To revive an era when women had time to lavish on beauty, Revlon returned to the charm of pre-Revolutionary Havana at the opening dinner for the annual meeting of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS). Joan Horton—who worked in-house at Revlon until earlier this year, when she started New York-based event firm the Horton Group—worked with Sutka Productions to transform the private club Mar-a-Lago from West Palm Beach chic to old-fashioned Cuban glitz.
Cocktails were served on the manicured lawn, where Revlon spokeswoman Halle Berry posed for pictures with guests among topiaries trimmed to resemble nail polish bottles and mascara tubes. The band Conjunto Progreso, dressed in traditional guayaberas (linen dress shirts), played Cuban standards while guests sampled mojitos, mini Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, yucca fries, and plantain chips topped with black beans. A cigar roller from Mya Cigars handed out stogies. To achieve the look of an old Cuban manse, Horton arranged wicker furniture on the lawn. White couches and rustic mahogany tables from Artmosphere topped with bowls of mangoes, orange flowers, and coconuts added a tropical touch. Inside the ballroom, candles in silver holders and pink, red, and orange floral centerpieces in silver vases glittered against a backdrop of historic Cuban buildings projected onto the wall.
Even the food had a glamorous Cuban accent. Mar-a-Lago catering prepared langosta desnuda—shelled lobster with jicama slaw—followed by a pan-seared veal chop, inspired by Havana's legendary Tropicana nightclub, with roasted potatoes and.phparagus. Dessert included tres leches—a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream—and mango cheesecake. For an after-dinner treat, Larry Abel / De-signs crafted a life-size vanity, tufted chair, and round nightstand entirely of chocolate. Guests took away boxes with Godiva truffles, chocolate lipstick, and chocolate nail polish stacked around the base of the nightstand. By the end of the night, the vanity was bare.
A performance by songstress Alicia Keys closed the night, but the glamour didn't stop there. Revlon sent guests back to their boudoirs with a full set of Revlon and Almay cosmetics and accessories in a large straw tote provided by Clever Carriage Company.
—Vanessa Goyanes
Cocktails were served on the manicured lawn, where Revlon spokeswoman Halle Berry posed for pictures with guests among topiaries trimmed to resemble nail polish bottles and mascara tubes. The band Conjunto Progreso, dressed in traditional guayaberas (linen dress shirts), played Cuban standards while guests sampled mojitos, mini Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, yucca fries, and plantain chips topped with black beans. A cigar roller from Mya Cigars handed out stogies. To achieve the look of an old Cuban manse, Horton arranged wicker furniture on the lawn. White couches and rustic mahogany tables from Artmosphere topped with bowls of mangoes, orange flowers, and coconuts added a tropical touch. Inside the ballroom, candles in silver holders and pink, red, and orange floral centerpieces in silver vases glittered against a backdrop of historic Cuban buildings projected onto the wall.
Even the food had a glamorous Cuban accent. Mar-a-Lago catering prepared langosta desnuda—shelled lobster with jicama slaw—followed by a pan-seared veal chop, inspired by Havana's legendary Tropicana nightclub, with roasted potatoes and.phparagus. Dessert included tres leches—a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk and topped with whipped cream—and mango cheesecake. For an after-dinner treat, Larry Abel / De-signs crafted a life-size vanity, tufted chair, and round nightstand entirely of chocolate. Guests took away boxes with Godiva truffles, chocolate lipstick, and chocolate nail polish stacked around the base of the nightstand. By the end of the night, the vanity was bare.
A performance by songstress Alicia Keys closed the night, but the glamour didn't stop there. Revlon sent guests back to their boudoirs with a full set of Revlon and Almay cosmetics and accessories in a large straw tote provided by Clever Carriage Company.
—Vanessa Goyanes
Larry Abel / De-signs created a vanity out of chocolate topped with Godiva goodies as an after-dinner treat for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores' (NACDS) opening party at Mar-a-Lago.
Revlon hosts the NACDS opening party each year and chose a 1940's Havana theme for this event.
After dinner, guests were treated to a performance from Alicia Keys, who sang most of her hits.
Larry Abel / De-signs made chocolate replicas of Revlon cosmetics.
