Gwyneth Goes M.I.A. for Estee?

The business of selling fragrance is a cut-throat, down-and-dirty, dog-eat-dog battle for your nasal passages. And to give its new fragrance, Sensuous, a fighting chance, Estee Lauder hand-picked four famous, beautiful faces from the actress and model categories to promote the perfume: namely, Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Hurley, Carolyn Murphy, and Hilary Rhoda. Sounds like a dream line-up, doesn't it? Only problem is, rumor has it nobody told Gwyn there's no "I" in "team."

New York Magazine reports that the movie star has been neglecting some of her key spokesperson duties. While the other three showed up for an interview on the Fox Business Network and taped videos talking about what "sensuous" means to them, there was a big, Gwyneth-shaped hole in the proceedings.

So where was the busy A-lister? On set? Tending to her offspring? No -- Gwyneth was spotted paying a visit to Madonna's NYC apartment that very same day. Well, we hope she at least talked up the Estee Lauder fragrance to her friend Madge while she was there.

What's your best excuse for missing work?