Limited edition Tiffany & Co. x Yorkdale Shopping Centre bracelet at Tastemakers Lounge
And there goes TIFF for another year. After 10 days of failed Ryan Gosling/Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Zac Efron stalking and minimal actual film watching, all I have to show for my efforts is bags and bags of swag. #Firstworldproblems, right? Here’s a recap of my tour of the TIFF gifting lounges this year and some of my favourite swag items, not because I’m bragging but because I’m still in awe myself. TIFF was like Christmas in September for celebrities, VIPs of various sorts, and lucky media types like yours truly.
TASTEMAKERS LOUNGE
My first TIFF gifting lounge stop was at Tastemakers Lounge by rock-it promotions. “Keep calm and swag on” was the motto. Easier said than done; it’s hard to play it cool when surrounded by so much sweet swag. There were swanky Tiffany & Co. bracelets from Yorkdale Shopping Centre, cute bra and panty sets from La Senza, as well as Indeed Labs‘ full product range, including peptalash (longer, thicker and fuller lashes? yes please!). The team from John Allan’s men’s spa came out in full force providing complimentary services, while Demeter was on hand with its fun range of scents, including ‘Blueberry Muffin’ and ‘Laundromat’.
ESSENTIALS LOUNGE
Next up was the Essentials Lounge by Esther Garnick PR, where guests were treated to gluten-free food truck goodies by Gourmet Bitches, faux lashes by Winks Eyelash Boutique and even spray tanning sessions. We were also loaded up with 2 overflowing (and extremely heavy) swag bags, one titled “Survival” and the other “Recovery”. Inside were everything from a Flawless Complexion Makeup Kit by Benefit Cosmetics to The Socializer‘s Spotlight Exfoliator by Elizabeth Grant, all of which I can’t wait to try. A case of vitaminwater even showed up on my doorstep a few days later; as a Spark addict, I was overjoyed.
SWAROVSKI FASHION SUITE
My next stop was the Swarovski Fashion Suite at the brand new Shangri-La Hotel, where celebrities and their stylists visit to add the type of sparkle only Swarovski crystal can bring to their TIFF red carpet looks. There on display was the Kingdom of Jewels catwalk collection, as well as the Bond 50th anniversary and Skyfall (the next James Bond film) collections. As always, I was blown away by the ornate catwalk pieces and very tempted by the latest offerings for fall.
IT LOUNGE
NKPR‘s IT Lounge was the final stop on my TIFF gifting lounge tour this year. For the first time, the lounge featured a portrait studio where guests had their photos taken by the likes of world-renowned fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier. After a much-needed makeup touch-up by MAC Cosmetics, I had the pleasure of being snapped by photographer Norman Wong, and was rather pleased with the results. I also scored some jewelry by lia sophia and beauty tools by Tweezerman, got a nail polish change and eyebrow clean-up, and even fueled up at the Yogurty’s frozen yogurt station.
Blogger Anita Clarke getting touched up by MAC Cosmetics before her close-up with Norman Wong
C’est tout! Thanks to these incredible gifting lounges, I have just about enough beauty and hair samples to last me until TIFF 2013. And then we’ll do it all over again…
xx, S
Image Credits: Images #1, 3 and 4 courtesy of rock-it promo; all others by The Backseat Stylers
