The Essence College Tour came to campus Monday to kick off Homecoming Week.
Clinique, Colgate, Speed Stick, and Paul Mitchell products were among the free items given to the students during the tour.
The Tour was held in the Grand Ballroom from 1-5 p.m., and Exsto, a men’s urban clothing line from Wal-Mart, had its preview on The Set from 6-10pm.
“We wanted to provide students the opportunity to look at internships (and) reach out to students and really try to connect,” said Sharon Wynne, senior special events manager for Essence magazine. “It’s about doing something meaningful but fun.
“This is actually the last stop of the tour. We went to Howard for their homecoming, we just left Texas Southern and now we’re here to help FAMU kick off your homecoming,” Wynne said.
The cosmetology school of Tallahassee’s Lively Technical Center provided free manicures.
“We are here not only to promote ourselves, but get Lively into the community,” Lively student MeShun Van said.
While Lively gave quick polish changes, hand massages and basic info on proper nail care, Rose Gibson, special event coordinator for Clinique, gave students consultations on make up and skincare.
“We want to reach out into the community and cater to all the different types of skin, colors, conditions,” Gibson said. “Today we get a chance to give people samples of quality products. Many have the misconception that we charge customers at our store for consultations, but that is absolutely not true.”
After consultations with Clinique specialists like Gibson, students received a special card that would allow them to receive free items from Clinique counters.
The tour also showcased a performance by Elite Dance Troupe and the unveiling of Wal-Mart’s urban line, which was designed by Jeff Tweedy, the same designer for Sean John.
Representatives from the tour said the purpose for providing the new urban wear is to provide affordable but stylish clothing.
“They’re real nice; the clothes are something I could actually see myself in,” said Dwayne Cue, 20, a junior computer information systems student from Jacksonville. “I want to see how well this name-brand at low prices works. It looks very nice though and definitely not cheap.”
Despite Cue’s optimistic opinions on the new clothing line, some students weren’t as enthusiastic.
“It was cool, but I don’t know if I would rock it because it’s from Wal-Mart. Maybe at JCPenny or Target, but not Walmart,” said Carter Coleman, 21, a construction engineering technology student from Atlanta.
Overall, the students in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves, especially Tasha Sabal, 19, winner of a brand new iPod shuffle provided by Wal-Mart.
“The evening was pretty cool, especially if you didn’t have anything else to do,” said the freshman pharmacy student from Atlanta. “They had all these video games and clothes from the new Wal-Mart line.”
Jamelia Pugh, 19, an elementary education student from Oakland, Calif., seemed to be very pleased with the event and its outcome.
“I thought it was really nice, with all the manicures and the fashion show. I didn’t realize that Wal-Mart had such a variety of clothing lines,” the sophomore said. “It’s nice to see something different on campus. Having all the special events like these makes homecoming worth while.”