Hi lovelies,

With awards season in full swing, Emmys weekend is one of my favorite weekends to celebrate super talented actors, writers, producers, and directors in television.

Another one of my favorite events during awards season is the EcoLuxe Lounge Pre-Emmys Gifting Suite that is hosted and produced by the incomparable Debbie Durkin.

You can connect with amazing brands and give back to awesome charities.

Who are your favorite Emmys nominees this season?

GBK's Emmys Celebrity Gifting Suite: The Artisan Group

September 21, 2015Candy Washington7 Comments

Hi lovelies,

It's no secret that one of my absolute favorite experiences during the GBK's Emmys Celebrity Gifting Suite stopping by the Artisan Group booth. They never disappoint with the loveliest handcrafted jewelry, bath and beauty, and fashion designs.

Check out the brands below that were featured in this year's gift bag:

About the Artisan Group:
The Artisan Group® is a premiere entertainment marketing organization, and we are on a mission to introduce Hollywood to the best of the handcrafted movement.

We do it by providing owners of artisan businesses the chance to introduce their products to celebrities, industry leaders, VIPs, and members of the press through participation in celebrity gift lounges such as those honoring The Academy Awards*, The Golden Globes* and The Primetime Emmys*.

Because The Artisan Group takes a collaborative approach to participation in these lounges, a marketing opportunity that would be prohibitively expensive for most small companies becomes surprisingly affordable.

Members of The Artisan Group showcase an array of handcrafted products, including jewelry; bath and spa products; designer stationery and paper goods; crocheted and knitted accessories; clutches, purses and totes; hand-poured candles; hand-bound books and journals; illustrations and paintings; fine art photography; hair accessories; and pet accessories and toys.

Since 2011, our experienced event representatives have acted as spokespersons and ambassadors for countless artists at Hollywood's top gift lounges, with fantastic results. Because they know and trust us, most celebrities will pose for a professional photo with our artisans’ products.

Gifting celebrities is a great way to get your product noticed but often overlooked are members of the press and industry leaders. Not at The Artisan Group! At most gift lounges, as many as 50 members of the press will attend—including ABC News, AOL Beauty, The Style Network, The Huffington Post, E! News, Life & Style Magazine, TigerBeat, Splash Magazines, Fox and MSNBC. They are looking for the next 'big thing' to write about and we are there to help, offering specially prepared Press Bags that are designed to grab their attention.

We are also on-point with courting key industry executives, directors, set decorators, celebrity stylists, talent managers, producers, and buyers—because they love their swag too, and are often generous endorsers.

To date, The Artisan Group has placed over 300 artisan products, created by our members, on over 25 hit television shows.

The Artisan Group also offers members guidance in sales, marketing, social media and public relations.

articipation in The Artisan Group is by invitation only. The result is an exclusive, close-knit community of talented artisans who exhibit excellence of product (appropriate size-wise for gifting), great product photography, impressive branding and online presence on social media, and an established online sales record.

Does that describe you? Apply here.

Want to see what The Artisan Group® members are creating? Check out our Official Pinterest Boards. There you’ll find a wide array of products that have been handcrafted by The Artisan Group members for our many celebrity gifting opportunities.

EcoLuxe Lounge: The hottest celebrity pre-Emmy’s party and swag bag at the Beverly Hilton

September 1, 2014Candy WashingtonComment

Hi lovelies,

Hollywood is a buzz this award season with the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy awards taking center stage on Monday, August 25th, 2014. Other than a ticket to the award show itself, the other hottest destination in town was the EcoLuxe Lounge, a one day, invite-only event that unites fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and technology on a sustainable platform. Taking place at the coveted Stardust Penthouse at The Beverly Hilton on Sunday, August 24th, the pre-Emmy’s event highlights the best in eco-luxury lifestyle and green products and services with a philanthropic purpose by raising funds and awareness for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles program.

What makes the EcoLuxe Lounge such a special experience during the pre-Emmy’s award season is its focus on eco-friendly beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products combined with a roster of attendees that range from Primetime Emmy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards nominees and presenters, to some of the most notable names in TV and Film, including Alysia Reiner, Uzo Aduba, and Madeliene Brewer of Netflix’s hit show, Orange is the New Black, Damian Puckler of NBC’s Grimm, Joey Luthman from Modern Family and The Goldberg’s, Blake Cooper from 20th Century Fox’s The Maze Runner, Wes Ramsey from Pretty Little Liars, Charmed, and Deliverance Creek, Beau Bridges, and more. The event is ran by Debbie Durkin, one of L.A.’s top sustainable product placement producers with music from DJ Dime and the space was beautifully designed by White Lotus Productions. Below are some of the stand-out eco-friendly beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products from the pre-Emmy’s event, that we loved having in our swag bag.

Youth Eternal: 100% Natural Skincare Created by cancer survivor, Kellyann Novack, the all-natural skin serum is guaranteed to give you a youthful glow and is perfect for pre-award season beauty prep to have radiant skin on the red carpet. It contains 22 essential oils including virgin coconut, apricot kernel, carrot seed, rosehip seed, and Vitamins A and E.

Mark Roscoe Design: Custom Couture Gowns Mark Roscoe Design’s creates one-of-a-kind pieces that’s perfect for any award show events and red carpets. From sequins, feathers, silk, satin, and mermaid silhouettes, a couture design by Mark Roscoe is a must-have for any upcoming starlet or a red carpet veteran. Since each piece is an original design you don’t have to worry about any, “Who Wore it Best?”moments.

OC Hair and Makeup: Mobile Glam Squad Catering to those in film, TV, commercials, and special events, OC Hair and Makeup is your very own mobile glam squad that helps you save on gas and conserve energy. If you need to get glam for a special event, red carpet appearance, on-camera segment, or just a night out, then these are the go-to people to get you camera ready. They gifted the attendees of the EcoLuxe Lounge with various shades of O.P.I. nail polish and eco-friendly make-up sponges.

J. Andre: All Natural Cosmetics Sponges As the first and only all-natural cosmetic sponge line, J. Andre helps to naturally enhance your beauty and is perfect for all skin types. The sponges are hypo-allergenic, contains Vitamin E and are odorless and latex free. The sponges come in a array of shapes and sizes, depending on your beauty needs and can be used to prep and prime your perfect look.

Posture Shirt: Fashion Meets Tech AlignMed’s Posture Shirt is the world’s leader in functional apparel and is the creator of the one and only, posture shirt that promotes joint alignment and correct posture so when we slip into our gowns for the red carpet we can stand tall and sleek. The shirts contain neurobands that are purposely placed used muscle mapping and kinetic design – it’s fashion meets function and form at its best.

The Rein Coat: Handmade Harness for your Pooch One of celebrities favorite accessories is their pooches, from Teacup Yorkies to big Great Danes, the Rein Coat is the ideal pet harness for the discerning dog and its owner. Handmade in the USA, the Rein Coat mimics the gentle touch of a dog’s mother in order to reduce anxiety and fear within your pet. The coat comes in two styles the plush tricot Classic Coat and the new UltraLight Coat, so you can dress and care for your pooch in style.

Vypassetti Cake Pops: Healthy Treats for any Occasion One of the yummy highlights of the day was the cake pops made by Vypassetti. Especially made for the EcoLuxe Lounge, the cake pops featured the names and logos of some our favorite shows from House of Lies, Treme, White Queen, Louie, The Good Wife, Portlandia,Parks and Recreation, and Mike and Molly. You can create custom-made cake pops to celebrate any occasion.

After a day of indulgence, pampering, and discovering not-to-be-missed eco-friendly beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products, there were celebrity interviews and a fabulous cocktail party to kick-off the night before the Emmy’s in style.

This article was originally written for Fashion Edits, view it here.

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards: What the Stars Wore, Top 10 Best Dressed

August 26, 2014Candy WashingtonComment

Hi lovelies,

As Netflix battles the networks and film stars are gracing the small screen, the entertainment landscape is evolving, but the one constant that remains during award season is swooning over what the stars wore as they graced the red carpet.

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards didn't disappoint as movie stars like Julia Roberts and Halle Berry brought their fashion A-game to small screen scene-stealers like Kate Walsh and Kerry Washington looking to die for in their designer pieces. The stand-out color of the night was red as stars like Christina Hendricks, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Guiliana Rancic, Mindy Kaling, Uzo Aduba, January Jones, Octavia Spencer, Minnie Driver, Heidi Klum, and Claire Danes all looked red-hot at the Emmy's.

Below are my Top 10 Best Dressed Looks for Fashion Edits:

#1: Julia Roberts