Sparkled Beauty

Finally, I got some time to sort out pictures and draft up this post about IMATS LA. I gotta say it was the best IMATS experience I have had, for a few reasons.

First, it was the biggest IMATS in history. According to Makeup Artist Magazine, 9,000 people attended the show this year (compared to 6,000 last year) and 119 exhibitors (vs. 85 last year). When we got there, the line of people to pick up their tickets was so long that it wrapped around the front lobby to the side. We were just lucky to have press passes to bypass the line. And through the door, we saw 8 isles of booths and tons of products, we were overwhelmed at first sight.

Second, the companion. I was with Ms. Naz, the lovely blogger with whom I shared the love of makeup. I couldn't imagine going there by myself, and the trip wouldn't happen if she didn't agree to come along. While in California, we stayed at a friend's and were driven to and from the show. They took good care of us.

Third, the shopping, interaction with the exhibitors, and the classes were all awesome. Nothing like seeing someone face to face, talk to them, hug them. And the specials brands offered at the show were just amazing. It took everything for me not to buy more.

And now, let's re-live Day 1 of the show :)

As almost everybody who came to the show, first thing we did was lining up at Makeup Forever booth. We came in at 9, and the line already wrapped around their booth and stretched way pass a few neighbour vendors.

It took us 3 hours to get to cashier to pay, we were just so glad we were done with it.

I got:
- HD Micro Finish Cream blush in #6 (Quickie, a salmon pink), $15 (reg. $25)
- Aqua Cream in #21 (Turquoise) and #5 (Peach, peachy pink with gold flecks), $13.20 each (reg. $22).

Swatching was such a hassle, cause everybody wanted to do the same thing as I did, lol. And then we had to narrow down the list to avoid huge bills at the end. But I am really happy with what I got. Don't know I'd want to line up again though as it would take basically the whole morning for that. And we didn't even have time to have breakfast :)

We went to Purely Cosmetics next to grab their Diamond Perfect Finishing Powder, fearing it would be gone.

And indeed, they were flying off the display and sold out by the end of the day. Show price was $15 (reg. $18.50).

I also got Mint, an LE eyeshadow. It looked prettiest on Naz's hand when she swatched a few. It was $5 (reg. $6.50).

NYX booth was really busy too, as the discount was good (about $2 or more off regular price, minus shipping cost). I got:
- A Chrome pigment in Beanie, $3.50
- Single eyeshadows in My Favorite Color and Dune, $3.50 each
- Jumbo Eye pencils in Black Bean and Milk, $2.50 each.

They had almost every product there, except the round lipsticks and nail polish. Bummer!

We were starving at this point. The healthy option (salad) was all gone, so I had a burger and a bottle of water. Can't say I was a big fan of the food.

I was happy to see LA Splash had a small display of nail polish besides their makeup products. The deal was 5 for $15, so I certainly got 5 shades to try out.
- Charcoal, shimmery black
- Fabuluxe, glittery magenta
- Sparkling Ocean Spray, glittery teal
- Sparkling Silver
- Sparkling Stratosphere, glittery blue.

There were cream polishes too, but I was more into their glitters :) This brand hasn't made it to Canada yet, unfortunately.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around, planning for day-2 purchases and checking out classes on stage. Pasadena Convention Centre was so big that many classes were held in big rooms outside the main hall. It took us a while to find the class with Rae Morris, the famous MUA from Australia. Really enjoyed her session.

Another highlight of the day was the freebies at Nailene.

Naz and I walked by their booth to say hi, just to realize that they were giving away their products for free. The staff was so nice and friendly.

So I grabbed 2 different sets of nails (a pretty bridal-ish flowery pattern and a black French), a French Tip Pen kit and some nail glue. Still can't believe they were free :)

Migi Nail Art was offering sets of 8 colours for $25. They sold out too quickly, so then offered free shipping to anybody who ordered, and free refills for life. Naz and I both picked the Original set as it had black and white, the most basic colours we need for nail art. I am still waiting for the product to get here, so no picture of it just yet.

Other fun offers at the show:
- Clarisonic offered the Pro set for $100, free US shipping, $12 Canada shipping
- Lots of brands at Naimie's offered 20 - 40% off - Lise Watier, CoverFX, Eve Pearl, Bobbi Brown, Beauty Blender, etc.
- A few false lashes brands had them for $1 a pair
- Zuca had 25% off, and free US shipping, etc.

I missed some of my favorite youtube gurus at the show. I know they were there but didn't see them anywhere. Now I just have to wait for them to post up their IMATS videos, lol.

Naz and I stopped for dinner at an Asian restaurant on the way back to the hotel. We each ordered an appetizer and an entree, just like we normally do in Canada, without realizing that the portions in the US are a lot bigger. We were full after the salad (for Naz) and the soup (for me) and had to pack the entrees to go (for lunch the next day, and still couldn't finish them then). So, certainly made a note on that one, lol.

Stay tuned for Day 2, when I made my best purchase of the whole show :)