Makeup of the Month | September: IMATS 2015 Haul!

Hi, everyone! If you saw my previous post, you'll know that the International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) rolled into Toronto this past weekend and I could not have been more excited. The show brought with it some amazing makeup demos, impressive special effects displays, and- of course- some fantastic shopping deals. Armed with a colour-coded vendor map and the knowledge I gained from last year's show, I tried to visit the booths as strategically as possible to avoid crazy crowds and to get first crack at items that tend to sell out quickly. This is what I came home with! 

Here's a peek at everything I bought all boxed up...

... and then everything open for business!

To delve in further, here are the specifics of everything I chose, including the vendors that sold them and the special show prices that enticed me!

Nigel Beauty Emporium

Nigel is a Hollywood-based retailer that boasts over 60 years of experience and an amazing mix of popular, cult, and makeup artist-driven brands. During last year's IMATS, I learned that Nigel was selling a limited amount of items from Too Faced, Anastasia, and Kevyn Aucoin that sold out super quickly. I was not going to miss the opportunity this time around, so Nigel was among my very first stops! Lo and behold, I quickly discovered a stack of Too Faced palettes that had been on my wishlist for ages. I ended up buying: 

Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar Palette (Show Price: $40 CAD, no tax; Retail: $59 CAD + tax)

I am a huge fan of the original Chocolate Bar Palette and had been eyeing up the sequel since its release. It offers a beautiful mix of shimmer and matte neutrals with a couple brights thrown in. Plus, it smells like chocolate!

Too Faced Sugar Pop Eye Shadow Collection (Show Price: $29 CAD, no tax; Retail: $45 CAD + tax)

This was a limited edition palette that left Sephora before I could make it mine. I was super smitten with the unique, vivid colours it included, just didn't snatch it up on time. When I spotted it at Nigel for this discounted price, it was a no-brainer! 

Makeup Mansion

Last year at IMATS, Makeup Mansion's booth was totally swamped. I could see that they sold some of my favourite budget brands like Sleek and bh Cosmetics, but could not elbow my way through the crowds to make a purchase. This year, the Makeup Mansion display was not as centrally located and, as a result, had a much more manageable crowd. I took  my opportunity and picked up:

Sleek Makeup i-Divine Storm Palette ($16CAD- priced near retail, but tax-free and hard to find in Toronto)

I've yet to try Sleek's eye shadow palettes, but I've heard nothing but good things, especially given the affordable price point of the brand! I opted for the Storm Palette, which has a beautiful mix of shimmery, pigmented neutral and jewel tones. I'll be able to do so much with this one!

Sleek Makeup Powder Blush in Flushed ($8CAD)

I am a huge fan of Sleek blushes, so I couldn't resist picking up another. I hadn't tried any of their deeper-hued offerings, and given Fall is upon us, I thought it was about time! I selected Flushed, a warm, matte, tawny berry shade. 

Blur Makeup Room

I discovered Blur at last year's IMATS and have since visited their physical store here in Toronto. I stopped by their booth this year so hoping that they would be carrying O.C.C.'s new Ready To Wear Lip Tars (much easier to apply versions of their cult long-wear lip product) and I actually squealed when I spotted them! It was so, so difficult to narrow down my choices, but I ended up selecting two utterly unique shades that I knew I couldn't dupe with any other brand:

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Ready-to-Wear Lip Tars in Technopagan and Sebastian (Show price: $15CAD + tax; Retail: $22CAD + tax)

I am a huge fan of O.C.C. Lip Tars for their extreme pigmentation and long-wear. The original packaging, with its squeeze tube and mini lip brush format, was a bit high maintenance though. The new RTW version offers a more traditional lip gloss-style tube with doe foot applicator that makes them so much more convenient! Technopagan is a killer metallic deep dark purple with blue pearl that has gotten rave reviews at every turn. Sebastian is a mid-tone plummy taupe that falls under the "slightly unflattering but oh-so-cool" category. 

Hakuhodo

I first succumbed to the Hakuhodo hype at last year's IMATS and was not disappointed- these brushes are top-notch! I am pretty full-up on face brushes at the moment and didn't have a big budget for brushes, but think I picked up the neatest-looking eye shadow brush I've seen!

Hakuhodo BJ125 Eye Shadow Brush Round and Angled (Show Price: $28CAD, no tax: Retail $27 USD + tax)

This natural fibre brush is medium-to-densely packed and has a unique angled head with a flat top. I chose it because I think it will work perfectly to apply and blend shadow to the crease and outer corners of the eye. My eyes are larger and this fits perfectly! 

MAC Pro

After seeing a talk from Gregory Arlt, MAC's Director of Makeup Artistry, I immediately headed over the the MAC Pro booth, which was luckily much less chaotic than it had been earlier in the day. They did not have all of the products I was hoping for, but I still took advantage of the 20% off show discount and picked up: 

MAC Powder Blush Pro Palette Refill in Cantaloupe (Show price: $16.80CAD + tax; Retail: $21 CAD + tax)

I had asked about Margin blush, as this had been featured in the demo, the the sales associate said that they only had their Pro Blush offerings on hand. She listed the shades and when she got to Cantaloupe, my interest was piqued. After she swatched it, I was sold! Cantaloupe is a gorgeous warm, muted tawny peach with a slightly frosty finish. So up my alley!

MAC Eye Shadow Pro Palette Refill in Wedge (Show Price: $9.60CAD + tax; Retail: $12CAD + tax)

Wedge was featured prominently in Gregory Arlt's talk, as he used it to shade the model's eyes as well as to subtly sculpt and contour the nose. It's a versatile matte neutral mid-toned taupey beige that I know will get a ton of use! 

So there you have it! The beauty booty that I scored at this year's IMATS. I am thrilled with all of my picks and cannot wait to delve in. IMATS has been such an adventure the past two years and these goodies, along with the countless photos, tips, and memories, will be wonderful keepsakes. 

Do you have any of the makeup items I featured here? Have I tempted you? Have you ever attended an IMATS?

Thanks, as always, for stopping by! xo