Beauty Night Out at Beacon Hotel

The Style and Image Network threw its annual Beauty Night Out (BNO), and this was the perfect one-stop shop for the recissionista looking for a stylish splurge but definitely getting the bang for her buck. Vendors were nestled into every corner of the luxurious Beacon Hotel’s downstairs ballroom. Canapés stuffed to the gills with delicious treats, like vegetarian spring rolls, spinach and brie quiche, and beef beggar’s pouches were perfect alongside a bar featuring smooth Winter’s Palace Vodka and beer and wine: a sumptuous feast for a decadent “girls’ night out” event.

Attendees enjoyed a relaxing complimentary massage in between shopping for jewelry, clothing, and hair accessories, while a manicure station served up today’s freshest summer colors like coral, bubble gum pink, and a classic red. New to the scene was a perfectly nude nail polish, which elongates the fingers and slenderizes the wearer’s arm.

The makeup team from Beauty 360 provided free makeup touch-ups, making its booth an excellent destination for young professionals coming straight from work or youthful Hill interns looking for a fresh pick-me-up after a long day of constituent corresponding. Jerome, one of the consultants, made up plenty of dramatic eyes for the evening, prepping champagne-fueled guests to ditch their plans for an early night and instead opt to hit the town with their new looks.

The stylists from PR at Partners, which has a whopping 14 easily accessible locations around the District area, offered an impressive array of complimentary services. They offered more than just a simple blowout: BNO girls enjoyed hair straightening, curling, and designing while spitfire hairdresser Alicia Renee Jones dished her opinions on everything from “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” to TI’s stint in prison in between recommendations for deep conditioning and coloring suggestions. Gracious marketing director Natasha Laws coordinated the gaggle of women clamoring for makeovers with aplomb, divvying up eager guests among the many PR and Partners stylists for eyebrow shaping, makeup application, and hair styling.

There were plenty of retail options around, too, for those looking for complete wardrobe overhauls. Magic Body, which specializes in streamlining figure shapers, showed an inspiring collection of before and after photos from women who invested in such unmentionables, while vendors like Cookie Lee offered earthy, beaded necklaces and bracelets to facilitate a complete beauty overhaul. Feathered headbands and rhinestone accessories for hair were also a “must have” from the fabulous event.

While the pampering was certainly luxurious, the best part about the event was the packed-to-the-gills swag bag overflowing with tons of beauty products, like makeup, lotions, and creams, and gift certificates, like a week-long membership to Equinox gym with personal guided workouts. A scrumptiously scented candle was thrown in for good measure, allowing any BNO swag bag recipient to create an at-home spa experience long after the event. While many ladies are being forced to cut back on beauty expenditures, Beauty Night Out definitely provided a recession-busting approach to staying stylish in a financially responsible way.

As written for Examiner.com.