Oui Fresh + AILA Cosmetics Launch Party @ Poppy & Monroe
I had tea with my girl Kaylee today (we’re so British!), and she asked how the blog was going, andddddd...
I confessed that I hadn’t written since we saw each other at this event I’m posting about now, so! This is me getting with it! Kaylee is great because she’s always down for an adventure, and when I saw a post on Instagram about the Oui Fresh + AILA Cosmetics launch party at Poppy & Monroe, I knew I wanted her to tag along.
me + Kaylee
Oui Fresh is the brainchild of Emma and Elsie from A Beautiful Mess. It’s a seriously fun brand that focuses on producing cosmetics and wellness items with nontoxic ingredients. They also have some great accessories and apparel, so be sure to check them out! Because they’re like-minded in their commitment to clean beauty products, Oui Fresh collaborated with the team at AILA to create some gorgeous nail polishes, the first of which was available at their launch party! Supernova, a striking warm lavender shade, is their first effort (below), and the rest of the shades will be arriving in the coming months.
Super Nova by AILA + Oui Fresh
Photo courtesy of A Beautiful Mess
I don’t often paint my nails. I usually feel like it’s pointless because I’m trying to renovate a house. Also, I’m just not very good at it. Like, I think the 'being good at nails' chromosome skipped me or something? But one of the main reasons I don’t paint my nails is because I feel uncomfortable with the ingredients in most products. I've made a conscious effort to transition to more natural cosmetics over the past year, and finding a good, healthy nail polish option has been a struggle. Ladies, AILA is the real deal. They’re one of the cleanest brands on the market, and not only that — their products perform beautifully! I’ve already been on their website scouting out new shades to add to my collection (to have someone else apply because YIKES I am really bad at this), and they have everything from ballet pinks and nudes to punchy, vibrant tones to glittery metallics and moody, dark shades. I’ve been on their site for the last 30 minutes reading the stories behind the polish names and laughing hysterically (Blue Lagoon really takes the cake!).
Cookies by Leeuw Bake Shop + AILA's new 'Supernova' polish on the top right!
The launch party was an absolute blast. They had mini manicures and champagne and cookies from Leeuw Bake Shop that were *almost* too cute to eat (I HAVE A SWEET TOOTH, I’M SORRY) and a stunning installation from Vroom Vroom Balloon.
CAN YOU EVEN WITH THESE BALLOONS
Y’all. I have such a crush on Vroom Vroom Balloon. I’m just saying, be prepared to see them on here A LOT. They were also giving away free sunnies with every purchase, which was super convenient since I recently lost mine!
And it was so fun getting to chat with Elsie and Emma again! They were absolute sweethearts and so generous with their time. They went out of their way to greet everyone that attended and make them feel welcome. I showed them my photo from their book signing at Urban Outfitters in 2013 where we all look like toddlers, ha!
We took a new photo that they posted on their Instagram stories (!!!), which sparked a handful of “hey, did I see you on…” from some friends and clients. Full disclosure: I started a 'social media cleanse' a few days before the event, and I actually woke up to a text from a friend that had seen the post before I did, so long story short - I took this as a sign that I should quit my social media cleanse. It was over before it started, really (which is typical of any other cleanse I've participated in LOLLL).
Elsie, Emma, Kaylee, Keely, and me
It was such a fun night, and I was so glad I got to be there with Kaylee, Elsie, Emma, Keely, Leah from Love and Lion, Laura Gummerman and her precious baby, and so many other creatives and personalities in this amazing city. Some nights in Nashville are pure magic, and this was one of them. Thanks again to Oui Fresh, AILA, and Poppy & Monroe for having us! We had the best time!
