Jailbird Paris tops Halloween outfits
What's expected to be this year's hottest pop culture-themed Halloween costume?
Paris Hilton in a jail outfit.
Not terribly creative, but more appropriate for most women than those popular, stripper-styled costumes ("The Naughty Nurse" and "The Hottie Policewoman," to name a few).
The Transformers are also expected to be big this Halloween, according to a recent www.shopping.com survey.
The best costumes are always the homemade or creative ones (my favorite: putting on a Cubs jersey, attaching an arm that permanently points to the sky, and going as pitcher Carlos Zambrano).
If you're not creative, or don't know how to sew, the Web will help you.
For a couples costume, I like the weird but unique bacon and egg outfits, ($49.99, www.spirithalloween.com).
For men, there's a good selection of costumes at www.partyamericastore.com, including the Tony Montana ("Scarface") suit ($39.99) and the wear-around-your-neck Chick Magnet ($29.99).
I roll with the preschool crowd, and superhero and Disney princess costumes still dominate in this age group. But cute alternatives are available at Kohl's, where they have a whole "Costume Room" full of options for kids (and dogs) for less than $20.
Shopping.com will shop for you -- just type in what type of child or adult costume you want and it will produce a list with prices.
If you need a costume for your cell phone (I am not making this up), www.anniescostumes.com sells more than a dozen little slip-on outfits like Kenny from South Park and a lobster. ($10.95, www.anniescostumes.com)
Do you think people buy costumes for themselves, their kids, their pets and their phones? It might help explain this statistic: Americans are expected to spend $5 billion on Halloween this year, the www.shopping.com survey said.
Hair removal
Sephora is carrying a new in-home hair removal product called "no!no!" made by Radiancy, Ltd. It claims to give professional results using thermal signals, which keep the hair from growing back.
no!no! costs a hair-raising $250, but comes with five hot blades, a cleaning brush, a buffer and an instructional DVD.
Love these
The weather is just right for Pottery Barn Kids quilted corduroy barn jackets. They're 100 percent cotton, and you can have your child's initials embroidered on the front. They're also machine washable, which is key, given that they come in pastel colors.