susan sarandon

It was a direct trip from Miami to Marrakech, where she had been promoting her ping pong club Spin at the international art fair. From a black rubber-covered ping pong table to another one in the middle of a swimming pool, Susan Sarandon had her first taste of Art Basel. "Miami's a little too happening for me," she explained, begrudgingly remembering the over-aggressive paparazzi. "I couldn't even go to Art Basel," she said with the paparazzi popping around every corner. "It took a lot of energy to be calm. They didn't know how to do their job. Usually they stop after awhile."

Things were a bit more relaxed in Marrakech, where Sarandon was brought to honor friend Harvey Keitel at the International Film Festival. Dressed in a relaxed black blouse, and wearing a safety pin as an earring her daughter had given to her, Sarandon admired the gorgeous library setting of the Royal Mansour, the King's recently opened hotel palace, rumored to be one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. From what we saw of it, it was hard to argue. We spoke to Ms. Sarandon in the library of the hotel, an intimate oak-paneled room, where the paneled-ceiling open up just in case a guest desired to read under the night's stars.

It was Sarandon's third time in Morocco, and second time at the festival, where she herself was honored in 2006. "I love the food, the people, the music," she said, "everything about it."

While continuing with acting roles here and there, Sarandon's real passion lately seems to be running a business. With Spin clubs already in New York, Milan and L.A., Sarandon has plans to open clubs in Berlin, London, and a larger club in Westwood, she told Luxist. "We've been talking about Marrakech now. Because we were at dinner and all these people were like, well I play in team Morocco." There's no doubt ping pong is a huge conversation starter for Sarandon. "I was saying it's kind of like a tattoo. When you show your tattoo everyone starts undressing to show you theirs." They've even been approached by a huge cruise ship line to bring the Spin concept to cruise ships.

Laura Mercier is the cosmetic, bath and body and fragrance collection by French-born makeup artist Laura Mercier, and a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award in Best Cosmetics Line.

Laura Mercier began her career as a painter, but soon began painting with cosmetics as a personal makeup artist to celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, and Juliette Binoche. She gained notoriety early on for her artist's eye and her ability to accentuate a person's natural beauty.

She moved to New York in 1985 to launch American Elle, where she worked on advertising campaigns for all the best retailers and expanded her portfolio to include a vast array of publications. After working with Elizabeth Arden and Chanel, she moved on to personal clients, including collaborating with Madonna for her print, TV and film looks. In 1996, she developed Laura Mercier Cosmetics, based on the idea that there should be a classic, always-current look unaffected by season. The products were created specifically to meet the needs of her clients, including their skin types and color preferences.

From the NY Post's Gimme Shelter:
--One Madison Park is now home to two celebrity couples, Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts who are purchasing a four-bedroom apartment for around $6.5 million and Susan Sarandon and TIm Robbins who are purchasing a three-bedroom unit for around $3.5 million. So far the $35 million triplex penthouse is still up for grabs. --Sky --Sky --Sky Studios, the triplex penthouse that went through at least five different brokers, a $10 million price discount has finally closed for $17.5 million. We first fell for this one back in 2004 when it was listed at $20 million. Lucky owner, billionaire Ron Burkle is getting quite a place.
--Yup, here's one just about everyone called, Shorewood Manor, the former Hamptons estate of Gov. Hugh Carey's family is getting a discount. Investor Chris Knight bought if for $10 million and relisted it a few weeks later for $33 million. Now he has listed at $24.9 million. The listing, with new pictures, is here.
--Former TV anchor Forrest Sawyer has paid $3.81 million for a penthouse condo on Riverside Drive in the 90s.
--The price for Beechwood, the Astor mansion in Newport, Rhode Island has been bumped up to $18 million from $16 million.
--Environmental lifestyle guru Danny Seo is selling his eco-friendly Bucks County, Pa., bungalow for $425,000. The listing is here.

From the NY Post's Page Six:
--Gisele Bundchen has listed her two-bedroom New York condo for $10.9 million. The listing is here.

From the NY Observer's Manhattan Transfers:
--Real estate developer and Human Rights Watch board member David M. Brown has paid $8.4 million for a three-bedroom Beresford spread next door to the three-bedroom co-op he bought for $10.5 million in July 2004. And 10 floors down, hedge fund superstar Vikram Pandit and his wife, Swati, just paid $17.85 million for the late Tony Randall's 10-room sprawl, with 20 windows facing the park.
--South African gambling and resort magnate Sol Kerzner, was reported to have bought a $10.5 million penthouse at Philip Johnson's Urban Glass House for his daughter Beverley. Now records show that a holding company in the heiress' name paid $8.35 million for a colossal basketball court-turned-triplex at 213 West 23rd Street.
--Former Seventeen editor Atoosa Rubenstein her commodities-trading husband, Ari, paid $3.05 million for a 3,007-square-foot loft at Altair 18, a new condo on West 18th Street near Fifth Avenue.

From Berg Properties Celebrity Big Time Listings:
--Singer Jason Nesmith, whose father is the Monkees Mike Nesmith, has paid $500,000 for a condo in the Los Angeles' Valley Village area.
--British actress Anna Friel, who is appearing this fall on ABC's series 'Pushing Daisies,' has paid $1,195,500 for a home in the Hollywood Hills.
--Public records have cleared on the town home in Century City area that Lionel Richie purchased for Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, and reveal that Lionel paid $1,200,000 for the home.
--Public records have cleared for the mansion in Hidden Hills that Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne bought this summer. They paid $12,388,623 for the mansion.
[via the NY Times Big Deal column]
--Rosie O'Donnell has reportedly signed a $1.97M contract to buy a pied-a-terre in Manhattan's theater district
--Former Citigroup Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sanford I. "Sandy" Weill has closed on the purchase of his 6,744-square-foot unit in the newly built building at 15 Central Park West in Manhattan for $42,405,000.
--Houston Astros outfielder Carlos Lee has sold his house in Burr Ridge, IL for $250K
--Two Chicago-area houses that were crime scenes sells for $3.7M and $768,600
--Former Chicago White Sox pitcher Donn Pall sells a house in Bloomingdale, IL for $680K and pays $875K for one that is just across the street.
--Eddie Murphy's ex-wife Nicole has listed the couple's longtime Sacramento area home for $6.5 million. The listing is here.

From the Real Estalker:
--You can rent Dan Aykroyd and Donna Dixon's Los Angeles home for $30,000 a month. And as a bonus it just might be haunted by the ghost of Mama Cass.
--Also for rent is New York Governor George Pataki's Adirondacks getaway for $4,000.
--Alexis Stewart has put her Tribeca penthouse, shown above, on the market for $12.4 million. You can peep the gray floors and all the gorgeous spareness at the listing here.
--Basketball star Cuttino Mobley has put his Beverly Hills home on the market for $3,995,000. It is our estate of the day later today.

From the LA Times Hot Property:
--As the Real Estalker reported back in August, John O'Hurley has put his home on the market for $6.2 million. He bought it in late 2004 for slightly more than $3 million. It was an estate of the day in August.
--James Burrows, the director and producer of "Cheers," "Will & Grace" and other NBC comedies has sold his Bel-Air home for close to its $12.9 million asking price.
--The Buddy Ebsen estate in Palos Verdes is on the market for $3.995 million. The listing for the French Normandy style home is here.
--Costume designer Greg LaVoi, has purchased a two-bedroom New Mexico retreat for less than its $479,000 asking price.