Nothing makes us drop our guard and fall for an expensive and dubious new beauty product more than a clever marketing coinage. The latest? Skingestibles! Naturally, this means something you swallow to make your skin youthful, smooth and generally look like you've never smoked a cigarette, drank bourbon straight from the bottle, and rebelliously foregone SPF. (Or that's the idea, anyway.) "Glowelle," which launched at Bergdorf's and Neiman's this week, is a powder containing various antioxidants that you dissolve in water and drink for an alleged, well, glow. The catch is that it's $112 for a month's supply. Much more economical is a product from our friend Dr. Fredric Brandt (left), the man responsible for tending to the facial needs of Madonna: His "Antioxidant Water Booster" is only $35, and while it probably won't actually have a discernibly different effect from a bottle of Snapple, on the plus side you won't risk looking like Dr. Brandt himself. After the jump, a totally unrelated video of Dr. Freddie in all his plasticky glory. Just in case you're falling asleep at the office this afternoon and a shock to your nervous system.

As if banks didn't have enough to worry about thanks to the crumbling economy and recession, it seems rising crime rates in NYC are their fault, too. At least that's what the NYPD says, arguing that the increase in the number of bank robberies—the rate is up 50 percent in New York City this year alone—is because the banks aren't doing enough to protect their own dough. And why would they? They're insured! And if all else fails, there's always the federal government that will come along and bail them out! Oh, and just in case you're hurting for cash and thinking about sticking up a bank, some useful stats to keep in mind: The success rate at Wachovia branches is 100%. In second place, Commerce Bank ("America's Most Convenient Bank"), where robbers made off with the cash 97% of the time. Plus Commerce Bank gives out free cherry lollipops, too, something you might want to take into consideration.

Goldman Sachs is not buying Lehman Brothers, contrary to reports earlier today, "reflecting concerns that integrating two investment banks would be too disruptive." With Lehman's stock now down another 40% today (and more than 70% on the week thus far), all credible offers will be taken into consideration. Interested? Please call 212-526-7000 and ask to speak to Dick. [Reuters]

My relationship with Anna is one where we understand each other, says ALT. "We can communicate silently." Also, your generation, with its blogs and no Studio 54, is lame: "Each generation has its moment, and with this generation, I don't know exactly what they do." But we think so highly of you, André! [Mediabistro]

Photos of John McCain on a yacht with imprisoned con man Raffaello Follieri have surfaced. The pics, which were obtained by the Nation, were taken in 2006 when McCain met up with the Italian playboy aboard a yacht in Montenegro. The delicious irony: At the time, Follieri, who pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of money laundering, was living high on the hog thanks to billionaire Ron Burkle. So one of the Democratic party's most generous and reliable donors was the one who actually paid for McCain's "evening floating on the Adriatic with one of Hollywood's top actresses and her smooth-talking Italian beau." [The Nation]

Anne Hathaway walking with a mystery man downtown ... Jessica Alba shopping for clothes with baby Honor in SoHo ... Rachel Zoe and her assistant Brad arriving at Bryant Park ... Julianne Moore about to cross the street in the Village ... Jennifer Lopez going to lunch at Nello wearing an Oscar de la Renta gown ... Alicia Keys solo and chatting on her cell ... Julia Roberts waving to the paparazzi during a walk downtown ... Sarah Jessica Parker walking with her son James Wilke ... Katie Holmes wearing baggy jeans and carrying a bag ... Barack Obama and Lebron James showing up at the set of the Letterman show ... Lauren Conrad making an appearance at Bloomingdale's to promote her clothing line ... Diane Kruger walking her bike on the sidewalk in front of Anthropologie ... Michelle Trachtenberg and a male friend dressed up and walking in the middle of the street in SoHo ... model May Andersen and friends heading to Bar Pitti ... and Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel heading to Southern Hospitality for a late night dinner.

Amazon.com plans to start selling wine later this year, now that the bans on out-of-state wine shipments to New York and Michigan have been struck down. Amazon will only be selling selections from California, so if you're into French or Italian varieties, you're out of luck. Oh, and no hard stuff. Just wine. You'll still have to head to your local liquor store for your vodka in plastic jugs. [WSJ]

It's a good thing Times dining critic Frank Bruni reviews food for a living, which only relies on his sense of taste and not his eyesight. The photo that accompanied his takedown of power lunch spot Michael's yesterday included quite the collection of moguls in the background, not that Bruni—or anyone else at the Times—seemed to notice. In the audio interview that accompanied the review, Bruni says that the eatery "seems to draw in particularly large measure from the publishing, literary and journalistic worlds. You know, you might see someone like Graydon Carter there. Apparently, you do see some celebrities there. I didn't spot them, but maybe I just missed them as I was hustled to Siberia." Carter isn't much of a Michael's devotee, actually, but perhaps Bruni should have taken a closer look at the picture that accompanied his review.

Kanye West was arrested this morning at the American Airlines terminal at LAX for felony vandalism after he smashed a photographer's camera and got into a scuffle with the paparazzi, including a videographer from TMZ, naturally. Maybe he should have borrowed Diddy's private jet instead? [NYDN, TMZ]

You know how the people who say that money can't buy happiness are invariably rich, but like to pretend their inner serenity is due to intelligence and wisdom rather than multiple sumptuous residences, expensive cars and fabulous vacations? Well, some Wharton economists are calling bullshit: Spending money is definitely connected to well-being, according to their research, but less so as you get old. In other words, splash out while you can and don't be so obsessed with pension plans and 401Ks. And in the meantime we eagerly await the research study proving that money can in fact buy love.

Until the end of October, Delta is offering discounted helicopter rides between JFK and Manhattan: It's just $45 each way, assuming you're getting off (or getting on) a Delta flight. That's, like, the same price as a taxi! And it only takes eight minutes. [Reuters via NewYorkology]

Jimmy Choo co-founder Tamara Mellon has picked up Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s spread in the Carhart mansion at 3 East 95th Street for $20 million, according to the Post. (Bronfman paid $18.75 million for the property last year and initially tried to sell it for $24.5 million.) What did the man-eating stiletto mogul get for her money? The duplex is still unfinished, although there are plans to put "five bedrooms, four bathrooms, two powder rooms, six terraces, a 40-foot living room with 12-foot ceilings, a 22-foot formal dining room, maid's quarters and a solarium," into the 7,140-square-foot space. After the jump, photos and floorplans of Tamara's new digs.

Natasha Singer's beauty trend beat at the Times has hitherto seemed like a pretty sweet gig: She finds out about the best wrinkle busters, talks to liposuction experts, and no doubt gets a bunch of free skincare and make-up. All in, it's hardly on a par with risking life and limb in Kabul, or even risking the will to live by interviewing monstrous celebrities. But with her latest assignment she has truly earned her stripes as a brave, intrepid journalist: She joined a manicure/pedicure team catering to Fashion Week and actually scraped dirt from models' finger and toenails.

Stacy Bendet is a rising fashion star and the co-founder of the Alice + Olivia label. She's also the wife of Eric Eisner, the son of former Disney chief Michael Eisner. And it seems she's discovered the fountain of youth, too! When she appeared on Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed list in July (top), the very social fashionista was 30. She's since returned to the pages of Graydon Carter's mag—except in the October issue, she's managed to shed a year off her age and is listed as 29 (bottom). Does that mean when she turns 31 next month, she'll be listed as 28 in an upcoming issue of the magazine? Who knows. But considering that once upon a time she was known as Stacey Weiner and then mysteriously morphed into Stacey Bendet (and now Stacey Bendet Eisner), she seems pretty good at creating illusions.

It isn't the most auspicious day to celebrate a birthday, but what can you do? Today CNBC "money honey" Maria Bartiromo turns 41, which, in case you're wondering, means she's a full decade older than her primary competition, Erin Burnett. Others marking birthdays on this downer-of-a-day: Moby is 43. Marie-Josée Kravis, the third wife of billionaire financier Henry Kravis, is 59. Rapper Ludacris turns 31. Brokerage founder Muriel Siebert is 76. Hedge funder David Tepper turns 51. Politico William Cunningham is turning 58. And crooner Harry Connick Jr. is 41.

Diddy has a response to the controversy over whether he owns a private jet or not. And he'd like everyone to get back to more important issues like the upcoming elections. Oh, also: he'd really like people to buy his brand of vodka, too. [Jossip]

• Lehman CEO Dick Fuld's announcement yesterday about the firm's new strategic direction hasn't changed much, say analysts, and questions about Lehman's ability to weather the storm continue to loom. [NYT, WSJ, FT, NYP]

The folks at HotelChatter spent a night at The Jane, the new, cheapo West Village hotel by Eric Goode and Sean MacPherson, the duo who brought you the Maritime and Bowery hotels and who are partners in the Waverly Inn with Graydon Carter. What do you get for a mere $99 a night? No scented candles, apparently. "What does lurk in the hallway is a smell like that of men who only bathe every 4 days. It's a baked-in aroma, probably as much a part of the building as its vintage elevator." But it's not all bad! There's free wi-fi, the location is superb, and the bathrooms—which are shared—are decent. And at those prices, even your friends who have been downsized should be able to afford a room.

• It seems The Box's Simon Hammerstein is quite the pervy, depraved boss, at least judging by all the complaints from female ex-employees. [Gawker]

The decision to name a relative unknown, Thomas P. Campbell, to succeed Philippe de Montebello as director of the Metropolitan Museum has led some of his frenemies to make comparisons to Sarah Palin. Campbell's response at a press conference today? "I don't hunt and, to the best of my knowledge, I don't have a 17-year-old who is pregnant." [NYM/Vulture]