bdellium tools

Hey Beauties!

One of the most coveted events for beauty lovers is quickly approaching. Yes, The Makeup Show NYC will be here May 3rd and 4th! And as always you can expect exclusives from your favorite brands and seminars from top makeup artists and beauty professionals in the industry.

This is the 10th Anniversary of the Makeup Show and of course it will be epic. They have tons of events lined up for the week and special projects that you can participate in as well (click here for the events page). There will be workshops with Danessa Myricks, NYC Beauty Tours, The Makeup Show Gala, and a career fair.

Join us for an entire week dedicated to

Artistry, Networking, Community, Inspiration and Education.

Fill your kit with pro-driven essentials.

Refine your skill-set in our exclusive hands-on workshops and seminars.

Work with FX, Fantasy and Beauty.

Explore Business strategies and opportunities during forums & Keynotes.

Unite with fellow industry insiders.

Network with brands execs and CEOS. –Source

This is a perfect opportunity to network with other makeup artists, beauty enthusiasts, bloggers, vloggers, and brand reps.

Some of my favorite brands that I am looking forward to seeing are:

Bdellium Tools (I LOVE THEIR BRUSHES), NYX Cosmetics, BlackUp Cosmetics, and of course Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC). Click here for a full list of exhibitors for the 10th Anniversary Makeup Show NYC.

Advanced ticket sells will end Thursday April 30, 2015. Tickets are $55 for one day $75 for two days. Tickets at the door will be $65 for one day and $86 for two days.

Click here to purchase tickets!

Last week I attended IMATS which stands for the International Makeup Artist Trade Show. The event is held over the course of two days and I attended both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I met up my friend/MUA Kim of Makeup by Kim Porter and Sunday I met up with one of my friends from college, Faren, who is an aspiring MUA. On both days we walked our way through the streets of Manhattan and made our way to Pier 94 where the event was held. This was my second time attending IMATS so I was pretty excited to see the new products from some of my favorite brands.

So as soon as we entered we headed straight for the brushes. Kim was in need of new brushes so we first headed to Royal Langnickel. The line for this brand is always ridiculous because their prices are amazing. We didn’t want to wait on that line so we headed to a brand that I was not too familiar with called Bdellium pronounced del-ee-yuhm, -uhm. These brushes are anti-bacterial which I found to be amazing. Makeup brushes if not cleaned properly has tons of bacteria that you are essentially applying to your face, so these brushes are anti-bacterial and carry less bacteria. I was sold and purchased a few brushes when I returned on Sunday.

One brush company that I was impressed with was Japanese brush company Hakuhodo. When I got to the booth I was immediately drawn by the construction of the brushes. They looked lush and luxurious. I fell in love with the brush once I felt the soft texture of the bristles. I then looked at the price and noticed the brush I was holding cost $96. Yes $96 and I am sure that was a discounted rate. No wonder the brushes looked so amazing right!?

Once we were done with the brushes we headed over to Model in a Bottle. I was introduced to Model in a Bottle by Kim when she did my makeup one day last year. It is an amazing eyebrow sealer. Once she reshaped my brows and applied the Model in a Bottle sealer, my eyebrows did not move! I would definitely invest in this product. They also carry a makeup setting spray as well.

Stila Cosmetics is one of my favorite brands. I love their lip products. During my time at IMATS, Stila was on the main stage. Pro teaching artist Dominic was giving great tips for Spring Summer makeup application. Most of the models rocked natural dewy looks which is a hit for the summer.

One of my favorite brands besides Stila is Inglot Cosmetics. I find their eye shadows to be great for women of color. They are heavily pigmented and last all day with or without primer. I also love their slim gel lipsticks. I purchased a lip paint pot for my mother and it is her favorite lip product now.

I love long luxurious eyelashes but they can be a pain to apply. Also some eyelashes are hard and can be quite annoying. Kim and I visited the Velour Mink Lashes booth and were blown away. The lashes looked natural and they were super soft.

One of my favorite parts of IMATS would have to be watching companies like Mehron transform people right before your eyes with the theater makeup. These transformations take hours, but the finished product is always amazing. Shows like Face Off really dive in to makeup artistry from a totally different perspective of the glitz and glam.