If only Pamela Anderson had discovered the new SENSAI Platinum Edition Coffret Gift Set, before she let her platinum addiction drive her into bankruptcy. The new luxury gift set out just in time for the holidays offers for the first time ever, platinum, in a soft pearl powder and highlighting platinum body lotion. If that sounds decadent to you, it is. Forget the latest diamond cremes, platinum is the new luxury ingredient, straight from the renowned Japanese beauty line, which counts Scarlett Johansson and Jennifer Aniston as fans. The Platinum Gift Set, which includes the powder, flawless brush, and body lotion packaged in a velvet clutch is available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman, and retails for $80. It's literally all you need to take to any party this season. But use sparingly. A brush of powder is all you need to make your whole face glow.

Millions of women (and a few men) visit nail salons regularly to have their nails done. Unfortunately, occasionally the result of having manicures or pedicures is developing nail fungus or bacterial infections that can not only look bad, but also may also feel even worse. A few simple steps before your next salon service can significantly lower your risk of developing a painful nail infection or fungus, or worse, a more serious disease.

Check out the salon for cleanliness and safety precautions. Don't be afraid to ask for a quick tour if you are considering a new salon, or asking the owner or manager of your current salon what steps they take to ensure safety. And take a look around. Does the salon look clean and sanitary? Is the trash container properly bagged and covered? Is the floor clean? Are the manicure tables kept neat and tidy? Is there good light? Look at the disinfectant containers and make sure that they are clear, clean, and free of debris.

Next, check the station where your service will take place. Ask if all instruments are cleaned and disinfected (even better: autoclaved) after each use, and if you need proof, have the technician show you the cleaning area or solution. Does he or she use fresh, clean instruments on each client? Make sure all files, buffers, and anything else that touches you is freshly clean before you allow the technician to begin. Also, the technician should wash his or her hands before and after each client, or wear fresh gloves. Clean towels should be used for every client.

Avoid having your cuticles cut. Cuticles serve a purpose -- they protect the nail bed from allowing infection to enter. If you like how your nails look with them pushed back, ask for cuticle softener, rather than cuticle scissors. After the cuticles are softened, the technician can wipe away, or gently scrape away, the excess with a fresh orangewood stick.

Pedicures can be a bit riskier because of the hot water and tub. Make sure the tub is thoroughly drained, cleaned, and disinfected between clients. The steps where clients typically step with bare feet also should be cleaned and disinfected between clients.

One way to avoid many of these concerns is to buy your own manicure or pedicure kit and bring it with you. Make sure you clean and disinfect your kit after each use, even if you are the only one using it. You also can bring your own nail polish, base coat, and top coat. Remove your old nail polish at home, or bring nail polish remover with you.

The salon and technician should both be licensed by their state governing board, usually the board of cosmetology. The licenses should be clearly displayed.

If sanitary precautions are not being taken at your salon, politely but firmly tell the owner what needs to change and what you expect. Contact your state cosmetology board if you develop a nail infection, fungus, or other condition as a result of visiting a salon, or if you see unsanitary practices.

Can a scent capture a city? Many try but few with as much aplomb as the City Exclusive scents from Le Labo. The boutique perfumer has created six scents for the cities in which there are Le Labo shops. Usually each scent is only available in the city it was created for but fron now until November 30, the six scents are available on luckyscent.com

Tuberuese 40 (New York) is a tuberose and white flower scent. Aldehyde 44 (Dallas) combines narcissus, jasmine, musk and vanilla. Gaiac 10 (Tokyo) is a woodsy musk with hints of cedar and incense. Musc 25 (Los Angeles) is a musk with notes of vetiver, ambergris, lily of the valley, patchouli and rose absolute. Poivre 23 (London) combines the warmth of pepper with cistus, gaiac, patchouli, incense, Australian sandalwood, vanilla absolute and styrax resin. Vanille 44 (Paris) brings vanilla together with bergamot, incense and mandarin. There are just 25 bottles of each scent available and 50 ml sells for a steep $260.

[via All the Rage]

Pamela Anderson is stepping into the perfume game with two iterations of her Malibu fragrance named after the beachside town she calls home. Malibu Day/Malibu Pink is a fruity floral with notes of berries, white flowers, vanilla and ambered sandalwood. Malibu Night/Malibu Blue is a moodier scent, an oriental with notes of pomegranate, black orchid mahogany wood, lotus, patchouli and amber.

As Anderson describes it on her website she's been making her own products for years layering various scents. She says that her goal was to "create a fun, sexy fragrance that really captured the beach with soft, gentle touches in a way that lingers." Starting this month, Malibu Day and Malibu Night are going to retail for $39 (1.7oz) and $49 (3.4oz) at CVS/Pharmacy, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Nordstrom, Sears and other department stores and drugstores around the U.S. Maybe this new line will help pay off some of the $4.8 million in debt she has reportedly amassed because of some pricey home renovations.

[via Now Smell This]

Famed French fashion house Dior has created a bespoke, Art Deco-inspired dressing table service for guests of Claridge's, the landmark London hotel (above) whose devotees include Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Mick Jagger, Madonna and Victoria Beckham. Designed as the ultimate luxury amenity for glamorous occupants of the hotel's Viscount David Linley-designed suites, the service offers all the essentials necessary for a glamorous night out on the town. The Dior Dressing Table includes a carefully curated range of timeless accessories, including an elegant silk Claridge's dressing gown and slippers; a cashmere eye mask; a selection of classic Dior fragrances and beauty products; cocktails from a special 1930s menu; and era-appropriate books and music for entertainment.

[via JustLuxe]

Chocolatier Godiva recently introduced its Home Fragrance Collection of five candles, in collaboration with Laura Slatkin, wife of Harry, of Slatkin & Co.

The nicely-packaged candles come in five scents: Holiday Peppermint Bark, Milk Chocolate Truffle, Black Almond Truffle, White Chocolate Magnolia, and Raspberry Ganache.

The candles are the brand's first foray into the home fragrance category in its more-than 80-year history and represent a departure from Godiva's traditional culinary products.

Neiman Marcus carries the collection. One of these would make a lovely host gift. Reasonably priced at $22.50 each.

Perfumes based on song titles are a bit of an iffy proposition but there could hardly be a better name geared to perfume than Pretty Woman. Barbara Orbison, the widow of "Pretty Woman" singer Roy Orbison, has developed Pretty Woman perfume. Barbara Orbison was involved in every step of the development of the fragrance from its bottle design in Paris to the formulation of the scent. The fragrance has a top note with a bergamot accent, a heart of stargazer lily, red rose and carnation and a base of fresh amber, patchouli, vanilla, atlas cedar and sacred incense. It sells for $80.

[via Now Smell This]

Do only the very wealthy pay retail these days? Seems like it. With so many discount shopping sites that sell high-end items, mere mortals can get said high-end items at low(er)-end prices. But is is there room for yet one more of these sites? LuxGoddess.com is hoping so. It recently joined the likes of Bluefly, ShopBop, and Gilt to offer upscale items at reduced prices. Here's what makes LuxGoddess different, however: It donates 10% of its proceeds to Bright Pink, a national nonprofit that provides education and support to young women who are at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.

Calling itself "the premier site for today's fashion trendsetters looking for great deals on their favorite designer brands," the site carries well-known brands, with a number of items pulled from online stores, and covers the standard categories of apparel, shoes, beauty, and accessories. There's also a sale rack, which is a user's personal sale rack, based on her size and brand preferences.

Model and style icon Kate Moss has launched her latest scent, Vintage. This is Moss' fourth scent, her other offerings are Kate, Summer Time and Velvet Hour. Vintage is described as a a fruity floriental fragrance and is meant to be a scented encapsulation of Kate's love of vintage clothes and objects d'art. On vintage objects, Kate Moss says "I am fascinated by vintage pieces because they not only have a remarkable beauty but also an innate sense of history - I love the fact that each object has its own story to tell."

The scent includes notes of pink pepper, white freesia and mandarin with a heart of heliotrope, jasmine and almond flower and base notes of tonka bean, vanilla and skin musks. The bottle was inspired by the Art Deco perfume bottles of the 1920s and 30s. The smoky glass flacon is finely faceted on the front, sides and cap with a rose-gold collar around the neck of the bottle, decorated with vintage inspired filigrees. The print ad shown above was shot by Mert and Marcus. Check out the television and and some behind-the-scenes footage of Kate Moss after the jump.

When it comes to cosmetics, I like anything that goes near by eyes to be as natural as possible. So I was thrilled to see that Tarte's fall cosmetics line was packed with eco-friendly eye products. From eye primers to femme naturale eye palettes, the entire line was made from chemical free materials and put into reusable packaging. By far the best product of the line is the multiplEYE natural lash enhancer. I was a bit skeptical upon receiving a sample. The clear liquid, applied nightly claims to increase the appearance of your lash length by 152%. MultiplEYE is made from a HydroPlant Peptide which includes soy and amino acid proteins, the plant-thickening agent cellulose, and vitamin C. After six weeks, my lashes are longer, thicker, and most importantly feel much healthier after years of mascara abuse. The wand retails for $65 and is avaialable at Sephora, Henri Bendel, and Bergdorf Goodman.

The name Natori is synonymous with lingerie. Josie Natori has been making soft, sexy chemises and fine undergarments for decades. Her new perfume therefore has a lot of sexiness to live up too. Natori's new scent is a redo of her earlier scent which was done with Avon back in 1984. This one was created by perfumer Caroline Sabas for Parlux fragrances and combines a bit of 1980s headiness with classic perfume glamour. The fragrance is a floral oriental with notes of sparkling aldehydes, rose, plum, ylang-ylang, purple peony, night-blooming jasmine, patchouli, amber and satin musk accord. The perfume is the natural accompaniment to a silk chemise. Check out this great review from Now Smell This.

The new scent is a world away from the pinky, fruity scents of late. This is a more mature scent, strong, sexy, a little old-fashioned, the Dita Von Teese of scent. The scent has been released as a Saks exclusive and sells for $110 for a 3.4 ounce eau du parfum. We are giving away a 3.4 ounce eau du parfum of this passion booster in a purple bottle to one reader.

Some other important details:

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, October 16, 2009 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the 3.4 ounce Natori Eau du Parfum valued at $110.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete contest rules here.

This contest is now closed. Thank you for your participation.

Custom perfume artiste Francis Kurkdjian is launching his collection at Neiman Marcus and he offers far more than just bottles of elegantly crafted perfume. His line includes paper strip incense, candles, laundry detergents and even scented bubbles. These aren't bubbles for kids (although they are child-safe), they come in small bottles which sell for $20 each and are available in the scents of cut herbs, pear and fresh mint. Even more indulgent is the laundry detergent in his Aqua Universalis scent. The detergent has notes of bergamot, lemon, lily of the valley and musky wood and sells for $45.

[via All the Rage]

If you were trying to capture the essence of a sportscar, what sort of scents would you put in the bottle? Burnt rubber? Leather? Gasoline? How about juniper berries, mandarin orange and myrtle? Because those are exactly the notes which Porsche Design has used in its new fragrance, The Essence Intense.

The follow-up to their original scent, The Essence, launched about a year and a half ago, Intense is a fresh, aromatic and woody fragrance for men. The scent was developed together with Clarins Group – which is responsible, among other things, for the Azzuro line – but since it's a Porsche Design, the bottle has received significant attention, combining smoked frosted glass and black brushed aluminum in a particularly sleek package. Although it's initially available only as a spray eau-de-toilette in 50 and 80 milliliter sprays, expect a whole range of scented products to follow.

Last year we wrote about the $30,000 Damascene razor from Hommage, the Parisian purveyor of luxury grooming equipment, skincare and spa services for men. Now the brand, a favorite of celebs like Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Laurie and Robert Sean Leonard, has come out with ShaveCare Emollient: Relieve, formulated for the time-restricted man who wants a flawless, mistake-free, professional-level shave at home, and on-the-go. The water-resistant, transparent oil-gel does not melt off the skin like normal gels and creams, making it the ideal in-shower shaving tool. Core Relieve ingredient, the NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor) Complex, smoothes and arms the skin while softening the hair for a perfectly quick, close shave. The emollient leaves skin nourished, soft and protected without the need for after-shaves or moisturizers. The new ShaveCare Emollient: Relieve is available in single capsules as well as a Home and Travel Set (above) for $100, available at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Paul Labrecque Spas.

Fire and ice I've heard of but how about fire and cream? That's just one of the perfumes by Alexandra Balahoutis , a beautiful redhead with an unerring nose, who is behind Southern-California-based Strange Invisible Perfumes. Her scents are made of natural, botanical essences combined in ways that turn traditional perfumery on its ear. Instead of using solvents, essences are extracted using organic jojoba oil and set in a base of beverage-quality organic grape alcohol. Fire and Cream layers earthy vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli with soft white lavender and tuberose and a spark of orange blossom. An eau de parfum 1.7 fl. oz sells for $145. Other heady scents with names like Narcotic and Black Rosette offer similar olfactory intensity. Custom scents are also available.