GBK’S PRE-OSCARS GIFT LOUNGE 2019

GBK’s 2019 Oscars lounge returned to the site of last year’s successful event, the luxurious St. Supéry Tasting Salon on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. My contributing writer, Noelle, (whose comments are all the ones in quotes throughout this article,) had never seen this place before, and marveled that it “feels spacious and cozy at the same time.” And she “loved the central grand staircase and circular layout,” as did I.

The guests enjoyed samples of wines from the St. Supéry Vineyard in Napa Valley, which added a bit of panache to the proceedings. Noelle tried their Merlot, and deemed it to be “rich and nutty, with a beautiful dark cherry hue,” while I just enjoyed chatting with the lovely winemaker, Brooke. www.stsupery.com

Almost as soon as we entered the impressive venue, I had a lovely convo with Julius Tennon, who was there with his wife, Viola Davis, with whom I share our college acting professor—and he’s still both of our dear friend, after all of these years! (I was recently asked to review a play the couple is producing, and speaking with Julius gave me a push in that direction. So, if it’s a good review, they need to thank GBK! And me, too, of course.)

About the event itself, Noelle said, “The ambiance was elegant and warm. The lounge was situated on two circular levels, which made all the sponsors easy to spot. And the variety of gifts was fantastic; I learned a lot about some really amazing products.”

There were soooo many, in fact, that we need to begin telling you about the highlights already!

California Caviar Company—This company from Sausalito, (the first place I stayed in when I arrived in Cali as a teen-ager, and the reason I wound-up in LA!,) had a mouth-watering display of sustainable domestic caviars, which I’m sure the assemblage really enjoyed tasting. On top of that, they were gifting certificates for a full-out caviar spread for—get this—a dozen people!!! How generous is that?! Now, if only there were that many people I like anymore. For reals. www.californiacaviar.com

U.SK Under Skin—We spent some time with the amiable multi-national reps of this new skin care line, and learned sooo much about what they have to offer. They actually chose personalized gifts for each guest, and had us sample a few. Noelle deemed the Anti-Aging Dermaplump skin serum to be “Botox in a bottle!” She tried it on her hand, and said she not only “loved the consistency and fragrance,” but it made her hand “look like that of a teenager!” She also tried the Advance Defense Booster, which is designed for oily skin, and said her skin “felt soft, without feeling greasy.” And we were both fans of their “simple and elegant” packaging. www.underskin.com

WEN Hair and Body Care—Yes, you did read that right—Wen now also has body care! They gifted everyone a bag that was “chock full” of their products, both established and new, including their dry cleanser, (for, as Noelle put it, “those days when you just don’t have time to wash your hair,”) body treatments, and even ones for the lips! On the way out, Noelle had her hair blown by their “adorable” stylist Benn Pullis. She told me that the product he used on her tresses “smells fantastic and didn’t leave a residue,” which is always a bonus. www.chazdean.com

AZN Labs—I knew right away that this anti-aging skincare is a powerhouse—it has ingredients from Japan and science from Korea! That just might be a stronger marriage than even Paul and Linda McCartney’s was! The reps were gifting their new Afterglow Ampoule, which is said to help achieve more youthful-looking skin. If our faces get as beautiful as their packaging is, we’ll be all set! www.beautytap.com

Bridgewater Candle Company—I have never seen a more beautiful and inviting display at a gifting lounge than the one from this newbie to it all!!! They created an entire fireplace scene in their little area of the lounge! Between the visual and the aromas of their very interesting candle collections, I just wanted to grab a pillow and lie down right there! They were gifting a duo of candles that not only smell beautiful, but have lovely monikers, such as Afternoon Retreat and Sweet Grace, to boot. And for each candle sold, they donate meals to orphans around the world. Talk about a win-win! www.bridgewatercandles.com

Ettitude—My mouth watered when I saw this inviting linen display, in muted pastels, which I love! Noelle was a fan of the “softness of the organic bamboo pillowcases.” She told me they felt like they’re “extremely breathable.” That might be because they, and the sheets, are hypoallergenic. I just cared that they’re so attractive! (Have I mentioned that I’m shallow?) www.ettitude.com

Sound of Sleep—Let me tell you—I absolutely cannot sleep without the sound of white noise! That makes travel an issue for me, because my portable machine is sort-of big and heavy. So I was thrilled to discover this brand! Not only is their LectroFan Micro2 tiny, but it contains so many different sounds that I may wind-up staying awake for a while just to choose one to go to sleep to!!! www.soundofsleep.com

Lunchbox Wax—This was a fun one. Since this waxing boutique wasn’t about to do bikini waxes on-site (duh,) they gifted the next best thing. To go along with their name, the gift (a gift card along with a “fantastic” pre-and-post-wax kit and a flask, which I assume you can fill to help you get through the never-fun procedure, ) came in a cute white-and-pink lunchbox! When I was carrying one, a male guest even came over to tell me that he loved what he erroneously thought was my purse! (You just know that I’m going to use it as such now, don’t you?) Noelle said that every time she looks at their logo of a woman holding the lunchbox in front of her crotch, she “giggles.” She admired this gift as “one of the most memorable marketing tools” she’s ever seen. She added, “If anything can get you to laugh about a bikini wax, this is it!” www.lunchboxwax.com

Signature by Basicare—As girly-girls, we both loved discovering these professional beauty tools and brushes. We spent some time perusing their items, and since Noelle spent over a decade in the spa business as a “very picky” aesthetician and make-up artist, I’m going to let her tell you about the highlights. She says, “The Clean Me Softly Dual Facial Cleansing Brush is fabulous. It effectively exfoliates without being harsh on sensitive skin. I love the Angled Flat Contour and Blush Brush, which has just the right amount of firmness. And the Ergonomic Nail Clipper, which has a non-slip handle and contoured blades for precision clipping, will even work on feline nails! And it comes with a cute drawstring pouch, as well!” What she said. www.signaturebybasicare.com

PlaneAire—We germaphobes loved discovering this Surface & Air Purifying Travel Mist, which is an antibacterial spray to use on surfaces and your personal space, while on a plane. Frequent traveler Noelle says, “I spend a lot of time on planes, so I usually travel with wipes, but it never occurred to me to spray the air around me!” And this has a “fresh, clean scent, so it shouldn’t bother the other passengers” you may be spraying around! She was thrilled to have it to use on her flight back to Montreal right after the Oscars. It made her seat-mates not only less germy, but jealous of her for owning this innovative item! www.planeaire.com

Drop Stop—As Noelle put it, this duo “enthusiastically showcased their invention, which had been featured on Shark Tank.” It’s a seat-gap-filler for your car, that prevents “important items” from falling into the console area. (Noelle uses “your cell phone” as an example, but I’m going with lipstick and nail files! So who’s the shallow one?) We also both appreciate that it’s black, so it will “work with any car’s interior.” www.buydropstop.com

The Subtle Mind—Although there’s absolutely nothing subtle about my mind, we loved speaking with the spiritual beings from this company. I swear, I really think they calmed us down for the day, because we were in a rush when we entered the event, and I was shocked at how long we had been there when we left! I think these ladies must have put us in a zen state! They gifted each person a little crystal to “clear their energy fields and purify their space,” along with one other little item that they felt each guest needed, such as a Palo Santo, which cleanses bad energy when burned. www.thesubtlemind.com

International Star Registry—Years ago, when Mr. X had finally run-out of birthday presents for me, he named a star for my beloved Clarence, The Singing Dog, and me—the Karen and Clarence Star. (Duh. But shallow moi was glad that I got top billing!) That’s what this company was doing at this event; they gave gift certificates so the VIPs can do the same for their loved ones. (Or themselves—whichever floats their boats.) But I’m sure that everyone will be sad to find-out that “the Karen and Clarence Star” is already taken! www.starregistry.com

Vetreska—I am not a fan of cats, (nor they of me!,) so Noelle will tell you all about this company from China who was gifting cat products. She says, “Their cat grass kit consists of organic oat seeds and a paper pulp compost, so there is no soil required. My feline friends love cat grass and I think this is a fantastic way to grow it; you don’t plant it–you just add water! And The Cactus Grinder is fantastic; it’s intended to grind catnip, but can be used for other spices in your kitchen. And it’s super cute!” So, cats and kitchens—two things yours truly knows nothing about! www.hzadm.com

Fit Farm—The rep from this fitness and wellness boot camp/retreat that’s based just outside of Nashville was on hand to share details of their various retreat options. They were gifting celebs the “Weekend Warrior” package. Noelle liked that “the focus isn’t just on weight loss, but rather on general health and wellness.” My wimp self is just glad that it’s only a week-end of boot camp! www.fit.farm

As always, GBK chose a charity to benefit from their event. This time it was Reach Up, Reach Out, which is an organization that helps care for orphans and widows in developing nations, with a focus in East Africa. What a very worthy cause. www.reachupreachout.org