Ideas for Gathering: How to Host a Girls' Night In

This post brought to you by Burt’s Bees . The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Lovely Side.

Somewhere between college and the real world, good old-fashioned girls' nights went from being a weekend given to a special occasion. Girlfriends grow up, move part, score "big girl jobs," and get our own places. It's so much fun to look back on the memories though. Gathering at a friend's apartment. Getting gussied up. And going out for a girls' night on the town.

But sometimes, things didn't go as planned. Sometimes instead of getting dressed up in our cute outfits, we opted for comfy pajamas. Sometimes—between trying new lipsticks and attempting the perfect smokey eye or cat-eye—we decided that our bottle of bubbly should be shared over a girly movie instead of serving as the precursor to college bar cocktails. Sometimes we chose Midnight in Paris with popcorn and chocolate—instead of midnight in campustown with burritos and gyros.

And you know what? Those girls' nights out that turned into girls' nights in are some of my best memories.

Now that I'm out on my own and living with the bf in our own home, those girly gigs are few and far between. But in the spirit of gathering, a girlfriend and I got together for a girls' night in. I hope you can steal a bit of inspiration from our gathering and host your own. :)

First, you'll need to gather the essential for your girls' night in. What do you want to do? Bake treats? Do pedicures? Flip through glossy magazines?

We really wanted to try out some new beauty products from Burt's Bees, pamper ourselves a little (spa-style), indulge in some snacks and bubbly, and visually feast our eyes on some gorgeous girly films. 

So here's what I gathered:

• Three shades of the new Burt's Bees lip crayons. I'm a big fan of any Burt's Bees lip product—the little yellow tin of lip balm has been one of my beauty staples since high school. I've got a stash of Burt's Bees lipsticks and tinted balms, too, so it was time to add to my collection.
• Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme—because it's summer and our feet need to be feel soft and look pretty in our sandals! 
• Fuzzy socks to let the creme do its magic.
• Three beloved and beautiful movies to watch (and borrow beauty ideas) from—Midnight in Paris, Marie Antoinette, and Jezebel. (Bette Davis is so fabulous in Jezebel.)
• Chocolate displayed in a pretty dish.
• White cheddar popcorn (yum!) in pink, damask-printed bowls.
• Bubbly rosé in my favorite turquoise wine tumblers.
• Fun decorations—like flowers, candles, and a little porcelain elephant for a touch of kitsch.

With Marie Antoinette playing in the background and our glasses sparkling with bubbly, we went to town trying out the new Burt's Bees lip crayons. 

Here's a little bit about each shade I bought, top to bottom:

Napa Vineyard

A girl can't have too many shades of red lipstick. This one reminds me of red velvet cake with a tinge of berry. And it can be as rich and luscious as you desire. One or two light swipes gives a nice wine-stained look, but I prefer to layer it on for a dramatic, old Hollywood-esque hue. (I'm looking at you, Bette Davis.)

Here's a sneak peek of me wearing the Napa Vineyard lip crayon.
I'll be sharing photos of me wearing the other hues on Instagram soon!

Hawaiian Smolder 

I struggle with finding perfect pink lip colors more than red. I really lucked out with this one. It's a blushing rose hue that blends with the natural pink of your lips. Paired with subtle eye makeup, it'd be perfect for the office. But I'd also looove to see it worn with a really dramatic, smokey eye for date night.

Niagara Overlook

Even though I'm ga-ga over the Napa Vineyard, this color is my favorite out of the three. It's peachy-pink and—like Hawaiian Smolder—works with your natural lip color instead of against it. The result is a nice, not-too-saturated coral color. I love how it looks with copper eyes shadow, a tiny bit of coral blush on the apples of the cheeks, and a swipe of bronzer. It's so versatile and ideal for summer.

You know what I love about old, black and white movies like Jezebel? You can totally tell when the leading lady is wearing red lipstick. So glam. Napa Vineyard gives me serious silvers-screen-starlet vibes.

Here's some color swipes: Napa Vineyard, Niagara Overlook, Hawaiian Smolder.

There are six shades of the Burt's Bees lip crayons available—all for just $9/pop online. Up next, I need to get my hands on a tube of the Redwood Forest, too!

The night was full of laughter, snacks, and rosé—and we finished it off with a bit of pampering. Summer sandal-wearing can be rough on feet. And this is the season our feet need to look their best! Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme smells soooo good—like summer itself. I was definitely expected it to smell good, but I was caught off guard by how natural smelling it was, too. No fake coconut scent here. 

We lathered up our feet and slipped into fuzzy socks to finish out the movies. (I'm going to make this foot creme thing a weekly ritual... my feet felt so soft and smelled so good the next day.) 

What a much-needed night-in! 

Now it's your turn! In the spirit of gathering (and what better season for it than summer?!) I challenge you to host a gathering of your own. Just a small, intimate ordeal—a night in to enjoy friendship away from the hustle, bustle, and expense of nights on the town. 

What will you do? Maybe...

A little barbecue, followed by an outdoor movie in your own backyard. 

A relaxing spa night, fueled by cosmos and nostalgic Spice Girls tunes.

A homemade brunch in your own kitchen, complete with a mimosa bar.

I have so many ideas for future gatherings—what are yours?