It was difficult to tell just which was more dazzling: was it the star-studded assortment of actresses who turned out for a luncheon thrown by In Style magazine and the Diamond Trading Company to show off the latest trends in ritzy rocks for this year’s red carpet scene, or was it the glittery gems on display?
An A-list of glamour girls led by Debra Messing and Katie Holmes arrived at the posh Beverly Hills Hotel looking for the latest in jaw-dropping jewels to adorn their outfits as they hit all the upcoming awards shows, with a shimmering set of diamond-studded baubles lining the entryway into the hotel’s Rodeo Room.
Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria scampered inside hoping to get a glimpse of all the finery on display– Her co-star Andrea Bowen, who plays Teri Hatcher’s daughter, and recurring player Sharon Lawrence were hot on her heels–and Eva told Hollywood.com she was already stressing over her red carpet preparations. “My least favorite part is the time it takes! It takes SO MUCH time to get ready and get beautiful.” Suuuure, Eva–so what’ll she do to calm her nerves? “I’m going to eat. A lot. Pizza–pizza and Pepsi!”
“I’m a diamond girl,” Garcelle Beauvais confessed, reflecting the sentiments of most of the ladies in attendance. “I like diamonds. What girl doesn’t, really?” Garcelle, who was looking to accessorize herself for her upcoming tour of Golden Globes after-parties, was decked out in a beautiful blue dress she swiped from the wardrobe of her upcoming series Eyes, which she matched with a complementary coral necklace, shoes and lipstick.
“I’ve never done this color!” the former model revealed. “I was thinking tropical Caribbean.” One of the rare actresses who self-styles herself, Garcelle‘s mind was definitely on prepping for her big red carpet experience. “I think the most fun is having everyone over to the house and we drink mimosas and we watch TV and listen to music and just do the girly part of it.”
Ray co-star Regina King arrived with a newly curly do and a sexy black Gianfranco Ferre suit, and like Eva, she was not a fan of the lengthy prep time it takes for her awards show appearances. “I’m a girl!” Regina exclaimed. “I need to take a bubble bath and relax, so the time before you get there, it’s like a whole five-hour process–makeup and hair is probably a good two and half, three hours and pampering yourself is a good hour and a half, and the awards ceremony is waaay down the line.”
Mena Suvari, late of HBO’s Six Feet Under turned up in a flattering, sparkly black pantsuit that complimented her newly-dyed brown locks. “I couldn’t wait to change my blonde hair – I was just so over it!” she explained. “It’s liberating. I feel very happy. I look at photos of myself as a blonde and I just hate it. I can’t believe I was blonde for so long. It feels like a new chapter in my life.”
“I am very much a jewelry girl,” gushed Boston Legal star Lake Bell, clad in a gorgeous gold Nicole Miller dress and H. Stern jewels, “I think it’s important to have one beautiful piece that sort of a stands alone and not do too much. Or, if you’re going to wear chains, wear like 80. It’s all or nothing.” Lake said she’d be hitting the Globes parties to support her co-stars William Shatner and James Spader, “because hopefully they’ll be winning and we’ll be drinking champagne together.”
“I’m always ready to check out the bling!” exclaimed Nip/Tuck‘s Roma Maffia, who was high on her show’s chances to bring home a trophy. “It’s so exciting to be nominated for a Golden Globe. I’m like ‘Whooooo!'”
Clearly, the ladies were loving that heady time when they get to put their diamonds and designer duds together. “The favorite part is just the dreaming, the planning, going through the ideas of what to wear, what to do, the choices,” Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden told us. “And the least favorite part is when it’s all over!”
