Look who left the house! About a month ago, I got the chance to attend a Black creators networking event here in Philly hosted by the ladies over at The Bonita Project.
They’re a Latina-owned media agency founded by Danielle Alvarez in 2018. Her mission with TBP is to bring brands and multicultural creators together in a way that would “authentically meet audiences where they are”.
After receiving the email invite (and realizing that it wasn’t spam), I had to decide whether or not I wanted to attend. I talked to some friends about it, pushed my introvert tendencies to the side, and RSVP’d yes.
After overthinking what to wear, changing my outfit like 3 times, and doing a simple makeup look (using the products shown above), I finally was ready to go. The event was held at Honeysuckle, a restaurant opening soon in the Spring Garden neighborhood of Philly.
The team at the Bonita Project picked an amazing venue for an event focused on Black creatives in the city. Honeysuckle was founded by Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate. They believe in “centering the Black experience” through “community spaces centered around the values of ancestry, nourishment, and reclamation”. I’m looking forward to going back and trying the food once they open this spring!
After my partner dropped me off at the front door of the event, I signed in and got my name tag, stopped at the bar for a drink, and saw that there was a makeup touch-up station.
It was hosted by L’Oreal and one of the artists there was Emmy-winning MUA Joelle Phillips! She was showing off products and providing touch ups to those who wanted one. I was really excited to meet her after following her tiktok for so long.
@themanicuredscientist getting my makeup touched up by EMMY WINNING MUA @Joelle Phillips 🤩 thanks again to @The Bonita Project for inviting me to last night's Black Creators event in Philly 💜 . . . #makeuptouchup #bonitaamplifiesphilly #lorealparis #phillyblogger #phillytok #beautycreator #themanicuredscientist @L’Oréal Paris ♬ Life Is Beautiful – Larry June & 2 Chainz & The Alchemist
Throughout the night, I ran into a couple creators I met previously (Camille @iamcamillesmith & Lindsay @neuro_melody), and met some other pretty cool creators too. I made sure to picked up one of the swag bags provided by Bonita Project – that thing was LOADED! Check out this quick unboxing I did to show all the goodies:
Overall, I had a good time and I’m really glad I went. Thanks again to The Bonita Project for inviting me and helping me step out of my comfort zone! I’m looking forward to checking out more events like this throughout the year.
I’ll also be testing and reviewing a bunch of products from that swag bag – follow me on socials to see when those come out!
