Goose Island and #LLBLOG + #SCLB Beer and Beauty Meetup

I can't resist a great event. I just can't. Last week, I had the opportunity to attend one put on by Goose Island Beer, the Latina Lifestyle Bloggers (#LLBLOG) and So Cal Lady Bloggers (#SCLB). The theme? Beauty and Beer. The location? Benefit Cosmetics in Santa Monica. I had a fantastic time.

Every now and then, I find it important to break from my routine – try new things, learn something new, have a new experience. I got all that and more from this fun event.

There are four things you should know about me:

1) I don't drink beer. I've never had a beer I've liked, so I usually leave the stuff alone. I purposely signed up for this event to keep an open mind and try something new. At the Beer and Beauty event, I was able to sample high quality ales and actually have someone talk to me about the different tastes and what they might pair well with. The ladies representing Goose Island really knew their stuff and their Sofie ale was something I could definitely see myself having again, if the opportunity arose. Other vintage ales available for sampling were Madame Rose, Lolita, Juliet, and Matilda.

2) I started wearing makeup less than six months ago. I still don't wear it most days either, but since teaching myself how to wear makeup in prep for a photo shoot in February, it would be a lie to say that my interest hasn't been piqued a bit about learning more. I'm still a SUPER low maintenance gal, so I appreciated that the fab makeup artist at Benefit who worked on me – yay for free beauty treatments! – showed me some quick and easy things I could do with a few dabs of the right product. Girl Meets Pearl is my new favorite thing in the world.

3) I don't really eat chocolate. For those of you who are still reading, I know, you're shocked. Chocolate has just never been my thing unless it is filled with nougat, caramel or covered in sea salt. At this shindig, I got to try some pretty crazy chocolate combo flavors from Wild Ophelia. I snagged a hibiscus + peach bar to take home and devour. So yummy.

4) I work way too much. As much as I love events, the ones I usually go to are related to work/business/career. Getting me to show up a party where I don't know anyone (or where I only know the hosts, who will undoubtedly be busy), is no easy feat. But I had a great time at this event. The women were lovely, the treats were fantastic, and you know, when you're working around the clock, it's nice to stop for a minute and get pampered. Walking away with my new favorite product for free was pretty nice too!

Overall, it was a well executed event and a great chance for me to break out of my routine in all sorts of ways. Nights like that are rare and never forgotten!

You can check out Goose Island on Facebook or on their website. And you can see what Benefit has to offer on their website as well.

Big thanks to #LLBLOG and #SCLB for the invite and opportunity to attend!