Guilty Pleasures: Just a few of my favorite things

Hi lovelies,

Today I wanted to quickly share with you guys a few of my favorite guilty pleasures. I'll leave Murder, She Wrote and cheese off of this list, because I tweet and post about them so much it's pretty obvious I'm obsessed with them both.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Candles

Photo credit: Joseph Francis at Delirium Candles

If you have ever been over to my place, then you know that I have a sweet spot for candles. Long candles, scented candles, tea candles, and floating candles, you name it, I've got them in my apartment.

There's nothing like the comfort of having a candle burning during the cool Fall and Winter months. My latest obsession is the Suede & Smoke candle from Delirium Candles.

---

GUILTY PLEASURE: Live-tweeting during FOX's Empire

Can I get a #TeamCookie? Taraji is a force every single episode and Lee Daniels is a genius. If the music, brilliant and shady 'reads,' Cookie's outfits, Marisa Tomei swimming in the girl pond, and the escalating sibling rivalry between the sons, weren't enough to get you to tune in every Wednesday night, the engaged and almost equally hilarious Twitter audience should.

I have so much fun connecting with the online community that watches Empire. We laugh together, make plot predictions, share in the delight of every twist and shady turn, and squeal over the inevitable celebrity cameos and special guests appearance throughout each and every episode. 

---

GUILTY PLEASURE: All things Bravo. Mazel Andy Cohen!

If they ever cast The Real Housewives of West Hollywood, I definitely would be queen bee, holding up my rainbow flag with a frozen strawberry margarita, hold the salt.

Not only do I watch and DVR all of the franchises and live-tweet during them when I can, I also love Blood, Sweat, and Heals, Watch What Happens Live, Married to Medicine, and all things Bravo. 

Andy Cohen is definitely my spirit animal and it's one of my secret life goals to be a guest in the WWHL Clubhouse. 

---

GUILTY PLEASURE: When I'm feeling sad, I turn to this...

Please excuse the profanity on the image, but this picture just tickles me to no end. Whenever I'm feeling sad or down, I turn to this photo and then I inexplicably burst into laughter. 

Sometimes I read it aloud and change my voice as if I were each character. I urge you to try it and let me know if you it brings you as much joy, laughter, and relief as it does to me. Just go ahead, just eff my stuff up.

Let me know - what are some of your guilty pleasures?

Alexa Chung announces her first venture into tech by launching social style app ‘VILLOID’

Hi lovelies,

When I first started blogging, Alexa Chung was one for my biggest inspirations. She was a DJ, dated a rock star, and had her very own show on MTV. Who wouldn't want that life? Check out below on her latest endeavor, launching social style app called ‘VILLOID.' The app is inspired by the computerized wardrobe in the 90's movie Clueless.

VILLOID is a new social style app set to revolutionize the way you get dressed in the morning, co founded and creatively directed by global style icon Alexa Chung. Similar to Instagram but specifically for fashion and with a buy button, it’s a virtual dressing room on the user’s phone. 

“I suppose that scene in Clueless where the computer puts an outfit together from Cher's wardrobe really stayed with me.“ says Alexa Chung. “Clothes are fun, making mistakes is fun, being inspired is fun. VILLOID celebrates the process of getting dressed and showing your friends.”

VILLOID offers users a platform where they can share their style by uploading products and photographs onto a mood board, follow friends and fellow style mavericks, love boards and individual items. For anything they can't live without – there is the option to click the handy buy button and purchase the item. Consider this the paper dolls for the modern age. 

It’s the British style guru’s first delve into the world of technology, an area she didn’t know a vast amount about when she teamed up with tech entrepreneur Jeanette Dyhre Kvisvik and her team who had been working with a similar idea.

“Alexa and I immediately bonded, merging our ideas and utilizing her style genius, we have managed to make the best dressed app on the market.” says Dyhre Kvisvik. 

 “I wanted to get to learn something about a field I knew nothing about and I felt I could offer the tech field something I knew a lot about….clothes. Most decisions I make when it comes to new projects are based on whether it could further my education. The tech world was something I was incredibly curious about. Silicone Valley sounds like a bouncy castle I want to play on.” says Alexa Chung  

Think of window shopping as a social game, only this this time it exists in the palm of your hand. VILLOID offers an opportunity to view a curated feed of style choices chosen by you, the user.

Take yourself on a journey into the VILLOID world, discover people, endless brands and ways of pairing items together that until now, only ever existed in your mind. 

Early adopters of VILLOID include model and singer Pixie Geldof who has already crowned VILLOID as “the most addictive app in life.” One Direction hair stylist Lou Teasdale and British designer Ashley Williams are also devotees. And it’s not just the girls who are fans, British X-Factor judge Nicholas Grimshaw also spoke of his need for a men’s version of the app when he posted on his Instagram: ‘Congratulations to Alexa who is this generation’s Tom from MySpace. Can I do the menswear one? Please employ me @chungalexa’ Watch this space.

The app is now available in App store globally. The Android version is in planning, set to launch late 2015/early 2016.

Instagram: @Villoid
Facebook: www.facebook.com/villoid
#Villoid
Twitter: @Villoid

Don't waste your pretty: 3 Reasons Why I Kind of Suck at Dating

Hi lovelies,

Yes, I totally stole the beginning title of this post from Bravo's Blood, Sweat, and Heels Demetria Lucas' book, Don't Waste Your Pretty, and I'm appropriately listening to Taylor Swift's 1989 album on repeat while writing this blog for you guys.

But what I'm not doing is eating a pint of Häagen-Dazs curled up on the couch with Kleenex while watching The Notebook on Netflix. But rather, I've decided to fully embrace the fact that I kind of suck at dating. With my new found freedom, I am literally having the time of my drama-free life being single. 

From this empowering perspective and based on my past romantic endeavors, I've deduced the top three reasons why I kind of suck at dating, check them out below.

3 Reasons Why I Kind of Suck at Dating

Reason #1: "I'm not in a place for a serious relationship." Business trumps boys. 

As cliche as this may sound and like a line out of "He's Just Not That Into You," I'm really not in a place for a serious relationship, unless the guy was absolutely exceptional. I'm hyper-focused on my career and given my freelancer lifestyle, I take work when and where I can get it. Given that my schedule is never consistent it's hard to make plans in advance and even when they are, they are never set in stone because from a priority standpoint, business trumps boys.

Reason #2: "I'm still not over my ex." But not in the way that you think...

It's definitely debatable, can you truly stay friends with an ex? After a drama-filled break-up, cue crying, un-friending, re-friending, residual hook-ups, and enforcing a strict 'no contact' rule, I reconnected with an ex from my past and we picked up exactly where we left off - except without all of the drama.

We are truly soul mates. He's my best friend, I trust him 100%, he fully supports me, and I feel comfortable enough to be my true, authentic self with him. And almost knowing me better than I know myself, he gives me amazing advice on dating, career, and life. 

But here's the rub. 

Since he's already meeting all of my emotional needs, the urgency to find a guy to fill that spot wanes and makes me less likely to jump into a serious relationship with a new guy since I already have such a cozy security blanket with him. Plus, what guy wants to compete with a best friend that just so happens to be your ex? 

Reason #3: "Bad, bad, bad, bad boy. You make me feel so good." I'm still a sucker for a Jordan Catalano.

Emotionally unavailable + devastatingly handsome with a boyish charm + quasi-interested = Totally a 'Candy Guy' 

Although I'm much wiser when it comes to who and how I date these days, the heart of my inner Angela Chase from My So-Called Life still beats inside of me and skips a beat when confronted with a Jordan Catalano-type. And trust me, from NYC to LA there is no shortage of guys suffering from Peter Pan syndrome. Luckily for me I'm not ready to be tied down just yet and I'm loving flying from adventure-to-adventure with my Lost Boys. 

The VERGE: Queer New York Fashion Week Show

Hi lovelies,

I was on the West Coast during The VERGE: Queer New York Fashion Week Show but that didn't stop me from getting the stylish scoop. Check out all of the photos and details below! 

Is gender non-conformity a trend or a movement?

With that question in mind, The VERGE: Queer NYFW Show took place on Thursday, September 17th at the Brooklyn Museum to much fanfare! With over 1000 attendees, including celebs,  and featuring 8 designers, it was easily one of, if not the most well attended show during fashion week.  

Celebrity models who walked include: model Rain Dove (Vogue, W, Buzzfeed, Ace Rivington), Ryley Ruben Pogensky (Barney's Trans campaign, photographed by Bruce Weber), model Merika Palmiste, Prince Harvey (created album in an apple store),  and Melanie Gaydos (model with ectodermal dysplasia).  

Celebrity attendees included: model Elliott Sailors(H&M), androgynous model Harmony Boucher (Calvin Klein), and Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta's Margeaux Simms. It was MC'ed by Tiq Milan (national spokesperson for GLAAD). 

Celebrity designer: Fabio Costa of NotEqual (Project Runway Season 10/Project Runway All-Stars)

Below and attached, please find the post-release (including pictures and more information about the designers) in case you're still interested in covering it. All photos can be found and pulled from here (pin: 5687). Please credit 

Katya Moorman/Karen L. Dunn for runway pictures, and Alyssa Meadows for Step and Repeat photos except where noted. 

But more importantly, it showcased the work of 8 queer designers who are at the forefront of this fashion movement and proving that gender non-conformity is here to stay. The designs fit all aesthetics and gender presentations, with the sleek, "green" suits of Jag & Co, to the clean, progressive high end sportswear of SAGA NYC, to the sophisticated, minimalist approach of KQK and more. Please find the post-release with pictures and more about each designer attached. 

Check out the designers:
NotEqual by Fabio Costa
KQK by Karen Quirion
LACTIC
Fony
MARKANTOINE
SAGA by Sandra Gagalo
SunSun
Jag & Co. 

VERGE: Queer NYFW Show was executive produced by Anita Dolce Vita, owner of DapperQ, and associate produced by bklyn boihood, Posture magazine, and DYDH Productions, with runway direction support from Colette Lee Productions.

But I feel fat though: Why is Kim Kardashian hot and Serena Williams a man?

Hi lovelies,

It's a new month, a new quarter, and the official beginning of the end of 2015. This past year has been so good to me from both a professional and personal standpoint, and in the spirit of staying true to myself and being authentic, I'm challenging myself to write one personal blog post a day for the month of October. 

I love writing about fashion, style, beauty, and fitness, but I don't want to forget to share who I am as a real person. A real girl just trying to live her life on her own terms. So thus, here you have it, my first blog post during my "Let's Get Personal" October challenge. There's no special hashtag or giveaway or brand sponsorship, just me, sharing my life, with you.

Today's post is called, "But I feel fat though," because, well, I do. I'm a confident, rational, smart woman, but yet I still have this gnawing little voice in the back of my head that whispers, "you're so fat", "your thighs are huge", "could you have anymore arm fat? look at how it jiggles." And of course, when I share these irrational thoughts with my family and friends, they quickly assure me that "I look fine and it's all in my head," and my obligatory response is, "But I feel fat though."

But the truth is, and I'm very well aware of this, is that I'm not. I'm healthy and strong - not too thin but by no means overweight or fat, and even if I were, who cares? So why is it, that in my rational mind and in reality, I know I'm not fat but I still feel fat?

I could chalk it up to an ego-feeding case of body dysmorphia, but in reality it's the residual effects of being surrounded by images that claim to be the standard of beauty but isn't what I see reflected in the mirror.

It's a symptom of when people can buy fake booties like a Kim or Khloe K., and be revered as the most beautiful women in the world but yet Serena Williams, who's a natural beauty, and a strong, healthy woman, is beaten down in the press and media for "looking like a man" and the very essence of her womanhood is called into question. 

When the perception of beauty is exploited on a cultural level, some can get away with plumping their lips and tanning their skin, but those with naturally full lips and dark skin are left behind, discounted, called names, and are left to feel invisible and unworthy, then we give power and validation to that gnawing little voice that tells us that we're 'less than.' 

The wound of this cultural schism runs deep and wide and continuously bleeds into the self-esteem of women, young and old, black and white, then and now. 

So how do we save our little girls? How do we save ourselves? The answer is, I'm not exactly sure. I don't have the magical answer on how to rectify this problem that is now so intrinsic and systemic within our society.

But I do know where to start.

And that's with myself. When that little voice starts to creep up, I can confidently tell it to "Shut the hell up." And mean it. 

Let me know, what self-defeating voice or belief do you carry, that you need to tell to "shut the hell up?"

NFL Style Showdown with Jamie Chung, Erin Andrews, Dascha Polanco, Erin Heatherton Phillip Bloch, and more

Hi lovelies,

I was on the West Coast during the NFL Style Showdown but that didn't stop me from getting the stylish scoop. Check out all of the photos and details below!  

Don't forget, NFL Apparel can be purchased on NFLShop.com. Super Bowl 50 Apparel will officially be available Oct. 15th.

NFL UNVEILS SUPER BOWL 50 WOMEN’S APPAREL AT STYLE SHOWDOWN 

Erin Andrews, Phillip Bloch, Jamie Chung, Erin Heatherton, Dascha Polanco and Former

New York Jets Fullback Tony Richardson among others present

New York, NY – September 25, 2015 – Last night, the NFL hosted an exclusive NFL Style Showdown in New York City and unveiled its Super Bowl 50 Women’s Apparel collection. Erin Andrews, Jamie Chung, Erin Heatherton, Jake Hoffman, Dascha Polanco and Lisa Ramos were among the celebrities on hand celebrating the #NFLFanStyle Showdown.  

The NFL is launching a year-long celebration of the Super Bowl to commemorate Super Bowl 50, which will be played on Sunday, February 7, 2016 at Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 2015 NFL season will feature a gold thematic signifying the 50th“golden” Super Bowl that will be visible on the field and in NFL apparel. Super Bowl 50 apparel incorporates golden elements in a diverse array of styles, such as a golden “50” logo that reflects the host region’s historic Gold Rush in the broader setting of the Golden State.

“We are excited to celebrate Super Bowl 50 by creating custom apparel featuring gold elements to celebrate this year’s game,” said Rhiannon Madden, NFL Vice President Consumer Products. “We strive to give our fans more ways to showcase their passion for football by offering options that are individually customizable and on-trend.”

At the NFL Style Showdown, Erin Andrews (sports broadcaster) and Michael Stauffer (comedian) co-hosted the competition where bloggers NYC Pretty (Christine Bibbo Herr), A Glam Slam (Heather Zeller), and P.S. It’s Fashion (Liz Black), competed in an #NFLFanStyle showdown creating looks in four categories (Ladies Night Out, Casual Friday, Athleisure, Game Day). After a close competition, with feedback from judges Jamie Chung (NFL Women’s Apparel ambassador, actress/fashion influencer), Phillip Bloch (celebrity stylist), and Tony Richardson (former NFL fullback – Vikings, Chiefs, Jets), Liz Black of P.S. It’s Fashion was crowned the Grand Prize winner.

“The NFL Style Showdown really showcased all of the different ways NFL Women’s Apparel can be worn and styled – from day to night there are so many options,” said Jamie Chung. “I was blown away by the unveiling of the Super Bowl 50 collection and being a San Fran native, I can’t help but be even more excited for the big game this year!

NFL Super Bowl 50 Women’s Apparel reflect a variety of licensees including, but not limited to: ‘47 Brand, Majestic, Nike, & G-III.

To purchase NFL Women’s Apparel, including Super Bowl 50 Apparel, visit www.NFLShop.com. The Super Bowl 50 collection will be available for purchase beginning Oct. 15. Follow NFL Fan Style on social media at @NFLFanStyle on Facebook and Instagram. Fans can join the conversation using the hashtag #NFLFanStyle.

Pretty in Pink with Laura Geller Beauty

Hi lovelies,

Laura Geller Beauty seals all of her products with a kiss and they make every look perfect picture. My favorite beauty product from the line is Spackle Classic Make-Up Primer. It leaves my skin feels soft and smooth is the perfect buffer between my skin and my foundation for long-lasting, day-to-night wear. 

Check out my other favorites from Laura Geller Beauty below:

Sparkle Classic Under Make-up Primer: 
Revive your skin with my best-selling Spackle® Under Make-Up Primer, which retexturizes the surface of your skin to achieve a flawlessly smooth finish. Spackle® is made with natural plant extracts and the powerful anti-oxidants, White Tea and Centella Asiatica Extracts. These ingredients protect the skin along with Aloe Vera Gel. Spackle® also helps the skin retain moisture, feel softer and look smoother. It is lush, incredibly lightweight and suitable for all skin types.

Baked Blush: In Cantaloupe and Gilded Honey :
The fresh 3-D design captures the look of this decadent frozen treat, and lasts until the very last application! The innovative hybrid texture applies like a powder but feels like a cream, creating translucent, vibrant color for a flirty, natural-looking flush.

StyleLash Intense Lengthening Mascara:  
At last, there’s no need to go to great lengths for gorgeous lashes! With StyleLASH, flutter-worthy lashes are at your fingertips. This unique formula stretches lashes dramatically to their longest, leaving them flexible, soft and flake-free—ideal for applying multiple coats. The delicate application defines each lash individually. Jojoba Wax and Pro-Vitamin B5 keep lashes soft and protect against brittleness. Lengthen, defy and beautify—because stand-out lashes are always in style!

Incredible WaterProof Gel Eyeliner: In Blue Jean Baby :
This product is a nominee in QVC's 2015 Customer Choice Beauty Awards! Vote here >>
INKcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil is waterproof glide-on color stays put from day to night, delivering powerful, vibrant, multi-dimensional color.

Gilmore Girls on UPtv: Cozy up with your favorite mother-daughter duo

Hi lovelies,

Just in time for Fall, pumpkin spiced lattes, cozy sweaters, microwaveable popcorn, and endless cups of coffee, Gilmore Girls returns to a television set near you on UPtv.

For those of us that love to binge-watch like me, we can tune in for a 15-hour marathon on October 4th from 10:00am - 3:00am (ET), featuring fun pop-up facts and tweetable anecdoctes. Then we can get our daily Gilmore Girls fix by tuning in every weeknight at 7:00pm and 8:00pm (ET), Monday-Friday. 

But what could be more exciting than joining Rory as she grows up and infuse herself and Lorelai as she navigates being a single mom and BFFs with her daughter. Hosting a viewing party of course! 

If you want a chance to win your own Gilmore Girls viewing party kit, then join us while we live-tweet during the marathon on October 4th, 10:00am - 3:00am (ET) using #GilMOREgirls, @UPtv, and @candywashington. 

A video posted by Actress with Style ✨ 💫 (@candywashington) on Sep 28, 2015 at 11:46am PDT

Still need more of your GilMORE Girls? The don't fret, check out the fun ways below to join our Gilmore Girls online party! 

Pop culture fun facts and behind-the-scenes! 

• Tweet us with your favorite pop culture references from the show using #GilMOREgirls @UPtv and @candywashington
• Post on Facebook any questions and comments you have on fun pop culture facts featured on the show here. 
• Join us on Facebook and Twitter, for behind-the-scenes videos, facts, and more!
• Each episode of Gilmore Girls will feature at least 2 to 3 literary references, so tweet and Facebook post to get in on the game. 

Join the Gilmore Guys on October 5th

Check out UPtv on Facebook and Twitter, to join the Gilmore Guys chatting about all things Gilmore and on their podcast and live show!

Be one of our GilMORE girls and guys on social!

Hashtag: #GilMOREgirls
Facebook: UPtv
Twitter: @UPtv
Instagram: @up_tv

Be You. Wear Younique. Beauty with a purpose.

Hi lovelies,

There's nothing that I love more than discovering and beauty or fashion brand that provides a quality product while creating a valuable experience. Luckily for me, I've been introduced to Younique, “a revolutionary beauty brand and pioneer of the social media sales platform has a mission to uplift, empower, validate and ultimately build self-esteem in women around the world.” And of course, I can't wait to share all of their beauty goodies, tips, and tricks, with you.

Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes+
This a fashionistas dream that wants long, luscious, and natural lashes, which can give your lashes an increased volume of up to 400%. Moodstruck is powerful enough to last from day-tonight, but gentle enough to be easily removed.

---

Moodstruck Precision Pencil Eye Liners in Perfect, Passionate and Prim
Everyone knows that I'm a sucker for black eyeliner and a smokey eye. So I'm obviously obsessed with the pencil in Perfect, but I also love using the pencil eye liners to create a natural/make-up free look and to create more dramatic looks for nights out on the town and events. 

---

Stiff Upper Lip Lip Stain in Shy, Savvy and Sultry
When it comes to a lip stain, a little goes a long way. I like to put on the lip stain first and then add a clear gloss on top to give it a bit of shine. Another beauty tip: I love to double my lip stain as a blush by using a small dab and then blending over the apple of my cheek for a flushed and flirty look. 

---

Refreshed Rose Water
There's no better feeling than spritzing Rose Water on my face after a long hot day, a clay mask, am intense workout, or a long flight. You can even use the Rose Water as a setting spray for make-up, a facial toner, eyelid primer, hair softener, make-up remover, undereye dark circles and undereye puffiness, and even as alternative to perfume. 

---

Moodstruck Addiction Shadow Palettes – Palette One and Two
Cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, the blendable palettes are all the rage and is a beauty-lovers playground. You can mix-and-match colors and use the palettes for both cheek and eye applications. 

Be sure to check out their full line of Younique Products and Younique Beauty here. 

---

ENJOY MY YOUNIQUE BEAUTY HAUL:

ABOUT YOUNIQUE: 
Younique offers a diverse collection of face, lip and eye makeup, including its much-admired Moodstruck 3D Fiber Lashes+, which has swept the beauty world off its feet! The brand also developed an impressive range of skincare products and cosmetics tools, including brushes and blending buds.

Love It. Share It. Live It.
Every day, hundreds of women experience the excitement of joining a family of like-minded women who inspire them to reach their true potential and achieve the things they’ve always dreamed of in a supportive, safe family environment. From day one of registration, a brand-new Younique Presenter joins the family and is able to immediately start selling the products through her very own, simple, yet feature-rich, e-commerce store. She gets instant access to the Younique Virtual Party System™, her Younique Back Office, and to a wealth of easy-to-reference training material.

We are the first direct sales company to market and sell almost exclusively through the use of social media. Our pioneered Younique Virtual Parties bridge the huge world of social media and the traditional home party business model. A Younique Virtual Party has no limits to your reach or who you can invite. This makes it so the traditional home party is not even necessary unless you choose to do it. We provide the innovative and interactive tools and invite you to tap into your own resources and connections that you already have. Hosting a Younique Party is as easy as sharing a link!

Nature. Love. Science.
Younique's cosmetics development processes utilize scientific research to ensure that our products contain high quality ingredients that enrich and nourish the skin. The result is a beautifully efficacious product that is safely compatible with virtually every skin type.

Younique begins by looking to Mother Nature for the inspiration behind our cosmetics. Our in-house scientific team then formulates a product that honors that inspiration while delivering cutting-edge cosmetics. Our goal is to provide healthy, clean, and pure cosmetics.

FTC: Sponsored by Younique. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my viewers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising.

The Scoop: GBK's Pre-Emmy Celebrity Gift Lounge

Hi lovelies,

Other than live-tweeting from Vanity Fair's Social Club, tearing up during Viola Davis' historic acceptance speech, and creating the obligatory fashion-girl "best-dressed" lists, my favorite part of awards season was definitely attending the GBK Pre-Emmy Celebrity Gift Lounge, held at the L'Emritage Beverly Hills and was presented by Life Cell. 

In case you weren't able to attend, I've got you covered. Not only was I able to get a massage next to Fuller House's Jody Sweeten, but I also have the behind-the-scenes insider info for you guys below.

Check out below for the full scoop, photos, and the skinny on all of the sponsors: 

GBK Welcomes Over 7 Emmy Nominees, 24 Nominated Shows and Dozens of Other Celebrity attendees included Nominees: Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”), Beau Bridges (“Masters of Sex”), Jeremy Podeswa (Director – “Game of Thrones”), Khandi Alexander (“Scandal”), Richard Cabral (“American Crime”), Tony Hale (Winner – “Veep”), stars from the hit series “Orange is the New Black” including Abigail Savage, Dascha Polanko, Emma Miles, Selenis Leyva and Julie Lake, and many more.

Los Angeles (September 21, 2015) - GBK, the luxury lifestyle gift lounge and special events company, honored the 2015 Emmy Awards’ Nominees and Presenters with their annual GBK Gift Lounge on September 18th and 19th at L’Ermitage Beverly Hills. Guests enjoyed gifts, refreshments and a gorgeous tented event with music by GoodBoy. Foto Spark was also on site to enhance the party atmosphere by providing a green screen photo booth with photos and animated GIFs.

Among the luxury and must-have lifestyle brands included gifts from Presenting Sponsor, LifeCell. LifeCell is an all-in-one antiaging treatment formulated to target every aspect of aging skin. 

Other great gifts included some unique luxury items like Belmond La Samanna, who gifted 3 Night Gift Certificates to their Resort on Baie Longue Beach in St. Martin with daily breakfast for 2; The Artisan Group® gifted celebrities and members of the press a lovely collection jewelry, spa and bath products and other handcrafted gifts; Caribbean Living – offered an all-inclusive trip to the Caribbean at the celebrity’s choice of 3 resorts; LaloFitness – who gifted 3 personal training sessions and a $100 gift certificate for any of Lalo’s Lifestyle Fitness Vacation; and Life Portraits Aura Imaging – who gifted naturally organic Canadian glacier mineral salt, crystals massage oil, chakra candles, and RE7 - a powerful performance recovery drink containing 11 essential vitamins and minerals. 

Beauty and health sponsors included: Burke Williams Spa – who was on site gifting their H2V Exclusive Skincare Line; Aluminé - haircare products formulated using the best of nature and science without abrasive chemicals, parabens or sulfates; Aesthetica Cosmetics, LLC - gifting The Aesthetica Cosmetics Contour Kit; Grande Naturals, gifting their Outrageous Designer Gift Box which includes 1 GrandeLASH-MD (3 month supply) and 1GrandeMASCARA; PlaqueHD, the first professional plaqueidentifying toothpaste loved by dentists, patients and parents nationwide; Beauty Kitchen by Heather Marianna, providing skin polish and hand sliced soap bar option, organic and natural spa products; and Violent Iodine - the once-daily, non-prescription pill to alleviate premenstrual breast discomfort and promote breast health.

A true highlight of the lounge was the incredibly diverse and trendy fashion and accessory products including: World renowned luxurious and sporty watches by Oceanaut – Seapro – Christian Van Sant – Jivago; JH Design Group, a top manufacturer of licensed apparel; and MooshWalks - socks with ears giving your feet personality. Gourmet sweets and treats were sampled and gifted at the event by Green Sheep Water, offering their 16 ounce bottles of delicious purified water in100% recyclable aluminum bottles which are infinitely recyclable; Ike’s Place - Award Winning Sandwiches for Meat Eaters, Vegetarians, Vegans, and Gluten Free Diets; and Venetia Vodka - Flawlessly Crafted. Brilliantly Bottled. The World’s Most Desired Vodka. 

Charity beneficiaries included:

Muscular Dystrophy Association - The mission of MDA is to serve those who are fighting muscle disease as we find treatments and cures, support families and rally communities. For more information, please visit: www.mda.org

Stray Cat Alliance - Stray Cat Alliance educates and empowers the community to advocate for every cat’s right to be safe, healthy and valued. We are building a no kill nation, one stray at a time. For more information, please visit: www.straycatalliance.org

American Friends of Magen David Adom (AFMDA) - MDA is a pillar of Israeli society whose mission is to save lives. As the country’s “911,” it serves as Israel’s national emergency medical response, ambulance, and disaster relief agency. MDA also operates Israel’s national blood supply, providing 97 percent of civilian blood and 100 percent of the blood for the Israel Defense Forces. While governmentmandated to provide these essential services, MDA is not government-funded, relying heavily on American donors to support its operations. For more information, please visit www.afmda.or 

Alfalit International – A non-profit organization that provides literacy programs for the underserved in the US and internationally. For more information, please visit: www.alfalit.org

# # # 

ABOUT GBK: GBK, formerly GBK Productions, is a luxury lifestyle gifting and special events company, specializing in entertainment marketing integration. Formed in 2000 by Gavin Keilly, the company’s Founder and CEO, GBK consists of five divisions: GBK Celebrity Gifting, GBK Special Events, GBK Weddings, GBK Charitable Consulting and GBK Marketing/Public Relations. Widely known in the entertainment industry for bringing that little extra something into the Gifting Lounge environment, GBK offers its clients a full range of marketing services. For more information on Gavin B. Keilly (CEO), Carla Domen (VP) or GBK, please go to gbkproductions.com.