I was invited to attend the GRAMMY’s Gift Lounge. No compensation or product was provided for this post.
All opinions are entirely my own.
Who is getting excited for the Grammy Awards tonight? I wasn’t always a big Grammy fan, until I actually got an invitation to attend a few years ago. Now THAT was a fun night. Everything you see on TV is actually bigger, better, and definitely more exciting in person than on a small screen. I would go again in a heartbeat… you know, just in case anyone reading this wants to ask me for next year.
This year I was invited to preview the GRAMMY’s Gift Lounge. This is where brands showcase the products they will be “gifting” the celebrities. Think of it as a much more expensive swag hall than the ones we’re used to attending at blogging conferences or trade shows.
This year’s lounge was sponsored by Tools by Gina. Gina Rivera is a celebrity stylist and founder of Phenix Salon Suites. She is also the creator of the new Tools by Gina line of styling tools. They look like most other styling tools… until you actually use them. These aren’t just any old styling tools. These are professional tools with a special infrared technology that actually seals in moisture when you use them so your hair doesn’t turn out frizzy and dry. They don’t burn your hair like so many other products do. Your hair is left shiny and beautiful. I probably wouldn’t have believed it unless I tried them for myself.
I was admiring the tools when a stylist asked me if I wanted to try them out. She used the flat iron on my hair (something I wouldn’t have thought to use because, ahem… my hair is ridiculously straight), but she actually put waves into my hair and I couldn’t believe how healthy my hair felt. It WAS shiny and beautiful. I loved the way it looked. Sold! I really MUST have the flat iron… and I want to try out the infrared hair dryer as well. This would be amazing for Temera since she has really thick hair that always comes out frizzy when she blows it dry. The products are available on Gina’s website and are pretty reasonably priced considering what some professional styling tools cost.
I also had the chance to meet Gina… super nice woman! I would kill to have her work on my hair one day. Any celebrity that winds up with some of these styling tools will be very lucky… they really are fabulous.
So let me show you some of the other goodies in the GRAMMY’s Gift Lounge.
A Gift Lounge wouldn’t be complete without chocolate, right? I was really impressed with Chef Phillip Ashley of Phillip Ashley Chocolates. These are not your drug store candy, by any means. Chef Phillip showed us his line of designer chocolate… some flavors you might find surprising, but the creativity is out of this world.
Chef Ashley will be gifting a 6-piece designer chocolate gift box called the Luxe Collection that includes flavors like Saffron, Aged Balsamic Vinegar, and Japanese Suntory Whisky. In addition, guests will be taking home of the world’s most expensive confections… a 23k Gold salted caramel pecan praline valued at $79. I’m not sure if I could actually eat that expensive a candy… excuse me… confection. At what price point do you stop calling it a candy and have to call it a confection? In any case, let me at those chocolates. Yum!
One of my other favorites at the Gift Lounge was the Simone I. Smith jewelry line. Simone is LL Cool J’s wife, and a 10 year cancer survivor. She created this line “to transform her life-long affection for accessories into a thriving enterprise and offer a helping hand to those in need.” I am very particular about the jewelry I wear and these are really fabulous. I’d love to give all 3 of my girls one of these necklaces.
The jeweled enamel lollipop necklaces come in birthstones and are seriously the most adorable things I’ve ever seen. At $100 each, they are actually pretty affordable for a really nice piece of jewelry. Hint: my birthstone is in December (Blue Topaz). Just saying.
Flos Floris is an Italian fashion brand that has men and women’s clothing, as well as a line of fragrance. For the GRAMMY Gift Lounge, they brought snap back hats with their logo on it in either red or white.
Into gaming? Scuff Gaming was displaying their line of gaming controllers. I have to say, these are pretty cool. They are for XBox or PlayStation and come in a rainbow of colors. They also do custom controllers… like this one they did for LL Cool J.
And check out some of their other fun controllers. Now these would make an amazing gift for someone who is a big gamer.
Ready for a break? How about a cocktail?
The Natural Mixologist was also in the Gift Lounge. Marsha Meyer was inspired by the farm-to-table movement and created a line of natural and sustainable cocktails. I was dying to try some of these… but alas, they weren’t pouring for the preview crowd.
One of the more interesting things in the Gift Lounge was from Koi Interiors, an interior design firm out of Los Angeles and New York. Now you know when I see an interior design anything, my ears perk up. (For those of you who don’t know… I was an interior designer for years and years). Koi was giving away $1,000 Gift Certificates for their services and brought one of their more unusual pieces of furniture to display. Looks a lot like a throne, doesn’t it?
So let me show you this! Noon VR was demonstrating their virtual reality headset and mobile app. At first it didn’t look like something I’d be interested in, but when I tried it… it was pretty awesome! You put on a headset and goggles and hook it into your mobile device. Wow… talk about being there. It’s like you are living in the midst of another world. These are really affordable ($89) and are sold by Amazon. (Yes, that’s an affiliate link if you are so inclined to purchase one.) Seriously… this is a great gift for the person who has everything.
Some of the other items being displayed in the Gift Lounge were:
Trespass Performance Clothing - goose-feather down jackets.
Truth - The company that created the “Finish It” campaign that empowers smokers and non-smokers alike to be the generation that ends tobacco use, has teamed up with Vans and Kevin Lyons to create one-of-a-kind sneakers that encourage everyone to use their voices and creativity to end smoking for good. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see these… but how cool are they?
Belldini - a women’s fashion brand.
Fit Club TV and Live in Fitness - these companies were gifting designer workout apparel, Live in Fitness VIP experience in a private villa, plus Fit Culture Fuel health & performance supplements.
Marchon - designer eyewear. I didn’t get to see these, but from what I can tell on their website, they are gorgeous!!!! Would have loved to have been able to try these on.
So…. that was INSIDE the GRAMMY’s Gift Lounge. But that’s not all!
There are gift bags being given out as well. Holy cow! Want to know what’s in the gift bag? I bet you do. Here’s a list.
Adopted NYC - Leather Wrap Case
Age Interventionist - 24K Gold Facial/Youth Blast
Big Cat Rescue - Private Tour and Swag Bag
Donna Bell’s Bake Shop - Recipe Book
Book Bundle from Penguin Random House
Garden of Life - Vitamin C Spray
Golden Door - 7-Day stay in San Marcos, CA
Gosmile - Dental Cleaning & Whitening System
Healing Saint by Dr. Jane 360 - Skin Serum & Hair Follicle Stimulant
Herb & Lou’s - Infused Ice Cubes
Love Your Locks - Hair Clip Extensions
Music Connection Trade Magazine
Novelty Premium Illuminated Water
NW 58th Street - Art Cuff Bracelet
Pooch Selfie - Pet Selfie Taking Device
Purely Inspired - Protein Shake
Sedona Lace - Makeup Brush Set
Slimware - Portion Control Plates
Soos Pets - Dead Sea Spa Products for Pets
Sundial Powder Coating Services
I’m just wondering what kind of “bag” they think all this stuff is going to fit in? Maybe a suitcase? Sadly, I didn’t come home with one. Maybe when I hit it big with my first record. Wait! Do they even call it a record anymore?
All in all, it was a fun experience and I really did love the hair styling products from Gina. Maybe one day I’ll get to try out all these other goodies.
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