Silver Spoon Oscar Gifting Event for the Red Cross

By Laura Medina

Up close and personal of the companies at the gifting event.

Gifting suites preceding to award shows have been giving a bad rap for a few years, being slapped with the derogatory label of "swag."

There is a rhyme and a reason behind these gifting events leading up to award shows, especially the Oscars, the biggest red carpet in the world. This is not a greedy "free-for-all."

Once it hits a person they got invited to the biggest red carpet in the world and the accompanying soirees, she or he realizes they need the best styling and pampering products to get them camera ready in a flash, literally in front of thousands of flashbulbs and television cameras, in two days flat.

Silver Spoon, the premiere gifting event company, makes sure a charity benefits from all this glamour; and companies that want to cater to celebrities have to have products that can help a star get camera-ready in a snap.

The charity benefiting from this is the Red Cross raising funds for Haitian Relief, probably for Chilean and other earthquake victims.

Before you set foot, a Red Cross representative politely asks for a donation of any amount. Once you donate, welcome to the Gifting Suites. This sly way of charity works. Silver Spoon and the Red Cross raised over $25,000 for the Red Cross Katrina Relief fund five years ago. After you give, the world is your oyster-as long it's appropriate to your figure, your skin tone, and complexion.

Bloom.com gifting lounge.

A gifting event is a great venue for a new company to introduce themselves to the world; and their team of representatives are on hand to personally consult an individual, one-on-one, to match her or his skincare needs to the right soiree with the right products.

Making the rounds of celebrations through throngs of paparazzi until midnight can take a toll on anyone's face. Bloom.com is here to help. They have an array of serums to lift those under-eye bags and plump those lines, facial creams to refresh, and shower gels to wash away last night's hangover.

Bloom.com is so innovative that their web site wouldn't be up and running until April. But, this gives you enough time to learn and enter their Oscar Celebrity Gift Bag Competition. The winner will win a goody gift worthy of an Oscar nominee.

Michael Rady of "Melrose Place" and "The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants"

Nick Hudson of Bloom.com assisted "Melrose Place's" Michael Rady in finding the right cleanser for his complexion.

Niecy Nash

Niecy Nash checked out KooKoon Silk Bedding's hypooallergenic luxury bedding.

Television and movie actress and "Jericho" star, Ashley Scott

Charleston native and actress, Ashley Scott, enjoyed the gifting suite inspecting the home decor lounges with her new family. After becoming a new mother, she also checked out what Bloom.com has to offer for a young mom.

Cargo Cosmetics on Location to get ready for Blu-Ray and High Definition TV

Now, let's get back to the business of getting red carpet ready. Once your face is prepped, let's move onto the makeup. Specifically made for Blu-Ray and HD TV, new Cargo Cosmetics are there to mask any flaws, blemishes, and lines while nourishing the skin with vitamins. In fact, their Waterproof Blush is the sweat-proof blush of "Dancing with the Stars." Getting ready for the close-up.

LashFood Eyelash Conditioner

To polish off the whole package, LashFood can enhance your lashes for those extreme close-ups on the red carpet.

Differating from the mascara pack, LashFood focuses on feeding the eyelashes, making them stronger, longer, and fuller through soy, panthenol, arginine, and biotin instead of loading up on oil and dyes.

In hindsight, gifting events aren't only a fun way to raise funds for charity but a great venue to spot new products that the everyday person can use. You don't have to be a celebrity to enjoy these products. If it's good enough for the Oscars, it's good enough for your night-out, your ceremony, your own evening event, and psst, perhaps a reunion.