IMATS Toronto 2010

On November 6th and 7th IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) took place in Toronto Canada. This was the second year that IMATS has come to Toronto and I was so excited to attend again! This year the event took place at the Toronto Congress Centre which was much more convenient for people like me who come from outside the city then last years venue!

This year there were even more exciting vendors taking part in the event such as NYX who had lots of great deals to take advantage of. There were also many great artists sharing their talent in free classes throughout the two day event such as Tom Savini and Eve Pearl.

Photo by Trason Fernandes

I was so happy that I could make it to the show this year as it meant that I needed to take my 3 week old son with me! All you new moms out there I am sure can understand what a feat it was to make it to the show with a newborn, but I am so glad that I did!

Seeing that I had a stroller in tow it really did give me a different perspective as last year I was free to move about and this year it was much harder to me to navigate the crowds of the show. I did feel that they layout of the show was much better this year, but I did feel that some of the vendors did not take into account people with strollers or those who required wheelchairs etc as once you found what you wanted getting close enough to pay was really quite difficult!

Photo by Trason Fernandes

Food was much better this year and the cafe had a lot of seating which was a huge improvement over last year! I know most people do not go to the show to eat but it was nice that they put a little more thought into this year because a full tummy means more shopping!

Photo by Trason Fernandes

My main mission was brushes! Seeing as I am taking a little time off for baby I really didn't want to stock up on too much makeup but brushes at IMATS are always a draw for me! The two big vendors for brushes are Crown and Royal so I visited both right away! I bought a selection of brushes and if you are interested in my purchases let me know and I may do a post at a later date! I think the savings that the brush vendors offer are amazing and for makeup artists who require several of each of our favourite brushes savings are always welcomed!

Photo by Trason Fernandes

There was also the student competitions which is always a huge draw during the two day event. It is amazing the new talent on the horizon and I love seeing these amazing artists at work creating such beautiful work.

Photo by Trason Fernandes

I was so excited that MAC was at the event but I was extremely disappointed to see that they had no makeup at the show. They were only offered a small booth where you could apply for a MAC Pro card. I really feel like at a show such as IMATS being product to the event is a much better decision!

Photo by Trason Fernandes

NYX was at the event this year and I was so looking forward to making some purchases. They were offering some great deals and I was really hoping to stock up on Jumbo Pencils in Milk as they are not sold in Canada. Unfortunately with my stroller this booth was much too busy and seeing as there were only narrow openings to get into the area for paying ( meaning my stroller would have to stay outside in the hall) it just didn't happen for me! I am hoping that next year I will be able to better take advantage and dive in to all the great product!

Overall this was another great year for IMATS Toronto. I can only imagine what next years show will offer and what new vendors may take part! If you are a makeup enthusiast you need to make IMATS a must next year!

IMATS Toronto This Weekend

IMATS is this weekend Nov 6th and 7th at the Toronto Congress Centre. Last year was an amazing experience and this year promises to be even better with additions such as MAC, NYX and Stila to the exhibitor listing.

There are amazing classes to attend and speakers who offer so much to any makeup addict.

I am so excited to attend the show again this year and cannot wait to see what the vendors have to offer at the show. If you see me please take a moment to say hi as I would love to see some of you in person.

Alex Box to be Beauty Speaker and London IMATS

I am so jealous today of all of you living in the UK who are going to have a chance to attend IMATS London and see they amazing Alex Box as beauty speaker on Saturday, Jan. 30!

Alex has has been featured in Numero, W, Another Magazine, Dazed & Confused and international issues of Vogue (Italy, France, Japan, China and Britain). She is also the creative force behind Illamasqua a brand that is quickly climbing the ranks in the cosmetic industry!

Alex has created looks for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, McQ, Peter Jensen and Gareth Pugh. Recently she launched a book, Alex Box, in collaboration with photographer Rankin that showcases her amazing talent and skill.

If you were thinking about attending IMATS London the addition to the speakers makes it something that you must attend!!

Are you attending IMATS?? Let me know in the comments!

Toronto IMATS, My Experience!

This was my first year at IMATS and the first for Toronto as well! I have never been to such a huge gathering for the makeup obsessed before and at first it was a little overwhelming! Once I got my bearings I was off to see what the amazing companies at the IMATS had to offer. It was suggested that I hit Crown Brush and MUFE first, once I saw the line for MUFE's 40% off sale I decided to wander over to Crown brush that that was where I made my first purchase. First must have was the Coastal Scents 88 palette, at $15CAD. I also bought a selection of brushes as well as disposables for my kit.

I walked around for a while to see what the other booths had to offer and saw some amazing prosthetic work as well as drawings at the makeup museum from the movie X-Men. Next I became completely drawn into the student competition taking place. Right away I was drawn to one competitor who had done the most beautiful gothic look. I am happy to say I heard later that she had won the competition. My camera didn't do a great job in the lighting but I did take a couple of pic's for you all.

I watched various classes by some of the most amazing makeup artists out there and learned a lot of great new tips and tricks. Then it was time to make a few more purchases that included Kryolan, Royal Brush, and Pari just to name a few!!

I was so happy to get to have a very nice conversation with Debbie Bondar of FACE atelier, a great Canadian makeup company offering some amazing products. I had a chance to play with the product and found their silicone based foundation a real treat to work with. This company has grown very quickly and is used by Billy B as well as many other amazing makeup artists throughout the industry! This company has been featured in many magazines and has been used in many of your favorite tv shows, fashion week etc. Some of the products I was interested in were already sold out so I will be placing an order soon.

I only wish that some companies such as NARS would have been there offering some sort of promotion, seeing as I can just run to my local store to pick it up. It was an absolute treat to have a chance to play with product from companies that normally I can only order from not having gotten the chance to see and feel the product in person.

I met up with several bloggers as well as some great contacts and friends from youtube such as Stacey Brennan, Miss CaseyB, Koren (from Enkore)  etc and it was so nice to get to meet everyone in person.

I am already looking forward (and saving) for next years show! I had such a great time, and just loved having day full of makeup!! Will I see you there next year??!!