It was a sell-out.

We thought we couldn’t beat the buzz of our inaugural Gritty Pretty One Night Only Make-Up Masterclass last year. But, after wrapping up our events in both Sydney and Melbourne late last week—and meeting more of you, our incredible readers—we’ve realised that our event, this year proudly sponsored by Estée Lauder, is only going to get bigger and better.

And if you missed out on tickets—they sold out within three days—here’s what went down…

SYDNEY

THE LOCATION: Our team scouted a number of venues before coming across the relatively new The Clean Treats Factory in Rosebery. With its minimalist aesthetic repping the Gritty Pretty brand to perfection, we knew we had found our spot.

WHAT WE ATE: The Clean Treats Factory offers an extensive gluten- and preservative-free menu. Note to self—must stock up on more of the Snix Slice.

WHAT WE SIPPED ON: Free-flowing Moet & Chandon Rosé, and the choice of Penfolds Max’s fruit-driven Shiraz or Chardonnay. Plus Fiji Water to keep us hydrated—it’s one of our many secrets to glowing skin!

THE RUN-SHEET: On the night of the event, our guests showed up early, forming a line out the front of the venue well before the doors officially opened. It only added to the air of excitement that was felt in the room, further enhanced to the upbeat tunes of DJ Feline.

Gritty Pretty Founder and Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Pendleton hosted a Q&A panel with Sara Crampton, founder of fashion blog Harper & Harley and also fashion e-tailor The Undone, and Beck Wadworth of luxury stationery line An Organised Life. They covered everything from personal style to growing your own business and must-have beauty products, and our readers also received a personal insight into working in the industry.

Make-up artist Emma Chen then gave a live step-by-step make-up demonstration on how to achieve her signature glowing skin. This session was extremely informative and interactive, with readers asking Emma to call out her must-have products—including their exact names—so that they could dash out and pick them up post-event.

MELBOURNE

THE LOCATION: Our amazing event planners Belinda and Maddison of Belinda Fitzpatrick Events found The George Ballroom, located in St Kilda. The Heritage-listed building was breathtaking, with chic, rustic interiors, a grand stairway and a romantic, moody ambience.

WHAT WE ATE: Damm Fine Foods served a combination of vegetarian, fish and meat canapés, including a mouth-watering torched wagyu beef nigari with truffle oil.

WHAT WE SIPPED ON: Once again, our guests enjoyed Moet & Chandon Rosé, the choice of Penfolds Max’s Shiraz or Chardonnay, and Fiji Water.

THE RUN-SHEET: It was a chilly night in Melbourne, but it didn’t dampen any spirits—once again, our guests arrived early, and formed queues to have their foundation colour-matched at the Estée Lauder make-up station, and their leather Mon Purse luggage tag personalised. Excitement began building quickly, and prior to the start of the event, guests enjoyed uplifting music of acoustic duo Adelaide Clark.

Similarly to the Sydney event, the night kicked-off with a conversation between Gritty Pretty Founder and Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Pendleton with Sara Crampton and Beck Wadworth.

In Melbourne, make-up artist Jade Kisnorbo, fresh from directing the make-up at Myer’s runway show, gave a live step-by-step make-up demonstration on how to achieve a flawless complexion. From skin prep—she swears by Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair II Synchronized Recovery Complex for a hydrated complexion—to covering dark circles, Jade’s comprehensive overview gave our readers more than a few skincare and make-up tips.

Not only did our guests pick up beauty knowledge and tricks from our One Night Only events in both Sydney and Melbourne, they also took away a goodie bag on the night that contained treats from Estée Lauder, Aerin, MAC Cosmetics, Atelier Lumira, Aveda, Clinique, The Beauty Chef, Paint Nail Lacquer, The Daily Bar, and Mon Purse, as well as vouchers for The Undone, An Organised Life, and Gritty Pretty‘s e-store. To top it off, an attendee from both Sydney and Melbourne won a ghd Platinum + Professional Styler, valued at over $300.

The take away? We’re planning on making #GrittyPrettyOneNightOnly even bigger and better next year, and we’re hoping to meet even more of you then. Watch this space.

Tell us, which city to do you want to see Gritty Pretty One Night Only at in 2019? Comment below!