On a crisp November evening on the Upper East Side, nearly forty women crossed the threshold of Ms. Erika Jones’s elegant New York home to take part in a gathering that felt less like an event and more like a rite of passage. Framed by warm lighting, curated art, and the unmistakable serenity of a space held with intention, La Mer’s Take Care Night unfolded as a sacred room where honesty, softness, and truth were not only welcomed, they were demanded.
Hosted in collaboration with Erika Jones and Maya McHenry, Kimberly Bizu and Rich Little Broke Girls, the evening brought together women from different generations, backgrounds, and lived experiences. Yet as coats were shed and introductions exchanged, those differences melted into a collective readiness for something rare: a conversation without masks, competition, or pretenses. What remained was a shared hunger for connection, for reflection, and for the kind of dialogue that restores a woman’s sense of self when the world has tried to strip it away.
A Touch of Luxury and Care: La Mer’s Signature Presence
La Mer’s role in the evening extended far beyond sponsorship. The brand’s commitment to nurturing women, inside and out, was felt from the moment guests arrived. Each woman in attendance received a curated selection of La Mer’s exceptional self-care products, thoughtfully offered as tools for restoration and daily rituals of affirmation. The gesture reflected the brand’s long-standing dedication to wellness and renewal, adding an element of luxury that complemented the emotional depth of the conversations. It was a reminder that tending to the skin can also be an act of tending to the soul.
A Space Made for Speaking Life
As guests settled into plush seating, Erika Jones began the conversation with the kind of poise and conviction that only comes from a woman who has survived storms, rebuilt from ashes, and still chooses softness. Her words set the tone for the night, an intentional weaving of vulnerability and empowerment.
She reminded every woman present that her worth is non-negotiable, rooted not in titles, relationships, or seasons of life, but in her inherent being. Erika spoke of taking space unapologetically, especially in environments that were never designed for women, particularly Black women, to be loud, soft, brilliant, flawed, and powerful all at once.
“Your age does not define how you elevate. Your heartbreaks do not define how you rise,” she said, her voice carrying the weight of generations of women who were told to shrink. “We are allowed to reinvent ourselves as many times as needed.”
In a world ready to weaponize a woman’s past, Erika offered a liberating reminder: The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.
Her words were met with nods, sighs, and sudden stillness, the quiet kind that comes when truth strikes a chord deep enough to echo.
On Self-Love, Relationships, and the Courage to Move Forward
What followed was a cross-generational dialogue that felt almost ceremonial. Women in their fifties shared lessons on survival and grace; younger women spoke of boundaries and new forms of self-respect; mothers reflected on raising daughters in a world watching them more closely than it ever watched them.
The conversation on relationships, romantic, familial, and platonic, was raw yet grounding. There was no sugarcoating, no pretending. Instead, women spoke of the complexity of loving others while learning to love themselves.
Erika reminded the room that grace is a powerful gift, but one that must be extended with discernment. Grace can be given, but it cannot be handed to just anyone. It must be deserved.
Her message was not about withholding compassion, but about protecting one’s spirit. In a society that often expects women to be endlessly forgiving, even at their own expense, her words felt like a reclamation.
Turning Tragedy Into Strategy
One of the most defining moments of the evening came when women spoke about transforming life’s most painful moments into catalysts for change.
When we turn our biggest tragedies into powerful strategies, we build a legacy that can never be shaken.
It was more than inspiration, it was instruction. A call for women not to let heartbreak, betrayal, or loss harden them, but to allow these moments to forge purpose, resilience, and clarity. Around the room, tears were quietly wiped, hands were gently held. This was not a story told to impress, it was a truth spoken to heal.
A Celebration of Unapologetic Elevation
As the night drew to a close, the room felt lighter, yet spiritually fuller. Strangers had become witnesses to each other’s stories. Women who arrived carrying silent burdens left with a renewed understanding that healing doesn’t require perfect timing, only safe spaces and honest conversations.
La Mer’s Take Care Night was more than a gathering; it was a reminder of what becomes possible when women are invited to exist without judgment. It was a testament to the power of intergenerational dialogue, the beauty of vulnerability, and the unshakeable nature of women who choose to rise again and again.
In the heart of the Upper East Side, inside Erika Jones’s luminous home, forty women reclaimed something precious: their right to evolve, to be seen, to be held, and to elevate, boldly and unapologetically.
