Empowerment, Eco-Friendly & Fun: The MTV Movie Awards Celebrity Connected Suite

By: Marjorie Galas

I thought I could use the cloak of bodies huddled around a table for cover.  I hurled myself forward, aiming towards a booth with glass bowls of peanuts, M&M's and Fruity Pebbles when Victoria Ashly jumped in front of me with a very long, thin box.

"Hi there, have you heard of 'Clone-a-Willy?'"

The atmosphere of the MTV Movie Awards is a little less - shall we say - formal than the Academy Awards.  And so too was the Celebrity Connected Luxury Gifting Suite at the W Hotel April 9th, 2016.   While there were still a great deal of skin care products and sweet treats to sample, namingly "Creamistry" who's array of ice cream toppings was a beacon for my aforementioned foiled escape, there were some notable differences.  Primarily, the booths at this suite featured three major subsets:  Empowerment, Environmental Friendly, and Fun.

Empowerment: 

The women of Lip Synck Cosmetics had the strongest voice of the day.  Their brand of cosmetics was created specifically to inspire women to embrace their true beauty and their self image.  The color palette ranged from nude shades to cobalt blue lip color.  Included in their line were eye shadows, lip glosses and lipsticks, foundation, powders, and nail polish.  They encouraged visitors who came to their table to push their boundaries and have some fun in the process.

Language took center stage at Charmington Designs. Created by Sandi Young-Hewitt, a wide variety of charms inscribed with inspirational words such as "hope", "love", "happiness" adorn bracelets, necklaces, even earrings.  Crafted with sterling silver, the bangles ranged from thick chains to thin strips, and the charms were simple blocks inscribed with the words, or colorful glass balls.

While not a smoker, I was particularly drawn to Taryn Aimer's UltraVapes display.  The UltraVapes line features various grades of nicotine-enhanced mediums, providing those on the journey of quitting steps that minimize the addictive qualities of the drug.  Offered in a variety of flavors - from smokey to fruit - the product can help people kick their habits, once and for all.

Environmentally Friendly:

At first glance, the water-powered clocks created by Bedol seem like an odd fit for drought-ridden Los Angeles.  However, once filled by simple tap water, the clocks run for a full year before they need to be refilled.  No batteries, not electricity: the clocks are powered by the positive and negative ions that come in contact with the clock's mechanics.  How cool is that?  While I didn't get a close look at the table, the clocks were round and made of a recycled plastic that came in a variety of bright colors.  I wonder what other inventions this California based company might have up their sleeves.

While not quite environmentally friendly yet, I give props to Fresh Air.  Using the basic design of a pine tree air freshener, the company embosses their clothing with trees with the hopes that people will consider the values of trees and forests around us.  The young vendor informed me that the hats are currently made from acrylic because "we had to start somewhere."  After a bit of growth, they will be gravitating to natural fibers.  All their dyes are non-toxic, and all their production is local where they can ensure the processes are not harming the environment.

Fun:

Most of the booths catered to the fun category. High Cotton had numerous examples of their natural soy candles on display.  A proud Southern company, they suggested visitors "celebrate the scents of the south" and with labels including "fine leather" guests were enjoying the bouquets.  Teal N Bronze also had a delightful body butter made from 100% natural ingredients that smelt exactly like a latte.  Swiss company Mood had a stainless steel ring that broke apart into three sections, allowing the middle component to be swapped out.  With every type of color to choose from, your could completely express your mood in the elegant style.  MN Ganache had sames of decedent brownie bites and petite fours that were purely sinful.

And then, there was Clone-A-Willy. The adult modeling kit created by Empire Labs included a long, fairly narrow tube, a powdered form of a non-toxic silicone and easy-to-follow instructions that allowed a cast to be made of, as they call it on the kit, a willy.  The perfect end to the MTV Gifting Suite if I ever saw one!