We stopped-by the GBK suite directly from experiencing the surprise Elton John pre-Oscars concert at the old Tower Records location in West Hollywood, so we were already on a high when we arrived at the London Hotel. And the fun vibe kept going there!<\/p>\n
I loved that it was held in real<\/em> suites, sort-of in a maze, which made it somewhat like a treasure hunt.<\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n And treasures are exactly what we found at GBK! Here are the highlights of them:<\/p>\n LifeCell<\/strong>\u2014We’re already fans of this skincare company’s products, and thought we were familiar with them all. But here the pleasant reps introduced us to their BB Cream, which we knew nothing about. It’s touted to help in the anti-aging department, and who doesn’t need that? Alice pointed-out that it also \u201chas SPF benefits,\u201d and called it a \u201cdefinite try!\u201d www.lifecellcream.com<\/a><\/p>\n GuruNanda<\/strong>\u2014I strongly believe in oils, yoga, and the like, so I was happy to see that this company was giving what is, in my opinion, the gift of wellness. Each guest received an aromatherapy diffuser kit with a trio of popular essential oils, along with an easy-to-follow yoga book that you can use at home.\u00a0www.gurunanda.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Lula Mena<\/strong>\u2014We were so excited to see this beautiful jewelry designer from El Salvador again! (I meant that she’s<\/em> beautiful, but her jewelry is, as well, so you can read that last sentence either way!) She and Alice started excitedly speaking Spanish to each other. I just threw in \u201cmuchas ropas,\u201d because, sadly, that’s about all I remember of that language any more! (Oh, also \u201cmuy joven,\u201d because I was told that that’s what most of my pals are!) They were gifting what Alice deemed \u201cOscar-party-worthy\u201d beaded necklaces, bracelets, purses, and even bow ties(!), which all have, what according to Alice is \u201can ethnic vibe, that’s classy and hip in a glamorous way.\u201d Whew. That’s quite a description, and really does cover it all. She added, \u201cWhether you wear them with jeans or with gowns, you\u2019re going to look fabulous.\u201d www.lulamena.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Trtl Pillow<\/strong>\u2014As someone with constant neck pain, who also falls asleep a lot, I was thrilled to discover this little gem, which Alice calls \u201cthe best travel pillow ever!\u201d We both tried it, and it works really well. And, as Ali said, \u201cIt’s so easy to use; you just wrap it around your neck, and fall asleep.\u201d It also folds up well enough for easy carrying. www.trtl.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n The Love Institute<\/strong>\u2014We enjoyed learning about this unusual service\u2014a masseuse comes to your home,\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0to give you a massage, but to teach you and your partner how to give each other one! Alice said, \u201cIt’s a great creative way to bond and get close.\u201d If they come to\u00a0my<\/em>\u00a0house, though, they can show only the already-fabulous massage man, Mr. X, some new moves, because we all know that\u00a0I’m<\/em>\u00a0never giving anyone a massage, don’t we?! My usual generosity stops there.\u00a0www.theloveinstitute.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Brow Art 23<\/strong>\u2014Being fans of this brow-shaping company already, we couldn’t get over to their area of the suite fast enough! The uber-pleasant Krishnara Marcano threaded our brows, of which Alice remarked, \u201cI got exactly what I wanted; not a lot taken off, and just the right amount to clean them up. I’m really happy with the results.\u201d And everyone left with a goodie bag full of their cosmetics, which I always love. What a win-win from this sponsor! www.browart23.com<\/a><\/p>\n Ike\u2019s Place<\/strong>\u2014As always, this sandwich shop was there feeding us, for which we’re always grateful. Alice had never before tried the turkey with barbecue-and-mustard sauce, and found it to be \u201ckiller yummy.\u201d\u00a0www.ilikeikespace.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Confetti Sweets<\/strong>\u2014We both loved these \u201cmost scrumptious cookies ever!\u201d Alice was shocked to discover that, even though she’s usually a chocolate chip person, she loved the coconut ones even more! And the pink packaging is so pretty that my mouth watered just looking at\u00a0<\/em>the bag, before I even got to the delish treats! www.confettisweets.ca<\/a><\/p>\n The Fix Massage<\/strong>–Not only does Alice write with me, and take many of the pictures, but, because of my still-broken back, she also carries all the bags! So, she was happy to receive \u201ca great, re-energizing neck and shoulder massage\u201d from Dr. Liza of Canada.\u00a0www.dr-liza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Be Tini Spirits<\/strong>\u2014They set-up a mouth-watering bar with their gorgeous colored bottles that even\u00a0I<\/em>, a tee-totaler, was attracted to! Alice tried their Tropical Sunset Rum Cocktail, which has \u201conly twenty-five teeny-weeny calories per glass,\u201d and said, \u201cThis blend of tropical fruits from guava to pineapple is so tasty!\u201d\u00a0www.betinispirits.com<\/a><\/p>\n Loulou Lollipop<\/strong>\u2014We were surprised to learn that these attractive silicone necklaces are actually for teething<\/em> on! I guess that babies like to chew on their mom’s jewelry, and with these items, they can do just that, without harming either themselves or the jewelry! Wow. www.louloulollipop.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Alice Farinas, as is the big one of the “merman,” at the top.<\/p><\/div>\n San Diego Zoo<\/strong>\u2014This very famous Southern California landmark is celebrating its hundredth year! To commemorate the occasion, they were on-site gifting little stuffed lions. Adorbs. If they have a century b-day fete, I want to be there, dancing with the elephants, (sort-of like I did in the circus. Don’t ask.) www.sandiegozoo.org<\/a><\/p>\n Flashtag Photo<\/strong>\u2014On the way out, (as opposed to as we\u00a0entered<\/em>, which is when most other guests did it,) we took what Alice calls our \u201cmemory pics.\u201d I am not a fan of seeing\u00a0myself<\/em>\u00a0in them, but Ali said, \u201cIt\u2019s fun to take something away that you can remember the event by, and this time, Flashtag made that possible.\u201d\u00a0www.flashtagphoto.com<\/a><\/p>\n Photo by Karen Salkin.<\/p><\/div>\n Jewelinx<\/strong>\u2014We both really enjoy seeing the sunshine-y designer of this clever device, and Alice, (who was a stylist for a bit a few years ago,) loves this item that holds all your accessories on the same hanger as your outfit. She said it \u201cmakes getting ready that much easier.\u201d\u00a0www.hangerjewelinx.com<\/a><\/p>\n As always, (and much more important than gifts, in my humble opinion,) there were a couple of charities who benefitted from this event. They are:<\/p>\n Face Forward<\/strong>\u2014I’m proud to say that this wonderful non-profit organization is in our own backyard! Headquartered in Beverly Hills, they provide free reconstructive surgery (and emotional support, which is just as important,) for victims of such horrors as human trafficking and domestic abuse. www.faceforwardla.org<\/a><\/p>\n Lambda Legal<\/strong>\u2014This organization makes legal services available for the LGBT community, thus empowering and supporting them. www.lambdalegal.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GBK 2016 OSCARS LOUNGE [Note: I visited six pre-Oscars Gifting Suites this year. (Well, actually, it was eight, but two are not worth telling you about!) As always, each one gets its own write-up. This is the sixth, and final one, of them, so please make sure to check-out the previous five columns, to learn<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"http:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/img_1995-e1457651011350.jpg\")
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