Melissa Joan Hart poses with a dress made from 70,000 Tic Tacs that took more than 180 hours to create.

In the days leading up to last Sunday’s 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, celebs participated in a unique Hollywood ritual: making the round of gifting suites. While on one level the suites are a cornucopia of conspicuous consumption, they do offer attendees the opportunity to give back via charity partners — and that’s something we can get behind.

Our first stop was Urban Sanctuary, where we got a great manicure with toxin-free polish from Nubar; the designated charity was the St. Bernard Project, which builds affordable housing for people affected by Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Goodies included gems from Jewelry by Rosalina, a favorite of Paula Abdul, and silver-and-leather bracelets from Lyon Fine Jewelry, which donates 20 percent of sales from its Equality Bracelets to the gay-rights group Friendfactor.

At the Endless Summer suite, attendees were asked to donate backpacks and school supplies to the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, which adopts elementary school classes in under-served neighborhoods and mentors them through graduation. We loved the sulfate-and-paraben-free bath and body products from Vitabath, thickly cushioned socks and tights from Bootights, and bikinis from Becca.

There was also plenty to love at the HBO suite, including Brahmin handbags, Sophia Fiori diamonds, Michael Antonio vegan footwear, L’Oréal cosmetics, Solstice Sunglass Boutique, Klipsch audio systems and True Blood tie-in items including three types of v-moda headphones.

The Secret Room, benefiting the Humane Society, showcased made-to-order handbags from Dream Bags, paraben-free Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics, a pink Puma sport watch that benefits breast-cancer charities through Project Pink, and jewelry from Toby and Max Jewelry, which donates 20 percent of profits from its Rescued in Love line to animal rescue shelters.

Debbie Durkin’s 5th Annual Eco Emmys Celebrity Chateau featured several gifts-for-a-cause, including Nix Shoes, which donates to a variety of charities, depending on the color stitching you choose, and the intimacy product line Athena’s, which hopes to create the world’s largest bra chain and raise awareness (and donations) for breast cancer research. Music Saves Lives and Los Angeles Animal Alliance promoted their respective blood- and bone-marrow drive and pet-rescue initiatives.

At the GBK suite, Teach For America and A New Way of Life Reentry Project spread the word about their programs, and sponsor Tic Tac promoted its Extraordinary Caregiver contest to benefit Cancer Care, to which it donated $100,000 — you can nominate and vote for worthy caregivers on Facebook. We loved EcoFirstArt’s fabulous furniture and accessories made from all sorts of recycled materials, and the empowering slogan tees and tanks from Reflect It, which donates $1 from every purchase to cancer research.

What’s your favorite way to give back?

Photo credit: Courtesy Tic Tac Mints

Tags: 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, Annual Eco Emmys Celebrity Chateau, audio systems, body products, bra chain, cancer care, Chemistry, Cosmetics, Debbie Durkin, Dream Foundation, elementary school, Emmys, Entertainment/Culture, Facebook Inc, Food and drink, Food industry, Friendfactor, gay-rights, HBO & Company, Human Interest, Humane Society, Man-Made Disaster, Max, Max Jewelry, Michael Antonio, Music Saves Lives and Los Angeles Animal Alliance, Natural Disaster, oil spill, Paraben, Paula Abdul, Phenols, Sofia Fiori, Sophia Fiori, Tic Tac, Toby, Toby Jewelry, Urban Sanctuary, USD