Girls Rule at Sheckys Girls Night Out

Last week, I attended a truly fun event: Sheckys Beauty Night Out , a just-for-the-ladies bonding experience featuring "happy hour" mixed with the excitement and good discounts of a sample sale, plus better than Fashion Week-style goodie bags.

Girls rule at Sheckys Girls Night Out events. Even the men's rooms are turned into ladies rooms for these events and, in a nice turn of expectations, really cute and polite men serve free drinks from beer, to martinis.

This week Sheckys held one of it's equally fantastic, Girls Night Out events, at the Puck Building in Soho. When I got there half an hour early, there was already a line of women eager to get into the building. Most of the women I talked to had been to several Sheckys events prior to this one and they know it's great to get there early before it gets crowded.

Once inside, Sheckys-goers are greeted by four rooms (three on the ground floor and one on the 7th floor) simply chock-full of things to try and to buy.

The Girls Night Out focuses on accessories such as jewelry

and handbags, hats, and other accessories all at big discounts off retail. There are so many things to buy, hmmmmmm!

....there are also plenty of boutique-y clothes (I loved these T-shirts with studs and crystals).....

...and makeup, of course. Here I'm posting with the very charming Christopher Drummond. He is a makeup artist who has just launched his own, Christopher Drummond, line of cosmetics and skin care. His patent pending cosmetic products have been used on models and celebrities, and contain all natural, organic-based and vegan ingredients. The Advice Sisters will be reviewing these products in an upcoming What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column!

A clueless man asked me why anyone would pay money to spend money, but it's more than just free drinks and discount shopping. It's a fun night out with your friends, and there are plenty of other things to do besides shop! For example:

Get a manicure.....

Check out the latest Nintendo games while you rest your feet in a lounge-type setting...

...enjoy a beer tasting to see how different beers go with different types of food....

...have a photographer take your photo with your friends on Shecky's own, red carpet!

...and then there's the famous gift bags. Sheckys Girls Night Out admission is just $10.00. It's $30.00 with the Deluxe Goodie Bag, but you get a logo gift bag full of full sized, brand name goodies worth more than the cost of admission. Last night's bag had three huge Lindt Chocolate bars, two BORBA Skin Balance Waters, a full-sized tube of Crest, samples sizes of the newest Dove go fresh products, nutraceutical samples, full-sized Aveeno Bath and Body products, a women's razor, and much, much more. This woman in my photo was holding her friend's bags....and these bags are fairly heavy so she was definitely being a good friend!

If you think you'd like to attend a girl's night out, they are not just held in NYC. Look for events in Boston, Atlanta, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Chicago, and Denver. Visit www.sheckysgirlsnightout.com for more information

Sheckys Beauty Night Out - A Girl's Fanatasy for Female Fun!

There are some things that I eagerly anticipate on a seasonal basis. For example, when it is Winter, I eagerly await sunny Summer weather. And, I can't wait for New Years Eve, Ground Hog Day, and ......Shecky's Beauty Night and Girls Nights Out! Last week, I attended Shecky’s 4th annual Beauty Night Out, featuring product sampling, and services from up approximately fifty of Shecky’s 2008/2009 BEAUTY AT ITS BEST winners. A Shecky's event is always a "can't miss!"

Get there early, and you'll still find a line of women eagerly waiting to get in and start sampling and shopping. They all know that Sheckys events are good fun worth waiting for. Most of the women I talked to at Sheckys Beauty Night out had been to at least one other Shecky's event, and were back for more. My own, first experience with Sheckys was at a Girls Night Out in Spring of 2007 ....and then, I loved the beauty-oriented Shecky's Beauty Night Out I attended last Fall.

The experience is bound to leave you thinking: "Wow, that was such fun!" even if you're there as I was, a reporter there to check out the just-for-girls fun, without the benefit of female bonding. The idea is a simple one: a "happy hour" mixed with the excitement of a sample sale, plus better than Fashion Week-style goodie bags. The female fun quotient is high. You're getting a group of BFFs together in a room full of "eye candy" (girly shopping items, and great looking guys).

Enter the door, and grab a free hot towel and a beer or mixed drink from one of a number of these great looking (and polite and respectful) guys to get the party started. This is a just-for-the-ladies event, so even the men's rooms are turned into women's rooms for the night. Check out your makeup, or walk over to a number of tables with free samples of different makeup lines, and perhaps have your makeup done. Of course, there are also things to buy (it's a shopping night, naturally). There are tables of pretty, girly things everyone loves: accessories, beauty items, sparkling jewelry, wellness services. Make sure all of these are deeply discounted--and piles high with free samples to tote home. The result of all of this good fun is lots of laughter, excitement, and smiling faces

One Shecky's guests all get a re-useable tote bag full of great products worth much more than the price of admission. In fact, one of the Advice Sister's most popular blog search terms is "Sheckys" but the other is "what's in the Shecky's Gift Bag? Shecky's does tout the gift bag as a major benefit of coming to their events. What's inside is not a secret, but it does change every event. Here, a happy Shecky's Beauty Night Out participant willingly poses with not one, but two gift bags, as at this event, the sheer amount of loot was so generous, the Shecky's logo bag was not large enough to hold all of the goodies!

The bags generally are filled with full sized name brands in skincare, cosmetics, and even chocolate bars! My suggestion is to also bring your own, lightweight tote for all the other freebies you'll get and perhaps, purchase.... this is just a small representation of what was in the bag.

And Shecky's Beauty Night Out gives girls a chance to try new products and services. For example, Conair offered free styling right at their display, along with a give-away of packages of great, no-slip ponytail holders.

One of the Advice Sisters favorite companies, Conair,was there. They had a nice display of some of their most popular, new items, so Sheckys guests could really check them out up close. Two of my favorites, shown here, are the Conair Infiniti Nano Silver Tourmaline Ceramic Styler and Conair the Infiniti Nano Silver Ionic Steam Straightener, both of which we have reviewed in the Advice Sisters What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion Review columns. For me, however, one of the best parts of a Sheckys event is the chance to meet people who really know the products they are representing, and can talk about them in great detail. Sometimes, the knowledgeable men and women you talk to are the owners of the company. You will not only take home tons of free stuff, you will take home lots of tips and advice...priceless!

Free samples at Sheckys events are really good, such as these of Redken's Forceful 23 hair spray, a favorite of hair stylists to use on models, backstage at Fashion Week.

...and Boots even had an amusement park-style "claw" game full of wonderful Boots makeup and skin care products. Guests could try this luck and snag a great Boots product to take home!

If you are planning to attend a Sheckys Girls Night Out or Beauty Night Out event, I suggest you reserve your place early, as some of the days do sell out. Take a lightweight purse, and perhaps, even another lightweight tote bag (you'll be getting free samples, brochures, and buying other items) and the Sheckys gift bag is already full when you get it. Be ready to spend money. The combo of free drinks, good friends, and great bargains will probably have you opening your wallet...but you won't regret it! Shecky's holds beauty, fashion, and social events in New York City Atlanta Boston Chicago Los Angeles San Francisco --be sure to check them all out at http://www.sheckys.com/

Shecky's Beauty Night Out Fall 2007--Simply Smashing

When you put a bunch of girlfriends together at a shopping event that features give-aways, a killer goody bag worth over $125 in a re-usable tote, adorable, polite guys serving alcoholic drinks, plus the opportunity to sample and purchase dozens and dozens of beauty items, accessories and fashions at deep discounts, you get the recipe for the incredibly successful Shecky's Girls and Beauty nights out. In fact, these seasonal events are always sold out and the search term "Sheckys Night Out" is one of the most popular queries the AdviceSisters receive. Here, eager women wait on a line that moved quickly, but stretched nearly from one end of the block to the other!




Other Shecky's events I've attended were at the Puck building, but this beauty-oriented event was held on several floors of a building on West 37th street. The check-in was on one floor, the other floors held the exhibitors, several bars including a Korbel bar, a Midori bar, and a Bud Light Bar/Lounge area. Trays of drinks were also circulated, adding to the clubby atmosphere and general energy of the rooms filled with girl's night out "eye candy." What's not to like? If you go with friends, you're sure to pick up something special and save some money, but it's a real bonding experience, too. I heard plenty of animated discussions featuring several enthusiastic women cooing: "ooh, that looks so good on you!" Shopping, laughter, drinks, polite, cute guys who are helpful but don't hit on you makes for a great time.......sigh!




One of the nicest things about these events is the opportunity to learn what's new, and often, to meet with the actual designers or entrepreneurs. Here, a representative from NuSkin is demonstrating a device that uses a small current to firm up sagging skin and reduce wrinkles. Her skin was nearly perfect --the Long Island mom says she does use this device. Lots of women gathered around to see her demonstrate the device and a some got a free sample of the treatment.

Shecky's also gives me a chance to meet some of my beauty colleagues in person instead of just by email. This is always the highlight for me. I met some of my colleagues from Bourjois, Coty, Conair, and some of the major public relations agencies. In this photo, the multi-talented Yana Chupenko (fomerly the product developer of the wonderful Tony & Tina Cosmetics and creator of the new, Shiny Mama cosmetics --great glittery first collection, by the way) poses with her partner and fiance!

So many people are curious about the famous, Shecky's gift bags. For starters, they are distributed in laminated tote bags with a snap closure that are perfect for toting everything home, and then for just about anything else. They're large enough to tote a bunch of books, or everything you need for a day at the beach. Of course, they are filled with products . I believe each is a little bit different, but the total of products are supposed to be worth about $125.00 Mine had quite a few haircare products from Redken, Nexus and Sunsilk, along with skincare products from St. Ives, and SkinMilk, plus lip balm, a really cute hipster panty from Jenni, some ponytail holders, a generous sample of Marc Jacob's new "Daisy" fragrance, and a huge (and unfortunately, heavy) beauty magazine I was excited to discover, and two very nice, laminated maps (one of NYC, one showing more than 200 fashion retail haunts). All these beauty products, most completely full-sized, could send you into fashion heaven!!! My only complaint is that they are so full of goodies to begin with, the bags are too heavy and full to add that much more. My tip? Take a small handbag but bring an additional, lightweight tote. You'll be getting free samples, brochures, and buying other items (trust me, no one will force you but you are going to drop some cash...it's so enticing you simply can't help it).

I can't wait for the NEXT Shecky's event, be it the more general girl's night out or the beauty night out. Shecky's holds beauty, fashion, and social events in New York City Atlanta Boston Chicago Los Angeles San Francisco --be sure to check them all out at http://www.sheckys.com/

Sheckys Girls Night Out Spring 2007

Sheckys Girls Night out is one of those things you anticipate and mark off the days for. It's just a girl's dream: shopping at a discount, cute (and polite) guys offering free drinks, plenty of restrooms without long lines, and the bonding experience girls only get from shopping en masse. If you've read this blog for a while, you know that I've been covering Shecky's Girls Night Out for a few seasons now. I know you, my readers, are looking for information about Sheckys as well.

I just got back from the latest Sheckys Girls Night out at the Puck Building in Manhattan. It was suggested that I not only get there early, but try to come on Monday or Tuesday, because as the week continued, the event would only get more and more crowded.

The doors open at 4:30, and I was there 15 minutes later. Already, there was a line, but it was still quiet. By the time I left after 7pm (it goes until 10 pm. every night March 12-16th), the line was constant, and getting longer.

Inside, two rooms of "girl stuff" tempted shoppers of all ages and interests. This season, cute spring dresses and tops, jewelery, handbags, and some more unique items (such as vibrator.com (that's Keith Levinson with a staff member posing in a photo at the top of this page...the large, pogo stick vibrator that he is holding is mostly cut out of the photo---shucks!). I was surprised to see a bunch of young women actually trying the vibrators on themselves (over their jeans, but still...). I guess you could call vibrators a "beauty item." Keith showed me one that is the size of a lipstick tube. This silvery mini-vibrator would be discreet enough to put in a makeup bag. In fact, The Advice Sisters will be including the first-ever review in our MAY "What Works" Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column, so watch for it the first week of May.

Meanwhile, back inside, the girls with wristbands allowing them to get a Shecky's Goodie Bag, were waiting at the elevator to go to the 7th floor, where more vendors, were waiting. I have a photo of the shecky's bag, but for some reason blogger isn't allowing me to upload photos tonight, so I'll have to add them later. Inside the bag there were a number of things, worth more than the $20 plus $10 general admission you have to pay. Actually, you can attend for just the $10.00, but most of the women I saw had the bags on their shoulders, and seemed fairly pleased with the contents. I didn't get to see all of the items in the bags, but from what I recall, there were several magazines, a chic-lit-type paperback, a hairbrush, softLips lip balm (really good stuff), some makeup from Revlon, a lip gloss from "Little Black Dress" (that's a winery in California that also had a bar set up with three types of wines to try in tiny bottles), some hair elastics from i/M Active (we have reviewed these nifty, stay-put hair accessories in our "What Works" columns), some mints, skin care from Caudalie, a set of mini-sized SunSilk hair products, and there was more, but I didn't quite get to see to the bottom of the bag because I wasn't getting one on my press ticket and I didn't want to hold up the line for the women who were waiting to claim their bags.

One of the highlights of the evening for me was meeting Sabina from Red Branch PR, and Jen Groover, the creator of the Butler Bag. We reviewed this unique handbag in our 2006 Holiday What Works column , and I named it as one of my "must-have" items for Fashion Week. Actually, this nice leather bag is more than just a fashion accessory, it has a rigid, internal organizer system that finally makes it easy to look in your handbag and find exactly what you want, in seconds. I have dozens of handbags, but for me, The Butler Bag is the most functional, go-with-everything bag I've ever seen, and it's the one I wear nearly every day. I think Jen was happy to see that I was actually using her bag. There are new colors for this season, and we'll be re-reviewing the Butler Bag in one of our upcoming "What Works" columns, probably MAY's column (it would make a great gift for yourself, but also for "mom"), so watch for it!

I wandered through the rooms, taking in the scene. I was there alone, to report on the event, but the women who were there in groups were having an amazing time. And, while free drinks and social bonding might make you overspend a bit, everything really IS discounted at Sheckys Girls Night Out. There was a jewelery designer there with a specific type of signature necklace. Two hours later, as I was meeting my husband for dinner and we passed a boutique not far away from the Puck Building, I saw the very same necklaces from the very same designer, for about $20-$40 more!

It is clear that girls LOVE Shecky's Girls Night Out. There's just something so relaxing and silly and girly about all of it. I even love the fact that the mens room on the first floor is marked "Ladies" for the event, even though the restroom right next door is the actual ladies room.

I don't know if I have ALL the names of the vendors, but just in case you are interested, here's at least a partial list: Allison Corey Fine Art
Anavaa Kisasa
Annette's Angels
Arbonne International by Angela Giadone
Arbonne International by Christine Egan
Arbonne International by Juliana Gannon
Ayazakura
B'atchi Intimates
Baci Jewelry Designs
Bella Oro
Crunch Fitness
Finlandia Vodka
Little Black Dress Wines
IN:NYC® Card
PEELS
Revlon® Beauty Bar
SkinMilk
American Laser Centers
Dip
Dr. Rizk
i|m
Institute Beauté
It's A Treat Pet Boutique
Laser Cosmetica
LiteTouch
Mussio DeGroot
Nini Montifiore NYC
Pharmaskincare
POM Wonderful
smartwater
Stýli-Style
Universal Music
Vibrel
-------------------------------- 25 Lexington
Acme Media
Aiko Designs
Alâra
Allison Corey Fine Art
Anavaa Kisasa
Annette's Angels
Arbonne International by Angela Giadone
Arbonne International by Christine Egan
Arbonne International by Juliana Gannon
Ayazakura
B'atchi Intimates
Baci Jewelry Designs
Bella Oro
Bijoux By Belle
Blakely Ink
Butler Bag
Chameleon
Charmed & Dangerous
Conchi New York
Corrente
Delicate Raymond
Ditty Inc.
Eda & Betty Couture
Erin Swietnicki
EyeSave
Fashion Doll
Girlfoolish
Goodlooking Clothing
Harriet's Alter Ego
Hip Chic Couture
Initial Reaction
InnaSense
J Rosen Showroom
Jahanna Martinez
Julie Brown Designs
K Lewis
Kacey K Fine Jewelry
Karen Fairborne
KC Signatures
Kismet Boutique
Krina
LaMaide Designs
Lauren DiNardo
Levity Designs
Linda de Taxco Jewelry
Lolabean
Lucid Studio
Madison Kelly NYC
Madrigal Designs
Michael Darouiche
Nabi Med Spa
Nobel Leather
Pearls and Crystal
Perfume River
PJ Cobbs Arts
Pondür
Pretty Little Thing
Primo Luxe
Rebecca Lorraine Designs
Rocksandfame.com
Ruth Mikos Charms
Selective Search
Soul Star Underground
StayStylish.net
Tarte
Terry Ross
The Runway
Tracy Vanderbeck
Trends
Tudor Jewelry
uncooked
Unie
Very Cool Jewels
Village Pourhouse
We Wear It
Yumi Chen Designs