GIFTING SUITES

At many awards shows and events vendors set up rooms called GIFTING SUITES filled to the brim with diamonds, gowns, vacations, beauty & spa treatments and other wares. They are all given away to celebs totally free with the hope that the celebrity will return the favor with the all-important photo-op. I have only been invited to two GIFTING SUITES in my whole life (both during the BET awards when my mother got her Lifetime Achievement Award) and GIFTING SUITES are FABULOUS!

This Oscar season, I snagged two more invites to GIFTING SUITES and you know I love free stuff, so I was SUPER excited!

HAVEN HOUSE GIFTING SUITE:
This lavish event was held at the ultra exclusive Haven House in the Hollywood Hills and was sponsored by HFMUS benefiting The Creative Coalition (the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community).

When I arrived, I was given a Kipling red roller bag to fill with my gifts. I dragged my bag upstairs and started in the beauty section. Lovely Lashes from Costa Mesa adorned my eyes with "party lashes" (individual temporary fakes). My friend Brittny Gastineau and her mom Lisa were getting some too. OPI painted my nails and gave me a bag filled with nail polish in a variety of bright, fun colors, cuticle oils, nail hardener and polish remover.

My friends Sona and Alex arrived and we perused downstairs. I snagged a Phifer reader (The ultimate hands free book holder and stand) for my mom, Foster Grant sunglasses, and a gift certificate for a Magali belted purse (which I have already ordered). On the outdoor patio, Cure, a cool Japanese company gave us a special natural, aqua gel that works the dead skin off your face and body with a little rub and we got DentaBurst freshening tooth cleaners. I sipped on a coke from a special edition aluminum bottle and tried out a freshly blended green juice from Izo cleanse. No alcohol that early in the morning, but I picked up a gift certificate for Bottle Notes which is a wine tasting club (and I do love a good red wine).

SLS Hotel: RED CARPET STYE LOUNGE
My next stop was the ultra exclusive Secret Room Red Carpet Style Lounge benefiting the Downtown Women’s Center (www.DWCweb.org) a day center and permanent supportive residence providing homeless and very low-income women with basic resources, education, housing and healthcare. I had RSVPed, but sadly was not on the list. Instead of making a stink, I spun around and hightailed it out of there. The gal at the desk felt bad, so she grabbed me and escorted me through.

First stop was Dr. Marc from Adonia Organics who gave me a very cool Leg Tone Serum cellulite lotion (my thighs as I get older need it more than ever) and a unique eyelash growth serum (I love long luxurious lashes). I also got a gift certificate for a sexy little bikini from Hula Girl and a mommy of 5 t-shirt for my mom from Demi Bella (her birthday’s coming up)! I chatted with the nice ladies from Just Be and even though their stuff was for kids (and I don’t have any) there gave me a cute t-shirt and conversation starter cards. I picked up some “Mon A Vie” açai berry juice blend, which I had heard great things about and was excited to try, a necklace from Calypso Studios and was even gifted the We-Vibe (#1 sex toy to be worn while making love).

At valet, I saw Chase Crawford (of Gossip Girl fame) piling luggage after luggage filled with free gifts. Even though I just had my one little bag, I was ecstatic, filled with joy and grateful for the things I had received.

Thank you to all the FABULOUS companies that gifted me even though I am not a BIG Celeb (yet)! Check out the websites below:

www.Kipling-USA.com
www.lovelylashes4u.com
www.opi.com
www.PhiferReader.com
www.magalibags.com
www.izocleanze.com
www.bottlenotes.com
www.fostergrant.com
www.dentaburst.com
www.hulagirlswim.com
www.jb-justbe.com
wwwdemibella.com
www.monavie.com
www.calypsostudiosinc.com
www.adonialegtone.com
www.athenaskincare.com