WOW CREATIONS OSCARS SUITE 2016

[Note: I visited six pre-Oscars Gifting Suites this year. (Well, actually, it was eight, but two are not worth telling you about!) As always, each one gets its own write-up, in the order that I attended them. This is the second of them, so please make sure to check back for the next four week-days, and to look at the previous column, to learn about all the fabulous-ness. (And after that, there will be two wonderful stand-alone goodie bags to give you the scoops on, as well!) Lila West was my Contributing Writer on this one.]

This suite, brought to us by the dapper Harris twins, (whose close friendship I’m always both impressed by and envious of!,) was held once again at Beverly Hill’s lovely Luxe Rodeo Hotel. We gathered on the penthouse to meet the sponsors, but the gifting began right in the lobby, as we entered the premises! I always love those extra goodies, (which included lots of fun snacks, to keep us going throughout the day,) to get our visit off to a fun start!

On the rooftop was the real action, though, so here are the highlights of what Lila and I discovered up there:

Little Balance Box—When Lila spotted this bamboo “baby walker,” which was created by a physical therapist, Dr. Shannon Davis, who has children of her own, she couldn’t get over to that table fast enough. After confabbing with the lovely inventor, Lila told me that she “can’t wait to have my baby try this cool invention. After having my two older kids go through physical therapy, I look forward to trying an at-home device, which just might help the process.” www.littlebalancebox.com

Essentially Living Healthy—These women were mixing up whatever combo of oils you chose, (from their arsenal of what looked to be about forty or fifty!,) to fix whatever ails you. Lila and I, both semi-insomniacs, chose lavender oil mixed with “Peace and Calming,” for a more peaceful sleep. (She told me that hers is already working! I’m saving mine to use until I finish writing about all this Oscars action! No rest for the weary until it’s all done.) We bumped into Seinfeld‘s John O’Hurley (whom I already knew, though slightly,) choosing some oils at the table, too. I wonder what combination he came up with? Or did he just copy ours?  (That’s Karen Salkin and John O’Hurley at the top of the page.  Photo by Lila West.) www.essentiallylivinghealthy.com

Twisted J. Apparel—I already owned a charcoal gray hoodie from this Texas company, and have barely taken it off in the month since I got it. As a matter of fact, it’s the only outerwear I brought on my recent trip to Vegas! It went with everything I wore there, even my more upscale outfits! So, when Lila saw items from this line of hip, casual, Indian-themed tee-shirts and hoodies, she understood right away why it’s my favorite.  Now it’s hers, too!!! www.getalittletwisted.com

Grace In LA Jeans—The guests were all happy to see this sponsor back again. You can’t find nicer reps than the peeps from this company, whose jeans Lila said are “cool and funky.” And they bring many sizes and designs with them, so they had a perfect pair of jeans for everybody. www.graceinla.com

Burkart Organics—These organic snacks, straight from a real farm, are just what the doctor ordered. Literally! I put off trying the raisins because I figured that you had one, you had ‘em all. But OMG! I could not believe how delicious these are! I had just opened a bag to share with Mr. X, but, no fooling, the second I had one bite, I hid them away, just for myself! The difference between these and all other raisins was mind-boggling! Lila took home a bag of their “amazing” apricots, and told me, “They’re now my favorite dried food ever.  Really.” And she also pointed-out that, for weight-watchers, “they’re low in sugar and high in fiber, which is everything you need to lose those pounds.” And for my purposes, which are medical rather than weight-loss based, I’m happy to have something so natural and healthful to munch on. I just may have to move to their farm! www.burkartorganics.com

Brevena—I had discovered their Intensive Foot & Heel Repair Cream at this very suite a year ago, so I was happy for Lila to now do the same. She told me that she “can’t wait for my [handsome] husband, who has eczema, to try it,” because it’s not just for tootsies! (I added the handsome part!) www.brevena.com

Zotos Haircare—Both of us wavy-haired girls, (who usually wear it flat,) have no hair talent between us, so we were happy to discover these new products that, according to their website, “deliver big, bold styles without…back-combing, teasing, and over-styling.” (No wonder they’re billed as “Teaseless!”) Lila, a busy mom of three, added that she thinks the Volumizing Powder Shake will be “great to use when your hair needs to be washed, but you want to wait one more day.”  www.zotosprofessional.com

Eve & Nico—This time, guests received pretty animal-print scarves, rather than their colorful woven-in-Guatemala bowls, which I became an instant fan of in January. Ever the fashionista, Lila said of the scarves, “Their unique designs and soft feel will compliment any outfit.  They’ll be super-cute with jeans and a tee shirt.”  www.eveandnico.com

Cryo Max—They were gifting their eight-hour cold packs, which I my broken back certainly needs. Since they were the small ones, they’re perfect for bringing into screenings and theatre without making a fuss. And since they last so long, they’ll get me through a whole day or night of events, which is such a bonus. www.cryomax.com

Gunnar and Jake’s—Lila is one of my early junior foodies, and now even has her own food blog. (Here’s the link, if you’d like to check it out: www.thefattestskinnyperson.com.) So, she took this one, because she’s the one who sampled a few of their jarred pickled snacks. She declared, “I love pickles, in general, and these were some of the best I’ve ever had. They have a great kick, if you like spicy, (and I do!) They also have many other vegetable options. Their beets were also perfect. And I don’t even like beets!” www.gunnarandjake.com

Reve Calme—We received lavender oil sprays and a few other goodies, in prettily-packaged bags. Lila used hers right away, and enthused to me, “It works wonders.” She said it even worked on her young son who has a hard time falling asleep. She added, “It’s not overpowering to those who are sensitive to scents,” as I am. So, I second everything she said. (Except the part about having a son!) www.revecalme.us

DTT Jewelry–This was my kind-of bauble line because, as Lila put it, “Most of the items are very blinged-out,” which is just the way I like it. But Lila, who’s much more low-key than I am, (which is one of the reasons we make such a great team; well that and our true love of sports!,) admired the several “delicate pieces” which were much more her style.  www.dttbylgreen.com

Body Wipe Company—At this event, they were gifting Tattoo Wipes, which help maintain the artwork’s color, (and which tattoo-eschewing Lila and I will both never need!) But, I’ve sampled other products from this company before, and now I keep a Paper Shower dispenser in my car, because you never know when you’ll need to clean various body parts on the fly! (Of course, I use it just for my hands, but you do never know! Just sayin’.) www.bodywipecompany.com

Shea Moisture—They were gifting body scrubs in various “flavors.” Lila loved the grapefruit one, telling me it’s “very smooth, and just a little bit covers your whole body.”  Being the upscale kind-of girl that I am, I chose the one with manuka honey. Hey, if it works when I ingest that same sweetness every day, I can’t wait to see what it does for my outside! www.sheamoisture.com

DB Bourbon Candy—Lila tried these confections and said, “The bourbon balls are sweet and tasty, with just the right amount of bourbon.” I brought a small bag of their bourbon brittle home to Mr. X, who told me he “enjoyed it because the alcohol taste was not overwhelming.” www.dbbourboncandy.com

Mo N’ Al—Lila thought the little gray tank they were gifting everyone is perfect for a workout, while I’ll wear it just to look cute! www.moandal.com

The Wacky World of Silly Willy Winston—Lila, the only mom between us, said, “My six-year-old is happy to practice his reading skills on this creative and entertaining children’s book.”  www.sillywillywinston.com

Teascapes—This tea company from the east coast was there introducing their new Fall tea. Lila, my long-time tea expert, sampled it on-site, and declared it to be quite good. www.teaandtimeforyou.com

Churned Creamery—They set-up a whole ice cream counter for the guests to have some sweetness along the way, which I thought was really cool. Unfortunately for us, our hands were too busy holding cameras, cards, and gifts to be able to try any that day. But you know that we will, very shortly, because it looked too delicious to stay away from. www.churnedcreamery.com