BEAUTY/PARTY: SONYA DAKAR’S ANNUAL SUMMER ROOFTOP PARTY

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SONYA DAKAR’S ANNUAL SUMMER ROOFTOP PARTY

You know that I love an event when I give-up watching the Olympics for the day to go to it!  And such was the case with this year’s Summer Rooftop Party at Sonya Dakar’s beautiful Beverly Hills Skin Care Clinic.  On the rooftop, of course!  (Hence the title!  Duh.) I’m so glad the weather was perfect for it, too—not too hot, and with a cool ocean breeze.

Looking up to Sonya Dakar's rooftop party from the street in Beverly Hills. Doesn't it look so inviting?   Photo by Karen Salkin.

Looking up to Sonya Dakar’s rooftop party from the street in Beverly Hills. Doesn’t it look so inviting? Photo by Karen Salkin.

I’ve attended it for the past two summers, and I really enjoy that, although this has become an annual event, each year’s rendition differs a bit from the ones before, so we never know exactly what to expect each time.

This is what I experienced at Sonya Dakar’s 2016 soiree, in chronological order:

As I arrived, I was greeted by Mimi Dakar Berry, the adorable VP and Creative Director of the Sonya Dakar Skin Care.  She’s my favorite co-girly-girl, and I was so proud when, a few years back, she looked at my make-up, and said, “A smoky eye with a nude lip—I like it, Kar!”  Most of the other females I know don’t care about such things, which I just don’t understand.  But Mimi always looks great, with attractive clothing, jewelry, make-up, and hair.  And skin, too, of course! I love having someone who’s cute, and savvy, to discuss beauty topics with.

 Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

The very first item that caught my eye was a table full of colorful water bottles from BKR.  When I talked to the lovely rep, I discovered that they’re glass, (which is so much better for you than plastic,) with beautiful-colored silicone covers.  And they come in all my favorite hues.  We got to fill them right away with our choice of fruit-flavored water.  I was happy that they were featuring fresh strawberry as a choice, because I’m never a fan of the spa-obligatory cucumber.

Some of the products from the Sonya Dakar Beauty Boot Camp line.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

Some of the products from the Sonya Dakar Beauty Boot Camp line. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Fully hydrated, (which we must be in these days of intense heat,) I moved on to a much-needed “Fitness Facial” from aesthetician Brie Horshaw, using Sonya Dakar Beauty Bootcamp products.  Let me tell you, that girl really knows what she’s doing!  Between her excellent technique and attention to detail, and Sonya Dakar’s great skin care line, this service was the highlight of my day.  And I was thrilled to see that not only did Brie not let a client leave her station without sunscreen, but as soon as we walked out onto the roof patio at the start of the day, we were offered little individual pots of Sonya’s sunscreen, in the perfect size for us to use right away.  (By the way, not only is Brie knowledgable about skin, but she’s also observant about people.  As we were chatting about my life, she exclaimed, “Girl, you’re seven people in one!”  Or maybe she just saw that on my skin!)

 Photo by Karen Salkin.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

When my skin was sufficiently glowing, I enjoyed a wonderful chat with Sonya’s lovely son (and company GM,) Yigal Dakar, who’s back in town after a long stint in the Big Apple. As we were comparing New York notes, I spied some of the guests consuming a very colorful taste treat.  When I checked into it for myself, I discovered something new in the culinary world.  They were “açai bowls” from Amazebowls, and are so healthful.  I loved the food at an event finally being only good for us! There’s usually nothing I can eat at parties anymore.  This was açai berries that they blended up right in front of us, and then we got to add our own toppings, from a variety of healthful choices.  There were multiple types of fresh berries, shredded coconut, nuts, two kinds of granola, and more.  And the reps appeared to be so happy to be sharing them with us, which made it taste even better.

Anna Ramos, doing a guest's gorgeous nails.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

Anna Ramos, doing a guest’s gorgeous nails. Photo by Karen Salkin.

After having this snack, which gave me a second wind, I was ready to have my nails done.  I received the most caring manicure ever from Anna Ramos.  She was just darling, which is rarely the case at beauty events such as this one. Usually, the manicurists are just a little rough, and don’t seem to care at all about what they’re doing.  I lucked-out with Anna.  The pretty polishes she used were courtesy of Tenoverten, which Anna told me are free of chemicals, which is always a good thing.

All healthy and beautified by that point, I moved on to something new at this party—a tarot reading by Charlotte Eléa of Dream Intuition.  With all the drama and upheaval in my life over the past few years, (not to mention that someone was torturing me that very day!,) I was really interested to see what the cards would tell us.  She said she had seen a career disappointment for me recently, and, at first, I thought she was wrong. But later I realized that one my appearances on the Tonight Show, from back in the day, had just been re-run a couple of weeks ago, and I was disappointed that I didn’t know about it beforehand to let people know, so maybe that’s what Charlotte saw.  It pertained to career and disappointment, so that could be it!  (No worries if you missed it, or are one of the people who keeps asking me to resurrect my TV show.  Knock on wood, I may have some exciting news to announce soon!)

Charlotte Elea doing a tarot reading.  Photo by Karen Salkin.

Charlotte Elea doing a tarot reading. Photo by Karen Salkin.

A big perk of any event at Sonya Dakar’s place is getting to visit my favorite hair guy, Paul Ohana, in his eponymous rooftop-adjacent salon.  Seeing his handsome face always makes me so happy.  I was going through the above-mentioned torture that day, (nothing to do with any of these fabulous services, obviously,) and seeing him put a big smile back on my face instantly.

As we left, we each received a tote bag full of beauty goodies, including multiple lipsticks, the right kind of make-up sponge, and cute slipper-socks.  Chief among them, though, were two of the most popular items from Sonya’s line—her sunscreen in a an easy-to-carry mini-bottle, and her famous Flash Facial one-minute peel, which I’ve loved for years!

So, once again, Sonya Dakar’s Annual Summer Rooftop Party was a success! And now, I can’t wait until her next one.

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