All posts tagged: Toronto International Film Festival

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

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I participated in a little bit of  TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) events this year. First stop on my journey for 2012 started at the eight annual Tastemakers Lounge at the InterContinental Toronto Centre hotel. They had a number of brands including Yorkdale Mall, La Senza, Indeed Laboratories, The Tea Emporium, Kiss, Popchips, John Allan, Demeter Fragrance Library, Kimberley’s Own All Natural Granola, Bobble, Le Dolci, Viviscal Maximum Strength, Me + You… and Emjoi MICRO Pedi in the lounge and all ready to give free stuff to celebrities coming through. Media types got a smaller selection of goods with big-ticket items going to talent. Here are my top swag picks Kimberley’s Own All Natural Granola is wheat- and gluten-free, oat-based granola. I had the Just Seeds flavour and I’ve already finished off the bag I was given. It was delicious. I love Microsoft mice. Every mouse I’ve loved to death has been an MS product. So, I was delighted to get the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse “Year of the Dragon” from Yorkdale, who will be …

TIFF 2011 – Alliance Films Party Red Carpet Photos by Paul Baik

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The whirlwind that is the Toronto International Film Festival has come and gone. This year TIFF was very quiet for I want – I got. I wasn’t on vacation like last year and client deadlines at the day job resulted in a low-key festival. I did send my friend and photographer Paul Baik to hit the red carpet at the most hyped TIFF party hosted by Alliance Films celebrating the 21 films they submitted to this year’s festival. Huge celebrities were invited and expected to walk the red carpet for this event. It didn’t turn out that way and the major celebs didn’t walk the red carpet. That’s the way things go sometimes. Paul stuck it out for a few hours and he said he had a good time (it was his first TIFF!). Here are some of his shots. See all of Paul’s photos in the slideshow. Thank you Paul for braving the TIFF scrum! images: paulbaik.com

TIFF 2010 – Donato Salon + Spa at The Brill Building

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Brill Communications set up a two day mini Donato Salon + Spa at their office, The Brill Building. I didn’t get my makeup done here but I did get my nails done. The nail polish was by celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann. It is amazing. My first colour was Bad Romance which is a GaGa blackened fuschia (pictured above).  I really love this nail polish colour.  I visited the Tastemakers Lounge earlier in the day and had a Joe Fresh jade colour put on.  It was TIFF and I was feeling indulgent so I had the jade removed and Bad Romance put on.  I really do love the sparkly nail polish add purple to that equation and I’m easily sold.  The second day I returned and had a combo of two nail polishes put on.  The results was a blood red sparkly mix that looked amazing.  I can’t remember the rich red colour used but the sparkle was Ruby Red Slippers.  I love the names of Deborah Lippmann’s nail polish too. Check out the Deborah Lippmann’s …

TIFF 2010 – Signed. Sealed. Delivered

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There is still time to check out Signed. Sealed. Delivered, a signature memorabilia show which is showing at Gallery One (121 Scollard Street) until September 30, 2010. The pieces are from The Signature Library. Torontonian, Bryan Ulrich has collected signatures of the worlds most famous celebrities for over 20 years. He has the largest collection of Micheal Jackson signatures. It was pretty weird standing in front of the signed Thriller jacket encased in glass. Signed. Sealed. Delivered also has album covers, photos and a number of beautiful guitars signed by rock gods like Brian Wilson, Guns and Roses and Neil Young. I attended the opening party during TIFF and met Bryan later on that night at the after party at Moroco.

TIFF 2010 – Lia Sophia

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The lounge that most surprised me was Lia Sophia. I knew it was a jewellery line but I didn’t expect to fall in love with it. On display was the newest red carpet collection called La Belle Rose. The collection used materials like silver, gold, copper, black diamond crystal, clear crystal,  jet crystal,  Hematite, Tortoise resin, jet enamel and lapis resin. The most interesting thing about Lia Sophia is that the collection isn’t sold in stores, it’s a direct selling company. It’s much like Avon where you buy items from a Lia Sophia Hostess at a jewellery party or from an Advisor in your area. Lia Sophia jewellery also comes with a Lifetime Replacement Guarantee which could come in handy if you ever lose a stone. The gift bag for this lounge was a choice of jewellery from the collection. It was a hard decision but I was attracted to the steampunk looking Runway style of the collection which featured Black Diamond Crystals in Matte Silver and Matte Gold or Clear Crystals in Matte Silver …

TIFF 2010 – DPA Gifting Lounge

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The InterContinental Toronto Centre on Front Street welcomed the Dubois, Pelin and Associates (DPA) Gifting Lounge during the Toronto International Film Festival. The Presidential Suite, which has this amazing wrap around terrace and fantastic views, was the location. Sponsors for the DPA Gifting Lounge included: MICALLA, FeenieBeadie, ANZIE, Ruby Wow!, Royal Blush, Glass Harp Gallery and Susan Hood designs, Michique, Roots, LouLou Bell, SwissTEC, Imperfect Indulgence, RevitaLash, Sula Beauty, Bathing Belle Swimwear, Snoflake, Barbara Bela, Sodaliscious, Turbine, Eva Varro, Pearl Resorts & Spa, Jumeirah Hotels and Resort Kusmi Teas, FUZE, The Berry Company, Galloping Cows, Ridiculous by Jilli, Manitobah Mukluks, Marchon Eyewear, AMC, Author Ann Kaplan and Lomography. There were a lot of great Canadian brands at the lounge, too many to talk about individually. It was great to see Canadian content getting pushed to the celebs. ANZIE jewellery initially invited me to the DPA Gifting Lounge so I could get a look at the collection. I was familiar with the brand as I’ve seen them at Holt Renfrew before. I didn’t know that they …

TIFF 2010 – Murale/Sally Hershberger Lounge

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The Murale/Sally Hershberger Lounge set up shop in the Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel. I was at the Intercontinental so much it almost felt like a second home. I laughed at people wondering if I was famous walking into and out of the hotel. Of course, I had my neon green Prada shades on. Sally Hershberger is a well know celebrity hairstylist who brought some of her crew to Toronto do get everyone’s hair red-carpet ready. There was also complimentary makeup applications and I took advantage of those services. Sponspors for the Murale/Sally Hershberger Lounge included: Coty Inc, Sally Hershberger Professional Hair Care, Murale I had my makeup done on Saturday and Sunday at the lounge. I had Dino on Saturday and he gave me a bit of smokey eye. It wasn’t dramatic but it was quite pretty. Sunday I had my make up done by Anil Bhatoo of Murale and he gave me dramatic makeup to go with the leather Danier dress I was wearing. It was my favourite look of TIFF. I also discovered …

TIFF 2010 – BMW Toronto Celebrity Gift Lounge

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BMW Toronto Celebrity gift lounge was setup at the Hugo Store in Yorkville for the Toronto International Film Festival. Greg May Hair and TDotTV teamed up to produce the lounge. Guests were treated to mini spa days with hair by Grey May, facials by Mayavii using the Black Pearl Collection products, make up by Jessica Llyod and massages from the Toronto Performance Health Centre Sponsors of the lounge included: Mayavii, BMW Toronto, Greg May Hair Architects, Toronto Performance Health Centre, Elizabeth Grant and Mondia Alliance. Mayvaii is an importer of Sea of Spa & Dr. Kadir Laboratories skin care lines. They are bringing the famous Dr. Kadir Matrix Gold Mask which was made popular by Kate Moss. Two 2011 BMW 5-series cars were on hand for viewing. I was all about the pampering this TIFF so I took advantage of the facial with Ilan and really liked the Black Pearl products he used. I also had my makeup done with Jessica Lloyd. BMW Toronto Celebrity Gift Lounge Gift Bag Favourites (These are products I found …

TIFF 2010 – RealTVfilms Social Media Lounge

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RealTVfilms Social Media Lounge presented by The Cutting Room was another gifting lounge I visited during the Toronto International Film Festival. It also followed the Festival and parked itself in the Abode Public Residence, close to the Bell Lightbox. Chic Little Devil, LA’s largest style house joined the lounge for their first appearance in Canada. They were on hand to dress celebrities for red carpet and parties during the festival. RealTVfilms host, Samantha Gutstadt, was on hand to interview celebs. Justin Rousseau from Brennen Demelo Studio was the lounge’s official hair stylist and Caroline Grenier was the makeup artist. Sponsors for the RealTVFilms Social Media Lounge included: TChad, Ketel One, Grazie Restaurant, Inspire Cosmetics, L’Oréal Professionnel, Dearfoams footwear, Oshun Spa, vitaminwater, Les Pieces Uniques, The FHE Group, You Rock Guitars, Winks Eyelash Boutique, Feri Designer Lines and Rowenta Beauty. The You Rock Guitars were very cool. It’s like Rockband but you play cords and there are strings. I had the chance to schedule an appointment to get my lashes done with the Winks Eyelash Boutique. …

TIFF 2010 – The IT Lounge

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NKPR Inc. returns for a fifth time to the Toronto International Film Festival with the IT Lounge. It moved south with the festival and was held at the new NKPR head office, just steps away from the Bell Lightbox. Toronto Interior Design Group partnered with NKPR to turn the office space into the IT Lounge. This year the lounge partnered with Paul Haggis’ Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) in order to raise money for Haiti. The lounge featured laptops from Rogers with mobile internet built-in. They are Internet ready because of the integration but I don’t know if I like the idea of having my machine that committed Rogers. I got a media pass that gave me access to the lounge and these computers during the festival. I could write posts or check email, etc. I was running around too much to take advantage of this. Sponsors of the IT Lounge included: Fila, RW&CO., Andrea Professionals, Ardell Lashes, Stila Cosmetics, Moroccanoil, Esprit, Goody, Sharpie, Dagmar Jewellery, Diane Lai skin care line, Kobo eReader, Baker …

TIFF 2010 – Aromachology

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I have meant to stop by Aromachology but our timing has been off. Aromachology is a personalized perfume shop that allows the customer to create their own special scent. They also have candles that make great gifts.  The idea of creating my own personal scent is very appealing and daunting. I like so many things and trying to put myself in one box is never going to work. I look at my fragrance collection and it’s all over the place, women’s, men’s, floral, oriental or musky.  Aromachology had a pop up store at the Four Seasons during  TIFF and I stopped by to check it out. Basically there are 5 base scents to choose from: Sophisticated & Sensual Floral, a Totally Edible Gourmand, an Exotic Spicy Oriental, a Clean & Fresh or a Bold & Brisk Woodsy. Then you make a choice between 15 top notes to add to the base: Creative – Juniper Berry and Carnation; Inspiring – Orange and Lemon; Spontaneous – Tuberose and Citrus; Graceful – Jasmine and Egyptian Musk; Courageous – …

TIFF 2010 – Diesel Lounge

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The coolest lounge I visited was the Diesel Lounge in the Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel.  It wasn’t a super swagged out gifting lounge like many of the others I visited.  Talent was gifted jeans and then had a portrait taken by Raphael Mazzucco.  This was the extent of the swag but the lounge itself was a nice place for people to get away, grab some food and a drink.  The Diesel Lounge had a fully stocked bar and table full of food for guests.  During the evenings they barbecued on the gorgeous balcony that overlooks the Intercontinental’s courtyard restaurant. The decor was made up of items from Diesel’s home decor/interior line.  Some of these items are available at the flagship shop in Yorkville. Monday morning, I returned to the Diesel Lounge and was treated to Champagne Brunch while we watched the web broadcast of the Diesel Black Gold Spring-Summer 2011 collection in New York. I finally was able to take advantage of the bar and food. It was a nice way to start the week, …

TIFF 2010 – Fresh Goods at The Tastemakers Lounge

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The 6th annual Tastemakers Lounge has returned to the Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel for the Toronto International Film Festival. Rock-It Promotions Inc produces this gifting suite and this year’s theme is Fresh Goods. Toronto design firm Marla Brown Events took care of the decor of the suite. Rawlicious, Toronto only raw food restaurant provided lunch boxes to guest and a super tasty Cocoon Macaroon. Sponsors of the Tastemakers Lounge included: MMCrystal, Bamjamz, Damn Heels, Guats Active. Life. Style., Indeed Laboratories Inc., Jessica Jensen, Joe Fresh Beauty, Keep Leaf, Mattel Inc., Wescan Optical and Me + You. It’s good to see the Tastemakers Lounge supporting local talent and majority of the sponsors were Canadian. It was strange to see the new Mattel games, they are so much more advanced now even Pictionary, it’s a man. The Tastemakers Lounge had talent like Edward Norton, Colin Firth, David Schwimmer, Minnie Driver, Peter Fonda, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Josh Hartnett and Geoffrey Rush come through. Many of them signed Mattel games that will be auctioned off and a portion …

TIFF 2010 – Bask-It-Style Media Day

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Media arrived at The Fairmont Royal York’s Prime Minister’s Suite to preview the products that are available in the Bask-It-Style gift bags. They were then distributed to visiting Toronto International Film Festival talent including Mickey Rourke and Megan Fox.  Jsquared2 Public Relations produces Bask-It-Style and has returned for its second year. Media and magazine sponsors for the lounge included FrontRowMag.com and Polysh Magazine. Pink Twig Floral Boutique decorated the Prime Minister’s Suite with beautiful flowers. Gifting lounges have a standard format, you go around to each booth, talk to a rep and move on. Sometimes you get product at the booth and other times it’s all contained in a bag you leave with. The Prime Minister’s Suite is a nice but seem a bit dated compared to the newer and slicker hotel offerings out there. Sponsors in the Bask-It-Style gift bag are: Author Adrienne Kress (Scholastic Canada), CARGO, Coty Inc, DK Publishing, emerginC, ESKA Natural Spring Water, Foxy Originals, , Author Lesley Livingston (HarperCollins), Me + You, Mind, Ball and Soul by Farhan Dhalla, Mistura …

TIFF 2010 – Aveda Experience Centre

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Some people have an immediate positive effect on me that usual end up with me having a huge crush. They can be men and women because it’s about the energy they radiate, the knowledge they hold and most importantly their passion. Ray Civello is one of those people. He is the President of Aveda Canada and has salons, spas and stores across the country. I visited the new Aveda Experience Centre at 155 Cumberland Avenue. It carries the full range of lifestyle products, makeup, hair and skin care. Aveda is a line that is plant derived and natural. They’ve been around for 30 years and employ the top scientists in plant-based cosmetics to come up with their products. Guests are welcome to complimentary hand and scalp massages and makeup touch-ups. I had a hand massage and it was quite relaxing. “We chose Yorkville because it is the epicentre of errand-running and multi-tasking for busy urbanites; our Experience Centre provides a refuge from the hustle and bustle with an opportunity to be nurtured and revitalized.”, says …

The Coat, Philip and I

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I was send a video that brought back memories of taking this photo with Philip Sparks at the Holt Renfrew TIFF party. It was Philip’s idea to get for me to wear the racoon fur buffalo coat from the Fall 2009 collection. We come into play at 0:38 in the video. It’s originally from Radio Canada We had a total blast taking the photo and I’m glad the moment is recorded somewhere. Loves It! Anita <3s Philip.

Holt Renfrew Launches Vignettes

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Holt Renfrew Launches Vignettes was their TIFF party this year. The launch party for Vignettes will take place on Saturday, September 12 from 9 PM – 1 AM at Toronto’s Burroughes Building with a performance by The Stills and a special introduction by Coco Rocha. Holt Renfrew is also very proud to announce that the host of MTV USA’s IT’S ON Alexa Chung will be the special guest DJ for the evening. What the hell are Vignettes? Well Holt Renfrew created some short films for their men’s and women’s collections this season. The night was also the debut of my custom made leather dress from Mi Concept. It was a hit. I paired it with Luxury Rebel booties, YSL clutch and a Fizz Amethyst Ring borrowed from the Swarovski lounge at The Four Seasons Hotel. It was a fun evening and I got to reconnect with a lot of fashion friends I missed while away. I didn’t take a lot of photos. I didn’t talk to Coco but I stared at her a lot. She’s …

So this is where those media wall photos go

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I was wondering where the media wall photos end up after my gifting lounge experience. Check out the link to see wearing me Jeremy Laing. Sorry but you have to register with the site to see the photos in large size. Photos from Ultra Supper Club NightClub Toronto Smashbox Cosmetics Film Fest Swag Lounge at Ultra Sep 6, 2008 Smashbox Cosmetics Film Fest Swag Lounge at Ultra – Saturday Sep 6, 2008 Ultra Supper Club 314 Queen Street West , Toronto , Ontario Smashbox Cosmetics held a special Film Festival Swag Lounge Saturday night at Ultra Supper Club. The girls of Canadian media came out in droves to get some swag, including the hosts and staff of Entertainment Tonight Canada, MTV and eTalk. Edit: The TChad Party photos are here.

Tastemakers Lounge at TIFF

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I got a media invite to see the Tastemakers Lounge at the Toronto International Film Festival. Toronto, ON — Back for its fourth year, the Tastemakers Lounge will once again take up residence at the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel during the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Housed in the Portman Room on the second floor of the hotel (220 Bloor Street West), the theme of this season’s lounge is Ohhh Canada! – an homage to all the accomplishments achieved thus far by Canadians in film. Twenty companies have been selected for the opportunity to introduce talent and other ‘tastemakers’ to their products. As in previous years, the mandate is to feature a unique group of products and services, including Canadian companies and brands that visiting talent may not be familiar with. “The Tastemakers Lounge will highlight the latest trends in innovative interior design. We have selected exciting and creative work that will be inspirational to the sophisticated celebrity set,” said Jason MacIsaac, owner and founder of Ministry of the Interior. The lounge design will …