Essence Beauty Carnival, Brings The BOLD!

Written By: Paige K. Mitchell ESSENCE MAGAZINE- better known as the official Black Girl Headquarters recently blessed us with their very first, Beauty Carnival! Carnival attendee Brandy Wintersoft said, “Once I spotted the event flyer on Instagram I had to grab myself a ticket. Essence Events always shine, shimmer, and sparkle!” The Essence Carnival took place April 27-28, 2019 at the Pier 36. A weekend filled with your favorite beauty influencers and wellness experts. Attendees also had the opportunity to indulge in on site shopping with a variety of vendors that define the many layers of beauty. This was the first stop of the 3-part-stop destination for the beauty carnival. Essence Magazine has stood on the foundation of the culture of Black/ African American women ages 18-49 since 1970, and are continuing to grow globally more and more. New York definitely enjoyed the first world’s largest beauty experience for Black women. Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am until 5:00pm the venue was filled with expert tutorials, conversation, interviews, beauty icons, live podcasts, Essence Eats, and special guest performances. Event DJ Olivia Dope said, “We swag surfed, we partied, we networked, we turned up!” Special guests/celebrities that came to drop gems and spread #BlackGirlMagic included the following; Felicia Walker, Tiffany Rothe, Megz, Nikita G, Ciara, Misa Hylton, Dapper Dan, Wendy Joseph, Jackie Aina, Simone & Summer Sparkle Gittens, Yandy Smith, Whitney White, Devri Velazquez, Sevyn Streeter, Essie Golden, Alissa Wilson, Iman, Danessa Myricks, Melissa Butler, Gracie J, Flaviana Matata, Courtney Danielle, Jessica Jones, Wendy Lopez, Elle Varner, and Justine Skye. Attendees especially enjoyed Ciara as she so candidly talked about her new upcoming album, how her go to fashion style is tomboy Sheek, and how she has been embracing her beauty marks. Ciara said, “I don’t want to depend on weave/makeup, and I am working on loving myself. It took 15 years to build the confidence to post without makeup and weave extensions. And I now feel like I’m in a really good place.” Yandy Smith talked about how you can ‘Glow While You Grind’ in her skin care line- Yelle Skincare, and beauty guru Megz gave some cute tips on how to get ready and look fabulous in 5 minutes! Essence truly brought the bold! Fashion & Beauty Director Of Essence Julee Wilson said, “There will be a line on my resume that now reads: “Leveled up with Ciara.” As the two shared a moment being the dancing duo at the conclusion of their live on-stage interview. Women had the opportunity to market, network, and connect with others. “It’s a wrap! I can’t tell you how you proud I am to be a part of the Essence family that put this incredible Essence carnival together. It’s never easy pulling off epic events for the glory and celebration of Black women, but it’s necessary,” Julee Wilson said.