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Well. If anyone had told me that celebrity swag includes luxury travel I would have tried harder to win an academy award. I might have even taken up acting.
Luckily, without doing either I managed to spend some time during media day at the Bask-It-Style Gift Suite in the Private Estates above the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto during TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival.
Basking in style! (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GLO Communications)
But first let’s talk about the Oscars and how celebrity swag includes luxury travel
Have you heard how much swag celebrities get? It’s insane. I was just reading about the swag gifted to some of the top nominees at the 2015 Oscars. It included:
- Glamping luxury travel swag for celebrities: A $12,500 Glamping Adventure with TerraVelo Tours. And in case you haven’t glamped yet, let me explain that glamping is a combination of glamour and camping, perfect for the rustic-loving high-maintenance celebrities.
Tuscany swag!
- Italian luxury travel swag for celebrities: An $11,500 Italian luxury hotel package including a 3-night stay at the Villa Armena in Tuscany, 3 nights at the Grand Hotel Tremezzo in Lake Como and 3 nights at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria in Sorrento.
- French luxury travel swag for celebrities: A $1,548 VIP tour to a private sea salt preserve in the South of France from La Baleine Natural Mediterranean Sea Salts.
- Canadian luxury travel swag for celebrities: And, to my everlasting surprise, a $14,584 Rocky Mountaineer luxury train trip through the Canadian Rockies.
Rocky Mountaineer
Since I am currently Rocky Mountaineer’s Blog Ambassador, I have a few things to say about that.
- 1) I should have been the first to know about the celebrity Rocky Mountaineer connection instead of reading about it on a Fox News website from Cleveland.
- 2) Because I am currently Rocky Mountaineer’s Blog Ambassador, it’s practically kismet how much I have in common with the top Oscar nominees as we’re now all linked by luxury train tracks.
- 3) As Rocky Mountaineer’s current Blog Ambassador I should be invited to accompany each and every Oscar nominee who takes the train trip because I know things.
- 4) I should also be invited to accompany the stars on their TerraVelo Glamping Adventure as well as going with them to Italy, because not only have I been glamping (in a remote tip of Thailand), I also enjoy Italian luxury hotels very much. Just like a celebrity!
I glamped like a celebrity!
Celebrity Swag includes luxury travel, but not always
Travel swag is not the point of this luxury travel blog (even though you probably thought it was). The point is that right now the Toronto International Film Festival is winding down and before it goes and I go back to my dull little exciting and sophisticated life I want to give you a behind the scenes look at celebrity swag and the Bask-it-Style Gift Lounge.
Toronto looks good for TIFF
What do you do at a celebrity gift lounge?
What happens is you go in, and wander around talking to all the people who are representing the brands, and they give you things and/or you look at things then you look out at the view of Toronto and go home with all your stuff.
When I say stuff, I mean stuff. There were Michael Kor bags and Speedo Aqua Shoes and men’s clothing and a lot more swag than I can show here. In fact, just like a celebrity I needed an assistant to cart everything home. (Only I don’t have an assistant so I called my husband.)
And of course the real celebrities don’t need to cart anything at all, GLO Communications, who organizes the Bask-in-Style event, does it differently. They hand deliver the VIP gift bags to the hotels where the stars are staying during TIFF.
Who has received these VIP gift bags in the past, you ask? Oh, you know. Just a few little names like Sir Elton John, Megan Fox, Matt Damon, Ellen Page, Colin Farrell, Jennifer Garner and Julianne Moore.
Old Tomorrow (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GLO Communications)
An in-the-bag peek into VIP gift bag swag at TIFF
Celebrity Swag #1) A bit of true Canadianna in the form of a can of Old Tomorrow Pale Ale, which has, I learned, a feisty approachable character, just like Canada itself.
Why do celebrities need Old Tomorrow Pale Ale?
Answer: So they can have a drink and relax in order to let their own feisty approachable character shine through during gruelling interviews on the red carpet.
Redemption! (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GLO Communications)
Celebrity Swag #2) A copy of Colin Campbell’s Free Days with George, a Globe & Mail bestseller about a rescued dog, love, redemption and second chances.
Why do celebrities need Free Days with George?
Ahem, screenplay anyone? (And because if they drink too much Old Tomorrow Pale Ale at the film festival after parties they might need some redemption of their own.)
The beauties behind A Bedtime Story
Celebrity Swag #3) A copy of LC Moon’s erotic thriller A Bedtime Story, a Beauty and the Beast-esque fairytale for adults, complete with a soundtrack composed by LC Moore’s sister, Lana Chacra.
Why do celebrities need A Bedtime Story?
Because anyone in the film industry has to deal with plenty of beauties and plenty of beasts. And ahem, screenplay with original music score anyone?
A behind the clothes look at celebrity swag
Celebrity Swag #4) A Warner’s NO SIDE EFFECTS laser cut bra that eliminates, I repeat ELIMINATES underarm bulge or, as I learned it’s called, sleavage. (PS: I can’t wait to hear what they have for back fat, which my personal trainer kindly informed me I have.)
Why do stars need a Warner’s laser cut no sleavage bra?
Would you want sleavage on the red carpet? I wouldn’t be surprised if the male actors are wearing them, too.
Celebrity Swag #5) A slinky Calvin Klein sleepwear chemise.
Why do stars need Calvin Klein slinky sleepwear?
Because that’s what happens when all those beautiful people get together at VIP after parties. They fall in love and spend the rest of their lives in a rose-filled world of lingerie. Or am I back in a Beauty and the Beast fairytale again?
Slather on skincare! (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GLO Communications)
Celebrity Swag #6) Neutrogena’s new line of skincare including Healthy Skin Instant Skin Refiner and Hydro Boost Gel Cream with hyaluronic acid.
Why do stars need Neutrogena?
All those A-list parties and that cheek-kissing bacteria can do a number on a celebrity’s skin, and stars need to sparkle on the red carpet … just like they do in the sky.
Swag bag! (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GLO Communications)
Celebrity Swag #7) Eyewitness Travel’s Top 10 Toronto guidebook complete with pull-out map.
Why do stars need a Toronto guide book?
So they can find the red carpet.
Studio1098 Jewellery! (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for GLO Communications)
Celebrity Swag #8) Garnet and silver jewelry from Studio1098 designed by the company’s chief goldsmith, gemologist and jewellery designer, Tamara Kronis.
Why do stars need jewellery from Studio1098?
Bling, darlings, bling! And because Studio1098 donates a significant portion of proceeds from Tamara’s Wishbone Collection to CANFAR, a charitable foundation for HIV and AIDS research and awareness – and, just like you and me, stars want to save the world.
Read more travel blog Film Festival adventures:
Cannes Film Festival, High Heels Change Everything
Fun post! I’m using my Eyewitness Guide to Istanbul and it’s fantastic for scouting out the red carpet spots here too