Two weeks ago I got to fulfill a longtime dream of visiting New York. I was lucky enough to be invited by Dove to the brands 60th birthday celebrations, as well as a global influencer event taking place in the city. I’d be attending the events along with two other beauty editors and a fellow blogger.
New York City is an incredible place with a fast paced energy that’s almost tangible. Even though this was my first visit, there was something strangely familiar about the city. This is most likely due to the fact the NYC looks exactly like it does in the movies & TV series we watch.
On arrival in New York – after a VERY long flight – we checked into our ultra hip hotel, the NoMo in Soho. It was early morning and we were all super tired, but that didn’t stop us from getting in a bit of retail therapy. Lucky for us, we managed to get the tail end of the sales, so we bagged a few bargains.
Macy’s is mind-blowing shopping experience!
The following day was all excitement. Our first order of official business (after a delicious brekkie of avocado toast topped with a poached eggs) was the Dove 60 Year Dove Retrospective. The event was held in a huge, light filled warehouse situated in the gritty, but fashionable meatpacking district.
Upon entering the event, we were greeted with some advertising images of the Iconic Dove beauty bar. We also learnt a few interesting facts:
Launched in the 1957, The Dove Beauty Bar remains a success. The number of Dove bars sold annually could wrap around the world 4 times over!
In 2015 Dove became the biggest beauty brand on Facebook with over 24 million fans, covering 127 countries.
In 1962 the Dove pink variant was launched.
Over 11 million Dove products are sold every day worldwide.
We then got to listen to some of the world’s top scientists chat about the innovation behind some new and VERY EXCITING launches (I can’t divulge anything just yet, but watch this space).
What I can show you is an experiment of moi spraying some Dove Invisible Dry Antiperspirant spray onto a designer garment (EEEEK!). I was challenged to put the products claim that it won’t leave any marks on coloured clothing to the test. Dove Invisible Dry Antiperspirant Spray has been tested on 100 colours from black to white (and everything in between) to ensure that it keeps you dry throughout the day, without leaving a trace. I also chatted to the scientist who developed the formula, and was assured that it also won’t cause yellowing of garments on the underarms of clothing once washed.
Next, I got to experience the Dove NYC Virtual Reality Pod. Wow, just WOW! I put the VR glasses on and was instructed to lift my feet off the floor. Immediately, it felt like I’d been hoisted onto a swing in the sky, above New York City (sorry for any Vertigo suffering beauties at the launch). What a trip watching the world go about it’s business, way, way, way below me.
Growing up, the Dove beauty Bar was the only soap I used. Aside from the fact that I loved the clean smell, it was the only formula that didn’t dry my skin. I fondly remember the 1980’s and 1990’s TV advertising campaign with the yellow strip showing how, when compared to other soaps, Dove has a neutral PH. I was thrilled to watch the experiment again, this time in real life.
How cool is this limited edition Dove Beauty Through The Ages soap dish (above)? Sadly they are only available in the US, but I think it’s so rad, I just had to show it to you.
Happy 60th birthday, Dove!
Don’t forget to catch tomorrow’s follow up post with real life interviews featuring some truly inspirational women. I’ll also be chatting more about the incredible Dove Real Beauty pledge and giving away a hamper that includes ALL my favourite Dove products.
