After spending several Halloweens with none of my LA pals celebrating, which makes me sad, I figured that I needed to get the festivities going by taking my second favorite holiday into my own hands this year. I began the fun early by donning my Halloween nails which were given to me by a good friend last October. I figured why wait until today? Or even this week? I started rocking them on October 3rd!!! I’m happy to report that they’ve brought smiles to the faces of the majority of people I’ve run into since then.

Karen Salkin’s Halloween nails. The designs on her pointers and ring fingers are her faves. Photo by Mr. X.

I had already colored my hair a sort-of dark orange, (by accident, actually—I thought the picture on the box matched my own auburn tresses,) so I’ve kept it like that.

Then I changed the background and cards of my on-line Solitaire game, (which I play only on my iPad to fall asleep at night and then to wake-up my brain up in the morning,) into the Halloween designs. The deck is so cute, on both the faces and the backs, that I really get a kick out of them. (They’re so cute, in fact, that I just may keep using them for a couple of more weeks until I switch-up to the Xmas ones!)

Photo by Karen Salkin.

I’ve also been collecting trick-or-treat candy from all the generous places I’ve visited throughout the month, (why does a doctor visit have to be just scary, and not in a good way?,) and gathered it all in fun little plastic pumpkins for my sugarholic bae.

And I’ve accepted as many fun holiday-centric invitations as I could, even while watching baseball’s many postseason games.

In the entertainment category, I began that early, as well, right at the beginning of the month, when a friend and I saw the spookiest musical ever, Little Shop of Horrors, in Thousand Oaks. (In case you missed my review earlier this month, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-little-shop-of-horrors-3.)

The one entertainment I wish I hadn’t missed is Blood/Love, a new rock musical performed at what sounds like a fun pop-up club in Hollywood. As Mr. X always says about me, I was overbooked this month. But we all still have this whole final weekend to see it! (Info here: www.bloodlove.com.)

Even for this time of year, I cannot force myself to watch horror films, but Mr. X and I have spent more hours than I care to admit watching Dish’s “dishscapes” of their “Haunted Mansion” and “Fear Farm” tableaus, which both feature subtle little scary bits throughout. The farm one even features a barn with a setting like that funny-but-scary Geico commercial with the stupid kids hiding behind the hanging chainsaws in it. I love that! (As a matter of fact, I just published an entire column on just that one ad! if you missed it earlier this week, here’s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/television-the-best-commercial-on-tv-ever.)

One of the Halloween Dishscapes. Doesn’t that barn look like the one in the Geico commercial? Photo by Karen Salkin.

While far from a horror film, we also re-watched The Sixth Sense, which is sort-of scary.

And we spent a late afternoon driving around to see decorated Halloween houses. The ones in the east part of the Valley are particularly fabulous! If you’re looking to see some spooky decorations, I suggest you head in that direction. Or, if you can brave massive crowds, maybe take in the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval, (their spelling, not mine,) on Santa Monica Blvd. tonight; Mr. X and I came upon all the over-the-top decorations there earlier this week, and they definitely brought a smile to our faces.

Decorations in Toluca Lake. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Now let’s all have a fun and especially, safe, time tonight. Then in the morning, off come my Halloween nails, and we’re on to Thanksgiving!

But for today, I wish you all a Happy Halloween!

A different look at some of the gifts. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the big pic at the top of this page.

In the middle of these dreary past few months, one of the few bright spots has been the discovery of some fabulous products to tell you about.

Summers for me are usually filled with reviewing parties, play openings, and restaurants, so I rarely get the chance to give you gift suggestions in this season. But as I’ve been discovering and enjoying some worthwhile new items recently, I realized that you guys might like to use some of your superfluous time this month to reward someone (or even just yourself) with one or more of these very fun and useful recommendations.

One of the things I love about this group is that they’re all so different from each other, and are uber-interesting. I’ve even shared some of them with Mr. X and my Reviewing Panel, all with positive feedback. So let’s get right to my suggestions already.

Four Seasons at Angelino’s—Just when we’re all craving a new diversion from the sad situations we’ve been experiencing for most of 2020 comes this entertaining new book from first-time author, Caroline McBride. (Her name is so perfect that I kept thinking it was one of her characters’ monikers!) Four Seasons at Angelino’s is such an effortless read. The story is for everyone, especially world travelers and restaurant lovers. And romantics, as well.

I can totally see this tale becoming a movie. (Thank goodness Kate Hudson has aged out of rom-coms.) The main character, Charlotte McPherson, lives a life that is even more glamorous than my friends think mine is! She appears heavily influenced by the author’s adventures, so I just may have to track down bi-coastal Caroline and make her My New Best Friend!

As an outlying ginger, (my hair is auburn, so both redheads and brunettes can claim me,) I was thrilled to discover this book has a red-headed heroine. And there are so many other aspects to this novel that I appreciate, as well.

First of all, just about all of the story is linear, which makes following and digesting it pretty effortless. And it all makes sense, too—as extravagant as the locations and adventures are, you just know that people do live lives like this. (Just not the majority of us, which is why we have books like this one!) And best of all, it’s easy to read; even though it’s almost three hundred pages, you can whip through it in either a day or a few nights. It’s a perfect beach read. Or a cuddle-up-in-bed one.

Another bonus is that the characters are well-defined; I’m sure the readers will have no trouble casting them in their imaginations as they go along. I had the easiest time with the sexy male bartender, but I’m keeping him to myself!

The best part is that you cannot predict the ending. Just like real-life, it could go so many different ways. Caroline wrote it in a style to keep you guessing while still being in the loop. And it’s fun that the entire scenario takes place over one year, hence the “Four Seasons” of the title! (The “Angelino’s” is the Italian restaurant group for which Charlotte is the PR person.)

My fellow bi-coastal ginger, author Caroline McBride, in the Big Apple.

What makes the read even more special is that the author, Caroline McBride, is a restaurant publicist herself, so she knows of what she writes! And she’s been to all the international cities she takes her readers to, so a lot of the action is based on personal experience. I just wonder if all the romance is! (I’ll try to get the real-life scoops for you when she and I become besties.)

As someone who’s spent exactly three months of my life since I was fifteen without a boyfriend, I got to live the single life vicariously through the lead character in this novel. [Sidebar note: If she was a real girl, I would tell her what I’ve always told all my single pals—please enjoy the journey because once you’ve found the love of your life, all those crazy experiences are over. Other adventures come up, of course, but they’re of an entirely different ilk. So please cheer up with that in mind, my single peeps out there!]

And as a decades-long restaurant critic, with tons of access to the behind-the-scenes machinations of eateries, I can ascertain that this is a very accurate depiction of the restaurant scene.

So trust me when I suggest you read Four Seasons at Angelino’s this summer. It’s exactly the kind of entertainment we all need right now. www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons-Angelinos-Caroline-McBride/dp/1642935638

Nexsey Neck Tape—This is a show business secret that I’m sharing just this once, so pay attention! Some of us LA actresses had been hearing about this “neck tape” for a while, and were dying to see how it works. Then, because I rail against bad necks all the time to anyone who will listen, someone sent me a roll, suggesting I give it to my “older friends, who may really need it,” (or something to that effect,) which I really appreciated! So a few of us on my Reviewing Panel tried it out. And guess what? We all loved Nexsey! (Now I wish I had not shared it with them—I totally need more, asap!)

Before we received it, I was thinking that it might be something complicated, like the contraption that the character Mrs. Chancellor used on The Young and The Restless back in the day. I was just an impressionable young girl when I saw her do that, and it scared the heck out of me!

But Nexsey is great! It’s nothing like that one, (although some of those are still on the market. How creepy. I guess those companies don’t realize what century this is!)

The demonstration of how to use the tape, straight from the Nexsey website!

To use Nexsey when you’re out and about, your hair just needs to be long enough to cover your neck in the back. But in these days of Zoom calls, where people see you from only the front, everyone can use it, even bald guys!!!

You just pull your neck sort-of tightly in the back and then tape it with Nexsey. And that is it! (Okay, it is a tad more involved than that, but that’s the gist.) It should be a godsend to many now, since elective surgery is a no-no until the pandemic restrictions are lessened greatly. And really, people—would you rather have plastic surgery or just use Nexsey every now and then when you need it?!

But shhh—you guys and my team are the only people with whom I’m sharing this secret! (And, by the way, this technique does not work with any other tape—trust me, we tried!) www.nexsey.com

Bye! Bye! Germs—These are two Double Dare Spa products that every person on earth needs right now! The Bye! Bye! Germs line is made-up of All-Purpose Sanitizing Spray and All-Purpose Sanitizing Wipes.

My entire team has been using them recently, and we love both products. Every single one of us noticed that the spray has a light, lovely fragrance which is not overpowering or obnoxious, as we’ve found with several other antibacterial products. Mr. X and I even spray the inside of our masks with it because it makes us feel better. That could possibly be due to aloe being one of the ingredients.

These convenient travel-size items come in handy for all kinds of disinfecting in these troubled times. (Or anytime in life—I’ve always toted products like these even before the pandemic because I’m a germaphobe. And all the moms I know can’t live without them!)

My own Bye! Bye! Germs! duo. Photo by Karen Salkin.

In addition to using Bye! Bye! Germs on hands, both iterations are perfect to use on packages, phones, door handles, counters, and even clothing! And do not forget those grocery carts! And we should all use the spray version in the air around us, especially on planes.

But there’s one extra, nutty reason I’m such a fan of this product. In addition to how great it smells and how convenient it is and its affordability, (which is not always the case with hand sanitizers nowadays,) I love it because of…the exclamation marks in the title!!! OMG! That’s just what I always do, (in case you haven’t noticed.)

So Bye! Bye! Germs wipes and spray are winners, on every level. www.doubledarespa.com

Twinings Teas—I have a feeling that many of you already know about my obsession with all things tea. It’s just the most relaxing substance on earth, (especially when I have time to savor an entire afternoon tea service.) So I was thrilled when someone recently sent me a “quarantine care package” of a whole bunch of Twinings Tea bags!

I was pleasantly surprised to see that this iconic tea company has a couple of new, hip lines to go along with their time-honored ones. Their “Cold Infuse” products are perfect for this summer of heatwaves. They’re actually not even tea, per se. They’re herbal water enhancers that feature various blends of fruits and herbs. You just add the contents of the package to water and in just five minutes you’ll be deliciously refreshed!

Photo by Karen Salkin.

But Mr. X and I are in love with their hot teas, especially the ones from their new “Wellness” line. These don’t come in just flavors—they each have a purpose! My fave is Glow, which is said to promote “healthy, glowing skin.” And its flavor is strawberry and cucumber, which I cannot tell you how perfect for every afternoon that is. I just add a bit of honey, and I promise you—I can actually taste both flavors in there! Ahhh.

Mr. X, who has been having trouble sleeping during the pandemic, was thrilled to discover Unwind, which is caffeine-free, and touted to support “a good night’s sleep.” And its flavor is spiced apple and vanilla! Yum. I’d force myself to stay awake just to drink more of it!

And to make it all even more special, there’s a “u” in “flavoured,” so just looking at the packages made me feel like I was in England. And who knows more about tea than the Brits? ‘Nuff said. www.twiningsusa.com

Lynne Reichhart’s Note Cards—As the proud owner of several of this wonderful artist’s paintings, I was absolutely thrilled when a box of her note cards arrived! Each one features a miniature version of one of her now-famous renderings of a variety of subjects. There are still lifes, landscapes, flowers, and a bunch of other topics.

My absolute favorite is one depicting afternoon tea, of course! My mouth literally waters just looking at it.

My fave!

My only problem with all this stunning-ness is–I don’t want to send them to anyone! The only one who would have deserved one of Lynne Reichhart’s gorgeous note cards from me was my little mother. She would have gone berserk over each and every one of them!

Oh wait—there is one more person I’d like to reward with this beauty! And that is…yours truly! I’m bestowing the entire collection upon…myself. I’m going to frame each one and make an installation on a wall, to cheer me up in this dreary year. What an affordable way to bring some happiness into someone’s life. www.artbylmr.com

FabFitFun Fall Box—As with all four seasons, I was thrilled to receive my Fall Box from FabFitFun’s subscription series. In the midst of all the recent turmoil, (the virus, the heatwave, way too many fires, the mailboxes being taken away, and concerns over the upcoming election, along with all the other basic problems in America right now,) I had not given a thought to when it would arrive. So it was a major surprise. And a lovely bright spot in this trying time.

My FabFitFun box with just a few of the gifts inside it. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Subscribers always have several options among the fabulous items, and get to customize their own boxes. But since I receive the Editor’s Edition, the FFF powers-that-be do the choosing for me. That’s always a relief to me because I’ve never been able to make decisions. I know that might come as surprise to many of you, who see me as being so in charge of every situation, but I often can’t even decide between two outfits! I’m always second-guessing myself. So having other beauty-and-fashion fans surprise me with the products is a pleasure!

Some of the highlights of my own FabFitFun Fall Box are: a mist spray to help you sleep, (which I’m going to try as soon as I finish writing this!); a good-quality mascara (which is the only make-up product of which I’m constantly in need!); a spray that removes wrinkles from my always-abused wardrobe; a pricey multi-metal designer bracelet; a pretty liquid highlighter; and a hair oil that doubles as a stress-reliever!

On top of all that, being an art lover, my favorite aspect of the whole shebang is…the colorful and artistic boxes themselves!!! I have never ever gotten rid of any of them. (Just ask the increasingly-annoyed-at-my-way-too-many-possesions Mr. X!) I stack them, (filled with hidden treasures, of course,) in my living room, as an art installation! FFF features a different artist each time, and not one has disappointed me. The existence of the FFF boxes makes me wish there were more than four seasons in a year! (Well, in 2020, it seems that there have been!) www.fabfitfun.com

Well, that’s it for this Gift Guide. I hope it’s given you a happy distraction from all the negativity we’ve been experiencing lately. Now go put some happiness in someone’s life, if even your own, with one or more of these suggestions.

Happy Gift Giving!

People always ask me why I don’t do a Mother’s Day Gift Guide every year. The answer is that I would love to do it that often, but I don’t always find enough items that I feel will make fabulous gifts. So, happily, this year I discovered several of them!

There’s something on this list for every kind of mother. And for all other females, as well. (I only wish I had ever received any kind of “Auntie” gift from one of my nieces and nephews, blood-related or not.)

Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.

I want to thank my trusty Review Panel for their hard (but fun) work in going through very many products so that we can recommend only the most worthwhile ones to my cherished readers.

So whether you give these as Mother’s Day gifts next week, (yes, it’s upon us that soon,) or for any other occasion, or are just treating yourself, (which we should always do,) I’m confident that everyone will be happy with any one, or all, of these choices. I’m happy to say that they cover a whole plethora of categories.

And perhaps best of all, we INAM ladies recently ordered all of them for ourselves, and they got here pretty quickly. (But don’t sleep on them—Mother’s Day is next week-end already!)

So we’re happy to bring you this year’s Mother’s Day Gift Guide:

Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna—Tickets to see any Cirque du Soleil production are among my top gifts of all time! It seems that they have a show playing somewhere around the world every day and night. I’ve seen many of their presentations and have never been disappointed. I’m always amazed at how these people come up with different and creative ways to constantly entertain us. And for my SoCal readers, Amaluna is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day because that actual title is, as the powers-that-be over there explain, “a fusion of the words ‘ama,’ which refers to ‘mother’ in many languages, and ‘luna,’ which means “moon,” which is a symbol of femininity that evokes both the mother-daughter relationship and the idea of goddess and protector of the planet.” And on this mysterious island where it all takes place, the queen “directs her daughter’s coming-of-age ceremony in a rite that honors femininity, renewal, rebirth, and balance which marks the passing of these insights and values from one generation to the next.” How much better of a story can you see for this occasion?! And it’s all just the backdrop for new jaw-dropping athletic feats, of course. To make it all even more special, this particular show is once again under Cirque’s signature blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau, on the waterfront in San Pedro. What a great gift to anyone on earth! www.cirquedusoleil.com

Gerard Cosmetics Glitter Lipsticks—One of my favorite gift suggestions of the past few years, for all occasions, is the assorted lipsticks from this fun cosmetics company. My friends and I all love every iteration of lip adornment they’ve offered through the years, but I almost passed-out from excitement when I recently discovered their new Glitter Lipstick! Talk about having luscious lips! My Review Panel and I tried all six of the shiny colors, and we agreed that any one of them would make a great gift! But we voted the gold-tinged “Hollywood Blvd.” and the rich red “Cupid” to be our faves. (Don’t let the “Glitter” moniker scare you—they’re not crazy sparkly. But these lipsticks make your lips so shiny that you do not need a gloss!) And pair the lipsticks with one of their creamy lip pencils, (“Sugar and Spice” is perfect,) and your gift recipient will love you forever!  www.gerardcosmetics.com

MariBelle Confections–A business associate who used to always send me weird gifts, (one of them was a faux fur blanket that Mr. X and I both thought was a dead raccoon when we opened the box…and screamed,) finally sent me the famous stunningly-adorned MariBelle chocolates from New York. They are so gorgeous, luxurious, and delicious that I said he never had to to send me another gift ever again! And guess what? He never did!!! But that was fine; these chocolates are that good. I recommend any one of their confections at any time, but for this particular occasion, I suggest something in their special lovely pink boxes, and their Mother’s Day Vintage Ganache Cake, the description of which sounds like it’s a slice of chocolate heaven! Just looking at their website, and feasting my eyes on their famous teal-and-brown logo, makes my mouth water! (And Mr. X’s, as well; he just looked at it and told me he’s ordering something from there for every culinary gift he ever gives!) www.mariebelle.com

Karen Michelle’s Destiny Candles—Someone once gave me one of these wonderful candles and I adored it! I doubt there’s anyone who doesn’t love a good candle. And these Karen Michelle ones have so many extras to recommend them.  First of all, they come in an array of yummy fragrances. I love the Fresh Rain the most, because it evokes romance. And my Panel members say that the combo Strawberry and Champagne one is especially delicious; even the name is sumptuous. Secondly, when you melt them, the skin-conditioning ingredients, (coconut, soy, apricot, aloe vera, vitamin E, shea butter, and jojoba oil) turn into massage oil! (So an extra Mother’s Day gift would be to give her a massage, too!) But best of all to me, (and to the entire Panel,) they all come with a surprise trinket (such as a pair of earrings or a little ring) at the bottom, to cheer you up when the candle has burned down! What more do you need to be sold on them? Not a thing.  www.karenmichelle.com/product/destiny-candle

Sexy Boss Babe Nails—Even though everything else about my looks is totally real, I recently began rocking fake nails, and I’m here to tell you how fun they’ve been!  And comfortable, too, which I was surprised to discover. And if you deem the ones from this company to be too long, or in some cases pointy, for you or your giftee, they’re very easy to file down, while still keeping the attractiveness. A file and glue even come in each package, along with two dozen nails in twelve sizes! The Panel tried-out several colors, which we had such fun doing, and we deemed the red “Fearless” and the aptly-named “Shine Bright” to be the sexiest.  Best of all, though, is that not only does this company have very affordable colors/designs for every taste, but they have a charity component, as well. One hundred percent of the proceeds of one of my favorite colors of theirs, a holographic light blue, with the luxurious “Like A Diamond,” goes to charities that support foster youth and survivors of human trafficking. They chose that hue because light blue is the national awareness color for foster care, and blue, in general, is the national awareness color for human trafficking. So by giving a mom these nails, you’re helping her be fashionable and a good person at the same time! It’s a winning gift, on every level!  www.sexybossbabe.com

Cailyn Gen Lux Eyebrow Gel—I’ve long been a fan of this cosmetics company’s products, so I was thrilled when I discovered that they’re also in the brow game. My Review Panel and I tried out four colors, and found that there is truly something for everyone! It very conveniently comes in eight shades.Nutmeg and Cocoa seemed to fit most of us on the Panel, with the more dramatic among us voting for Mahogany. And we all loved the ease of the built-in brush. With summer coming up, we’re especially appreciative that the gel is waterproof and smudge-proof; there’s nothing worse than getting out of the pool with eyebrow make-up dripping down your face! www.cailyncosmetics.com

Double Dare Spa Masks—My entire Review Panel went nuts over this company’s OMG Red + Snail Masks. We all actually uttered, “OMG!,” when we took them out of their packages! They’re made of some special material that adheres to your face better than the rest of the masks we’ve tried, so nothing drips down when you have it on. And they come out of the package pretty chilled, so you don’t even have to refrigerate them. (Maybe it’s the snail secretion ingredient in them—those little critters must be cold-blooded!) And to hold your hair back when you’re using the mask, (which is so important, isn’t it my fellow long-tressed beauties?,) use their adorbs oversized terrycloth OMG Mega Hair Band, which comes in several bright colors.  (Here’s a fun tip: You can get these two items in a set, so it’s an even nicer, more visually-enticing gift.) A few of us followed the masks with this company’s Light On Serum Primer, which is designed to brighten and blur, and we were the belles of the ball that night! www.doubledarespa.com

Chietowa Tokyo Crane Card Case—You can’t go wrong with any item from this purse company out of Japan, but I especially admire their card case, the one adorned with cranes. That symbolic design, of a flying crane, (which is the national bird of Japan,) is considered to be a lucky charm. (And who among us doesn’t need that?) The company writes on their site, “The crane bags were designed with our sincere wishes that your days will be filled with hopes like those of cranes flapping their wings to the world.” You can’t give your loved one a gift with a more loving sentiment than that!  www.chietowatokyo.com

Yon-Ka Time Resist Night Cream—It might be worth it to me to have a child if they would be good enough to give me this amazing night cream from Paris! For people who are too time-constrained, (or lazy,) to take care of their skin during the day, (you know who you are,) this is indeed the product for you. It’s the only facial product you need at night after you wash your face, for repair purposes. (And who does not need that.) And because of the luxuriousness of the entire product line, it’s a very classy gift for any Mother’s Day person in your life. www.yonka.com

Toddlecraft Baby Book—With so many of my gal pals getting married and having kids these days, I thought I’d include a little something-something for all the new moms, and moms-to-be, out there. Not only is a baby book a very thoughtful gift, but this particular one is really cute. It includes pages to commemorate all of baby’s first holidays, space for photos, and a built-in keepsake pouch attached to the back cover. And it comes in its own gift box, to boot! You don’t have to do anything to make it more special, (unless you would be happy to include an offer to baby-sit! Just suggesting.)  www.amazon.com/dp/B07H3BHCD9

Marc Edward Facial—This one is just for my SoCal readers. For special occasions such as this one, I always appreciate receiving a gift certificate for a beauty service, and you cannot get better than a facial with Marc Edward in Hollywood! He’s incredibly knowledgable about product ingredients, and he uses some of the over two dozen specialized machines to achieve the best results for each of his clients. But best of all to me is how caring he is about his clients’ health, not just looks. He’s actually the person who may have saved my life last year! In my very first facial with him, Marc noticed a tiny dot on my forehead, and made me promise to show it to my dermatologist right away, which I did, (only because I had promised.) And it turned out to be the c-word, which needed to be removed asap. So he makes my skin look good and keeps me alive! That makes a gift certificate for a facial with Marc the gift that keeps on giving!   www.marcedwardskincare.com

Happy Gifting!