Share the Love Beauty Soiree ReCap

What do you look for in a natural hair meet-up? Personally, I have been natural for YEARS (since '03) and as a result my main goal of attending an event isn't to learn natural hair techniques or about new hair products (although I always seem to walk out with some #teamproductjunkie). What makes me feel like a natural hair meet-up/event was well worth it is when I have the chance to connect with other naturals. The subject matter doesn't have to be hair, but the feeling of camaraderie is always there. When I attended Sade of 1girlboutique.com's 2nd Annual Share the Love Beauty Soiree I felt just that.

Some of the naturalista's I met...

The venue, The Denim Lounge in Bedstuy, provided an intimate yet spacious environment for naturals to chit chat with one another, explore the vendor tables (Wonder Curl, Amazing Botanicals, and 1Girl Boutique to name a few), all while enjoying a glass of wine. A variety of refreshments were also served including sandwich wraps, pasta, and cupcakes. Essence Magazine was also on site to take pictures for an upcoming Streetstyle segment.

Amazing Botanicals

My fav piece from 1GirlBoutique

My sis in front of the infamous Denim Lounge mural

I look forward to attending the 3rd Annual Share the Love Beauty Soiree. At 5 dollars for admission the price was right, it was informative, intimate and the proceeds went towards a great cause, Black Girls Rock. The only thing I would suggest for next year is for the event  be a bit longer and maybe a few more presenters/workshops. Maybe even some get to know you/ice-breaking games (ok...a little cheesy I know). Other than that, job well done!

Sade of 1 Girl Botique and I

More pics HERE!

Karen's Body Beautiful and Curl Box Meet and Greet: The ReCap

Last week Thursday  in the midst of a heat wave at about 7pm Naturalista's were creating quite a stir on Myrtle and Waverly in Brooklyn. Personally, I was asked at least 3 or 4 times by complete strangers variations of "what's going on?' and  "what's happening over there?'. I even over heard some people say they were going to post pics of the line on Instagram because no one would believe them! We were making history! ; )  So what caused this commotion? Karen's Body Beautiful and Curl Box's Meet and Greet!



Instagram-ing in action...


Now, I'll be honest when I rolled up and saw the line my first thoughts were to leave. I'm the kind of person who would say, "No. Thank You" to a  20 minute wait  for a table at Red Lobster but Rockie and I gave it a chance. The wait did not seem in vain or unappreciated because Karen Tappin (the owner of Karen's Body Beautiful) and Myleik Teele (the owner of Curl Box) came out several times to talk to the ladies on the line and  inform us that they were working on moving the crowd in and out of the store so that others could come in. There was also a Karen's Body Beautiful Rep who stood outside to answer questions about the products while we waited. A definite plus...

Rockie and I: Courtesy of random stranger with Ipad...

Once I finally made it inside the place was pretty packed. There were naturals buying hair products, enjoying complimentary beverages, making small talk with one another, and there were plenty of opportunities for people to take pics with Karen, Myleik, and vlogger Taren916. I met a woman who participates in Black Girls Run who convinced me that I too can be a runner. I also met Deborah from the new website Mater Mea who wrote an interesting piece highlighting Karen as a mother (check it out here), Rockie met someone who traveled all the way from New Jersey to attend the event, I overheard Myleik sharing with an attendee how she got her amazing hair color (peroxide), and I even had a chance to reconnect with Imani from a Tribe Called Curl.



#productjunkie




Karen and Taren



Yes, thanks...  ; )



Imani of Tribe Called Curl and I

The highlight of this event was meeting Karen. She was a gracious host who constantly checked in on everyone in attendance, made sure everyone waiting on the line was attended to, and answered everyone's questions about the products she created. I asked her what product would be best for my hair since I plan on rocking kinky twists (synthetic hair= Dry hair) for the rest of the summer and she suggested her Hair Blossom Moisture Mist. Since hair products were buy two get one free my Hair Blossom Moisture Mist did not leave the store alone...

My goodies: Karen's Body Beautiful: Heavenly Jojoba Hair Oil, Hair Blossom Moisture Mist, Beauty Boss 101, and Luscious Locks Hair Mask

Karen and I

All in all, I had a great time. The connections I made and the camaraderie I felt were definitely worth the wait.

More pics....HERE!

MEETING UP...

I'm not sure how many of you out there have ever used meetup.com to befriend a group of like minded individuals but I will say if you haven't you should give it a try. What is meetup.com? It is a website where people can create a group based on their specific interest. Some examples of groups are young professionals in NYC, women who like to travel, and adults who like to play soccer. Once you join a group you can choose to attend any meetup events they host, whether it be trips to foreign places or comedy night at a local club. What I enjoy most about this site is that not only does it give you the opportunity to meet new people but it allows you to explore a new interest. Have you always wanted to become a real estate mogul? Join the Property Professionals of NY Group. It's that simple.
One meetup group that I have joined  is Jenelle of KinkyCoilyCurlyMe's -Natural Hair Diva's Rock Group. I love the variety of this groups events that in the past have included Chipotle lunches, movie debuts, and educational hair events. I also love  and  appreciate the fact that Jenelle and Sasha (the co-organizer) have invited group members to plan their own meetups as well. Lastly, any opportunities  given to me to meet other women who wear their hair natural and swap stories are cherished by me. As a result I am hosting a brunch/natural hair  meetup on Saturday July 9th at 11am in NYC. Interested? Join the group here and check the calendar for details. Hope to see some of you there!