Who else but Beauty Changes Lives could make giving back to the beauty industry so stylish and fun? The beauty-focused non-profit hosted its annual fundraising event, Beauty Changes Lives Experience this past Sunday at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL and it was quite the affair.
Industry icons, next-gen talent, and friends of beauty all gathered at the venue for an epic evening of celebration and inspiration to help fund the organization’s scholarships, mentorships, and continuing education programs for the professional beauty community. Not only did the event provide an opportunity for beauty lovers to support the industry that means so much to them, but it also marked BCL’s ten-year anniversary and a decade of changing lives through the gift of scholarships and mentorship.
Before the event kicked off, a select few attendees were able to mix and mingle at the VIP cocktail reception before the party opened up to the rest of the crowd for pre-show cocktails. Drinks were flowing and the music was bumpin’ as guests smiled for cameras and checked out some of the fun experience stations (airbrush tattoos! nail decals! photo booths!). And, speaking of the guest list, so many industry icons were in attendance including Ammon Carver, Michelle O’ Connor, Eric Vaughn, Nick Arrojo, Ted Gibson, John Moseley, among others.
The show immediately began as soon as our lovely hosts for the evening, Redken Global Artistic Ambassador Sam Villa and Wella Global Ambassador Patricia Nikole hit the stage. Throughout the first half of the show, we were introduced to an assortment of salon pros who shared first-hand how the scholarships funded through BCL Experience not only uplifted and supported them in their career, but also changed the course of their lives. Soon after, a number of checks were awarded to some well-deserving young talent.
But, Sunday night’s show was not just an opportunity to fundraise and hear from scholarship recipients, it also served as a showcase of the next generation of beauty pros’ creativity and talent. A definite highlight of the festivities was the high-energy runway presentation which saw aspiring artists create their very first runway collection with the help of some iconic mentors.
All of the artists featured in the runway show were part of one of the eight participating teams which included, L3VEL3, IGK, Ulta Beauty Pro Team, Wella, Floyd’s Barbershop, CLICS, and Kao Salon Division. Each team got their own distinct segment and was tasked with creating hair and beauty looks through a metamorphic lens that focused on “celebrating the journey of a professional’s career.”
This year’s BCL Experience was truly a night to remember and will no doubt be hard to top next year. If you’re interested in attending any of BCL’s future events, be sure to follow @beautchangeslives for all forthcoming announcements.
