Damien Hirst is now the world's most expensive living artist, which is quite a title considering the price many pieces are going for at auction these days. America's Jasper Johns held the honor previously, on and off since the 1980s, along with Willem de Kooning from 1989-1997. Damien Hirst officially took the title when his Lullaby Spring pill cabinet sold for $19.1 million at Sotheby's, but he didn't take it directly from Jasper Johns. Just 24 hours earlier artist Lucian Frued had the title (yep, for just one day) after his "Bruce Bernard" portrait sold for $16.5 million in London.

Walgreens is introducing a whole new concept to its stores, and all US drugstores, with its European Beauty Collection. The collection is a group of upscale beauty and cosmetic products from seven European companies that have not yet been introduced to the US market and will be available exclusively at Walgreens through at least 2007. The brands include: 

• Institut Arnaud Paris, a French face and body care line that is very popular in spas.
• Skincode Switzerland, a range of herb, plant, vitamin, and other "natural" items, developed with The University Hospital in Zurich.
• Spa Aquatique, a marine-based French spa collection
• Red Water, a Greece line that includes native Greek herbs, oils and waters.
• La Fleur Organic, an organic line from Provence, France.
• Art Deco,  the number-one selling skin care/cosmetic brand in German department stores.

By introducing these masstige products (mass + prestige), Walgreens is hoping to target customers who don't ordinarily shop for cosmetics and beauty care products at their store, customers who ordinarily pass up the "mass" products, as well as appeal to buyers who are interested in using a more specialized or exotic product.

For the potential customer, especially one who is already interested in luxury or specialty brands, the most appealing part of the European collection (EBC) is that some of these products sell for more than $100 in Europe, while Walgreens will have them priced from $13-$60, with an average of $27.

The Walgreens EBC will debut in October.