My first experience at IMATS NY 2015!

Hello hello!

Here in Massachusetts, it looks like spring is finally here and all the snow has melted! This past weekend in New York was also not only beautiful, but AMAZING because it was my first time going to IMATS (International Make-Up Artist Trade Show)! Friends, I have been dreaming about this weekend for many months and let me tell you, I was not disappointed!

(The front entrance to IMATS, where registration is)

 So, this was my first time ever going to an IMATS show, so I tried to do a lot of research ahead of time and via social media so I had an idea of what I would need to do/bring. Later on, I'll touch up on some of those tips (which were life-saving!), as well as some others I have learned.

Initially, I wanted to buy my general admission ticket for Saturday because I had heard that most things would be sold out by Sunday, but alas, Saturday tickets sold out very quickly, so I was forced to buy a Sunday ticket for myself and (later on) my husband, Brendan. Since none of my friends could join me, he was sweet enough to make the trek with me and help calm my anxious nerves!

(I know he doesn't seem happy, but he was being a good driver and focusing on the road while I tried to capture a selfie!)

Our drive down on Saturday was so sunny and beautiful, and with minimal traffic, we made it from Massachusetts to New York City in about 4.5-5 hours! Then we were ready to get some grub and relax with some friends and family since we had the day free.

(Best friends and family! From L to R: my great friend and AMAZING jewelry designer, Dan; my happy self; and my bezutiful and free-spirited cousin, Seppy)

(Getting lunch and drinks at the South Street Seaport. See, I told you he was in good spirits :) )

We had a great time have a few beers, playing a hilarious game of Scattegories, and catching up, but I made sure we got to bed because the next morning meant IMATS!

The next morning, we had a quick breakfast (this is essential!) packed our bags in our car, and headed over to Pier 92/94, where IMATS NY was being held. For Sunday, doors opened at 10 am, but unfortunately, we had some issues with the garage we parked at (which we thankfully got resolved), so we didn't head out until about 9:30 AM! I was so anxious, but with great hope, I left a message on the IMATS NYC 2015 Facebook group (unofficial IMATS enthusiast group) that I am an admin of asking if anyone else was already in luck! Much relieved, I found out that one of the awesome girls, Asa, was already in line and she let us hop in with her! Honestly, if she had said no, we would have like waited an hour or two outside! Major props and thanks to sweet Asa! <3

(View of the convention hall and the line for either Sigma, Morphe, NYX, or ABH)

Guys and gals, I will say for sure, as a blogger, I'm ashamed that I didn't take more pictures, but my goodness, did the adrenaline kick in! After hearing from the gals in the group about how many things had sold out- I was running to the vendors and my first stop was Sugarpill!

(Beautiful design layout!)

(A few items were already sold out, like the Pro Palette, but I got everything else I came for!)

(One of the beautiful gals working at Sugarpill! Was sad that I didn't get to meet Amy Shrinkle! :'( )

From Sugarpill, I went straight to OCC, and just kept going from then on! I did get to pause a few times to take a couple
pictures, but in general, I was booking it! My husband also wanted to get on the road sooner so we could beat the traffic! (Can you blame him?!)

(Ran into the owner and creator of Aboni Cosmetics at the Alcone booth! There was a line at her booth, but I'll definitely be ordering online!)

(At the Makeup Forever, MUFE, booth. The line to pay was longer than the line to get your products!)

(Some awesome FX work at the EI School of Professional Makeup booth)

Unfortunately, those are the only pictures I stopped to take, so I'll talk about my tips for next year and then show you my haul!

1.) Buy your ticket as soon as they go on sale, if you know you want to attend. The sooner you buy them, the more likely you will be able to resell them if you cannot attend. This year, if you wanted to resell your ticket, you had to have bought your ticket before January 27. You can only change the name on your ticket once, so make sure that person is aware of that as well!

2.) Start saving up! I knew the discounts would be amazing, but I had no idea how good they would be! Discounts ranged from 20-70% off, and sometimes even more if you have a pro card!

3.)  Wear flats. Ladies, and some gents, I cannot express how this one tip saved my life. I was trying to find cute flats to wear ahead of time, but because of time and my unwillingness to spend my saved money on shoes, I ended up wearing a pair of Sperry boat shoes. Believe me when I say that I never had a leg cramp and I was quickly moving throughout the convention center. Some people just don't understand that shopping at IMATS is a sport!

4.) Plan a budget/ what kind of trip will this be. It can be very overwhelming to see the vendors with all their amazing products and discounts, but don't go too crazy! Are you refilling your kit? Getting limited edition items? Gifts, personal items? Think about what you really want and go there first. I saw a HUGE line for NYX Cosmetics, which in my opinion, made little sense. They already have such excellent prices that I knew I wanted to go after the products that were usually much more expensive. I would have liked to go to NYX, but I saw the line and was like "Nope!"

4.) Pick your battles wisely. Going along with what I said about the NYX line, there were also crazy lines for Sigma, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Dose of Colors, Morphe, and Lady Moss. Although I desperately wanted to try and get stuff from all of these vendors, I knew that I came for specific products first, and that my husband wouldn't last hours in line for one lipstick (haha, he'll never understand!). Also, if you are going Saturday or Sunday, go on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to see what people who went on the Friday Pro Night are saying. I was shocked to hear that ABH actually RAISED some of their prices for the show! Because of a number of people telling me this, I decided I would skip her line and just order online at a later date.

5.) Bring cash money! Initially, I had planned on just bringing a portion of what I saved in cash, but ended up bringing SO much more. If you are using cash, your transactions are MUCH quicker. No need to wait for your receipt to print or, at some booths, pay tax! I found that this let me get around to different booths much quicker!

6.) Bring baby wipes. You KNOW you are going to get your swatch on (unless you swatched ahead of time at Sephora or somewhere else). Although many booths had tissues to wipe off swatches, no one offered makeup remover, which I was surprised at! I did get some of my swatches off when the ladies at Beautylish demonstrated the Bioderma H2O on me, but other than that, it was up to the wipes I brought with me!

7.) Swatch ahead of time. Going with the baby wipes commentary, swatching ahead of time will save you EVEN more time. I didn't even consider this until Asa was telling me in line that she had gone to Sephora and found all the colors she wanted. GENIUS! Am I right?? This way, you can quickly put in your order, get in and move on to the next booth!

8.) Bring snacks and water. I had initially planned on staying much longer than I ended up staying, and I had heard that the food and drinks at the cafe were expensive, so I brought a water bottle with me. I forgot to bring snacks and because I had breakfast so early, I was STARVING, but there was no way I was going to stop for food! I saw a bunch of gals who had brought snacks sitting near the entrance or the walls just eating their lunch in peace. Definitely a smart idea if you plan on being at the convention for a while.

9.) Bring a big bag, tote, or one with wheels. Some of the smartest ladies I saw brought their ZUCA train cases empty and were filling them as they shopped! I brought a big Old Navy leopard print bag I got years ago, but it saved me lugging around the HUGE shopping bags they give you. Seriously, you could buy one little lipstick and they will give you a monster bag for it.

10.) Have fun and go see some of the classes! Although I had a BLAST at IMATS, I was sad that I didn't have time to sit down and enjoy the classes going on, let alone take pictures! If I had stayed longer, I would have also had the chance to meet some amazing legends, YouTube gurus, and makeup artists like Brian Champagne, Tatiana Ward, Patrick Starr, Eve Pearl, and so many more! Next year, I will be going with one of my gal pals and I'm staying for the WHOLE day! :P

Well, that concludes it for the tips! On with the haul and some prices!

(My glorious and insane IMATS 2015 haul!)

Ok, so let's jump right into it:

1.) Cinema Secrets Brush Cleanser: 32 oz: IMATS Price: $30; Retail: $36-$40+
2.) Bioderma Sensibio H20: 500 ml: IMATS Price: $19.95 plus a mini size for free!; Retail: $38.90 for both!
3.) Skindinavia Bridal Finishing Spray: 4 fl. oz, plus mini original makeup spray!; IMATS Price: $22; Retail: over $29 for both
4.) RCMA No Color Powder: 3oz, IMATS Price: $8 ; Retail: $10
5.) Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner: (Intense Black and Snow) IMATS Price: $13 each; Retail: $20 each
6.) Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner: (Jade) IMATS Price: $13; Retail: $20
7.) Bdellium Tools brushes: (Maestro Series: Eyes 762 Small Angle and Face 954 Duet Fiber Slanted Kabuki) IMATS Price: $19 for both; Retail: $33 for both
8.) Sugarpill Angel Cake nailpolish, Cloud Castle nailpolish (nailpolishes are new- not on site yet!), Countess loose eyeshadow, Penelope loose eyeshadow, Sparkle Baby Palette, Tapered Blending and Crease Brush: IMATS Price: $102.28 (before tax); Retail: $106
9.)  Velour lashes: (You Complete Me) IMATS Price: $20; Retail: $30
10.) Inglot AMC gel liners and Duraline: (#77 and #99) IMATS Price: $25.72 (before tax); Retail: $36
11.) Makeup Forever Flash palettes, Concealer Palette, 4 eyeshadows, Full Cover Concealer: IMATS Price: $204 before tax; Retail: $352
12.) Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Creme Colour Concentrate, Lip Tar, Lip Pencil: (shades Grandma, Black Dahlia (was supposed to be Metal BD!), and Black Dahlia pencil; IMATS Price: $35; Retail: $57
13.) Frends/Stilazzi Palette and disposable mascara wands: IMATS Price: $12; Retail: $20.90
14.) IMATS stickers and pen: $8


Whew! That was a lonnnnng post! How was your experience at IMATS NY 2015?? Tell me in the comments section below! I hope this helps out someone for next year and I look forward to seeing you all there! Enjoy the rest of this lovely day!

Peace and Love <3

Farrah