RECAP: ESSENCE And Colgate Usher In The Spring Season With 2018 'Best In Black Beauty' Event

Perfect weather, a beautiful ambiance and plenty of platinum smiles was the scene on Thursday afternoon as beauty gurus and fashionistas from across New York City came together for the 2018 Essence Best in Black Beauty event.

Sponsored by Colgate and held at the Town Stages event space in NYC’s exclusive TriBeCa district, the coveted gathering provided an intimate atmosphere where some of our favorite beauty and style influencers united to take their picks of our top makeup, skincare and hair care products of the season for the seventh year in a row.

Nicole Pereira

The event commenced with a pre-reception, where ESSENCE Fashion and Beauty Director, Julee Wilson, was joined by Power star, Naturi Naughton and Star leading lady, Ryan Destiny, for a candid conversation about their personal beauty regimes. 

Following the reception, guests were ushered into the main event, where they provided our concierge with their product selections for inclusion in personalized gift bags, before heading over to one of two photobooths to grab the perfect shot.

Nicole Pereira

Each bag included a mix of products of each guests’ choosing from some of our 2018 Best In Black Beauty Award-winning brands, which include: Shea Moisture, Colgate, Creme of Nature, Mayvenn Hair, Caress, Cantu, The Mane Choice, Clinique, Dove, Covergirl, Peter Thomas Roth, Maybelline, ColourPop, Revlon and many more.

Nicole Pereira

Once inside, pink and purple lighting provided the perfect backdrop for a runway filled with our Best In Black Beauty VIP product offerings, which allowed our beauties to get up close and personal with some of the goodies they took home later on in the evening. 

Nicole Pereira

While waiting for their gift bags to be assembled, guests enjoyed cocktails and light hors d’oeuvres from Comparti, as DJ Olivia Dope had everyone dancing the night away. 

Nicole Pereira

Be sure to check out the full list of 2018 Best In Black Beauty Award winners to revise your must-haves for the spring and summer seasons in the latest issue of ESSENCE, on newsstands now!