Happy Tuesday, my loves! How many of you went to Essence Beauty Carnival this past weekend? Wasn’t it lit?!
Well, if you need a bit of a refresher, the beauty carnival was the first of its kind (held in NYC and heading on tour), taking place at Pier 36 and sponsored by Aveeno. Of course we know all about EssenceFest, but the beauty carnival was actually all things beauty and geared towards a beauty consumer — think a beauty marketplace, hair and makeup tutorials, videos, and services, and of course, the celebrity meet-and-greets.
The weekend definitely was star-studded up and down the Essence runway, with patrons, hosts, and guests taking lit photos and shopping to their heart’s content. Hosted by Julee Wilson, a dear love of my mine who was recently moved to Essence’s Global Beauty Director, the weekend was packed with enviable panels and conversations from some of today’s leading influencers. Who knows, maybe ya girl will be up on that stage someday!
Want to take a look at a few of our favorite moments?
Fashion man himself, Dapper Dan, posed alongside Ciara for the event. I just can never get over Dap’s fly style!
Essie Golden, one of my FAVORITE influencers, graced us with a lime green moment (y’all know green is having a moment right now?) Plus, I love that all her clothes were affordable: Boohoo top, Pretty Little Thing skirt. Love it!
The unstoppable force that is Iman also graced the stage over the weekend. Oh, and she was awarded the Essence Beauty Carnival Icon award! Can we discuss this beautiful, radiant skin and salmon blazer?
I’d also love to take a moment and say that we have so much to learn from Iman, the fearless model who actually helped pave the way for so many of our legends and greats coming up! Her stories on the stage were honest and transparent, even recounting the time she hadn’t known that others were describing her as a “black” model (instead of just saying she’s a model). Oh, and when things hit the fan and it’s time to cut loose? She told the audience that she’s fine eating alone at the table, and to never compromise for a seat. AMEN!
Day two was equally as exciting, as more panels, VIP experiences, and giveaways commenced. First of all, we got a preview of Julee chattin’ it up with our favorite auntie, auntie Jackie Aina. Can I also point out that Jackie wore Versace decked DOWN and then Femme LA clear heels? Like, sis came and stole my edges, right before my eyes.
I have…spoken about my love for Jackie for a long time, so no need to belabor the moment. HOWEVER, what I will say is that whenever you feel down or discouraged or just that you don’t think you’re making waves…KEEP GOING! You’ll get there.
Julee Wilson, Whitney White (@naptural85, and an OG hair YouTuber), Melissa Butler from The Lip Bar, and Christina Brown from Brown Love Sugar, all posed for a flick. Can I just say I’m in love with everything in this photo, but ESPECIALLY with Julee’s Fenoel blouse?
Best friend in my head, Yandi Smith, chatted it up with Julee on the Essence stage. How many times do we have to say that Black girls created the color yellow?
So all I can say is that Essence Beauty Carnival came and left us with a heightened level of magic and excellence. Recently, the issues of this world have really been impacting us in ways that I want to have more authentic and unique conversations about in the future, but what I do know is that moments like this, when we can celebrate ourselves by celebrating each other, make it all worth it.
All photos courtesy of Getty Images / Essence.
