With those big names alone, I’m sure you can imagine that Neiman Marcus was going to put on quite the show. To get us warmed up for all of the fashion and beauty festivities, there were a variety of sweet treats and delicious beverages to be served throughout the morning. Neiman’s provided the mimosas and the biscottis and Vanille Patisserie provided the brightly colored macarons. Stan’s Donuts was also on hand to give out their scrumptious donuts while Owen & Alchemy gave out samples of their popular juice blends. Put it all together and you’ve got the makings of a perfectly chic breakfast.
The goodies and sweet treats didn’t end with breakfast. Awaiting guests on their chairs was the ultimate swag bag. Inside featured product samples galore. From perfumes, anti-aging creams, lotions, lip gloss; it was pretty much the perfect Spring beauty starter kit.
Our skin may have taken quite a beating this Winter in Chicago, which is why Project Beauty couldn’t have come at a better time. The various brands showed a wide range of products that can spruce up our skin for Spring. With La Mer, we learned how to get rid of tired eyes with their Illuminating Eye Gel. For those of you want to add a little color to your look, perhaps add a coral tone lipstick with Tom Ford. For glowing skin that is perfect all year long the Meteorites from Guerlain will instantly add an otherworldly glow to your skin. For your own custom scent this Spring, Jo Malone certainly does the trick.
These new products are a sure way to show-off a new you for Spring. However, our Spring transformation wouldn’t be complete without a whole new wardrobe. Throughout the presentation, we also got a sneak peek of some of the hottest trends to be on the lookout for. This Spring we should expect to see some Boho Chic in the form of tassels and florals with touches of glamour. The collections of Haute Hippie and Alice & Olivia does a great job of highlighting this trend. Breaking the rules and mixing patterns is also another daring trend we can expect to see. Diane Von Furstenberg executes this trend perfectly by casually mixing patterns that feature simple color schemes.
The color scheme to follow for Spring is inspired by an unlikely source and, you’ll never guess where you can find it. Open up your cabinets and take a peek inside your spice rack to see the hot new colors of the season. In order to spice up your wardrobe, Neiman Marcus suggests cayenne, and paprika will be taking center stage for a spice toned ensemble. This is evident with the bright spice orange Versace Top and the multi-color Milly skirt. To top off our spicy new look, Chicago designer Lana Jewelry showed us simple elegant pieces that instantly add a touch of elegance to your ensemble.
While there was plenty of fashion and beauty going around, what brought us there were the inspiring women of the Neiman Marcus Project Beauty Campaign. 6 women across the nation were selected to become Project Beauty ambassadors because they exude both inner and outer beauty. These women truly exemplify what it means to be beautiful. Chicago’s very own Mary Kostic was one out of the 6 women selected. Her son Graham Kostic surprised her with the nomination. Little did she know, that this surprise from her loving son would lead her to claiming the grand prize. Mary’s prize was a weekend of pampering and beautification from Neiman’s as well as landing on the cover of the Neiman Marcus Beauty Magazine. During the presentation, Graham read the moving nomination letter that he sent to the Neiman Marcus team. From the powerful words in that letter, it became clear why the graceful and elegant Mary Kostic was selected out of thousands of women throughout the Nation.
The love from Neiman Marcus did not stop from their Project Beauty campaign. Throughout the presentation, they spread the love even more to attendees with tons of giveaways. In fact, every brand mentioned gave something away. The gifts ranged in value from a Tom Ford Lipstick to a $600 valued CREED gift set. After guests had already picked out their favorite products, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for; it was time to shop. After the show, there was even more fun to be had at each of the makeup counters in the beauty department. Just by dropping by, it was very likely you would walk away with quite the treat. Neiman Marcus was also gracious enough to give spending money. For purchasing a ticket to the event, guests received a $25 gift card.
I’m not sure how I let this event fly under the radar for so long, but I can assure you I will not miss another Project Beauty ever again. I had such a great time and I am even glad that I woke up early on a weekend. I feel bad for anyone that slept in, because they missed out big time. If more people knew about the good time to be had at Project Beauty, I’m sure that the store would be packed. Or maybe we should just keep it a secret so we could keep all the fun beauty treats for ourselves 😉 Either way, I will definitely be at the next Project Beauty.
The event is only $25 which is quite the steal for all that you are getting. The best way to find out about the next Project Beauty is to sign-up for the Neiman Marcus mailing list and check out the store’s event page. Hope to see you all at the next Project Beauty in the fall!
