The summer calls for vacations...vacations call for the beach...and the beach calls for the Hamptons. Ever since the start of my summer break, I could not wait to go out to my house in Southampton to grab a delicious brunch, do some serious shopping, and meet up with my blogger friends. East End Taste and Ticket2Events made all of the above possible with their Interactive Influencer Brunch, held in a stunning garden at Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton this past weekend.

Upon my arrival, I noticed that the picturesque venue was framed by a variety of food, beverage, fashion, and beauty stations. Each colorful booth was interactive in their own way, and I loved hearing what owners shared with me about the history of their companies.

To wet guests’ palettes, Juice Press--a beverage brand I was familiar with from the city--gave out samples of “Advanced Berry Blend,” “Soul Garden,” and more of their popular juices. But I relied on Love Love Edibles to satisfy my sugar craving. Their guilt-free treats are all vegan, unbaked, gluten-free, and filled with superfoods to ensure maximum health benefits. They were handing out mini samples of their unbaked red velvet cake, made with almonds, dates, maple, beets, cacao, cashews, and coconut. I couldn’t believe how fresh it tasted, as if it had just been taken out of the oven!

Next, I stopped at India Hicks’ fashion and accessories trunk show, with items spread across a long table for attendees to admire. I particularly loved a navy fringe clutch that the brand allowed guests to enter to win (unfortunately, I wasn’t the lucky one who was picked).

The beauty booths were my absolute favorite part of the morning. After getting a lovely hand massage at Jeunesse Skincare’s station, I got my hair curled and styled by T3 Micro. Flower Designer B Floral gave me a pastel pink flower crown to top off the look.

Throughout the event, guests also had the opportunity to bid on a silent auction where they could win weekend getaways, vineyard tours and tastings, luxurious beauty products, handbags, restaurant gift certificates, and more. Admirably, a portion of the proceeds from this auction benefited The Retreat, an organization that serves as a safe haven for families in crisis.

I met so many incredible bloggers, influencers, and brand representatives at this event, and I was so grateful that we all were given the opportunity to come together face-to-face. As the host, Vanessa Gordon--who is also a journalist and the publisher of East End Taste--puts it, “It is very rare that [influencers] all have the opportunity to come together like this, and what better backdrop than the Hamptons.” With my two VIP goody bags in hand and a separate clutch filled with a stack of business cards, it’s safe to say that I cannot agree with her more.