Features
Out About Town: COCKTAILS & CONNECTIONS Photos
(L-R) Nicole Melton of essence.com, Renae Bluitt of Crush Media and In Her Shoes, Celebrity Stylist Ursula Stephen, T. Bernie of COCOACHiC Beauty, Tia Williams of Shake Your Beauty and The Fly Cut, Tricia Lee of Polish Bar
On Tuesday, June 25th, nearly 100 determined women braved NYC’s steamy temps and flocked to Polish Bar for an evening of COCKTAILS & CONNECTIONS. Beauty enthusiasts had an opportunity to mix and mingle with some of the industry’s finest, including Tia Williams of Shake Your Beauty and The Fly Cut, Tricia Lee of Polish Bar, Anu Prestonia of Khamit Kinks and Anu Essentials, Celebrity Hairstylist Ursula Stephen, Nicole Melton of essence.com, Makeup Artist Extraordinaire Camera “AUnique” Beauty, Ylorie Anderson of First Choice Sales and Brown Girl Marketing, T. Bernie of COCOACHiC Beauty and of course, yours truly!
Our main goal for the evening was to give everyday women the chance to meet and truly connect with the beauty mavens they know and love while receiving priceless insider tips and encouragement for their careers. With complimentary mini-manis, sounds by DJ Jason Grae, sangrias, and sweet treats from B Cake NY, Polish Bar was the perfect backdrop for the night’s festivities. As a host for the evening, Polish Bar’s Tricia Lee mentioned how easy it is for some to get caught up in the glamorous aspect of beauty without realizing how much work goes into the industry itself. Ursula Stephen added that as much energy as makeup artists and hairstylists put into helping other businesses, women should do the same for their own entities. Anu Prestonia encouraged women with brick and mortar businesses to own vs. renting the spaces they operate from to avoid spending thousands of dollars upgrading someone else’s property.
Investing in your passion was the biggest takeaway of the evening and supporting other women is something we’re into here at In Her Shoes. As such, a portion of the event’s proceeds were donated to Petals-N-Belles, a non-profit founded by Damali Elliott that provides young women with mentors to help them succeed within every facet of their life, from academics to personal development. Women walked away helping a good cause, getting valuable business advice, and peeking into their gift bags filled with awesome items from EDEN BodyWorks, Shea Moisture, Anu Essentials, MIZANI and Juicy Magazine. ‘Twas a beauty-full night indeed!
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As a New York City storyteller, filmmaker, digital content creator, and PR strategist, Renae Bluitt created "In Her Shoes" to empower and enlighten women committed to realizing their dreams.