So, the Makeup Show NYC has come and gone, and I’m still recovering from all the excitement. Okay, actually I’m still recovering from all the walking. These old bones aren’t as limber as they used to be. I was at the show both days and did my best to take in as many of the Keynote and Seminars as possible while getting in a little shopping.
[ad name=”In Content Responsive Ad”]This year the Makeup Show was a bit different in that several brands that normally exhibit, like NARS, were not in attendance or had smaller booths as seen with Make Up For Ever and M.A.C Cosmetics. There were, however, several black-owned brands on the show floor this year which was very exciting to see. Especially due to the fact that many makeup brands are choosing to neglect women of color and lean towards a more generic look. If you scroll through Instagram for a few minutes you’ll know exactly what I mean. This is not lost on the Pro Artist, and I applaud them for continual efforts in showcasing the beauty in all skin tones.
On the first day of the show, the floor was completely chaotic, and I was only able to snap photos on the second day, so if some displays seem a bit messy, that’s why. As things were a bit slower on the second day, I was able to take my time to talk with some of the newer brands showcasing like Glamorous Chicks Cosmetics, Juvia’s Place, and The Lip Bar. I’ve seen and heard many great things about Juvia’s Place palettes, so I picked up two of their palettes, Nubian and Masquerade. I really wanted to the Saharan Palette as well, but I had to be coin conscious while at the show.
One of my all time favorite Makeup Artist is Danessa Myricks. I’ve been a fan of her’s since taking one of her courses at my first Makeup Show, so I stopped by her booth and picked up four of the illuminating veils as well as one of the enlight powders in the shade LOVE. I also picked up lashes, a few brushes from Bdellium tools, and the Glamcor Riki Mirror which I’ve had my eye on.
With only one set of elevators, my legs got great stair workout as I went from floor to floor to try and catch the seminars. Although I am not a working MUA, as a beauty influencer there are so many nuggets that I can take away from each seminar to incorporate into my own brand. I really enjoyed the town hall Keynote with Kevin James Bennet, Renny Vasquez, Madison Mallardi (LimeLight), Tracy Murphy (Lash Star Beauty), and Lori Taylor Davis (Smashbox). It was refreshing to hear things from an MUA’s perspective, especially how they feel about beauty influencers. When asked, the answer I received was that they wanted us to be authentic. It’s true, we can’t be in love or obsessed with everything, and sometimes I cringe when that’s all I see other influencers saying. They also wanted us to disclose. For the mid tier influencers this isn’t an issue, but when you get to the higher level influencers “disclosure” for them is a foreign word.
If you’re a makeup artist, aspiring or pro, going to The Makeup Show will be one of the best decisions that you could make in your career. It’s hard to put into words the feeling you get as you listen to some of your favorite artists give seminars, watching the artist at work, and networking with people from all over the world. The Makeup Show will be stopping in 4 other locations this year so if you missed NYC you still have several chances to attend!
