Madonna sells her lip gloss, Sharon Stone sells her Porsche

The Material Girl parted with a few earthly possessions - a custom-made white guitar and the contents of her handbag - at a French Riviera benefit to raise money for AIDS research.

Madonna emptied her purse and came up with a magnifying mirror, hair clips, skin blotting tissues and a lip gloss. She put it on the block along with a one-of-a-kind diamond-encrusted alligator bag donated by Chanel. The lot sold for EUR 300,000 (US$472,000).

The singer asked the crowd not to insult her with low bids: "This lip gloss touched my lips."

The benefit soiree on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival late Thursday raised more than US$10 million (about EUR 6.4 million) for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), a record for the annual event.

Mary J. Blige sang "Family Affair" and an R&B edition of U2's "One." Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese shed her silk stockings in a slinky strip routine. As usual, Sharon Stone played auctioneer.

Stone tried to get the crowd to bid for a kiss with Madonna, reminding everyone that George Clooney sold two kisses last year for a total of US$700,000.

"That's cheap!" Madonna quipped. "Everyone's kissed George Clooney."

Madonna said she wouldn't give away a kiss for less than US$1 million. Instead, she offered to serenade two fans backstage during her next concert tour in the city of their choice.

As bidding took off, Madonna prodded the crowd along, saying "Don't humiliate me!" and "People have offered me millions to play at their Bar Mitzvahs." The package sold for EUR 350,000 (US$550,000).

Madonna's white Gibson acoustic guitar, which she used on her "Confessions" tour, sold separately for EUR 300,000 (US$472,000).

The auction started off with Stone pledging US$100,000 (EUR 64,000) for pediatric AIDS research and asking others to do the same. Within minutes, amfAR raised US$2 million (EUR 1.3 million), with bidders including the designers Roberto Cavalli, Tommy Hilfiger and Valentino, as well as actresses Milla Jovovich and Michelle Yeoh.

The "Basic Instinct" star also sold off her red 1976 vintage Porsche 911 Targa - which she restored to its original luster after it was stolen and recovered. It sold for EUR 500,000 (US$786,000).

Sean "Diddy" Combs offered to let a fan spend 24 hours in his presence, and Von Teese put a private striptease on the block. Both went for their minimum bids - EUR 200,000 (US$314,000) for Combs and EUR 50,000 (US$77,000) for Teese.

Other attendees included actors Natalie Portman, Diane Kruger, Juliette Lewis and Christian Slater; models Eva Herzigova and Petra Nemcova; designers Donatella Versace and Kenneth Cole; and writer Paulo Coelho.

Bold Films, The Weinstein Co. and Chopard jewelers were sponsors of the event at the Moulin de Mougins outside Cannes.

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Author`s name Angela Antonova
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