Inside Brown Sugar Babe’s ‘French Kiss’ Launch At ESSENCE
Inside Brown Sugar Babe’s Paris-Inspired ‘French Kiss’ Launch At ESSENCE Festival
- Brand founder Maekaeda Gibbons created BSB to incorporate aromatherapy into everyday self-care through naturally derived fragrances.
- Event featured signature cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a surprise performance by rapper Lady London before a lively New Orleans-style parade.
- Guests received custom-painted fragrance bottles and matching scarves, leaving the event feeling 'like that girl'.
Brown Sugar Babe kicked off my ESSENCE Festival weekend with a scent-filled, swanky event that I am still thinking about. The Black woman-owned beauty brand invited editors, creators, influencers and beauty lovers to PRIVÉ: A French Kiss Affair, an intimate celebration of its newest fragrance collection, French Kiss, held at the Virgin Hotel New Orleans.
As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I noticed the scent filling the room.
It smelled warm, sweet and luxurious. But the intoxicating aroma wasn’t the only thing giving expensive vibes. Deep burgundy draping covered the walls. Hundreds of red roses surrounded glowing candles. Vintage luggage framed an Eiffel Tower display. Gold accents caught the light throughout the room. Every detail worked together to create a romantic, Paris-inspired setting in the middle of New Orleans.
Brown Sugar Babe: A Night Inspired By Fragrance And Self-Care
As someone who is still getting to know BSB, I appreciated learning more about the brand throughout the evening. Founder Maekaeda Gibbons created the brand to incorporate aromatherapy into everyday self-care through fragrance oils made with naturally derived ingredients. By the end of the evening, I understood why BSB is such a go to brand.
The evening flowed between an intimate indoor lounge and an outdoor patio where guests braved the New Orleans heat between conversations, cocktails and photos. Signature drinks—including the French Kiss, a refreshing twist on the French 75—along with the Privé and Midnight Rendezvous kept the bar busy throughout the evening. Sliders, chicken skewers and deviled eggs were served as guests explored the collection and settled in before the night’s programming began.
Brown Sugar Babe: Maekaeda Gibbons And Lady London Closed The Night In Style
As the evening continued, founder Maekaeda Gibbons welcomed guests and shared the inspiration behind the French Kiss collection before officially introducing the launch. Not long after, rapper Lady London surprised the room with a performance that had guests crowding around the center of the venue.
Just when we all thought the night was winding down, we took the party to the streets. Maekaeda led partygoers downstairs for a classic New Orleans second-line parade through the streets. It was a fitting ending to the collection’s French Kiss debut. At the end, I grabbed a swag bag – with a custom-painted bottle of the new fragrance and a matching scarf – and ran to the next event.
Brown Sugar Babe definitely set the tone for the weekend ahead—and had me smelling like that girl at the same time.
Inside Brown Sugar Babe’s Paris-Inspired ‘French Kiss’ Launch At ESSENCE Festival was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
