Maggie Gyllenhaal for Agent Provocateur

Seriously sexy, too-expensive-to-be-trashy designer lingerie line Agent Provocateur has a fabulous print campaign with some glorious vampy looks. Quirky, chic actress Maggie Gyllenhaal stars in the series of images, wearing some lust-worthy intimates of high-end lace and black satin. Ms. Gyllenhaal has some fetish cred from her fantastic turn as a BDSM-inclined administrative assistant in the indie film Secretary The campaign is shot as a series of stories, and she is portrayed as the character "Miss A.P." She is after my heart as a tempress seducing her victims to her web.

Armida Poizin - The Wine "To Die For"

The Armida Winery "Poizin" wine boasts one of the most gorgeous bottles I have seen in awhile. The detailed skull graphic is silkscreened onto the dark bottle. The 'reserve' edition arrives in a wood coffin!

Gimmicky? Yes. A few skeptical guests at my last soiree mocked me for falling prey to creative marketing, especially upon seeing the screw-top cap.

Fortunately, the wine is actually quite tasty. It is described as a blend of petite syrah/zinfandel (again, bad rep), but not as sweet as one would imagine. The dominant notes of plum, blackberries, vanilla made it a really nice compliment to the filet mignon with blackberry sauce I served. I finished with a ricotta cheesecake with more berries and spiced crust, and the wine was appropriate through dessert as well.

Granted, I am far from a wine expert, but quick checks online reveal many good reviews for this vintage from people much more knowledgable than myself.