Norma + Jeans (make a Marilyn out of me)

Hell froze over. Or close enough: I am actually going to step into a WalMart this week. Who knew that the place to stock up on TP, garden gloves and sensible briefs would attract a fashion following with a nothing-over-$20 line from Norma Kamali? It's like Joe the Plumber showing up in a Vanity Fair Young Hollywood issue.

Here's what's on offer: sassy, stretchy jersey separates in red, black, and leopard print. Cute patent satchels, clutches, and belts.  Iffy-looking "crop-length jog pants" and tunic sweatshirts. Organic cotton graphic tees (yay for the OC, boo for the uninspired graphics). In other words, it's a mixed bag, but one that also contains a pantsuit with jacket for under $40. 

With just a few days to go before election day, I'm voting for the jersey wrap dress and shirtdress -- easy on, easy off, and (next to diamonds, natch) a bouncy wrap dress is a girl's best friend. Just keep away from the subway grates....

To Zirh With Love

Oh there's nothing sexier than a guy fresh from the shower. Zirh's new Warrior collection of shower gels was inspired by strong sexy rulers from centuries past like Alexander the Great one of our favorite ancient Greek kings. (okay, the only ancient Greek king we actually know anything about.) Your guy can learn some world history by reading the bottle. As far as the fragrances go, we've been swooning for Charlemagne - the scent not the ruler of the Franks. This fresh, icy scent conjures up memories of our own ancient past. $22.50 at Zirh.com

Kiss this xxx
(visit www.airkisses.com for contests, updates and announcements)

Flutter, flutter...

Hi, I'm Melissa, and I'm a mascara junkie. ("Hi, Melissa!")

Seriously. I've worked my way through department store beauty counters -- I stock up during the free gift with purchase weeks, because I'm also a sucker for makeup freebies. And since mascara is my product without which I refuse to step outside, it makes sense to keep a stash in my bathroom cabinet. And purse. And travel bag. You get the idea. (Hey -- I can stop any time I want, you know.)

So you can imagine the be-still-my-beating-heart moment that happened when I saw this fine, fine promotion. Ten mascaras for $35! It's the best of Sephora, too -- minis of Smashbox, Tarte, Two-Faced, Urban Decay, Cargo, and more. A great way to sample stuff you've never tried. 

And don't blame me if you get hooked.

Glad Hands

A lot of people are going to be shaking a lot of hands over the next few months.

Between job interviews or holiday parties, your mitts are going to go through quite a workout. Prescriptives Intensive Rebuilding Hand Treatment lasts through multiple hand washings and works to combat crepiness, age spots and discolorations. $38.00 at Macys.

Kiss this xxx
(visit www.airkisses.com for contests, updates and announcements)

New York [Car Crash] Couture

While we may have perfected the art of snark amongst our nearest and dearest, we generally try to remain kind in all things editorial.

If something makes us break out or barf, we'll generally avoid mentioning it. That said, so mesmerized were we by the cringe-osity of New York Couture, that we couldn't help but comment.

Picture the tackiest of American Apparel crossed with the parts of the '80s that we'd most like to forget. Sprinkle in a liberal dose of tranny hooker chic, with a whiff of Carrie Bradshaw at her Patricia Fields worst and you're scratching the surface of this genuinely awful 'fashion' line.

We weren't exactly surprised to find out that Designer Cassie K. was a self-proclaimed "freak in high-school," or that she has no formal fashion training. It isn't that we don't get her scary need to seem shocking or even interesting, we just can't help but wonder how much money was invested in bringing this line to life (to laugh?). Styling, makeup and hair don't help much either.

Call us old fashioned, but we prefer fashion that flatters or at the very least makes a statement in a good or shocking way, not one that looks most appropriate on Halloween.

Kiss this xxx
(visit www.airkisses.com for contests, updates and announcements)

Rise and shine (or at least pretend)

Confession: I just joined a fitness bootcamp. With 20 lbs to lose after having my second baby, and the holidays looming ahead, it seemed necessary. The exercise is hard enough, but since my darling, sweet baby still is not sleeping through the night after 8 months, getting up at 5 is torture. Frankly, my beauty routine is less about looking fabulous and more about not looking like an extra in Dawn of the Dead.

I rely on Face Stockholm's Magic Wand to banish my under-eye circles. But check out what could be my new secret weapon: Laura Mercier's Eye Basics. They're sheer primers with a little color to brighten up your eyes. You can use as is or intensify the color with shadow. I'm all excited about Eyebright (shown), a pale blue shade that melts into your skin and makes your eyes brighter by comparison. 

I may be doing pushups, but I'll be pretty doin' it!

Scarier than the economy

Pulling your hair out wondering what's next for your 401k?
Stop and step away from the stock ticker now. Your stocks may be going down faster than your high school best friend, but given enough time it'll all bounce back up again.

To distract ourselves during all of the madness we choose not to focus on the frighteningly awful guitar playing of our inconsiderate new neighbor, but instead to jump in fright at 31 of Moviefone's Scariest Movie Moments ever (and no, the collective facial surgery of the cast of The Women does not count in this fright fest). We're also incredibly relieved not to be the only people who've seen Jacob's Ladder starring a young and dishy Tim Robbins.

So scream a little and laugh a lot, because for now- that's all we've got!

Kiss this xxx
(visit www.airkisses.com for contests, updates and announcements)

Give Us Strength

We're resisting another post about the state of our stocks (and stockings) and will instead focus on the bold, the beautiful, the muy coolio new product from B Kamins. The new Bio Maple Eyelash Fortifier is best used overnight and made for fragile thinning lashes, but can be used on overplucked brows as well.

This powerful (and pricy at $90 bucks a pop) eyelash conditioner makes it easy to flatter your flutter and contains a revitalizing complex said to combat lash loss caused by follicle aging. Loaded with peptide (the hot new buzzword in beauty) growth substances, natural plant extracts and multi-vitamins to help boost micro-circulation at the hair follicles, it's said to increase lash growth in 5-8 weeks. So much better than an eyelash perm.

Kiss this xxx
(visit www.airkisses.com for contests, updates and announcements)

Beauty and the economic beast

Scared of losing your job? Evidently not enough to back away from that department-store makeup and pricey skin treatments. According to this article in Brandweek, women are economizing elsewhere:

Sales of prestige skincare brands at high-end department stores rose 2% to $1 billion in the first half, according to NPD Group. Products costing more than $70 were up 8%; those above $150 gained 21%. Similar increases were seen in fragrances and makeup.

The article goes on to mention that the product development lifecycle of most makeup and skincare lines is about 2 years, so there's always a disconnect between the manufacturer's launch calendar and current economic conditions. (In other words, don't kill the messenger.)

The Lipstick Effect has been around since there was lipstick to buy -- something pretty for your mouth is relatively cheap compared to, say, a massage or spa treatment. But what I found interesting in this article was that people are still buying stuff that I'd put in the very expensive category (over $200), with an almost 20% increase in spending over just last year. And that a $600 Botox injection is seen as an economizing move compared to getting plastic surgery!

I'm sure there's a moral here somewhere -- but I'm guilty as charged (at least on lipstick purchases), so I'll just sit quiet here in my glass house....