The GU Creator’s House returned on Sunday for a full day of panels, activations, and feel-good music to close out the three-day festivities.
The lineup featured a mixture of beauty gurus, trendsetters, influencers, and entrepreneurs to inspire the next generation of content creators. Laughter and joy filled the room as attendees continued to explore their creative outlets and listened to the gems dropped from guests on stage.
The day started strong with beauty influencer Uche chatting with ESSENCE Senior Beauty Editor Akili King. She shared her secrets to unlocking her inner confidence with her tried-and-true makeup tips. Uche says avoiding sleeping in her makeup and using makeup wipes helps her maintain flawless skin. Skincare is essential for the beauty guru who takes “quality over quantity” seriously with the amount of face products she uses. “Everything goes back to the skin,” Uche says. “It’s better to take your time on your base by starting small and continuing to layer.” Attendees left her ” Face Forward” panel motivated to revive their beauty routine and take their makeup skills to the next level.
From there, fashion enthusiasts Wole Olosunde, Sierra Rena, and Zay Morris sat on the main stage to discuss their unique styles and approaches toward going against the status quo in fashion, entrepreneurship, and beyond. Led by GU Social Lead Rhyann Sampson, the panelists didn’t gate keep what they’ve learned as leaders in their fields.
The excitement continued as attendees rode the mechanical bull, designed customizable hats, and snapped Insta-worthy pictures at the photo booths. A crowd favorite, however, was the tooth gem station. Also, among the attendees was R&B singer Mya. Known for her 2000s classic hits like “Fallen” and “Case Of The Ex,” the artist interacted with guests at the “My Black Is Beautiful” hair station. The day resumed with more inspirational panels, networking opportunities, and vendors.
Later on, Clark Peoples, Nana Agyemang, Kimberly Bizu, and Taty Cokley entered the Creator’s House group chat with GU Content Editor Danielle Wright for a candid conversation about their experiences navigating dating and setting boundaries.
“You don’t have to be so married to a certain outcome,” Peoples says. “I never go into dating someone thinking I need a boyfriend or trying to find my husband. I see dating as having fun and finding new experiences of figuring out what and who you want as a partner…Not being too attached to the outcome is the best way to actually enjoy and learn about yourself and the other person in the process.”
Audiences were then transported inside the world of reality TV with the iconic mother-daughter duo from the “Real Housewives of Potomac” Karen and Rayvin Huger. The dynamic pair closed out the eventful weekend with GU co-founders Rechelle and Sophia Dennis by sharing details about being business partners and what it takes to establish a healthy work-life balance.
“We share the light together,” Rayvin says during the “Partner in Prime” panel discussion. She [Karen] comes into my world for a minute. I get to go to her world for a minute. We share and stand on each other’s shoulders and only lift each other up.”
The Grand Dame chimed in with a call to action for older generations of women to embrace young people.
“I embrace not just Rayvin, but also younger women – especially younger Black women,” Karen adds. “There’s so much flavor. There’s so much power. I have learned so many things by having a daughter her age [26]. I encourage wise women to embrace the younger Black women. They are fire, and we can learn from each other.”
As the weekend-long events came to a close, nothing was left unsaid. The experiences made and bonds formed during the GU Creator’s House and Kickback are cherished memories set to last a lifetime. While the aunties may have shut down the New Orleans streets, the nieces equally took over Essence Festival 2024.