OSCARS EVENTS 2011 WRAP-UP
I really want to close-out my Oscars coverage for 2011 before the 2012 season is upon us!!! So, I’m going to combine two events I did on one day to show you just how hectic the season can be. (But I’m telling you about the impressive nighttime party first.) And remember, if you missed the columns about all the other suites, just go to the Gifting Suites section of this site and catch-up at your leisure.
QVC OSCARS PARTY
I have never seen more people at an event in my entire show business career!!! As we pulled-up to the Four Seasons Hotel valet, I thought all the people were there for several different events, but it turns-out they were all there for QVC’s humongous Oscars soiree!
The shopping channel was filming live while we were partying. [Note: when I used to host a couple of shopping shows several years ago, for a different company, we never got to do fun location stuff like this! And Mr. X kept buying the jewelry I was hawking, so I just had to move on to another show biz gig.]
It was that awful stormy night out, two days before the Oscars telecast, and this was a garden party, but, somehow, the hotel tented over the place and everyone was fine. Except for the girls in high heels, though, who had to navigate the muddy terrain. It’s the first time I was glad that my back situation is preventing me from wearing heels for a little while longer, so I had flat boots on.
Katherine McPhee hanging in the little lobby where many of us were hiding from the rain.
Anyway, this place was jam-packed with celebrities–I saw some of the Kardashians, Joan Rivers, Nicole Ritchie, Katherine McPhee, and the lovely Kelly Rutherford, to name a few.
And the passed hors d’oervres could not have been classier. Which means that there were none that picky I eat! But the rest of the assemblage went to town on them. There were tuna tartare, truffled grilled cheeses, caviar-topped blini, and shredded crab toasts. An unbelievably nice server named Sherri took pity on me and asked the chef to whip-up something that I could eat, which I told her was totally unnecessary at an event of this magnitude. But he sent out some plain blini for me, just in case, which was very kind of both of them.
The desserts were perfect, though–red velvet cupcakes, chocolate-caramel tarts, and red cotton candy in paper cones, even though my days in the circus (for reals!) kind-of put me off the last one a bit.
But, the piece de resistance was the goodie bags they gave some of us as we exited–I’ve really never seen anything like them at a party before. (They were so impressive that my friend’s bag even got pilfered while we were waiting for the valet, with her purse in it! The next day, the thieves returned the purse, complete with cash, but kept the goodie bag!!! That’s a first!) The giant bags themselves were literal works of art–paintings of girls with rhinestone jewelry studded on them. Just beautiful. And they were stuffed with hair and cosmetics products, vitamins, scarves, and work-out DVDs, among other items.
In conjunction with the party, QVC hosted a beauty suite in a room off the garden. It wasn’t a gifting suite–it was a total beauty suite, with everything from facials to hair to make-up. I arrived at the hotel camera-ready, since I had just been at a couple of suites earlier that day, but when my new blow-out got a tad damp from the constant downpour, I was invited into the suite by a guy who recognized me from my show. (Thank goodness there are still many who do!) Once inside, Matt, from Sally Hershberger in New York, freshened my droopy ’do so I could continue with the festivities. The whole bright room looked like such fun, though, that I hope the next time QVC hosts a suite, I’ll get to review it all for you. And for me, too, of course! (I hate when people, like the curly-haired Haley on American Idol, claim, “I do it for you, the fans.” Yeah, right–like the people who watch the show care if she sings or not??? Puh-leez. Gimme a break.)
There was an additional fun activity throughout the evening; a roaming photographer snapped posed photos of many of the guests, both famous and not, and we then found them on a computer in the garden, and emailed them to whomever we chose. Two cute girls next to me kind-of gasped, and they showed me that their pic was being featured on a giant board for the whole assemblage to see! They gigglingly took pictures of the photo on the board, which I thought was a good idea. So, when mine shockingly came-up later, I embarrassedly copied them, although it was far from my shining head shot. Considering the circumstances though, (the rain, not great lighting, having not looked in the mirror for about seven hours at that point, being beyond-hungry, etc.,) I was satisfied enough, and was happy to get in the swing of the event.
The evening ended with the hotel sending me home in an absolutely gorgeous new Rolls-Royce limo, driven by the personable Ray, who just may be the only person who seemed to know the shortcuts to my abode even better than I do! A classier close to the night I cannot imagine.
ALIVE EXPO
This final suite of the season for me was held at West Hollywood’s London Hotel. It was more of a jewelry-selling event than a gifting suite, but there were still some interesting gifts to tell you about. (Some of the companies, like hair-care ones, gave out sample packs, too.)
They did have a few snacks to keep up our strength, a bar, and a DJ. And their heavy goodie bags for us VIPs were very interesting; they featured mainly natural and organic gifts, including several skin and hair care lines and some household products.
Here are the highlights:
WACOAL ANTI-CELLULITE SHAPEWEAR–these slimming panties are more interesting than one would first think–not only do they smooth you under your tight clothing, as the more well-known brands do, but it’s recommended that you wear them eight hours a day for a month to reduce cellulite!!! How wonderful for womankind! Although, contrary to some of my “friends’” hopes, I don’t have any yet. But I just may wear them as a preventative. What do I have to lose? Except maybe a couple of inches off my thighs! www.wacoal-america.com
EARTH FRIENDLY PRODUCTS–I have worked with this wonderful company many a time. I’ve featured them on my show as give-aways, and the winners who were polite enough to thank me were nuts about their many eco-friendly products. The lavender laundry detergent made my clothing the softest ever! www.ecos.com
SLIMMER SILHOUETTE BODY WRAPS–we received gift certificates from the owner of the company, who’s lost a ton of weight herself. www.slimmersilhouette.com
LOVE GONE APPAREL–these v-neck tees in lightweight, cotton, muted shades are perfect to wear over bright-colored camisoles with jeans. www.lovegoneapparel.com
That’s it for the Oscars coverage for 2011. But have no fear–there’s always another awards show around the corner. And I hope to be there to bring you all the highlights once again.
