2014 Smut Soiree

Know about Lainey Gossip?

While her "day jobs"as a host on ETalk and The Social may have moved her further into the mainstream spotlight, Elaine Lui- also known as Lainey- has been my go-to for celeb gossip for years.

For the past nine years, Lainey has been hosting the premiere gossip girl event in Canada, the Smut Soiree. And since her knowledge of all things celeb is worship-worthy, I couldn't resist attending this year.

The Venue
The Smut Soiree was held at the Evergreen BrickWorks in Toronto, which is a gorgeous event venue. Unfortunately, it rained. And while the event is held in a covered area, the Brick Works cannot really be fully enjoyed while it's raining, as part of the venue is outdoors. Even more unfortunately for me, you can only access the washrooms by walking outside. Good thing I brought a jacket to throw over my head!

The Party
Tickets to the Smut Soiree were $54. A little steep for some, but once you realize that the bar is open and the food is delicious and there's some swag to be had- let alone getting a good, long smut talk from the queen- the price really isn't that crazy.

My personal favourite vendor was Grey Goose (shocker). They served three signature drinks (made with their Cherry Noir, L'Orange, and Le Citron flavoured vodkas) and the drinks flowed and flowed. Sadly, I was driving so only one flowed for me:)

However, the party had something for everyone. Manicures with Rimmel, hair touch-ups with Tresemme, a Silk smoothie bar, Skinny Cow snacks, passed h'ordeuvres (my favs were the mini salmon burgers), beers, ciders, H&M giveaway, and a vapor lounge.


Be Seen
Now, truth be told, it felt like some people were there ONLY to be seen. And that is a big part of the party. There is a "red carpet" experience (which we skipped because...the line!) and only a million places to get your photo taken.

My date, Kate from This Mom Loves, and I spent a good portion of the night simply walking around, picking up some swag, and people watching. We were probably there more to see and less to be seen if you know what I mean.

What I loved is that there was a huge range of ages, backgrounds, and styles represented at the event. Some people were dressed to impress, some threw on a blazer and grabbed a cab right after work with their hair still in a ponytail.

I chose to go with my standard event outfit (also known as what I wear when I have no idea what others will be wearing) of tight white pants, a loose black top (which, note to Sarah, does not photograph well!!!) and my favourite Tissh by Gloria Lee jewellery and Michael Kors watch.  I was probably slightly underdressed for the event. If was to go again, I'd dress to impress a bit more (a romper or tight dress with a black blazer was a popular choice).

The Swag
I read that in past years people went home from the Smut Soiree with shoes!!! Sadly, that wasn't an option this year:( But I think we picked up some decent swag (which was not really why we went but it's always a nice bonus).
Our haul included a bag full of travel sized products (vaseline, Q-tips, shampoo, hairspray, lotions)- which is perfect for me as I'm heading off to NYC in a few weeks; an H&M bag with Vitamin Water, Tresemme hair products, gum, lip gloss, Skinny Cow bars, a small makeup pouch and some coupons for Silk and H&M; and a gift box from Blow Vapor which included an e-cigarette and an e-hookah (and a cookie and a lollipop). I've never smoked vapor before but it was a fun way to be introduced to the product that, FYI, Lainey actually uses.

Smutty Tingles

So, the dirt? Well, Teri Hart (who did a great job hosting the night) and Lainey gave us a lot of good dirt- some I guessed, some I had no idea about. Highlights? There's a lot (I mean A LOT) of bi-sexuality going on in Hollywood, a lot of addictions (someone's wife isn't bringing sexy back but she's bringing pain killer addiction back, if you catch my drift), a lot of personal demons and sadness for one particular hunky male star that may not end well, and some diva action (especially shocking was a sweet little star who is allegedly on a Whitney Houston track).
The smut was dished and dished well. Although I would have liked this part of the evening to be longer (it was about an hour of celeb talk) Lainey and Teri were pros and really treated us to a good chat on the machine that is celebrity.

Tips
So if you're planning to go next year (I know I am):

• Go to have fun! It's a party, not just a talk! If possible take a cab or (as some fun ladies I met at the bar suggested) get a hotel room for the night and make it a girls night out:)
• Go EARLY! Get there for the start time. I know that's not cool, but it means you can skip the massive lineups and just enjoy.
• Skip the red carpet pics (unless you really want to be seen).
• Save seats near the front- Kate and I both brought jackets and saved seats in the 9th row. Even that close, it was VERY hard to hear. The Brick Works is a cool event venue but the acoustics leave a lot to be desired.
• Come prepared with a question- the event is essentially a Q&A so if you want to know something, be ready to ask about it:)
• Don't bother asking about the Kardashians. Lainey doesn't care.