This weekend, courtesy of Aveeno, I got the chance to go to the Independent Spirit Awards, get access to some serious after parties and learn all about the new products Aveeno has been working oh-so-hard on.I'm now an Aveeno brand ambassador, which means I'll be up-to-date on all Aveeno product launches, can get direct answers to your burning questions (Is their shea butter source sustainable? Yes it is!) and probably hook you up along the way.
But back to my weekend. It started with a lovely day of pampering at the beyond beautiful Exhale Spa at the Miramar Hotel. Myself and the other brand ambassadors were treated like queens while receiving Aveeno-based treatments.
(Anne getting an gorgeous blowout.)
Celeb stylist, Patrick Melville, helped to direct the stylists, giving them "hairspiration" for our fancy-pants dinner that night. Later in the afternoon, makeup artists put the finishing touches on all of us, before we headed back to the hotel to change.
Unfortunately, this weekend was almost as cold in L.A. as it has been in Baltimore. I wouldn't have minded, but I didn't truly heed the weather.com warnings. Shutters on the Beach, our hotel, was possibly the loveliest hotel in which I have ever had the pleasure of staying. Two things are worth noting at this point in my story:I got lost finding my hotel room after I swore up and down to the front desk I could handle it. I had to call someone to come find me and show me the way. I can't be the first one. You had to take a specific elevator to the third floor, walk down a hall, outside (in the rain), take another elevator to the second floor, walk around a corner, go outside again and use a secret password to find the elusive room 242. The best/worst part? I almost got lost several other times. It's what happens when you don't instinctively know left from right.
(This is half of my bathroom. You could almost miss the whale in the room if you don't look carefully enough.)
There was a whale in my (beautiful, if you aren't afraid of them) bathtub. It looked friendly, but I am quite certain it was mocking me. I'm not sure why whales/sharks/alligators keep me away frombathtubs, pools and lakes, but not the ocean. But they do. Along with never having a cup of coffee or smoking a cigarette, I haven't willingly taken a bath since I was old enough to say no.
Read up on my ridiculous and completely real phobia here.But I digress. After throwing my luggage everywhere, I met up with all 25+ ladies in the lobby ,where I just missed Goldie Hawn.We then boarded our official bus and headed off for dinner. By dessert, I had been up for almost 23 hours and Amber (Beauty Junkies Unite) and I lead an accidental revolution to go back to the hotel and go to sleep. Yes, I was almost too tired to eat my dessert (all of which I kept calling a churro, despite it being cake, sorbet and a cannoli. I blame exhaustion.)
Finally back at the hotel, I climbed into the world's tallest (there is a stool in the closet, just in case you needed a boost) and most comfortable bed. It was a wonderful ending to the beginning of a whirlwind weekend.Soon, I'll have all of the details from the Independent Spirit Awards (where I added myself to the press section of the red carpet and then passed for ISA staff and got the inside deets). I got loads of pics, and a chance to tell some of my favorites that I loved their performances. I hung with Leonard Maltin and some paparazzi guy who didn't know Ewan McGregor from Jesse Eisenberg. Afterwards, Anne from Beauty Expose and I tried to hone in on some serious award show swag, took some terrible photos for Loxy and became besties with one of the Award winners. If you're curious, there are some pics on the right hand side of the blog - check them out. Some celebs were so incredibly kind it was beautiful. And some were slightly tool-ish.I'll give you all of the details shortly. I just need to catch my breath, unpack, go through hundreds of photos and sort it all out. I have so many things to share, including some amazing new products you need to know about!
This trip was paid for by Aveeno, as I am now proudly a brand ambassador. All opinions are my own. See my disclosure for full details.
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