SnoWonder, which I mentioned yesterday, is a powdered plastic polymer that turns to snow instantly when a small amount of water is added to it. I got the opportunity to try it first hand yesterday, only hours after my first mention, and am pleased to say that it is all that it promised to be.

The snow looks and feels very real and is slightly cold, since it maintains the temperature of the water that makes up 99% of the product. The only things that mark it as less- than-natural are the facts that it will not melt and isn't sticky in the least, so packing it down could be a challenge. For home use, however, these are not drawbacks. The "snow" will not ruin floors, carpeting or other surfaces because it retains water and it can easily be brushed off anything that you don't want to see it on. You can even vacuum it up, if necessary, although the water will evaporate (unless it is refreshed, of course) in about two weeks, leaving behind the original plastic powder that can be reused again and again.

It's probably too late to order this online in time for Christmas, but I found my "snow" at a local mall, so keep your eyes out while doing last minute holiday shopping. It adds a great look to any Christmas display!

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.

Jaguar is giving away free cars - but only to people who can already afford them and live the "right" lifestyle, the "Gorgeous" lifestyle, as part of their Gorgeous marketing campaign. The luxury car maker is planting brand new $80,000 Jaguar XKs in New York (in the hands of Nico Bossi, one of the city's "beautiful people"), Los Angeles (with skateboarder Reese Forbes), Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Denver and Chicago., in the hopes that lifestyle envy will prompt more potential buyers to consider the car and the brand.

It's reality advertising because, though you see thousands of cars each day, this is the one that is put there with the sole purpose of being seen. The company sought out people who already did things that people aspire to do and go places where people aspire to go. Jaguar says that the campaign is "about people seeing Nico and the car and wanting to be part of that."  Nico doesn't reveal that he doesn't own the car to people who ask, but is happy to rattle off the price and specifications of the vehicle.

Jaguar is hoping that seeing the car in all the right places will convince younger buyers that Jags are not just for their parents.

[via the Wall Street Journal]