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/