GBK BRAND BAR’S PRE-OSCAR LUXURY LOUNGE 2024

With the weather being so beautiful last week before the Oscars, all the guests enjoyed being at the outdoor GBK Luxury Lounge, held once again in the second floor garden area of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. (I’ll have more on that lovely hotel in my review of the Oscars tomorrow.)

My co-writer, Laura, (fresh off the plane from a few weeks in Thailand!,) and I love that place. And we feel the same about every GBK lounge, as well!

Laura said, “The whole event had a wonderful flow.  Because of their great lay-out, it never felt overcrowded or hectic.” I agree with her–it was just classy, as usual.

She actually enjoyed the entire atmosphere. She added, “There was a DJ on-site, playing just the right music to keep the party fun—I even noticed several attendees doing a little dance here and there.” (Yes, I was one of them! This hip-hop chick just couldn’t help myself.)

She also told me that she loved the “good vibe, which felt very celebratory–perfect for Oscars week-end.”

You know that I’m rarely interested in any of the celebs that I spy anyplace anymore, unless they’re a personal pal of mine, (or a sports star.) And trust me, GBK always has more, and more famous ones, than any other event does. But this time, I was so excited to meet adorable Rick Glassman from one of Mr. X and my favorite sitcoms, Not Dead Yet. We basically actually bumped right into each other there, so I just had to give him his props. Both Rick and the show are hilarious! I even more rarely ask for a picture with anyone, but I knew I needed one to show Mr. X, so I told Rick that I was sorry to be asking, and he said, “Not at all–I’m actually honored that you want one!!!” I sent it to Mr. X right away, asking if he was jealous—not of Rick for hanging with me, but of me for meeting Rick!!! Good times.

In addition to the yummy desserts that were served on a central serving area all day, they had a guy going around shucking oysters on the spot for anyone who was game enough to try it. But most happily, we all got to nosh on delicious healthful treats from Jane Foodie along with the absolutely fave sandwiches of everyone I know–Ike’s. So let’s begin the discussion of the gifts right there!

Ike’s Love & Sandwiches—Besides that Ike was feeding the crowd royally, he was also giving out his new crop of colorful tee-shirts, some of which even glow in the dark! Laura says, “Ike is such a sweet and kind person that it’s always a treat running into him at a GBK event. I’m so happy for his ongoing success.” And I was so happy to see him there because I had a fun story to share with him. (And now, with you guys!) My friends, Amanda and Marcus, were just here from Rhode Island for five days, and after tasting Ike’s sandwiches on the first day, they had to go back several times for more! They even went out of their way to get some for the plane ride home! His sandwiches are that delicious! Ike himself is, as well!!!  www.ikessandwich.com

Jane Foodie—I’m still overwhelmed by the creativity and generosity of this wonderful new sponsor! The second I saw her perfect and colorful display, I hurried right over to find-out what it was all about. It was actually all incredible healthful food, and the colors were the labels on all of the cans of her freeze-dried specialties. Laura explains that “the founder of this company had a heart attack at the age of forty-one and her doctor warned her that, without lifestyle changes, she wouldn’t live much longer.” So, in finding delicious recipes for herself, she decided to help all of us! I tried her chocolate-coconut-pecan-almond granola right then and there, and have been craving more ever since. I’m sure that everyone felt the same way, about either that snack or Jane’s two homemade soups on offer, which were perfect for the chilly day. I felt myself getting healthier just learning about it all! And to prolong the goodness for everyone, she gifted incredibly generous certificates for her par-cooked and flash-frozen dishes which you order on-line. But guests didn’t receive just the certs—they were presented in perfect-sized insulated food bags, along with a salad dressing, two snacks, and even a cupcake in a mini mason jar!!! The packaging alone is the most impressive I’ve ever seen. She must have been preparing all of it for the past year!!! Wow. Martha Stewart’s got nothin’ on Jane! www.janefoodie.com

Cabo Couture—Having met this fabulous swimwear designer a few years ago, I loved seeing her here again. This time, she was offering a choice of sooo many wonderful gifts that I have no idea how anyone decided among them! There were bathing suits, loungewear, men’s swimming trunks, oversized towels in lovely colors, and Laura’s fave, which she deemed to be an “incredibly fragrant room spray.” She loved it right away, saying, “The scent immediately transported me back to my recent trip to Thailand, reminding me of the luxurious hotel where I stayed. Just a whiff of it fills me with joy, bringing back memories of the beach, poolside lounging, delicious desserts, refreshing poolside cocktails, and the wonderful times I had with new friends. It’s truly amazing how a scent can evoke such vivid memories, and Cabo Couture’s definitely did that for me.” www.cabocouture.com

California Caviar Company—Always one of the most pleasant sponsors, I was happy to see this caviar company again. Many of the guests gathered around their display of domestic caviars, enjoying tastes of the luxurious treat. The VIPs each left with a gift certificate for not only two jars of the delicacy, but an entire “caviar cooler” that includes blini, crème fraîche, and my fave–a duo of beautiful petite mother-of-pearl spoons to dish it all out! www.californiacaviar.com

Mindful Wellness—The doctor from this company and his rep, (who’s a former patient of his, so she’s a great representative of their services,) were friendly, happy, and lovely, so it was a pleasure to learn about what they do. They were gifting ninety-day programs for weight loss or menopause help, which can include “compound medications.” If all the guests look thinner and more relaxed at the next GBK event, we’ll know who helped them get there!!! www.mindfulwellness.com

Beconta Skiwear—After meeting the ladies from this “women’s heritage sport brand,” Laura went home and researched their fam. We both loved that they are the granddaughters of the founder, who was a pioneer in the ski industry, and now they’ve revived his work. Laura says, “It’s fitting that Beconta was gifting very cool, retro-looking ski gloves, which are a nod to the brand’s heyday.” I was just jealous of sisters who get along so well! www.becontawest.com

Mend by L’Essence—This new skincare company gifted their Skin Regenerative System which features several products including a Derma Roller for microneedling, which is a luxury to have at home.  Laura looked over the impressive ingredients, and says, “Gold nanoparticles and pluripotent stem cell technology will welcome you to the era of stem cell-inspired skincare.” www.mendbylessence.com

Here are a few more:

Glow Pups—This company had the most beautiful display. When I saw the comfy doggie couch with stuffed champagne glasses, it made me almost understand how some people dress-up as “furries” to get these fun items for themselves instead of for their dogs! They were gifting a choice of absolutely adorbs dog toys, (which the owners will enjoy looking at even more than their pets will,) along with what Laura deemed to be a “very cute, high-quality rope dog leash, which is a must for a fashionable pup.” The colors of the one that caught my eye, a peaceful yellow blending into a sea foam green, reminded me of one of my favorite substances in the world—banana-pistachio frozen custard in Coney Island! Yum, to both the taste treat and the leash! www.glowpups.com

Let Me Tell My Story—These are basically notebooks in which you write, well, your story. Then you send it to the company, and they’ll turn it into an actual book for you. Since my book that I’ve been working on since the pandemic, (featuring stories about all the celebs I’ve met through the years—you’ll be amazed at some of them!,) is half done, hopefully this will give me the kick-in-the-butt that I need to finally finish it! www.actiontakerspublishing.com

Care A2+ Infant Formula—Mom-of-two Laura tells us, “This Australian-based infant formula company gifted its premium product. While my children have outgrown the need for it, other mothers I know give careful consideration to choosing what to feed their infants. After speaking with the reps at this event, I have a feeling that Care A2+ is the exact kind of product my pals would trust.” www.carea2plus.com

Root Brands—This wellness brand was gifting a bag of coffee to everyone, with some of the guests being able to choose one more gift, such as a lip plumper, supplements, or skin help items, such as the one I’m sure everyone in attendance coveted—Face Lift! www.therootbrands.com

As always for GBK events, this one benefitted a few charities. This time, they were supporting a couple of ones that I really believe in:

The Collective Identity Mentoring is a grassroots mentoring program for young people, with, as their reps told me, a focus on black girls.

And Food on Foot helps LA’s homeless population. They had an adorable personal injury attorney, with the movie star name of Tara-Jane Flynn, on-site with them to make donations on behalf of the guests who answered a question. I was asked to name any female Supreme Court Justice ever, so, of course, I chose Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was fresh in my mind since this season’s otherwise-perfect Bachelor, Joey, had recently confused her with an unfortunate prisoner who was in the news at the time! So thank you to GBK for helping me make-up for Joey’s cute but regrettable faux pas.