The ESSENCE® Beauty Carnival ™, recognized as the world’s largest beauty experience for Black women, is hitting the road in 2019—newly reimagined as an expanded, multi-city tour. Tickets are on-sale now for this epic celebration of Black beauty—convening a community of enthusiasts, experts, and influencers at New York City’s Pier 36 on April 27-28, 2019.
“As the leading global destination for Black women, ESSENCE® celebrates diverse beauty and inspires inclusivity in a way that only we can,” said ESSENCEFashion and Beauty Director Julee Wilson. “With the expansion of our Beauty Carnival, we are embracing our unique journey and curating our programming to share a very special experience with beauty aficionados from city to city.”
Inspired by the brand’s original Beauty Carnival which takes place during the annual ESSENCE Festival and attracts more than 10,000 fans per day from around the world, the tour will return to New Orleans this summer, making the 25th anniversary ESSENCE Festival its second stop. The Beauty Carnival’s final destination will be in Texas October 2019. Details to be announced at a later date.
Photo Image from Essence.com
The ESSENCE Beauty Carnival tour will deliver a globally inclusive and immersive experience featuring up-close access to exciting moments, such as expert tutorials, engaging conversations, exclusive interviews with today’s beauty icons, live podcasts and special guest performances. Highlights include:
ESSENCE’s new museum of Black beauty, documenting key historical and cultural moments, classic products and archived video to bring to life ESSENCE storytelling around Black beauty
Curated “Shop ESSENCE” beauty marketplace
Extensive product sampling and special brand activations
Premier pampering services, gift bag, light bites and sips, and celebrity/influencer meet and greets for VIP level ticket-holders in our Beauty Bungalow
For more on the ESSENCE Beauty Carnival tour and to purchase tickets, visit Essence.com/BeautyCarnival. Share your experience on your social platforms using the official hashtag #EssenceCarnival.
In this week’s edition of ESSENCE’s Yes, Girl! podcast, Cool Kids star David Alan Grier chatted with the gang and talked about everything from his mission as an actor, fatherhood, how the entertainment industry has changed since the days of his hit movie, Boomerang.
Key quotes from this week’s episode are below. For the full Yes, Girl! Podcast interview, click here.
On his mission as an Actor:
“Having range – that’s the way I’ve tried to live my life. I would much rather audition for something than leave it up to someone else to say, ‘I didn’t picture you as that.’ And also, sometimes you need those outside eyes that see something in you that you don’t see in yourself …. something that is greater than your own vision.”
On how comedy has changed since the ‘90s and early 2000’s:
“I remember working with Daman Wayans and we used to make certain jokes … there were so many things that we could do then that we can’t do now… if we did [do it now] it would have to be attacked from a different point of view…”
McKenzie Caldwell-Pope is the wife to Kentavious Cadwell-Pope of the Los Angels Lakers. Outside of being a phenomenal wife McKenzie is a Mom-boss of almost three boys and a well-known social media Beauty Enthusiast and Fashion Influencer.
On Dec. 8, 2018, McKenzie claimed the title of an official youtube as she launched her youtube channel “McKenzie in the Mirror“. With 312 subscribers and almost 2k views in under 24 hours, it is safe to say many are already enjoying this channel.
McKenzie in the Mirror, will allow subscribers and viewers to look through the mirror and into the daily life of McKenzie Cladwell-pope. Each Monday on McKenzie Monday’s you can expect anything from Vlogs, Q&A’s, unboxing’s from some of your favorite brands, to even DIY activities for your home or with the kids. You’ll never know what to expect until you look into the Mirror; McKenzie’s Mirror that is!
For all interviews and Features – Please Contact, Publicist, Milan Mobley at info@umanagementpr.com
About McKenzie Cadwell-Pope
McKenzie Caldwell-Pope was born in Dallas, Texas but currently, resides in the sunshine state of Los Angeles California. With a Bachelor’s Degree from Louisiana Tech University in Business Marketing; McKenzie used her college education to creatively infiltrate the fashion and beauty industry. While managing her own brand, being a wife and mother her plate is always full, but McKenzie embodies her roles fabulously and effortlessly and dares to take on more.
With an incredible social media influence, she uses her platform to be an inspiration to many women experiencing motherhood. The lessons she teaches express that motherhood can be fabulous and stylish just as any other walks in life.
Recently, McKenzie has been taking over the industry with partnerships with a few notable brands such as MAC at the M.A.C. Supreme Beam Launch Event, Fashion Nova, FabFitFun Summerhouse, and Nordstrom’s Beauty Trends Week 2018. Alongside those brands she previously had the pleasure of hosting the Forever 21’s Back to School Denim event in Los Angeles. McKenzie has also has had an exclusive interview with Style + Life + Fashion blog and was named “Bride of the Day” for Galia Lahav Haute Couture Collection.
Over the weekend, Essence and FORD once again joined forces to bring the My City 4 Ways Culture Festival to Houston for its last stop. Ford brought the festival to White Oak Music Hall, to celebrate the city’s most notable tastemakers, innovators and leaders across music, art, lifestyle, and food. R&B star Keri Hilson celebrated the eve of her birthday with a special performance of some of her classic hits, including “Turning Me On”, “Knock Me Down” and “Pretty Girl Rock” while delicious hors-d’oeuvres circulated the gallery, prepared by One Feisty Chef and Chef James Robinson.Guestsalso enjoyed a Ford “Ride & Drive” experience, where consumers got the chance to test drive the latest lineup of Ford vehicles, including the Mustang, the all-new 2018 Expedition, and the F-150.
Attendees were also able to shop at the pop-up shops of art influencer Ashely Price, who did a live art installation, entrepreneur and fashion influencer Rich God who had his clothing Made By Rich God on display and for sale. Melissa Butler founder of the Lip Bar also had an interactive Lip Bar experience where she gifted guests with her lipstick. Houston’s very own Kam Franklin sang her heart out while she entertained the crowd with a special performance including a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Women, Do Right Man”.
Top financial advisor Tiffany “Budgetnista” Aliche hosted the festival along with Tai Beauchamp. The Budgetnista announced the Ford’s Driving Her Dreams contest winner, through which Ford awarded Melissa Mitchell of Abeille Creations a two-year lease of a Ford Explorer. To win this contest, Melissa Mitchell beat out 10 other female entrepreneurs who made a pitch at ESSENCE FESTIVAL explaining why getting a Ford Explorer would help their business go further. Congrats to Melissa Mitchell for the big win!
ESSENCE, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women, debuts ESSENCE Girls United. This impactful new initiative is designed to inspire young Black women through a year-long mentorship program, as well as an interactive digital/social content hub that will convey the core principles of leadership and self-love.
ESSENCE Girls United demonstrates the iconic brand’s mission to serve its multigenerational audience globally as a 100% Black-owned company across its platforms through content, culture, and community—especially the millennials who comprise of 26% of its core. With its focus on mentoring young girls, this multi-platform program will feature year-round video, digital and social content that will focus on core pillars, including: “Owning Your Power,” “Presenting with Confidence,” “Developing Brand You,” “Finding Your Voice,” “Making a Difference In Your Community,” “Life Skills 101,” and “Self-Love.” The initiative will also feature workshops and conversations with thought leaders, a social network directory for girls to interact with each other, a mentorship program, a leadership development “toolkit,” events such as the upcoming ESSENCE Girls United Summit and much more.
“ESSENCE Girls United will allow us to even further demonstrate the brand’s commitment to inspire Black women by engaging this vital audience,” said Moana Luu, ESSENCE Chief Content and Chief Creative Officer. “With year-round content across all of our digital and social platforms, ESSENCE will be a great resource for our girls in the areas of leadership, confidence, and self-love.”
As part of the initiative, ESSENCE and Ulta Beauty will join forces to co-produce ESSENCE Girls United:Beautiful Possibilities. This exciting six-part web series will use digital and social content to create a deeper connection with young Black women. The web series will include a search to discover six young women who will then embark on a journey to discover their personal potential and elevate their entrepreneurial spirit all within the beauty industry. Each young woman will have a chance to participate in an opportunity of a lifetime, including helping to create a limited-time collection for Ulta Beauty; mentorship by ESSENCE and Ulta Beauty brand leaders and more. ESSENCE Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities is open nationally to girls ages 16-19.
For more on ESSENCE, Girls United visit ESSENCE.com/GirlsUnited, pick up the November issue of ESSENCE or join the conversation on social @Essence #ESSENCEGirlsUnited.
Essence Communications, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women announced a record-breaking economic impact of $280 million for its 2018 ESSENCE Festival® presented by Coca-Cola. Growth in Festival attendance, which reached more than 510,000, and a boost in tourism spending within the host City and State of New Orleans, Louisiana, garnered the highest fiscal input in the event’s 24-year history. Nearing 130,000 attendees per day, the ESSENCE Festival is now also the nation’s largest entertainment and cultural event based on average daily attendance, leading events including Coachella, SXSW, New Orleans Jazz and Made in America festivals.
“As one of the world’s largest annual curated content experiences attracting an international audience of more than a half million people over the course of one weekend, the essence Festival packs a proven and powerful economic punch–and continues to reach new heights in collaboration with the State of Louisiana and City of New Orleans,” said Michelle Ebanks, CEO of Essence Communications. “Working together with our government and enterprise partners, we are pleased to report the highest-ever contribution to the growth and profitability of local businesses and services that help to create an unforgettable experience for our Festival community.”
With the 2018 summer Festival season wrapped, the 4-day Essence Festival has emerged as the leader in size and economic significance among the country’s largest live events and a top destination for tourism during Fourth of July weekend. Through attendee surveys and analysis based on event production, lodging, food & beverage, retail, gaming and transportation spend, the annual economic figure represents a substantial benefit to Louisiana and New Orleans seasonal tourism and shines a spotlight that furthers the legacy of one the nation’s most culturally rich and diverse destinations.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JULY 06: (L-R) Angela Rye, Mary J. Blige, Maxine Waters, Alencia Johnson, Queen Latifah and Remy Ma pose onstage during the 2018 Essence Festival presented by Coca-Cola at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 6, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence)
“This year’s Essence Festival was a great success in terms of attendance and national exposure for New Orleans and Louisiana. I believe many of the Essence Festival attendees will be returning to our state for years to come,” said Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
“On behalf of the City of New Orleans, I am grateful for our continued partnership with the ESSENCE Festival and proud of the impact that’s been made,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “This year’s Fest generated tremendous economic activity for the City — money that went to our large and small businesses and to the working men and women who make them run. We look forward to another historic year in 2019.”
In addition to the attendance and economic impact, the scale of talent, programming and digital engagement at the ESSENCE Festival is unmatched. A 2018 Essence Festival by-the-numbers analysis reveals further record-breaking engagement including 100+ performing artists; 200+ influencers, leaders, creators and celebrities; 150+ Marketplace entrepreneurs; and 200+ hours of live content throughout the weekend that generated 5 billion+ media and PR impressions and reached trending status on social media, featuring 103+ million posts, shares and likes and resulting in 14+ billion social media impressions.
“On the eve of the ESSENCE Festival’s 25th anniversary, scheduled for July 4-7, 2019, this summer’s extraordinary gathering underscores the convening power of culture, as well as the continued interest and engagement of Black women globally around community and content that empowers and inspires,” said Ebanks. “We were thrilled this year to be able to introduce new entrepreneurial and business experiences such as our ESSENCE E-Suites and our ESSENCE Marche e-commerce platform. But there’s so much more. As an almost five-decade-old startup, we are excited to move forward not only as a reimagined media and content company but also as a technology and commerce company using 21st-century platforms to provide even more effective solutions to our community of women. We are continually evolving to shape our work to meet their needs with increasing depth and relevance, and this is just the beginning.”
The 2018 ESSENCE Festival was executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC, a division of Essence Communications Inc. (ECI), and produced by Solomon Group. GeChar was the executive producer of the 2018 ESSENCE Empowerment Experience.
Sponsors of the 2018 ESSENCE Festival included presenting sponsor Coca-Cola and major sponsors AT&T, Ford, McDonald’s, State Farm and Walmart.
About Essence Communications Inc. Essence Communications is the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 17 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent African-American owned company focused on merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss is busy! After recently wrapping up filming scenes for the reality show–along with opening two new restaurant locations, developing a cosmetics line and more–the 42-year old songwriter and mother of two are trying to have another baby with husband Todd Tucker. But as she admits to ESSENCE, the road hasn’t been easy.
“We’re definitely trying to figure out ways to grow our family,” she revealed. “I know a lot of people thought that meant that I was pregnant. But I’m not pregnant. Let’s be clear. I saw that floating around the internet…”
“Unfortunately, it’s not happening…” she said of conceiving a baby. Burruss also shared that fans will see her struggle with fertility on the upcoming season of Real Housewives. “So obviously we’re just going to be talking about what that means for our family…”
For more on this ESSENCE.com exclusive, see below:
“In playing these lovers who really keep each other honest, we’ve developed a friendship where we can speak very, very candidly to each other. There’s a lot of trust between us. When you have that kind of trust with another actor, you can push further and do things that surprise you because you feel like you’re supported…” –Tessa Thompson talks to ESSENCE about working with her Creed IIco-star Michael B. Jordan
ESSENCE COVER STORY: TESSA THOMPSON
Actress Tessa Thompson has gone from Hollywood’s best-kept secret to widely sought-after it girl. From heading across the pond to film a Men in Black spin-off with actor Chris Hemsworth (where ESSENCE caught up with her), to reprising her role as Bianca in the upcoming Creed II—she’s on everyone’s radar. Looking stunning in ESSENCE’s upcoming November spread (shot in Columbia Road in London), she talks about everything from working with co-star Michael B. Jordan to pushing boundaries when it comes to her artistry. “Obviously, I like the idea of expanding perceptions of what a woman can be and what a woman of color can be,” Thompson tells ESSENCE Entertainment Director Cori Murray in the cover story, London Calling. “I like to introduce new spaces…” ESSENCE’s November issue will be on newsstands October 26th. Attached is the cover—for more on the upcoming issue, visit ESSENCE.com
Since the moment she arrived on the scene, Kelis has done things her own way. A beauty chameleon and genre-bending musical talent, the singer has always been in a league of her own.
Now, she graces the cover of ESSENCE’s Global Beauty Issue where she gets candid about taking a break from the spotlight and working at her own pace. “One of the biggest things I reiterate is self-care,” the singer told ESSENCE.
Kelis talks fame and so much more in ESSENCE’s October Global Beauty Issue, on newsstands this Friday, September 21.
Essence Magazine October 2018 Cover Story featuring Kelis Photographer: Adrienne Raquel
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