Event Recap: IMATS Toronto 2018

Hi, everyone! I'm certain I sung the same tune last year, but there are few things that get me wanting to blog like IMATS. The International Makeup Artist Trade Show hits Toronto annually and is a dream for anyone who has a passion for makeup artistry and is interested in watching demos and stocking up on hard-to-find pro makeup products. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't lured by the discounted shopping opportunities, but I'm also legitimately fascinated by the industry and the craft. I find it so inspiring and IMATS brings together some of the most active and creative artists in the biz.

I was lucky enough to attend on the second day of IMATS Toronto this year and thought I'd share with you some of the highlights. 

The IMATS show floor is packed with vendors and artists. There are eerily realistic props and prosthetics on display as well as live makeup applications that are incredible to watch in progress. Everything from sexy body paint to gory television pieces are there for the viewing. 

As I mentioned earlier, there was also a wide variety of vendors selling makeup, brushes, and other professional tools. The selection of brands seemed to be somewhat smaller this year but I was still sufficiently drawn in by the options. An ever-favourite of mine Frends beauty was offering great deals on Anastasia Beverly Hills palettes and had other niche brands like Melt and Viseart (both of which I'm obsessed with) at a good discount. 

There was also a Violet Voss booth selling an array of palettes (it's a brand where I'd be happy to own them all, honestly), but I did not find the prices to be at that great of a discount (charging about what you'd pay during a Sephora sale). There was also local standby Blur Makeup Room, who offers a variety of brands and their own line of in-house makeup brushes, and another favourite of mine, Suva Beauty, whose shadows and liners are truly top-notch. 

There were other show staples like Hakuhodo (whose brushes are so dreamy), Inglot (whose eye shadow selection is likewise dreamy), and Lit Cosmetics (glitter heaven) as well as some unexpected brands like NARS, whose updated eye shadows were on display. 

The makeup demo that I was very happy to catch was with four of the principal makeup artists from the new series Star Trek Discovery. As a recently converted Trekkie and fan of the show, it was incredible to watch the transformations. Artists James MacKinnon, Hugo Villasenor, Rocky Faulkner, and Chris Bridges worked in tandem to create two Klingon character makeup looks and told stories about the set and and the makeup design along the way. They used an incredible mix of prosthetics, airbrushing, and sculpting and in the end it truly felt like the Star Trek universe was coming to life on stage. 

They also had a table of Star Trek makeup molds, props, and prosthetics from current and past shows- including Worf's nose from Deep Space Nine (any other nerds aside from me find that exciting?!?). 

Lastly, I was lucky to catch the finished makeup looks from the Battle of the Brushes, where student makeup artists compete by creating artistic looks guided by a specific theme. This year's cue was Wildwood Warrior and the entries were mystical and fierce!

My friend Maggie (@justenufeyes) created a fiery forest queen and won second place in the competition! 

Being able to attend this year's IMATS was a last-minute treat and I truly enjoyed myself, as always. As much as I love bringing baby Ro to events, it was also really nice to go solo and bask in such a personal hobby. It was just the "me time" that I needed and my creative fires were stoked!  

Stay tuned next for a peek at the goodies I purchased at the show this year!

Thanks for stopping by :)

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