There were so many products inside the gift bag (I think I pulled a muscle carrying the bag around last night), that I’ve got not one, but three shots of the goodies inside the gift bags at last night’s Shecky’s Girls Night Out event held at the Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium. Here’s what was inside my bag:

Beauty products:

Media:

And this shot includes my personal faves from the bag (and by personal faves, I only mean what I will likely use first and most). A Shecky’s Fashion Map to San Francisco, a thermal brush and hair bands from i|m Beauty, a natural fruit and nut bar from Lara Bar, DuWop Venom Gloss, pink bunny undies from the Macy’s Jenni line (I know, gasp, I’m mentioning a department store, don’t worry, it won’t happen often) and a pair of classic hoop earrings from Eda and Betty.

As for the event itself, a few comments:

- I alway wonder whether it’s worth it to pay extra for early admission to events like this (Billion Dollar Babes also offers early VIP admission). In Shecky’s case, I’d say the answer is yes – especially if you’re more interested in shopping than socializing. Two hours into the event, the venue was crowded enough, though not uncomfortably so, that it was difficult to get close to many tables. And the complimentary drinks were flowing – which rocks – but does increase the bumble factor, i.e. the likelihood of you or someone else knocking into tables, displays and bodies unexpectedly – often accompanied by spillage of wine, cocktails and beer on said tables, displays and bodies. So to sum up, if you’ve got serious shopping in mind, pay a little more, go early and be done with it by the time the crowds start to swell.

- Every shopping event has its own personality. Shecky’s is ideal for people who want equal parts socializing and shopping. There were numerous mini-lounge areas, free bevs and the layout was just generally conducive to hanging out. This should come as no surprise given the event’s name. It really is the sort of gathering that you want to head to with a gaggle of girls ready to drink, chat and ooh and ahh over designer clothing, unique gifts and great discounts on everything from jewelry to racy lingerie.

- The event also features fewer local independent designers and artists and more mainstream vendors than you’ll find at a lot of other Bay Area shopping events. And while part of me is hardcore about locals and small businesses, the other part of me enjoys seeing indie designers from elsewhere and likes the eye candy that designer labels add to the mix. To go off on a bit of a tangent, I spend a lot of time thinking about the notion of “indie” and what it means to be indie (I know, I might just have too much free time on my hands). But I do think about it a lot. And my stance right now, at least, is that any shopping event qualifies as indie, in that it encourages consumers to interact more closely with vendors and to make conscious choices about purchasing instead of just heading to the mall and buying whatever happens to be hanging on the racks. Because to me, the indie ethos is about not only supporting artists and designers, but also about consuming responsibly, knowing where your belongings come from and putting your money into entities that support the local economy, increase consumer choice and offer more opportunities to enrich and flaunt one’s personal style.