I’m sure by now you know that I was in Nashville two weeks ago for Dollar General’s A Day of Beauty event, because I posted the jumpsuit I wore about five times! Aside from my outfit, here’s what else went down at the second annual event:

The Hilton Nashville

I arrived in Nashville on Friday and checked into the Hilton Nashville, where I was surprised to find a suite! I’m not used to traveling for business, so I’m always grateful when I get put up in hotels. Tell me why it took me a good thirty minutes to realize that there was an actual bedroom, and I wasn’t supposed to sleep on the pull out couch. #imsobasic

P.S. I broke my pescetarian diet and HAD to try the Piggy Mac from Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant. It’s basically mac and cheese on top of pulled pork and it was well worth it!

Pre-Event Brunch

On Saturday, before A Day of Beauty even got started, Dollar General invited bloggers, brands, and influencers to a pre-event brunch so we could meet one another before things got hectic! At the brunch I connected with tons of blogger boos, and I just want to say, Jenell B. Stewart is the queen of Boomerang because she managed to get all of us looking pretty cute!

Beauty Brands for Black Women

After some more photos, we headed over to Nashville Music City Center Several beauty and makeup brands also had makeup artists doing quick beauty-overs like applying lashes or press on nails, as well as helping women find the perfect lip color. Wet n Wild, Black Radiance, KISS, Broadway Nails, and LA Colors were just some of the brands represented.

Maybelline’s beauty line was consistently the longest one – I almost didn’t get any goodies! They did give me their LASH Sensational Mascara and a cute and sizable compact to use on the go!

Hair Products for Days

Now A Day of Beauty is not a natural hair event, but if you are natural, there are TONS of options at Dollar General! Creme of Nature, Cantu, Ampro Gel, African Pride, ORS, Smooth and Shine, Dark and Lovely, and other brands showed off their products available at Dollar General with fun booths that included hair makeovers, education, giveaways, sample products, and even photo booths!

One brand that was new to me was Palmer’s. Yup, the people who make the famous cocoa butter we all used in the 7th grade. I knew Palmer’s had a natural haircare line but I’d never really investigated it, but luckily I got to chat with their team at A Day of Beauty. To my surprise, the entire Palmer’s Coconut Oil line is sulfate, paraben, gluten, phthalate, and mineral oil free! Okay Palmer’s! I’m looking forward to reviewing the whole line in the next couple of weeks, but I got a heads up that the star of the show is the Palmer’s Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Protein Pack – and it’s just $2!

Beauty from the Inside Out Panel

Kim Kimble, Rachel Odem, Jenell B Stewart, and Dr. Nina Ellis-Hervey spoke on a panel about Beauty from the Inside Out. For whatever reason this turned into a Sunday sermon because the ladies were speaking the word and uplifting the audience! I loved that Dollar General chose the theme Beauty from the Inside Out for a beauty event, because we can get so caught up in our outward appearances that we neglect our emotional, mental, and spiritual health,

Keke Wyatt

One awesome thing about A Day of Beauty is that there is always a live performance, and this year it was by Keke Wyatt, the covergirl for the fall issue of the BeautyCents magazine. I have to admit I’m not really knowledgable about Keke Wyatt either as a singer or a celebrity, but I can attest that she can SANG. Like makes you sway back and forth with pursed lips and a finger up to the heavens sang. The crowd was definitely here for her, and she did a great job!

Beauty Cents Suite

I was having too much fun in the main exhibition space that I did not spend tons of time in the beauty lounge, but it was a space where attendees could receive for quick massages and manicures. I did pop in to the lounge towards the end of the event, and event got on Dollar General’s Facebook page for a live video.

Dollar General’s A Day of Beauty event is officially one of my favorite beauty events to attend – the amount of swag is UNREAL, plus it’s completely free. Now we just have to pray they bring the event to other cities besides Nashville!