Happy October 1st! I know many of you are dreading the fact that we are approaching cold weather; but who doesn't love fall!? Pumpkins and Turkey, oh my! Recently, I had the pleasure of attending the annual IMATS trade show in Toronto. If you haven't been, I shall quickly explain. It takes place at the Metro Convention Centre right downtown, where many companies and vendors come together to showcase what it is they have to offer. This is pure bliss for professional makeup artists & beauty lovers everywhere! Not only is it a chance to see live makeup demos and tutorials, but you can also find name brand makeup at a discount price.
Today I'm going to share with you the best and the worst that the show had to offer, alongside important guidelines to follow in order to enjoy IMATS to the very fullest.
In order to ensure that you experience the show to its fullest - you must do the following:
Be early... and I mean EARLY:
On a Saturday, the show starts at 9AM. Friends and I (as seen above) arrived at 10:45. This was our first mistake. If you want to avoid crazy long line ups, please make sure you arrive about an hour before doors open. Even if you have to line up to enter, it beats the hell out of waiting in line for 4 hours for product (yes, really.)
Know which brands are attending:
This is something we did right. Before we made the trip to Toronto, we made sure to look up a list of vendors attending. This way you know ahead of time where it is you want to make your stops. It also ensures that you don't miss out on anything you would have bypassed if you were unaware they were there in the first place.
Make a list:
This was something we were all unaware of. Due to the large volume of people, some brands (like Make Up For Ever) would only take your order if you had written it down in clear print. This makes it easier for the employees to grab the correct product without any screw ups. If you had not looked on the company's website prior to the show, it was much harder to 'browse' considering the swarm of people hovering around the testers. Therefore my tip would be: Do your research and make a list of products you desire before the event.
Moving right along; I am now going to share with you the brands that I found to either have the best deals, or the best quality products.
Morphe Brushes
Pro(s):
Not only does this company offer a wide range of brushes, but they also carry a decent amount of professional, good-quality makeup. I had previously attempted to order some products online, only to find out that they did not ship to Canada. When I heard they were going to be at the show, I knew that this would be the first spot I would hit. The best deals that I found were Morphe's 35 pan eyeshadow palettes. For only $25, you were getting silky smooth shadows with incredible depth and pigment. Not to mention, the brushes themselves ranged anywhere from $5 to $25 at the most. Overall, the best value for the best price = eternal happiness.
Con(s):
This is the biggest con of all. We waited in line for Morphe Brushes for FOUR HOURS. It was mentally and physically draining. This is why I mentioned to get to the show early. A couple friends of mine had arrived at the doors for 8:30AM and had already finished their shopping by 11. If you want to avoid waiting for eternity, get your ass to the counter ASAP.
Make Up For Ever
Pro(s):
Make Up For Ever had incredible deals: 40% off all retail prices. This is amazing due to the fact that their products don't come cheap. I can't begin to explain the quality of each and every one of the items that they had to offer. This is truly a professional makeup brand. Not to mention, the line ups that I saw moved fairly quickly.
Con(s):
In order to receive the items that you wanted, you had to make a list of products prior to coming to the checkout. The representative would then grab the items and bring them to the register to ring you through. This made it difficult because the general area was very crowded. If you did not make a list prior to coming to the show, it took a great deal of time testing out each product in order to compose your list. I would suggest (as said above) doing your research and coming to the event with a list in hand.
*Other notable brands that offered good deals were:
MAC PRO: 20% off all retail prices
Benefit Cosmetics: 35% off all retail prices
Lastly, I wanted to make sure that I mentioned my disappointments. There was one company in particular that I expected more from:
NARS
Con(s):
I was very disappointed with NARS. Not only did they not have any deals what-so-ever, but they also did not bring any new additions that were limited to the show. If you are going to attend a cosmetic trade show, at the very least have a gift with purchase that you're offering or a discounted price for makeup professionals. I did not expect to show up at the NARS counter to find that it was no different than walking into a Sephora. I certainly didn't expect to leave empty-handed. Sorry NARS... I still love you tho'.
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Overall: my experience, although exhausting, was well worth it. I am already planning my trip for next year strategically and with excitement. Did you attend the show? If so, leave me a message below in the comment box and let me know what you thought!
As always, thanks for reading and stay tuned.
dear lady