By Didi Gluck, Beauty Director Marie Claire Way back in May, I happened to be at a meeting with British cosmetics brand Molton Brown when we got the news that we were to have a new editor in Joanna Coles---a Brit as it turns out. So why not throw a party with a little English class? Which is what we did Monday night at Molton Brown's brill new shop in Soho, a scone's throw from the Burberry shop, wouldn't you know. The drinks-and-shopping party was a toast to Joanna's editorship and, as it was her call, it was decided 20% of all store purchases were given to Youth AIDS, the organization for which Ashley Judd, our December cover star is an ambassador. Given the exquisite products (and the amount of chilled champagne that flowed) the evening resulted in a cool $3000 in sales in two hours. On the spot, Molton Brown CEO Rob Thurlow announced he was ready to hire away Marie Claire publisher Susan Plagemann, based on how well she sold the party guests on MB's Sumo Ginseng Body wash. Once upon a time before MB was in New York, Susan told the crowd, she pocketed a few bottles from her stay at LA's Peninsula Hotel. Upon returning home, her 12-year-old son nicked the bottle from mom's suitcase and has used nothing else since. Zanna Roberts, our new Fashion Editor (we nicked her from Marie Claire UK) was making up for lost time: “The relief of being able to buy my fave Molton Brown Vitamin Lip Saver—without having to schlep back to London—is a weight off my mind, not to mention a flake off my Manhattan wind-burned lips!” Guest-of-honor, Joanna Coles reminisced about her many Molton Brown buying trips that became a family tradition back home. Says Coles: “My sister and I always go to the Molton Brown store in the Victorian Quarter in Leeds, Yorkshire, when I go back to see my parents.” How nice to have the familiar brand closer-at-hand, she says. TRY AN ISSUE OF MARIE CLAIRE FOR FREE! ** [...] [...]**