Inglot at The Makeup Show LA
As I’ve mentioned, I was at The Makeup Show LA this past weekend. Today, I have some photos of the show and a brief recap of my experience.
Note that unlike IMATS – which I also enjoy – The Makeup Show is a pro-only show. Per the website’s FAQ, permitted attendees include “makeup artists, hairstylists, estheticians, cosmetologists, agents, models, and stylists.” I attended as a beauty blogger.
Because it’s pro-only, The Makeup Show is less crowded than IMATS. Most booths don’t have any lines, and the few that do have lines have very short lines. The Makeup Show is also more selective about their exhibitors. For example, The Makeup Show had three exhibitors primarily selling brushes – Hakuhodo, Crown Brushes, and Bdellium Tools (though some other booths, like OCC, sold their brushes in addition to their makeup). The most recent IMATS had at least five exhibitors primarily selling brushes. Personally, I enjoyed both the relaxed feel of the smaller, more selective Makeup Show the more keyed up atmosphere of the crowded IMATS – if you have the opportunity to, I think both are worth attending.
Hakuhodo at The Makeup Show LA
I don’t want to make this post too long, so here’s a quick list of some things I enjoy about makeup trade shows:
- Talking to and connecting with the people behind the brand & hearing about their passion for their products.
- Swatching & playing with hard-to-find products that I can usually only purchase online.
- Hearing about, seeing, and swatching newly launched and about-to-launch products.
- Meeting up with online friends (I got to hang out with Stef of We Heart This, yay!).
And of course, purchasing makeup at a discount isn’t too bad, either! Here are my purchases from the show:
Nars Satin Lip Pencil – Palais Royal
I’ve already reviewed NARS’s Satin Lip Pencil in Palais Royal. (By the way – these are now available for purchase at Nordstrom or narscosmetics.com).
Ellis Faas Concealer
My first Ellis Faas product! Review coming soon – I’ve already tried it out.
Cult Nails polishes: Annalicious, Seduction, I Got Distracted, Mazo, Alter Ego, Blaze
I bought six Cult Nails Polishes – plus I got to meet the brand’s owner Maria, who is so lovely. The Cult Nails booth had nail polish wheels for swatching their polishes, which I really appreciated, since I already had my nails done.
G5515 BkSL, G5514 BkSL, J5521 BkSL, Kokutan L, Kokutan W
My big splurge was more Hakuhodo brushes – but I chose well, and love the brushes I purchased. This is actually my second G5515 – I use it just about daily, and at only $15, it was worth picking up a second copy.
I also bought some sponge tips for swatching from Dante Disposable Products; they seem to be very good quality so far, and were about a quarter of the price I would have paid at the drugstore for sponge-tipped applicators.
Dante Disposable Sponge Tip Applicators
Overall, it was a great experience, and I’m so glad I was able to go to the Makeup Show LA. I swatched so many things, talked to so many people, and had a great time!
