The Kress-ent Moon

On Friday we went to Gavin Kelly’s GBK Productions, which hosted a gift suite, celebrating nominees and presenters for this year’s awards at The Kress, a recently refurbished Asian inspired club and restaurant in Hollywood. Gavin too is notorious for always giving back before he gives away. Celebs received $20,000 in goodies, while 20 % of GBK’s proceeds were devoted to the Lamp Community, bringing light to the homeless living with mental illness.

There were a wide variety of goodies. In many suites you will see trends in the making. You Bar is a family run company where you play a part in the making of your own health bars by choosing your ingredients. The Global Healing Center gave out a trio of internal and external health with Oxy Powder, oxygen in a capsule, Aqua Spirit mist and Parfait Visage, food for the face, an organic skin cream like water on a plant and immediately absorbed.

On the flip and fun side was Cream by Crystal mini cheesecakes that were so good you want to slap somebody and Insomnia cookies, a late night cookie delivery service, like pizza but they’re sweet and sweeping college campuses.

For beauty buffs, Revitalash was there dishing it out, keeping Hollywood lashes long and healthy, while Twinkle kept the red out and Dr. Catrise Austin offered $5,000 worth of dentistry to celebs. For fashion, Rough Roses, the founders of the line Linea Pelle, father & daughter were in house as was the was her new baby donning a red tie tie on his five week old neck, showing you’re never too young to work a look.

Their new line has the same cutting edge belts and rich buttery leather bags. FP jeans shorts and skirts were summer sexy. Gen Lux’s George Blodwell was very excited about the denim while both sides of the gender fence slipped in to the Kiwi brand Canterbury of New Zealand’s rugby’s, the official purveyor of New Zealand’s rugby, and the Canadian fave Icerok necklaces, which has all the UK DJ’S spinning with a little ice to keep things in fashion check and cool on deck. Love their key and Spartan necklace.

Mattel’s Batman, The Dark Knight was a good send off for kids, while healthy adults gravitated towards Tribest Life baby blenders. Entourage’s Rex Lee, every one’s favorite agent’s assistant was walking in, as I walked out.

Springtime in Paris

Nathalie Dubois’s DPA Gift Lounge at Fekai on Rodeo was an urban elixir. After fighting Friday traffic to get there, a massage by Massage Express was excellent. The practitioner’s touch was wildly relaxing, even through a dress and with boots on. She said. “It’s event better without clothes on.” I’ll have to take her word.

A few of Nathalie’s standards were there, Fekai of course, always introducing a new and exceptional product. Salon Glaze, a clear shine finish was just the ticket creating shine and a soft touch. Arizona’s own Canyon Ranch launched a skin care line. The Age Transforming serum is rich enough to double as moisturizer and their mist is perfect for the plane while Sphatika has an excellent skin care and cleanse and a great travel size kit, fit for today’s security.

For summer there were international offers from Aussie make up line Lucy B, LA’s own L Space swimsuits, Blu Horse sweatshirts, French designed jewelry Mon Bijou, great statement making piece where profits benefit The Center for Orphan Street Kids and finally Damrak, a Dutch gin with sweet floral notes. It preceded London Gin, perfect for cocktails and pairing. Lookout vodka!

The Hollywood Secret

The Secret Room closed off the events on Saturday as they took over the rooftop pool of The Valadon, a boutique Hotel in WEHO. There was a mix of retro celebs from ex 90210’s Jason Priestly who was Canadian cool and refreshingly friendly and another 90210-cast mate, Kristine Elise was lovely. On the opposite side of the retro Coast, New Yorker Debbie Gibson was rocking the Bejeweled T’s and hats. She’s so tall!

The suite started with the Milwaukee man, Paul Vaughn of Kwof had the wickedest flat iron, and one specifically made for curling the straightened hair. Health was in top form with the many alternatives from the Vitamin Shoppe, Greens & Chia being a big hit. Yoga Toes owner had me giggling and my toes wiggling.

Chipotle was soaking up the sun serving fresh healthy alternatives on site and offering one-year gift cards. If that wasn’t enough health, The Enchanting Group was showcasing their hotel group in Mexico complete with healing modalities; a healer on site and some resorts where candles are your only light.

Blue tooth headsets, Norton Antivirus and Pulse Smart Pen, which records audio and plays it back at the tap of a pen and allows you to download notes in to your computer had all the writers drooling poolside.

As I waited for my car outside and continued to chat with my new Beverly Hills buddy, Jason Priestly who coined himself, “Normal,” I was pleased at how pleasant all the suites were. They were more scaled back than in previous months and years, more of a party than a tradeshow where the focus was on good food, good fun and good folks.

For the record, Priestly is so not normal. He’s super cute!

Photos by Karen Loftus and Zach Lipp