SPAPHILE POP-UP BEAUTY EVENT
Spaphile.com outdid themselves with this beauty event! It was at yearling eatery Tiato in an upscale office building in Santa Monica. The giant indoor/outdoor space was perfect for parties! (More on them later.)
Karen Salkin drooling over the VIP goodie bag! Photo by Renee Anzaruth. All other photos by Karen Salkin.
The services were perfect and varied, the VIP goodie bags were chock full, the food tidbits were excellent, and the company (of mainly females, which is how I feel beauty events should be, except for the cute bartenders, of course,) was perfect for the cozy rainy day.
First I got my nails done by Carol Song of Bellacures salon. Then I segued right over to Mary Seropian of Make-up Mandy for party lashes, which made me the most glamourous turkey-cooker this side of Hollywood. (I got the week-long kind, but making reservations to fly to New York for the holidays made me pull them off earlier than that. Better than tearing my hair out, which I was this close to doing! With my going back-and-forth so much nowadays, I think I really need to find a travel agent! I’m taking all recommendations, so please let me know if you have any.)
The first two services went so quickly that I had time for hair, too. By accident, (trust me,) I arrived with perfect straight hair, so I didn’t need the usual flat-ironing that I choose at all other beauty events. It was pouring out that day, but, by some miracle, my hair had stayed great. So I asked Katherine Robbins, of the Aveda Institute, if she could style it in long loose waves, ala Karina Smirnoff. She did a perfect, easy job and showed me how to do it for myself in the future. But don’t hold your breath for that! I have no hair talent whatsoever, only nails and make-up. How much beauty can one girl create?
They were also doing make-up, a jewelry company was offering discounts, and there was an easy, affordable noodle buffet. But we VIPS had an even better time; we got to come an hour early, try some complimentary passed tidbits, and received wonderful goodie bags. And best of all, we didn’t have to wait for services! Next time Spaphile has an event, check into the VIP rules.
My friend, Vanessa, and I were too busy with services to eat what was available at the soiree, so we did what several of the guests did—sit down in the restaurant and order lunch off the special menu they created for the day. I plan to go back and do a whole review of Tiato early next year, but let me tell you a bit about them now.
This place is owned by the same family behind Crustacean in Beverly Hills, so you know they know what they’re doing! We got to try just a couple of dishes since there were just two of us and not my usual four-person reviewing posse. And Vanessa’s a vegetarian, so that limited us a bit.
But we both agreed that the flatbread pizza was outstanding!!! It was very fresh and flavorful and crispy. Vanessa loved the heirloom tomatoes on it. She also said the vegan tomato soup had the right amount of tang and I noted that it came with a grilled cheese sandwich that was perfect for dipping. I loved my cheeseburger that was really big and was accompanied by delicious sweet potato fries.
The servers were pleasant and helpful, which put a cherry on the whole lovely afternoon. We left there satisfied…and beautiful! What more could one desire from an event? Nothing.
