When Jackson was growing up, his parents owned a few racehorses they had bought from Elizabeth Arden, the cosmetics executive.

A cosmetics executive would surely be more flagrantly painted, varnished and coiffed.

"I love wearing red," says Georgette Mosbacher, the cosmetics executive who swept into society like a red-hot fire.

As cosmetics executives put it, vanilla makes the big "smell impression."

Washington's social daggers were out for Georgette Mosbacher, the glamourous, global cosmetics executive.

And Mr. Smirnoff tailored his material to the cosmetics executives in the audience.

This trend may be warming the hearts of cosmetics executives.

A cosmetics executive sells her photos to help cancer research.

"They're living here to live here, not to be confrontational or group together for parades," said Charles Bibbins, 68, a retired cosmetics executive.

Part of this escalation is attributed - by cosmetics executives, at least - to the consumer's new taste for decorative packaging.