GBK OSCARS SUITE 2015

[Note: I made it to six pre-Oscars Gifting Suites this year. As always, each one gets its own write-up. This is the fourth of them, so please make sure to check back every day this week, and to look at the previous three columns, to learn about all the fabulous-ness. Alice was my Contributing Writer on this one.]

There were so many new items to discover at this year’s GBK Oscars suite, we didn’t know which room to start in!

It was held at L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, and was an upstairs-downstairs, inside-outside situation. We were giddily running all over the place!

Almost as soon as I arrived, I spied Keith Stanfield, one of my favorite young actors. Many of you may know him from this year’s Selma, but I’m a fan of his from last year’s little-known Short Term 12. I was on the Screen Actors Guild Nominating Committee then, and I put him down as one of my five choices for a Best Supporting Actor nomination. The rest of the committee should have listened to me on that one!

After I calmed down from the hug that Keith gave me, Alice and I moved on to meeting all the sponsors and discovering their great products. Here are the highlights of them:

Bands For Arms—We met some enthusiastic servicemen at this table! They showed us their clever, fun, and attractive bracelets that are made from…old military uniforms! What a unique concept! Some are from the cloth, (like my favorite one that featured Disney villain Cruella DeVille!,) and I noticed that some others are even using the buttons! How creative of them! And what a great way for the people wearing them to honor the brave men and women who protect our country. Alice lauded this jewelry as being “very meaningful.” www.shopb4a.com

Jonathan Product—We spent a lot of time talking to the amiable rep from this hair care company. I was coveting some products that weren’t available that day, while Alice happily noted that they have a cleansing conditioner, which is shampoo and conditioner all in one. She was a fan of having “all you need in one bottle, which makes it easy to pack for the gym, or just have in your shower.” www.jonathanproduct.com

Hazel & Harmony–These beautiful bracelets are made in Connecticut (my original out-of-town state) from semi-precious stones and minerals. And they’re not just “pretty faces”–they have meaning. They each stand for a message, such as “be strong” or “be grateful.” I was looking for the one that said “be skinny,” but no such luck. So, I was content with just admiring their beauty. Alice gave kudos to the fact that “each one is so unique; they are beautiful works of art.” www.hazelandharmony.com

Stop Attack—This is an app for your iPhone that just may save your life! It’s important enough that I implore you to go to their website and learn all about it. But basically, you use it to notify the authorities when you need immediate police assistance. You can also record anything bad that’s happening to you, (no bad hair days, though, please!,) and alert your loved ones. With the world being so crazy these days, it’s just a smart move to have this on your phone. If you have only one app, (as I do,) this the one! www.stop-attack.com

Shatra Designs—This beautifully-designed jewelry was so cleverly displayed. Each piece was in boxes of rice on the table, to make it easier to handle. I had never seen that before! Each bracelet and necklace appears to be one-of-a-kind, and is made of local artisan beads and natural minerals. The guests were clamoring for them! Maybe we all wanted to look as good in them as the pretty woman designer herself did! www.shatradesigns.com

Lip Luxe—This line of all-natural lip balms is made by a mom in wintry Connecticut, so I have a strong feeling she knows a thing or two about not wanting chapped lips! They come in different “flavors,” like lemon and lavender, (together!,) and the peppermint even plumps slightly. (And who among us doesn’t need that little help?!) The company donates a portion of all sales to help support families with a child who has congenital heart disease. So they care about much more than protecting our lips! Props to them, for it all! www.lipluxe.com

John Kelly Chocolates–I’ve known this chocolate company for a long time now. I was even at the opening of both of their Los Angeles stores! I did a give-away of their fudge on my former show, Karen’s Restaurant Revue, and it was such a hit that people are still asking me about it! It was all new to Alice, and after tasting a few pieces, she deemed it all “deliciously elegant, from packaging to flavor.” I concur! And, for my readers who observe such things, I’m happy to tell you that it’s kosher, too! www.johnkellychocolates.com

Blaze Clothiers—This attire company made their offerings look like real gifts! Each VIP received an actual gift box containing a logo tee, a pair of shades, and a little green notebook, which I’m sure came in handy if the guests wanted to record all of their swag! www.blazeclothiersusa.com

Philosophy—This company was gifting its iconic (and renewed) Hope In A Jar moisturizer, as part of their “hope and grace initiative” which represents their commitment to support mental health. And great skin! (I’m not kidding; I feel that’s part of well-being, and obviously, so does Philosophy.) Alice added that this whole project “really makes you beautiful, inside and out.” [Note: At this suite, they teamed-up with Each Mind Matters, which you can read more about towards the end of this column.] www.philosophy.com

Basicare–Since Alice is a make-up artist by trade, I’m going to let her tell you about these fun cosmetics kits: “From tweezers to eye shadows to eyelash curlers, they have it all. I especially loved the make-up brushes, which are a necessity in every girl’s make-up bag.” www.basicare.cc

Support Ur Pet—Alice was impressed with what she deemed a “great pet product marketing firm.” To that end, they were gifting their own little goodie bags filled with everything for the furry friends, from luxury pet clothing and colorful collars to first aid kits designed specifically for them! She said they feature “everything having to do with your life companion.” www.supporturpet.com

L.A. Star Greens—Their Perfect 10 Superfood is a mixture of organic and vegan ingredients that you can add to a smoothie. It’s designed to give you some good energy, and who in Hollywood doesn’t need that?! Especially during Oscars Week! www.lastargreens.com

Lalo Fitness—Alice can’t wait to try the two DVDs from this fitness trainer who she says “has the reputation of transforming bodies” with his “freeze” technique.
www.lalofitness.com

My M&M’s—In a second, I’m going to give you all an English lesson on apostrophes (that this title brings up,) but first I have to say that I almost passed-out when I saw this literally mouth-watering display! I’ve never before seen so many beautiful, colorful M&M’s in one place! And we were each invited to take as many of them as we could fit in the plastic bags they provided for us. Mr. X loves M&M’s, so trust me when I tell you I filled my bag to the very top! And these were even better than the usual ones because they were all personalized for the Oscars! You can do the same thing for your own occasion. I always planned to do that for my annual foodie parties I used to have, but I’m not sure “www.ItsNotAboutMe.TV” would fit on one tiny M&M. It might be like trying to draw a picture on a piece of rice! But I’d be happy eating the mistakes! And now, being the literate writer that I am, I have to take a second to admonish the company for the erroneous use of the apostrophe before the “s!” I can’t believe I never noticed it in all these years! An apostrophe is to show possession, or a contraction, neither of which is what they’re trying to show. No apostrophe before the “s” indicates that the word is plural, which is the meaning in this case. It kills me that the apostrophe is in there, so, if you’re thinking that I wrote it incorrectly, I did not; it’s their bad, not mine. www.mymms.com

As always, GPK chose a charity to benefit from all this fun. This year, it was Each Mind Matters, which is billed as California’s Mental Health Movement. And let’s face it, there’s no place in California that needs mental health assistance more than LaLaLand! This year they teamed up with the aforementioned Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar, to remind us all that no matter what the situation we find ourselves in, there’s always hope. At least I think that’s the message. They just might mean that we have hope for great skin! I know that that would lift my spirits! (And I’m not joking!) www.eachmindmatters.org