I cannot thank Vervegirl enough for sending me to International Make-Up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) in Toronto this year! As always, it was a wonderful experience and a mini-reunion with fellow vendors, makeup artists, and makeup addicts!
This is the final instalment to my IMATS 2013 posts. If you missed any, here they are:
(1) Wish List
(2) VerveGirl Challenge
(3) Haul
It’s crazy the types of friendship you can make at random gatherings and how social media allows you to stay connected. This is what happened with Jennifer and I. I met her in 2009 at the first ever IMATS Toronto. Since then, we’ve keep in contact and make it a tradition to grab dinner at Lone Star Texas Grill afterwards. Hands down, Jen is the best GPS ever! She helped navigate me throughout the entire show to ensure that I got all the items on my wish list!
Some of you may remember the talented Joy David-Tilberg from a photoshoot that I got to assist her with! I could write a whole essay on why this woman is amazing! She has the kindest heart, carries herself with integrity, and will always help you without hesitation. When I was chatting with Joy, she told me that she would be applying lashes at Minked Lashes. Of course I had to go and support my girl!
They had a promotion going on where if you purchase one pair of lashes for $20CAD, you get another pair (of the makeup artist’s choosing) that would be applied on you. So it was essentially 2 pairs for $20.
I completely trusted Joy with whatever choice she made…she’s the pro after all!
Joy was so smart in her selection. She chose a thicker pair of lashes, cut them in half and stuck them to the outer corner. This is a great DIY for demi lashes! Not only do I get to enjoy the wispy effect of these lashes, I also have another lash to make my own demis! So really it was a steal for me because it became 3 pairs of lashes for $20!
Right Eye (with Minked Lashes), Left Eye (Bare Lashes)
I was amazed at how thick and luscious my lashes looked!
Thanks Joy for applying them on me!!
Thanks Laura for being my personal photographer during this whole lash process!
Another booth I definitely had to hit up was Bdellium Tools. I probably sound like a broken record now but I love their brushes. They are the best of both words as they apply products like a dream while being affordable!
This year, Bdellium released their Pink Bambu line. How adorable are they?
Thank you Daniel & Edward for always being such great supporters of my work and also dealing with my shenanigans at IMATS! I actually indecisive on what items I wanted to purchase from them. Each time I walked by their booth, I had to try out a brush and buy it. I think I made 5 separate purchases, which resulted in my brush haul!
While I was walking by Kett Cosmetics, I just had to stop. There was Sheila McKenna, the creator! I remember when I was researching about airbrushing, I would constantly watch her videos to understand the proper techniques and theories. I so elated when I got a chance to speak to her to gain some advice on using airbrush for super oily skin types.
The benefit was really seeing Sheila in her element!
It was definitely a surprise to see Dorota from Alchemy Center working at the Kett booth! She was my instructor for airbrushing and it was a investment worth making. The classes were amazing as it is hands-on and she really teaches you the proper technique, different airbrushing formulations, history of airbrushing, etc… For artists that are interested in airbrushing, I highly encourage you to take a class. It’s an investment worth making and will benefit you and your clients in the long run.
To end off my time at IMATS, I attended a keynote by 5-Time Emmy Award Winning Makeup Artist, Eve Pearl, titled ‘From Make-Up Artist to Make-Up Mogul.’
She is such an inspiring individual and gave a lot of helpful tips. Here were some points that she mentioned:
– To start a business, you need to define yourself. What makes you, your service, or your product unique?
– Make the experience you provide clients unforgettable and always remember that your top priority is making them look great.
– If you wait until you’re great before doing something, you will never end up doing it. The more you do something, the better you will get.
– If someone is offering the opportunity to do something and you don’t feel ready, take it! Try to go outside your comfort zone and see where it takes you.
– Maintain your current job and do a side job that your passionate about. There is always going to be uncertainty and this allows you to maintain your current income.
If you attended IMATS Toronto this year, what were some of your experiences?