladies (from $10.36, used and new on Amazon), The Two Fat Ladies Ride Again (from $2.50, used and new, on Amazon) and The Two Fat Ladies Full Throttle (used and new from $5.20). Jennifer Paterson’s Seasonal Receipts (used and new from $4.74) contains recipes from Paterson’s weekly column in the British Spectator. Whether you try their recipes for chicken and ginger soup, sugar-browned potatoes or chocolate crème brulée, you’re in for a treat.

I’m always a little wary when a handbag designer launches a “for Target” line, because no matter how adaptable-for-the-masses the styles might be, the necessity of using cheap materials to keep the costs on “Target” kind of spoils the package. Devi Kroll’s line was likable, but way too pleathery, and when “for Target” is emblazoned on Loeffler Randall’s handbags, the intent of finding something chic on the cheap is defeated. But the megastore has managed to pique my interest again with a promising line from Botkier. I’ve been stalking Botkier bags on eBay ever since my fashion-mag editor friend came home with a teal leather satchel two years ago. The strategically studded hardware and the delicately laced fringe are the perfect yin and yang, a winning combination of tough and chic. The flagship label’s fall 2008 collection showcases fluttery fringe, burnished metallics, and the signature Botkier hardware juxtaposed against buttery, rumpled leather, which I totally heart. Botkier’s incarnation of for-the-people couture (at a tenth of the couture price) actually manages to spark some style possibilities. The crackled patina of the gold hobo (pictured) blurs the line between real and PVC, and for $50, I don’t have to stalk it on eBay. A fuchsia bucket bag ($40) deftly approximates patent leather in a shape and style that’s a cookie-cutter version of some top-of-the-line models. The white python-patterned hobo ($40) may even prove to be a better alternative to leather - easier to clean or at least less painfully costly to replace than the real thing. That said, not all styles hit the mark: A too-plastic- looking black satchel falls short, and a shimmery-rose wristlet is nothing special. But with some careful editing (and removal of those Target-logo-shaped charms), Botkier’s new line could offer up some winners.

Did you know you can watch plenty of films instantly through your high-speed Internet connection without leaving your sofa? With a set-top box (as in TV set) similar to your cable box, you can choose from thousands of films with the click of a remote. The Roku Netflix Player ($100; pictured) is a one-time purchase for Netflix subscribers. Hook it up to any TV — whether it’s the newest HD model or one you’ve had for years — and you can select movies and TV episodes from your Netflix Instant Queue to watch right away in the comfort of your bedroom or living room or wherever there’s a TV and an internet connection. (You’ll still receive DVDs via post from Netflix, in accordance with your monthly subscription.) Vudu is a competing service for those with fast Internet connections (2.2 Mbps for instant viewing). The box costs $299, with a wireless kit for $50, and even though you do not have to have a subscription, you do have to pay rental or purchase fees for each program. With Apple TV (40 GB for $229, 160GB for $329), you can rent movies from the iTunes store and watch them instantly on your computer, iPod, iPhone, or television, but you must own a widescreen enhanced-definition or high-definition television with an HDMI, DVI, or component video input port. You also must have an iTunes Store account and a broadband Internet connection. Just think: No more driving to the rental store or dealing with heavily scratched movies that freeze up during the film’s high point.

Music lovers who were surprised to hear a new Peter Gabriel song during the credits to the film WALL-E likely wondered what the songwriter has been up to in the long gap between albums. Part of the answer has arrived in stores: Big Blue Ball was created at Gabriel’s Real World Studios over a number of years; Gabriel and the Waterboys’ Karl Wallinger recruited musicians from around the world for free-form creative parties. As Gabriel says, “There’d be a studio set up on the lawn, in the garage, in someone’s bedroom . . .” Almost 20 years later, those disparate efforts have produced an album. Ball arrives at a moment of rejuvenation for Gabriel’s Real World Records, which was once a leading purveyor of global music. Currently reissuing some of the records, the label is also promoting new projects such as one from LA’s Dengue Fever. More are promised for the fall. Of course, the international selection of record stores is far more diverse today than it was when Real World launched. From high-profile artists on well-established labels to megastar boosters, eccentric anthologies, ethnographic excursions and debuts of new talent, it’s a great time to hear music from beyond America’s borders. (Even fans of hip-hop aren’t left out.) Among my favorite labels at the moment is England’s Soundway, with collections of Nigerian rock and single-artist hits.

Japan’s Rare Mono Shop sells far-out, amusing and somewhat useful gadgets, most of them involving USB devices. I only know because the company is poised to open a U.S. store in August and the English language catalog is now online. I highly recommend a visit to browse products such as “bone conduction headphones,” which transfer sound through the cheekbone rather than into the ear. If you love the unintentional results of bad Japanese-to-English translations, there’s plenty to enjoy here. (“Outside sound can be heard as it does not close your ears!” reads the copy beside a male model demonstrating the headphones with ears uncovered.) The funniest mistake in translation I found was a $2,980 price tag for a combination USB hub/tape dispenser that looks to be worth $29.80 at best (or else our currency is in much worse shape than I thought). Actually, not many of the items are priced yet and the site warns visitors, “We do not accept return of the product due to misuse or misunderstanding of the product. If you have any concern, please wait until we introduce officially for international market.” That should be in August. I can hardly wait to learn more about the gold ingot USB hub, pictured, which looks like a real gold brick into which one can plug eight USB devices. Also of interest: the compact, portable USB AC charger, which powers USB-driven devices without a computer. Just plug it into an outlet and plug-in up to two devices. The Rare Mono Shop sells all sorts of gadgets to use with it, such as a USB eye warmer and USB aroma diffuser. You get the idea.