BEAUTY/EVENT: FABFITFUN’S WINTER BOX LAUNCH PARTY

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FABFITFUN’S WINTER BOX LAUNCH PARTY

As I’ve mentioned several times before, (nothing wrong with a bit of self-promotion, is there?,) January is my birthday month. And I could not have thrown a better soiree than my fellow e-ziners, FabFitFun, did last week!

Their fete was to celebrate the launch of their Winter Seasonal Gift Box, that you can all buy for yourselves on their site. It’s an excellent way to try full-size beauty products without paying full price. And there are always extras thrown-in for good measure.

Before I share my thoughts on the content of the boxes, (and those of my co-writer, Alice Farinas, as well,) we must first dish the party. (Alice’s comments are the ones in quotes. All others are mine.)

Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

It was held at Greystone Manor, which is my old stomping grounds, in a way. The actual edifice is the site of my first hip-hop club promoting gig, back in the day, (which I still can’t believe I did!) It was a different club then, and despite the nightly dramas, it was one of the most fun times of my life! So, it was a bit jarring, albeit interesting, to see the same space done-up so differently now. (I hadn’t been there in this incarnation before because, since I broke my back a few years ago, my clubbing days are now, finally, behind me.) But it was really a good-looking interior. It looked so much bigger, yet in the same space. (I just could not, for the life of me, figure out which area was the VIP one now.)

Here are Alice’s take on the premises, and the party atmosphere: “Great venue; it’s gorgeous, from the sexy chandeliers to the multiple stylish bars.  The vibe was very cool and hip. And I really enjoyed the open bar, especially the interesting beer.”

We guests had our choices of several beauty services, and Alice and I took advantage of most. We started with having our hair done (mine flat, hers curly,) by the girls from Stylisted, a salon whose personnel comes to you, and every guest after that owes me a debt of gratitude, if I do say so myself. There was a power outage in that area, and no one knew what to do. They even called in the man from the property who looked to be the “fix-it guy,” and he said he had no idea how to fix the problem! But I came to the rescue and figured it out in one second, (thanks for all the house lessons, Mr. X!,) and we were back up and running within thirty seconds! So, you’re welcome, girls with good hair now! My stylist, Jessica Bautista, (who did my hair perfectly, by the way,) was very impressed.

Pooja Dodhiwala working on a guest's brows. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Pooja Dodhiwala working on a guest’s brows. Photo by Karen Salkin.

After our hair looked better, we were ready to face the rest of the evening. We moved on to the quickest polish changes ever from the girls at Nail Garden. Then Zeel Massage did brief chair massages, (these services couldn’t be longer so as to accommodate as many guests as possible,) and we finished up with having our brows threaded by the ladies from Perfect Brows in Long Beach and Orange County.

While Malti Kumar worked on Alice, the adorable young owner, Pooja Dodhiwala, did mine, which looked perfect after. Alice said, “I took a risk here; I rarely get my brows done because no one usually does them right since I like to keep them thick and full. But Malti listened to what I asked for, and they came out just the way I like them.”

Which arm has the real bracelets?  Photo by INAM staff.

Which arm has the real bracelets? Photo by INAM staff.

There was an extra surprise this time, that turned out to be my favorite service. In addition to the mimi-manis, Nail Garden was also doing temporary tattoos…of bracelets!!! I had seen them on girls once or twice before, but not up-close and personal. I usually wear a bunch of silver-based bracelets, and with the tattoos that Annie Ta did for me, I can just run out of the house like this for the next! (That’s how long they last.) They’re surprisingly attractive, especially my one of a dreamcatcher.

The invite mentioned some snacks, but I couldn’t imagine what they would be like; as a veteran of clubs, I was used to not-great food at them. But the appetizers here was all dee-lish! And the servers could not have been more pleasant, which was such a bonus of this event.

We ate too fast to take pix of the food, so here's one of the sultry bar. Photo by Karen Salkin.

We ate too fast to take pix of the food, so here’s one of the sultry bar. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Alice noted “the hot tidbits were deliciously warm, and the selection was perfect!” My two faves were tiny, round quesadillas that were topped with pico de gallo, and, very surprisingly, the cold veggie spring rolls wrapped in rice paper. Those hit the spot at the beginning of the evening.

Alice preferred the lobster rolls, which were served on pretzel buns, (she said they were “genius and delicious,”) and the “very tasty” beef sliders with cheese. We noticed there were little cups of pudding for dessert, but we were too full, (and pre-occupied with the services,) to try any. (Happily for our waists!)

But, as wonderful as the whole evening was, I think everyone in attendance would have been happy to just receive a wonderful Winter Gift Box! I don’t want to spoil every surprise in there for those of you who will go to the FabFitFun site to order your own, so I’ll just give you some of our highlights:

FabFitFun's fabulous Winter Box. Photo by Karen Salkin.

FabFitFun’s fabulous Winter Box. Photo by Karen Salkin.

–Daniel Stone Coco Candle, that Alice says smells “so relaxing, it’s like walking into a spa!

–Passport to Beauty Gogi Berry Eye Serum—This little bottle alone is worth double the price of the box! Can’t wait to try it!

–Lather Hand Creme—Since my aforementioned club promoting days, actually, I’ve been aware of how hands can tell a woman’s age. An older girl pointed hers out to me back then, and said she was shocked that the younger guy who had asked me to put her on the list, (so he could flirt with her,) didn’t just look at her hands to see that she was older than he was! So, I’m always a bit stymied when females neglect to use hand cream. This jar should start the Winter Box recipients on the right path.

–Half United Fighting Hunger Necklace—This is the most interesting gift; it’s a pendant made from recycled bullet casings, in either silver or gold. But it doesn’t celebrate guns. (Thank goodness!) Rather, the sale of them helps feed children in need. Alice said, “This is such a strong “statement piece” of jewelry. Not only does it look great, but you are doing a world of goodness to purchase it. I’ve already worn mine proudly!”

–Juice Beauty Green Apple Face Peel—Alice said, “It smells so good that you want to eat it!”

And we guests received the boxes in beautiful, colorful Vera Bradley gift bags, that had even more fun products for us! They included: a set of Cheeky paper coffee cups, Salon Perfect brow pomade, Suave and Caress body washes, and Carmex lip balm in pretty, skinny tubes.

For me, receiving all these excellent products at one time was like celebrating my same-month birthday again! I can’t wait for the FabFitFun Spring Box now, to celebrate my one-quarter b-day! (You can all steal that idea for yourselves. And, for this Winter one, you can always use it for Valentine’s Day!)

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