How To Host A Tea & Skincare Outdoor Party

*This post does contain affiliate links that if clicked, I will make a small commission from.

I have always loved hosting get togethers and gatherings and ever since watching “With Love, Meghan” on Netflix, I have not been able to shake wanting to host something special for my girlfriends!

Hosting Basics & Essential Things To Keep in Mind

First, we have to decide who we are putting on the gathering for. This time, I had a hosted few of my dear sister friends and their families on a large group trip where we stayed in a beautiful home hosted by Wander. I saw the property online and knew I had to do something just for the ladies!

The Need

Whether exhausted from running after kids, running up the corporate ladder, or running a business – we all needed some TLC and relaxation. As a content creator and influencer of almost 15 years, I have been to my fair share of cute brand events where different activations and group activities took place. One of my recent favorites was a Tata Harper event at The Joule in Dallas, TX. Tata Harper HERSELF walked us through her skincare routine. We chatted and did every step she does on herself every morning and it was such a time!! When I was thinking about how to level up an afternoon tea party, I knew adding something like this would be just the thing my girls needed.

The Preparation

I started off by budgeting how much I wanted to spend on each person and gave myself a little room depending on if I could find all of the items I’d like to gift everyone. Of course, I did go a tad bit over budget but this was okay because when you’re planning to host for the first time, it can be difficult to determine exactly what you need so be ready for the budget to shift some. I then created a Google Sheet of the items I wanted to include in the skincare activity.

Then, I went on the hunt of the best quality yet cost effective items to fit our needs. I landed on this list and was shocked where I ended up finding most of the items!!

The Shopping List

My first idea was to go to five below or maybe hobby lobby to find items but since I wanted to be able to review pricing easily, I started with Amazon and randomly, Tiktok Shop. Now I had not seen people ordering party items from tiktok shop before but oh my goodness, I found SO MUCH ON THERE! But, there is a caveat. The shipping.

This is where planning about a month in advance was clutch for me. As I began ordering everything, the shipping estimates were all over the place. By the grace of God, every single item made it to my door the day before we left for our trip!

The Location & Set Up

Initially I had planned on having the party inside because the dining room on the property overlooked the pool and I knew I wanted an outside element to the event. But once we arrived on site, I realized that the outdoor seating area was an even better spot! First, we have to set the mood. I put on this berlioz playlist to get the vibes going. Then, I started setting up my tablescape.

The Tablescape

Here’s everything I used to create this cute table set up!

(2) 3-Tier Porcelian Cupcake Stand $25
Porcelain 22-Piece Tea Set $58
Faux Flowers $25
Wood framed Desk Mirror $8 each
Glass candlestick holders set of 6 $16
13ft 2pc Cheesecloth Table Runners $12
Taupe Table Placemats set of 6, $22
Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL 50 count $17
Beeswax 12 inch Candle stick 4 pack $15

The Tea & Food Items

Originally, I wanted to go full out for the food. You know, assorted pastries and quiches and cucumber sammies. But then reality set in that I was going to have a very limited time for set up in the middle of a group trip of 17! So, cute assorted cookies from a local grocery store was it! And guess what, NO one was mad about it! Sometimes simple and minimal works in everyones favor. Plus, I ordered a yummy loose leaf tea and tea sugar from Amazon for less than $30.

Hibiscus Ginger Loose Leaf Tea $12
Assorted Cookies $9
Dehydrated Lemon Slices $12
Tea Amber Rock Sugar $16

The Skincare Gift Bag & Set Up

I wanted to gift everyone items that they could use for the activity but also after they left! I got everyone the following:

3-Piece Makeup Bag $9
Psalm 46:5 pin $1.35
“Love them anyway Pin” Less than $1
Flower Shoe Pin Less than $1
Initial Keychain $1.57
Face Ice Roller $5 (2-pack)
Kitsch Dermaplaning Tools $7 (12 count)
3-piece Spa headband & wristband set $2.50
Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL 50 count $17
Facial sponges $8 (50 count)
Ribbon Bow Slippers $10

I then threw in a few travel-sized items that I had been collecting from PR packages I get from brands. This included:

Summer Fridays Jet Lag Eye Patches $24 (6-pack)
Josie Maran Travel Sized Body Butter $16
Josie Maran Travel Sized Body Scrub $14
Touchland Power Essence Hydrating Body & Hair Fragrance $17
Biodance Radiant Vita Niacinamide Real Deep Mask $19(4 pack)

The Skincare Routine: Group Activity

I got to play skincare expert this day and take my girlfriends through a step by step skincare routine that I do a variation of on a regular basis. I first chatted with them about what we were going to do and then I facilitated the activity by passing out products at each step, sharing how much, how to and when to use each product. I was there to bring them whatever they needed to journey through the full skincare routine.

Sometimes we forget how restful taking care of ourselves can be and this was a great reminder to us all.

It brought me so much joy to witness and care for my girls in this way. As someone who gets to have experiences like this for work, being able to gift this experience to women I love was a gift to my soul. My goal was to show them how much God loves each and every one of them and based on the feedback they shared, I believe the mission was accomplished.

So, if you needed a sign to host your sisterfriends over for something this spring/summer – this is your sign to DO IT! If this post helped spark some ideas for your next gathering, please give me a like or comment! And even better, share this post with a sister or friend who you want to host a tea & skincare party with.