Cute Makeup Tips

UPDATE: Forgot to mention a THANK YOU to Arianne for the ride!

IMATS is like Christmas to me; I wait in anticipation all year for this one day! As soon as I strolled in with fellow beauty bloggers, Arianne and Michelle, I was giddy and instantly felt an exciting vibe in the air. Besides the makeup, makeup shows are always one big makeup reunion.

The Face atelier booth was our first stop. I was so happy to see my girl, Eunique, working and manning the swarm of girls. 

I think pretty much everyone I know went home with some Face atelier products. I wish I had bought more because the discounts were awesome but I mustered up the willpower to stick with my list!

Michelle and Arianne were a hoot to shop with! Check out some fun pictures from the event and all the awesome people I ran into. I didn't have a lot of time to really take advantage of the two days so there were a lot of people I didn't meet and workshops and seminars I didn't have a chance to attend but there's always next year!

Click here to view more photos. 

Overall, I had a great time hanging with other beauty bloggers and shopping the booths. The Toronto Congress Center was a great venue, although I don't think it was any bigger than last year at The Exhibition Place. As for location, I hope that IMATS next year will be downtown. Mississauga is just not central enough and isn't easily accessible by transit. On the upside, a shuttle bus was provided which I'm sure helped but I don't know how frequent it was. 

This year, waiting to pay for products was painful. The lineups at some booths were ridiculously long which deterred me from wanting to buy products. I know having a designated line for paying is meant to be efficient and keep order but at the same time it just wasn't. Then again, this year seemed much busier and that is a good thing. There was a few complaints from some bloggers about IMATS feeling "small" and the truth is that Toronto is on a smaller scale compared to other cities. This is only IMATS' second year in Toronto. I felt this year was better than the last and I'm sure it will get better every year. It makes sense to start out small and test out the waters so to speak. It's obvious a lot of money and time goes into a convention like this so everyone involved has to be confident that it will be worth it. This year new brands were added like M.A.C. and Stila, which is a good sign that more brands will jump on board the more exposure IMATS receives in Toronto. There is definitely a market for IMATS in Toronto thanks to our growing makeup artist and beauty blogging community! 

Thank you to the creators of IMATS for an amazing event! I'm already looking forward to next year's!  I had a great time shopping, seeing old friends and making some new ones. Oh, and if I can make one request on a must-have keynote speaker for next year, it would be the talented celebrity artist, Andrea Claire!

Some fab ladies I ran into and some I missed - be sure to check out their recap of IMATS!

Rasilla from In a Nutshell

My apologies if I missed anyone! What was your favourite or not-so-favourite part of IMATS? What must-have products did you stock up on?

This is one makeup event I look forward to all year! It's hard to believe that one year has gone by already. In case you aren't hanging with the cool kids, makeup's biggest event is almost here! The International Makeup Show (IMATS) will be coming to Toronto on November 6 and 7. It's a must-attend event for industry professionals but definitely welcomes anyone who LOVES makeup!

Besides the copious amounts of makeup and makeup accessories that will be available, I love going and meeting up with my fellow beauty lovers. Be on the lookout for a group of us Toronto Beauty Bloggers (TBB) perusing the booths and shopping (check the TBB blog to see when meet-up times and locations are)! You will also have access to many top industry experts that you can meet and chat with as well as seminars and workshops. 

I had a Twitter convo with makeup artist, Naomi from StylEyes, about how I decide what products to stock in my kit. I usually buy products only when I'm low or if it's something I don't have and absolutely need/want. I definitely depend on makeup artist reviews before making a purchase. With an event like IMATS, there is a temptation to go a little crazy so my advice is to make a list and stick with it. And if you're shopping with a group of friends like I will be, try not to get swayed into buying products you don't need. Here is what I'll be stocking up on:

Face atelier Ultra Foundation Pro ($32 CAD): This is the one foundation line I use on my clients 98% of the time. I always have brides coming back and asking me what foundation I used on their wedding day. What my clients love? Flawless, luminous coverage without the heavy feel. Click here to see my reviews of Face atelier Cosmetics.  

Embroylisse 24 Hour Miracle Cream ($25 USD): You'll see this dream cream in most makeup artist's kits. Love this stuff and so do my clients! I need an extra one to use on myself! I've been using this lately now that the weather is getting drier. Click here to see my reviews of Embroylisse.

CoverFX Conceal FX ($27 CAD): I only have one shade but want to collect the rest for my kit! Gives full coverage, HD ready, and covers all your imperfections. Plus, it's water-resistant and fits easily into any kit or makeup bag. Click here to see my review of CoverFX Conceal FX.

Kett Sett Powder ($22 USD): What setting powder to use was also a topic that came up on Twitter. Kett Sett Powder has been on my wish list for so long and yet it has never landed in my kit. I've been using my trusted M.A.C. Blot Powders over the years but one of my shades was swiped over the summer during a wedding gig. Accident of course! Good excuse to pick this one up.

Also on the list are disposable mascara wands and maybe one or two brushes (my brush collection is pretty stocked though). Have you tried any of these products? What will you be picking up at IMATS? 

I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones! Stay tuned for my highlights of this year's IMATS! To read past highlights of Toronto IMATS click here.

For more information on location, dates, tickets and keynote speakers visit www.imatsshow.com/toronto/toronto_index.php.

 L-R: Lauren (LIFT), Farah, Emily (LIFT), Anjali, me, and Aanchal

Photo credit: Ishmil Waterman www.nexttopmodelstudios.com

On May 14, a few of us beauty bloggers teamed up with the amazing ladies at LIFT Beauty Boutique to host a Girls Night In event in support of The Canadian Cancer Society. It was a fun-filled night of hair, makeup, and a deadly combo of wine and cupcakes! The final numbers are still being tallied but last I heard numbers were close to $800!

 Cupcakes by Custom Cakes by Jenz and Rosewood Estates Winery

Thank you to all the fabulous women who willingly gave us their pretty faces, hair and money to support a fabulous cause. Thank you to Emily, Lauren, Brianne, and Melissa for hosting at LIFT. To my awesome fellow beauty bloggers, Anjali from Rock That Look, Farah from Faces By Farah, and Aanchal from Aanchal Artistry it was a pleasure working with you ladies! 

Here are some photos from the event (picture heavy). To view more pictures click here. To read more recaps of Girls Night In at LIFT visit Glitter Geek and LIFT Beauty Boutique Blog!

To find out more on how you can help find a cure for cancer visit www.cancer.ca.

I love Sundays especially when it involves having brunch with lovely ladies who share the same excitement for all things beauty! Yesterday, I attended an awesome brunch at Milestones organized by the stunning and talented makeup artist/beauty blogger, Farah of Faces By Farah. 25 amazing Toronto beauty bloggers attended along with some fabulous reps from some of my favourite brands.

We downed coffees (and some Mimosa's ahem), ate some yummy food, won some great prizes, and chatted about our favourite beauty products and online dating each other on Twitter. It was wonderful to put a face to the blogs and brands that we spend our days chatting with and reading. I met and learned about some pretty amazing women and can't wait for the next one!

 Me with the lovely Naomi from Dare To Be Yourself Makeup and Beauty by Naomi

Thank you again to Farah for organizing it all! You can see by the photos that a fantastic time was had by all. Thank you to the lovely brands that came out and for including some makeup goodies in our swag!

The Body Shop
Mary Kay
Biore Canada
Devon Consulting
Balmshell Cosmetics
Vasanti Cometics
Cargo Cosmetics
CoverFX
Face Atelier
Marcelle/Annabelle Cosmetics
DaLish Cosmetics
Revolution Organics
3Shahs
Age Comfort
SleepyMoon Design
Magique Kiss
Nawaz Pirani
Jennifer Squires Productions

To view more photos from the Toronto Beauty Blogger Meet Up click here.

For more about the brunch from other blogs:

Beauty bloggers/makeup artists to love: 

http://www.anjalihanda.blogspot.com
http://www.makeupjunkie.ca
http://www.spicedbeauty.com
http://nancypowermakeupartist.blogspot.com/
http://www.lipstickrules.com
http://www.beautybynaz.com/
http://www.davidagragor.com
http://soveryfabulous.blogspot.com
http://www.makemeoverservices.com/apps/blog/
http://lelo-theartist.blogspot.com/
http://watercoloursky.blogspot.com
http://marianitamc01.blogspot.com/
http://www.ifiwasarichgirl.ca/http://www.makeupbydelia.ca/
http://dare2byourself.blogspot.com
http://www.lovelipstickandlime.blogspot.com