IMATS 2017 Haul

Hi, everyone! If you saw my last post, you'll know that I attended IMATS Toronto last Saturday and it was a blast! I was able to go unexpectedly at the last moment, so it felt like an extra special treat and I wanted to take full advantage. For someone who didn't know she was going, I still cleaned up pretty well! I had a sense of what brands would be exhibiting this year, so I quickly made a mental list of the booths I had to check out. And off I went! 

Here's a peek of everything I snagged: 

One booth that I was thrilled to explore was Suva Beauty, a Canadian brand known for its eye products. I have seen countless swatches of social media of their ultra-vibrant, superbly pigmented shadows and pigments, so I could not wait to test them in person! 

Suva Beauty Shimmer Shadows in Empire State, Emerald City, Resort, and Ba

I swatched over a dozen shades of Suva eye shadows and found myself enjoying the texture and finish of the Shimmer Shadows the most. I wanted to select shades that were bold and vibrant, but also wearable. That means I passed on their super striking neon shades- but maybe next time! Instead, I chose Empire State (the most beautiful champagne pinky ivory that works amazingly as a highlight or as a wash all over the lid), Emerald City (a warm mid-tone turquoise), Resort (a warm reddish-cranberry), and Ba (the most stunning jewel-toned purple). I also bought an empty 4-pan palette so I could keep all of these shadows together. 

Here are swatches of the four Suva shadows: 

Suva Beauty Shimmer Shadows in (L-R): Empire State, Emerald City, Resort, and Ba

Suva Beauty Hydra Liner Matte in Sea Nymph

I was also totally taken by the brand's Hydra Liners, water-activated budge-proof cream eyeliners. I opted for Sea Nymph, a deep teal that is a total mermaid shade! It's even greener than the swatch below shows: 

Left: Suva Beauty Hydra Liner in Sea Nymph

The Kat von D Beauty booth was also a must-visit for me as there was a great 30% discount and I totally fell in love with the products I bought from the brand last year. I ended up buying quite a bit! 

Kat von D Beauty Studded Kiss Lipsticks in Countess and Poe

I had yet to try any of the Studded Kiss lippies, but they were being offered at half price during the show ($13 CAD each), so I couldn't resist. I chose Countess, an amazing neon orange red and Poe, a shimmery deep blue. 

Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks in Nahz Fur Atoo, Lolita, and K-Dub

I also knew that I had to expand my collection of ELLs, as they're my favourite liquid lipstick formula! This time around, I chose Nahs Fur Atoo (a striking deep warm blood red that will be perfect for Fall) and K-Dub (an ultra cool-toned bubble gum pink). I was also generously gifted the shade Lolita (the brand's signature 90s nude brown) for attending Kelseyanna Fitzpatrick's demo using KVD products. So exciting! 

Kat von D Everlasting Glimmer Veils in Razzle and Televator

The KVD products I was most excited to check out were the brand-new Glimmer Veils- sparkly lip products that can be worn solo or atop your favourite matte lipstick. The shade range is bold and beautiful and this Instagram post inspired me to choose Razzle (a cool-toned fuchsia) and Televator (a cool-toned deep purple). 

Here are swatches of all the Kat von D Beauty lip products I purchased: 

(L-R): Kat von D Beauty Studded Kiss Lipsticks in Countess and Poe, Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in K-Dub, Lolita, and Nahz Fur Atoo, and Everlasting Glimmer Veils in Razzle and Televator

I wasn't planning on purchasing brushes at IMATS, but when I saw just how beautiful and affordable the new Royal and Langnickel Moda Metallics Brushes were, I couldn't help but grab a few! 

Royal and Langnickel Moda Metallics Brushes: Super Crease, Complexion, and Smokey Eye

I chose three brushes that I thought I'd get plenty of use from and that would also be unique in my collection. I chose the Super Crease brush (only $4; a domed shadow brush that will be perfect for deepening and blending crease shades), the Complexion brush (only $8; which could be used for foundation or to apply a heavier dose of blush or bronzer), and the Smoky Eye brush (only $3; perfect for smoking out shadow in the crease, outer corners, or underneath the eye). Plus, they have pretty textured metallic handles! 

Every single year I have been tempted by Lit Cosmetics (because their glitters are all kinds of fabulous), but I finally bit the bullet this time around. 

Lit Cosmetics Glitter in Material Girl and Metals in Magnetic + Gold, Risque + Gold, and Escape + Gold

One of the reasons I hadn't purchased from Lit in the past is because (even though I love glitter), I wear glitter so rarely and find it to be a bit high maintenance. This year, they introduced a new product, their Lit Metals, which are glittery powder eye shadows that are activated easily with water or mixing medium, no glitter glue required! Plus they were offering all products at 3/$30, which was a fabulous deal.

After tons of swatching, I found myself liking the finish and dimension of the golden glitter shades the best (each tone is offered in both silver and gold varieties). I chose Magnetic + Gold (a cool taupe with warm golden glitter), Risque + Gold (a purple rose with gold glitter), and Escape + Gold (a turquoise with gold glitter). Because I am a blogger, the brand was kind enough to offer a fourth item for free. I chose Glitter in Material Girl, a purple magenta that's equal parts Barbie and punk. I can't wait to try it! 

(L-R): Lit Metals in Risque + Gold, Magnetic + Gold, Escape + Gold, and Glitter in Material Girl 

Phewf, that was a long one!! I hope you enjoyed having a peek at my spoils from IMATS this year. Look out for some makeup looks using the products coming up soon! (Or check my Instagram for some sneak peeks!)

Thanks so much for stopping by! xo

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IMATS Toronto 2017

Hi, everyone! If there's anything to re-ignite my passion for makeup and for sharing this passion with you, it's attending IMATS. The International Makeup Artist Trade Show hits Toronto annually and is all about the craft of makeup artistry. It features makeup talks and demonstrations, artistry competitions, and the opportunity to purchase hard-to-find products at exciting discounts. What's not to love? This year's IMATS was extra special because I originally did not think I'd be able to make it, but thanks to the generosity of a friend, I was able to attend all afternoon on Saturday. It was an unexpected treat and I tried to squeeze every last moment! This was my fourth consecutive year attending (and my fifth show overall, as I was lucky enough to attend the NYC show in 2016) and I was just as excited this time around as I know the vendors, demonstrators, and creative atmosphere always fuels my love of the craft. 

This year's IMATS was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, as it has in previous years, returning to one of the smaller subterranean halls in the complex. It was slightly smaller, though also somewhat less crowded than previous years, but it wasn't without its long lines! My first stop of the day was at the Kat von D Beauty booth, which had me in line for about half an hour. I chose to wait at this vendor because the Kat von D booth was a highlight of last year's show for me- the discounts were pretty great, the booth was decked out in all kinds of gothic glam, and I have absolutely loved the products I snagged at last year's show, so I was eager to add to my collection! This year's booth touted the brand's new fragrance duo and had a plush, pleather couch to lounge on before buying. 

Thanks to Julie at Swatch and Review for the photo (and for waiting in line with me ;))

After Kat von D, my next stop was Suva Beauty. This was the brand's first time exhibiting and the Toronto show and I was super eager to check them out because of their vibrant shade range and the intense pigmentation of their shadows. Their booth was indeed a display of bold, vivid colour and I was happy to delve right in! 

They were offering pre-made palettes as well as single shadows that you could customize into your own 4- and 8-pan palettes. They were offering their US prices in Canadian dollars, which led to a savings of about $3-4 per shadow, which was great! 

My stop at the Suva booth was a true swatch-fest and I have this photo to prove it! 

Stop three was the Lit Cosmetics booth. Lit is famous for their immense selection of colourful glitters, which my friends have been praising for years. I finally took the plunge into the brand and I can't wait to give them a go! The brand was featuring their new Lit Metals, glittery metallic shadows that are activated with water or glitter base/mixing medium. I opted for three of these, since they felt lower-maintenance than standard glitter, but were just as dazzling! The brand was offering a fabulous 3/$30 special and were adding an extra full-sized freebie for blogger and other press. A perfect deal for a proper introduction to the brand. 

Other bustling booths of note were Inglot (staffed by my lovely blogger buds Maggie from JustEnufEyes and LJ from AnythingButMarzipan)....

And the Make Up For Ever booth, which had a huge line as always...

... and also a colourful mural hand-painted by brand founder Dany Sanz herself! Bummed to have missed her performance, but the painting was quite the sight.

And like all years, there were dozens of other vendors selling all kinds of beauty supplies including lashes galore, hundreds of brushes, and body paint in every neon shade you could imagine. 

Another huge part of my enchantment with IMATS is the amazing special effects makeup artistry coming to life throughout the show. This year I had a chance to chat with this lovely monster, who happened to be the model of the winning Battle of the Brushes competition. So fierce! 

I also stumbled across this stunning mermaid, who was eager to take a selfie. Only at IMATS! 

There were also some spooky and gory special effects creatures on display, which are always such a treat to see in person. 

Another aspect that makes IMATS special are the live makeup demonstrations by makeup pros from all areas of the industry. This year, I was lucky enough to get to watch Kelseyanna Fitzpatrick in action. She is the one of the badass key artists behind the Kat von D Beauty brand whose gory-glam style is totally up my alley. Her demo was actually a work of performance art with bold, emotional music that focused around the creation of an editorial look that was ghoulish and glam, like an oil painting brushed with blood and glitter. It was truly mesmerizing to watch! 

And there were plenty of other makeup artists doing their thing around the showroom like legend Eve Pearl, who seemed to be doing a live demo for television. 

And not to be cheesy (but who are we kidding, I'm cheesy), IMATS would not be half as fun without my friends. It had been far too long since I'd spent some time with my blogger babes, so it was a delight to catch up with and revel in makeup geekery with them :)

Photo from Chelle at Makeup Your Mind

And for someone who got to attend at the last minute, I did end up with a fairly epic haul. Stay tuned for my next post to get a full rundown of what I picked up! 

Thanks so much for stopping by! xo

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