Every year before the Oscars, celebs get a chance to party hearty, and partake of some glorious goodies and gifties at Pre-Oscar Gifting Suites.
If there was an award for “Best Gifting Suite” – it would surely go to Doris Bergman’s 12th Annual Valentine Romance Pre-Oscar Luxury Lounge and Party. Her elegant and congenial affair was held Saturday, February 8th at the Fig & Olive restaurant on Melrose Place. This Hollywood favorite offered a luscious lunch and divine libations for VIP and celebrity guests as they joined in the celebration of the season, getting ready for the 92nd Annual Academy Awards.
Hosted by BeautyStat Cosmetics and presented by Buywine.com and Precious Vodka, the invitation-only event was an opportunity for everyone to visit various sponsors and check out some of their coolest items.
As an avid wine-lover, I immediately headed over to my favorite table, Buywine.com. A returning sponsor for the suite, Buywine.com is an online resource designed to bring the consumer to the wine industry while showcasing wineries around the world. They offered samples of several delectable wines from Campos Family Vineyards, a boutique winery overlooking beautiful Mount Diablo in Northern California. Their fine selection of wines includes Sparkling Rose, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Red Blends, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, Mourverde, Petite Sirah, Cabernet and a few more secret wines.
If you’ve got a thirst for knowledge about wine, you should visit Buywine.com soon and often! The lovely Lady A was on hand to greet guests and share information about the wines being served. She also told me about their new Custom Wine Labels that are now available to make your own personal events wine-tastic!
Lady A, aka Alma, is a fantabulous female entrepreneur who is ultra-supportive of other women in business. Another interesting tidbit is that her daughter is taking her second missionary trip to Ecuador. It’s truly a family that cares about people and the world.
Another jewel of the event was Precious Vodka. Their bottles are diamond-shaped and have gems at the top, so you’ll not only enjoy drinking the delicious smooth vodka; you’ll also have a stunning bottle to display – it’s great for gifting to friends for any occasion. They even had mini-diamond-shaped bottles for those who want just a shot at a time.
If you’re more into non-alcoholic libations, Hint was a sponsor, offering their various flavors of fruit-infused water with no sugar or sweeteners.
What woman in Hollywood – or anywhere – doesn’t like jewelry? Well, this was the place for it, with several delightfully different and special brands. Guests tried on a myriad of wonderful chains, bracelets and necklaces at Twisted Silver, designed by the talented and beautiful owner, Debra Mitchell. She uses recycled chains, reclaimed materials, and up-cycled treasures that are truly distinctive and trendsetting.
My Saint My Hero presented their jewelry line, which includes signature Benedictine Blessing Bracelets, along with necklaces, earrings and sacramental pieces. Their lovely and spiritual Wearable Blessings serve as constant reminders of purpose, hope and inspiration.
Jewelry designer Charise Noel presented her unique no-clasp necklaces that can be worn as a solitaire or a drop necklace with interchangeable magnetic custom endings. Easy to put on and remove, these pieces are perfect as everyday casual necklaces, or you can switch out the endings for those special formal occasions. Charise is also an author, and she gifted guests with her new book, “Itchy Feet Happy Soul” that she says will make readers smile, laugh and awaken their inner child.
Visitors were excited to taste tiny and tasty Appletinies. These are carefully dehydrated apple pieces, covered in delicate melt-in-your-mouth, organic chocolate. Made in Australia, they are available in many different flavors and are gluten free with no artificial ingredients or flavor enhancers. The colorful packaging makes them a great treat to give as a gift or bring to parties.
Did you know… honey is good for your hair! I learned this from gracious sponsor True Gold Honey who shared that honey is more than just delicious, it’s a versatile product with many benefits. Containing a wide array of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and antioxidants, it can help strengthen your hair follicles, stimulate hair growth and seal in moisture to reduce breakage and boost hair growth. Wow! And of course, it’s delicious, too! They gifted beautiful boxes of five jars of different flavored honeys. OMG – that’s what I call a true honey of a gift!
Speaking of hair, mine is long and thick. Fortunately, I’ve got thick hair and thin legs – better than the reverse. But because of my fast-growing mane, I have to go to the salon super often. So, I was overjoyed to meet Shann Christen, who has a new salon in Westwood with a Color Bar that offers root color retouches at an affordable price. Shann also brought his wonderful BioMethod hair products, including Hydro Pro18 Conditioner and Fortifiant Cleansing Treatment. What’s more, I learned about trichology – it’s the science dealing with the study of the hair and scalp and its diseases. Shaan is an expert with 15 years of study and experience in the field.
And to make your skin look wondrous, BeautyStat is one of the newest vitamin C products on the scene that brightens, re-texturizes and firms. The formula is designed to make your skin look brighter and fresher with a youthful glow.
IFG fit gifted wearable ergonomic activewear with their FDA Class II Medical Device, patented PPR technology built into the fabric. They offered halter tops for women and T-shirts for both women and men that immediately spring your shoulders back, expands the chest, and retrains your spine and hips into better alignment. Wow, it’s clothing that improves your posture!
Designer Sue Wong, known for her couture gowns and fragrances, featured lovely scarves, and Milena’s Boutique offered sweetly scented candles for guests. A different kind of sweets, Valentine’s Day decorated donuts, were available from Realtor Debbi DiMaggio.
For those who like their sweets with CBD, there were chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and other edibles as well as CBD and THC products from Pachamama and The Apothecary Stores.
Of course, what makes any party great is the people who attend. My celebrity sightings included Award-Winning Actors in Oscar-nominated films — Bruce Dern (“Once Upon A Time in Hollywood”) and Sean Carrigan (“Ford vs. Ferrari”). Also enjoying the festivities were Anthony Anderson, Christopher McDonald, Bill Duke, Judd Nelson, Mark Rolston, Vincent Spano, Dee Walllace, John Brotherton, Diedre Hall, Donovan Carter, Khandi Alexander, Lou Ferrigno, Maria Conchita Alonso, Rebecca Metz, Shari Belafonte, Sofia Milos, Stacey Dash, Tichina Arnold, Mark Rolston, Titus Makin, Blanca Blanco,Tristan Rogers, Kheng Hua Tan, Patrika Darbo, Michael Campion, Petri Byrd, Norman Nixon, Renee Lawless, Kim Estes, and Lotte Verbeek.
I sat at lunch with Kelly Mac, a Pasadena fitness coach who appeared on the “Worst Cooks in America.” Luckily, the food wasn’t prepared by her – but by the fabulous chefs at the Fig and Olive! However, I’d love to take advantage of Kelly’s services as a trainer. As I told her, “I’ve been taking diet pills. I don’t eat less, I just eat faster!”
In the spirit of giving back, guests and sponsors made monetary donations and/or donated unwrapped gifts for young adults (ages 13-18) for a Post-Holiday Gift Drive benefiting ‘Wednesday’s Child’ – a weekly segment airing on KTTV FOX 11 News, Los Angeles, with Anchor Christine Devine. ‘Wednesday’s Child’ highlights ‘harder to place’ young adults in the LA County foster care system who are in need of adoptive families. The caring and gracious hostess Doris Bergman always invites at least two foster children to join in on the festivities and experience what it feels like to be treated as a VIP.
Other gifts and services were provided by:
Club Afficianado Cigar Bar, RevealU Skincare, Pia Gladys Perey Designs, Timmy Woods Designer Handbags, Nikki Bruno, Founder of The Epic Comeback™, Beauty Kitchen, The Apawthecary, Kam Shield, Popcornopolis, Bulamu Lip Care, Emmy’s Hope, Dog TV Gift Cards, and Rock Your Hair.
All photos courtesy of Doris Bergman Public Relations
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