Lady Gaga BFFs Semi Precious Weapons Rock The Roxy

Posted on May 27th, 2011

Every Wednesday night this month, glam rockers Semi Precious Weapons took the stage at West Hollywood’s iconic venue, The Roxy, to the roar of adoring fans — and it’s no wonder.

After garnering widespread recognition as the opening act for Lady Gaga on The Monster Ball tour and their fans including the likes of Kate Moss and Adam Lambert, SPW are well on their way to world domination… one Mick Jagger meets Hedwig and the Angry Inch thrust of the hip at a time.

With a raw and sexy enthusiasm, Semi Precious Weapons’ lead singer Justin Tranter, dressed in high heels and over-the-top grunge-goes-glam outfits, gives the audience a show that Vogue once called “unashamedly crass and deliciously animated” — a sentiment that’s apparent in our interview with the singer.

We got a chance to talk to Justin after the last of The Roxy shows about the new album, a wide range of influences including Marilyn Monroe and Jay-Z, as well as the perks of having fans.

Now that your residency at The Roxy has come to a close, what are your plans for the summer? Is there a new album in the works?

Yes, the summer plan is to finish our new album with Tricky Stewart. We have honestly never been so excited about our songs and recordings. But we are also doing some Festivals in the UK and Europe and some other touring moments… so, it’s gonna be good.

Now for the inevitable question – how was it to go on tour with Lady Gaga?

It’s unreal. The fans, the friends, the Gaga! And for her to also be one of my best friends, to tour the world with a BFF… its pretty f-ing awesome. Continue reading →

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Birthday Boy Markus Molinari: “I Love That The New HPNOTIQ Is Violet!”

Posted on May 26th, 2011

On May 20th, jewelry designer and celebutante Markus Molinari celebrated his 30th birthday at Los Angeles hotspot, Vouyer, with some of his closest friends — including Adam Lambert, Ryan Cabrera and actress Shannon Woodward.

HPNOTIQ provided specialty Harmonie cocktails to go with the overall purple theme of the birthday bash and launch party for the newest J. Molinari collection, as guests enjoyed live performances from Christian TV and more!

Our girl Kelsi Smith was there to join in all the fun and talk to the birthday boy himself about his favorite style icons, how to pick out the perfect outfit for a party and, of course, his favorite color — purple!

Check out the interview below and more photos over on the HPNOTIQ Facebook page!

 

Kelsi Smith: Happy Birthday Markus! Do you have any birthday wishes?

Markus Molinari: I have a few but those are secret. If you tell them they won’t come true.

 

KS: So since I’m a fashion writer and you’re a man of style, I’d love to know what you would say the biggest trend for Spring/Summer is?

MM: I think it’s important to do color. A lot of color, and purple’s been my favorite. Continue reading →

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Jasmine Solano’s “Turn It Up” Video Release Party

Posted on May 26th, 2011

Jasmine Solano, an official member of our Ladies We Love crew and HPNOTIQ’s newest guest blogger gives us the latest on all things style, music and nightlife — not to mention what it’s like to live the life of a female rapper and DJ:

What a night. This past Monday we celebrated the release of my new single “Turn It Up” featuring Hollywood Holt, produced by Junior Sanchez. You know it’s a party when the drinks are named after your music and HPNOTIQ Harmonie provided my guests, including Roxy Cottontail and Ninjasonik, with 3 specialty drinks, “Loud,” “Louder,” and “Loudest.” The event was hosted by Angela Yee and Vashtie, two of my most respected supporters, and as always, Shameless MGMT ran the show with Redbull at the Redbull Space in SoHo. Check out the video recap and flicks below!

Continue reading →

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TONIGHT: Yumi Kim Upper East Side Opening Party

Posted on May 25th, 2011

One of our favorite designers, Kim Phan, is celebrating the opening of her new Uptown Yumi Kim boutique in New York City tonight, and HPNOTIQ Harmonie will be on hand to assist in the festivities! So for a taste of our newest BFF before we reveal the full flavor profile on our Facebook page on Friday, stop by and sip on our vibrant violet cocktails while you spruce up your Summer wardrobe with some cute and sexy Yumi Kim frocks.

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LA Celebutante Markus Molinari Celebrates Birthday in Perfect Harmonie

Posted on May 24th, 2011

Markus Molinari, style savant, is celebrating his birthday — so who does he call upon to help him do so in style? The new HPNOTIQ, of course!

We were more than happy to oblige the birthday boy, especially given that we had a “birth” day to celebrate too… To welcome our newest flavor Harmonie into the world, we joined forces with all things purple to wish Markus Molinari a Happy Birthday.

The glitterati gathered at Los Angeles super club Voyeur to witness the divine and the debauched get down and party as only Hollywood knows how!

Guests munched on purple frosted cupcakes, inhaled Oreo cheesecake pops and indulged in HPNOTIQ’s decadent candy bar, all the while trying out Blu’s electronic, water vapor cigarettes dished out by a beyond glamorous cigarette gal.

Of course we were on hand dishing out the harmony in the form of, well, Harmonie signature cocktails. Violet, our guest of honor’s favorite colour, flowed freely and was enjoyed by Markus’ friendly fan base including the likes of L.A. designer Brian Lichtenberg, actress of Raising Hope fame, Shannon Woodward, the infamous Adam Lambert and singer Ryan Cabrera who had the following to wish to his friend Markus (with a knowing wink) – ”You only turn 21 once, man!”

Be sure to check out photos from our awesome photobooth on the HPNOTIQ Facebook page!

– Kelsi Smith

Kelsi Smith is a fashion writer who lives and “works” in Los Angeles with her husband and two cats “Frankie and the Fat One.” Most days you can find her at Dedicated Follower of Fashion or corralling other fashion bloggers at Two Point Oh! LA but you can always find her on Twitter where she boasts almost 30,000 tweets. Clearly she has a lot to say.

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Jane Seymour and Kellan Lutz on True Love at the Love, Wedding, Marriage Premiere

Posted on May 20th, 2011

As someone who married her Mr Right within six weeks of their first date, I suppose one could say I have a lot to say on the subject of “love at first sight” and “hopeless romantics.” The thing is, whilst I am and was both of those things, I had to become very bitter and cynical first.

Let’s put it this way — there were a lot Mr. Wrongs. A lot. And it wasn’t until I banished all silly epic movie notions of romance for a Mr. Right Now, that it all fell into place, and an epic romance was born.

People scoff when I tell them I loved my husband instantly (he’s fondly known as Mr. Style on the interwebs so I’ll continue the tradition here) but our first date lasted seven hours. It began with a lunch, followed by a drive to the beach for a drink. Within a week we were effectively living together and within six weeks we were in Las Vegas getting hitched. Four years later, we’re in marital bliss. Easy, no? Not really — relationships take work, commitment and a whole lotta love.

Candice Crane, one of the co-writers of Love, Wedding, Marriage, was keen to point out to us on the red carpet of Tuesday night’s premiere that “the key to a great relationship is commitment and work” — thoughts echoed by the premise of the film and one of the film’s stars, Jane Seymour, a fellow self-confessed “speed marrier” (her words not mine).

When asked what makes a successful relationship, Jane had this piece of wisdom — “having an open heart and being able to understand that relationships aren’t always perfect, that you will say and do things, as will other people, that will maybe be hurtful or bad choices. If you can accept it and be open and move forward you can actually have a real relationship.”

I would be inclined to agree. As for Kellan Lutz, he’s a little more simple. Ladies, he’s just looking for a girl who can sing.

– Kelsi Smith

Kelsi Smith is a fashion writer who lives and “works” in Los Angeles with her husband and two cats “Frankie and the Fat One.” Most days you can find her at Dedicated Follower of Fashion or corralling other fashion bloggers at Two Point Oh! LA but you can always find her on Twitter where she boasts almost 30,000 tweets. Clearly she has a lot to say.

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Keep Summer Skin Radiant With HPNOTIQ Approved Bliss Spa Products

Posted on May 20th, 2011

Tuesday night in Dallas, HPNOTIQ partnered with Bliss Spa and smartwater to celebrate the introduction of Bottle Service — an energizing massage and exfoliating treatment meant to rehydrate and refresh the body.

Guests were treated to a free yoga class, nutritionists on site to give advice on healthy lifestyle as well as mini oxygen sprays, brow shaping, massages and in-spa discounts!

HPNOTIQ chatted up one of Bliss Spa’s aestheticians, Candance Spilman, to talk about how to get the perfect Summer glow, without damaging our skin. Check out how to avoid typical sunny weather skin mishaps for all skin types below:

 

Summer may be the best season, but the warm weather tends to spur a few skin freak-outs – what is the one product that every girl should own to beat the heat?

Triple oxygen mask benefits all skin types. A super quick  5-minute fix for dull, tired skin. Loaded with vitamin C, it protects from free radical damage with antioxidants and delivers oxygen to the skin with fluid o2 technology.

 

Why is SPF so important this time of year? What are some great products that can help us fight the battle against the sun?

It’s summer and that means pool parties, backyard BBQs, beach vacations, trips to the lake… which all equals a lot of time in the sun. A full spectrum block SPF protects the skin from both (UVB) burning rays and also (UVA) aging rays. By blocking these we can help protect the skin from future damage to melanin cells, protect collagen & elastin in the skin. Commit to a SPF 30 or higher

A good vitamin C serum such as skinceuticals C & E ferulic is great for protecting and correcting sun damage for dry or normal skin. If your skin tends to be oily, try serum 15 or if you have combo/oily skin prone to breakouts try C + aha for a bit of extra exfoliation with your dose of vitamin C. Continue reading →

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Los Angeles Gets a Taste of the New HPNOTIQ at Love, Wedding, Marriage Premiere

Posted on May 19th, 2011

On Tuesday night the glitzy, glamorous and, well, me, gathered at the infamous Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles to premiere Dermot Mulroney’s (yes, Mr. My Best Friend’s Wedding himself) directorial debut, Love, Wedding, Marriage.

Starring members of the cast were there, including everyone’s favorite beefcake, Kellan Lutz of Twilight fame and bohemian troublemaker Jessica Szohr, a.k.a. Vanessa from Gossip Girl. Also starring in the movie and looking radiant as ever was Jane Seymour, who when asked about love, kept telling everyone to “have an open heart” — which, whilst a lovely sentiment, made for an even lovelier plug for her jewelry line… the Open Hearts collection.

Notably missing from festivities was leading lady Mandy Moore, who plays a newly wed marriage counselor who finds herself in the unique position of “counseling” her own parents.

After chatting up the celebs on the red carpet, we raced (quite literally) to grab our seats for the movie, which was a “joyous sapfest” (I just quoted myself) and I’ll have more on that later.

Next up we were whisked away the “L’Apres Partie” (that’s after party in French, because that’s how I roll) housed at The Beverly, a gorgeous bar in WeHo also celebrating it’s inaugural night. Movie Premiere, bar Premiere — just another night in Hollywood, folks! The party, sponsored by yours truly (not me singularly, I mean us here at HPNOTIQ) was fabulous. Conversation, general swooning and, of course, our signature cocktails flowed.

All in love themed libations, there were several ways to sip on HPNOTIQ new vibrant violet. I opted for ‘True Love’ (who wouldn’t) a concoction of gin, lemon juice, champagne and of course the tasty new HPNOTIQ. If only true love were so easy to find every night (said the married lady). Other offerings were the ‘Blushing Bride’ a martini version of the new vibrant violet BFF featuring vodka and lemon juice served in a martini glass.

All in all a fabulous soiree thanks to HPNOTIQ, Bebe, iRenew and the folks at IFC for making it happen.

– Kelsi Smith

Kelsi Smith is a fashion writer who lives and “works” in Los Angeles with her husband and two cats “Frankie and the Fat One.” Most days you can find her at Dedicated Follower of Fashion or corralling other fashion bloggers at Two Point Oh! LA but you can always find her on Twitter where she boasts almost 30,000 tweets. Clearly she has a lot to say.

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Jive Record’s New Artist Wish Wants You To “Feel Ur Beat!”

Posted on May 13th, 2011

Dato’s Law states that wishes expand in direct proportion to the resources available for their gratification. With the world at her feet and unbounded creativity, the artist known simply as Wish is ready to make all her wishes come true through her unique flair, brash image and distinct music style that has already set her apart from her musical peers.

This became evident as Wish took the stage for a room of media elite last night in New York City. And after watching her perform, as well as enjoying the new HPNOTIQ backstage, we can say that this girl not only has the outrageous and eye-catching swagger and style of Nicki Minaj, but the pipes of Beyoncé… not to mention, a definite nod back to the era of Eve.

We got a chance to catch up with Wish about her newly penned deal with Jive Records, what it means to be a strong and independent female, and the release of WISHtape on May 30th. Check out the rest of the interview after the jump as well as videos for her single, “Suga Daddy,” and the premiere of “Feel Ur Beat!”

 

Let’s start with your name — where does it come from and what does Wish mean to you?

This is the question I get the most, and the answer is way more simple than you probably think. My mother was pregnant, she wished for a girl, and voila! Here I am.

When did your passion for music begin? And is there a specific moment you could pinpoint when you realized that being a singer was something you wanted to pursue professionally?

My passion for music began at a really early age. I grew up in church singing on the choir, but I really wasn’t sold on being an entertainer until I sang in the cafeteria during lunch at school. The principal grabbed the mic and asked who wanted to share talent. I sang “Killing Me Softly” (Lauryn Hill’s version at the time) and when I finished everyone was clapping and shouting. That’s when I thought, I can do this… I like the way it feels, and I wanna be an entertainer. Continue reading →

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HPNOTIQ Hotspot: Hollywood’s Playhouse Lives Up To It’s Name

Posted on May 11th, 2011

If you’ve ever been to Hollywood, you’ve heard of Playhouse — if not because of the venerable buzz then definitely by the bustle of the line outside that can be seen on any typical night from Hollywood Blvd. But don’t let the line intimidate you, there’s a reason why the Los Angeles party elite don’t mind the wait.

Once past the velvet rope, guests enter over 13,000 square feet of pure bass-induced party — from table service and the usual celebrity sighting to hanging with some of Hollywood’s better looking gentry.

HPNOTIQ caught up with Steven Helmcamp, concierge of the notorious club, to talk about what gives Playhouse an edge over the usual Hollywood night out, how the good vibes within the club’s walls prompted Lil Wayne to surprise guests with an impromptu performance and how to make a girl feel special with Playhouse’s HPNOTIQ bachelorette packages.

 

Do you feel like Playhouse falls into the typical Hollywood party scene?

I think we’re different in the way that Hollywood is known for the glitz and the glam and who’s who, and we do have that aspect of it, but we’re different because we’re such a large club — we have 13,000 square feet, two stories. The headliner DJs are always in the downstairs main area which is just a big space with a lot of action going on. Then for a more exclusive feel is our VIP balcony room — it’s all red leather couches and VIP tables but what’s great is that even though it’s intimate the people getting bottle service are more likely to party with the table next to them since they’re so close. So you can have your own private party feel or be in the midst of it all.

And in terms of being in Hollywood, Playhouse is definitely among the more desirable clubs to go to because we have a great reputation in addition to having frequent celebrity appearances and record release parties. People hear about us hosting events like Chris Brown’s record release party and they’re sure to put Playhouse on the list of places they want to visit.

Continue reading →

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