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Have you ever attended a beauty event?
Have you ever attended a beauty event? Perhaps one at a counter/store? Something larger like an industry show? Which have you loved? Share!
I’ve gone to IMATS in Pasadena, as well as Beautylish’s conference/show for larger events. I’ve gone to a few MAC events but nothing in really recent history. I like trade shows and the like, because there is a lot of education and people to meet. I’m not so keen on counter/store events as they can be very hectic and the point is usually to buy!
Thanks to reader Tiffanie for today’s question idea Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
I wish!
There hasn’t been any near me, so no. Even if there were, though, I probably wouldn’t be pressed to go, either, since large crowds and chaos trigger me.
I really want to go to a beauty trade show. I used to do jewelry trade shows and they were always so much fun!
I’ve been to a few Sephora events and they were mostly fun, but it’s been a while.
Nopes never! I had actually planned to attend the IMATS in NY this april but couldn’t make it! 😐 Definitely want to do that sometime!
I’ve gone a few Too Faced event but rarely
I went to IMATS in Sydney last year, and I’ll likely go again this year! I hope to attend the one in NYC in the future (the Sydney one is so small in comparison!)
Every Year for the past three years I have been going to IMATS in Pasadena! I love it! It’s not only a great way to find awesome makeup at discounted price, but also is bonding moment between makeup lovers.
I went to IMATS in 2009 and enjoyed it a lot. In recent years I haven’t really gone to any beauty events, there was just one not too long ago in San Diego and it was for the Benefit store opening but I wasn’t invited. Wah wah
I’ve been to several beauty blogger events, yes. But it’s too bad that these events are usually during working hours.
I’ve gone to a couple of PR events but I agree with you, I prefer events where there is real education, and not just being a marketing, “bloggers-are-the-mouthpiece” or “buy-it” (ahem Sephora VIB Rouge events) type of activities! That way I can take something away from it and share it with my readers!
I live a block or two away from IMATS in Pasadena so this year I just walked on over and went inside. It was so overwhelming! I didn’t understand why some booths had half an hour waits just to shop. But the discounts were so nice is was hard to pass up.
I went to Generation Beauty recently. That was fun. I’d like to attend IMATS and BeautyCon someday!
No and as much as I love makeup I honestly don’t want to go to one because its so many people and it can get hectic. I live in NYC so I think there’s an event every year or something like that. But the amount of people that I’ll be around will drive me crazy.
Not yet. I really want to go to IMATS soon though!
I’ve been to release events mainly at stores, and maybe one or two sephora beauty insider things. I never really enjoy them, I just go to buy what I need. I think next year I will try to go to a trade show since I’m right here in NYC.
I’ve gone to IMATS a couple of times and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It’s a lot of fun and there is no pressure to buy other than the self-imposed kid in a candy shop kind. I’ll go to a counter event only if I actually have access to the celebrity makeup artist that is being used to promote the event. The kind of events where they’ve got a bunch of stations set up, music blaring, and a bunch of freelancers who may or may not know much about the particular makeup line does not appeal to me in the least.
Not yet, but I have plans to attend IMATS next year for the first time!
I’ve never been to an event put on by a brand, but Iwent to a Lime Crime meetup when she launched her lipstick (it was nottt good, and the lack of hygiene for the lipstick application was gross) and one of Kandee Johnson’s Glaminars (I learned a ton).
Not yet, but I’d like to attend IMATS in vancouver at some point. The idea of watching and learning techniques, and getting some discounts on products that aren’t normally sold in canadian stores, is rather appealing.
I go to IMATS every year in Toronto. I’m not special enough to get invited to events. lol
Aside from counter events, the only one I have been to is IMATS. I went to the 2013 event in Pasadena.
It was crazy busy and packed to the gills with people. But, it was so worth it. No sales tax, long lines, wonderful little indie companies….it was such a treat to see so many products and so many beautifully and creatively made up faces. I would love to go again some day.
I’ve had makeovers at events at a MAC store (the Marilyn Monroe event, with overflow makeovers filling the central mall walkway), at BBrown and Becca counters with regional makeup artists, and attended an EL lecture with an international makeup artist (would have had a makeover by his team but had to bail out due to EL’s highly fragranced skincare products passed around during the talk). I used to love Becca tinted moisturizer until they started putting fragrance in it – that was a deal killer for me, and I daresay that may have caused the near demise of the Becca line in the US. Fortunately, I adore MAC F&B, Minealized liquid, and BBrown Luminous foundations which are unfragranced.
Does the opening of the Benefit counter in Smith and Caughey’s count? I was not (of course) invited to the *event* event that happened beforehand (the press one), but I was one of the curious crowd waiting outside the door when it opened, and one of the first to have a small heart attack at the NZ prices 😉
Yes, several Chanel events per year.
I agree that they do want you to buy (of course they do! They want you to buy at the major beauty events, as well.)… but if they want my money, they need to show me something I don’t already know. I’ve learned A LOT from Chanel makeup artists, especially John Fussell.
YES! I religiously attend the Nordstrom Beauty Trend shows which they do twice a year for Spring/Summer and then Fall/Winter. Always fun, although they’ve gotten less generous with the freebies over the years and the tote bags are no longer really nice tote bags, and breakfast last month was cellophane bagged donuts (yuck), but it’s always an extremely fun event, always at the crack o’ dawn on a Saturday. 500+ make-up crazed beauty aficionados at that hour of the day,. It’s like a fashion show with makeup and lots of free raffle items, and other items thrown out into the crowd and then after the show they set us loose in the beauty department before the store opens.
I’ve gone to IMATS NY for the last 2 years (it’s my “big” travel vacation since I come from Georgia) and I’ve gone to The Makeup Show Orlando as a worker while sneaking in a little bit of shopping lol. I love TMS for the hands-on education workshops (I’ve been lucky enough to get to work in some great workshops so I get to soak up the education while working). IMATS is great too but TMS is for the pros so the focus and community feels a bit more geared towards the pros.
I’ve been to a couple of the MAC summer collection launches and they’re fun! It was a great opportunity to buy sought after items before they officially went on sale. I also went to a Macy’s beauty event about ten years ago. What a disappointment! The department manager threw samples into the front of the audience so nobody on the sides or back got anything. Each attendee got a bag of samples that were…eh… and mainly offers for gift with purchase. Nothing different than what is offered for mother’s day or holiday. Then it was impossible to get service after the event because the companies were short staffed! I expected great deals and sales. I know fragrance and beauty companies never do sales but for a once a year event, they could’ve made it happen.
YEARS ago in Henri Bendel in NYC they used to have a MAC event where you would call up and reserve a space in advance. It cost $20 but the $20 would go towards MAC products. They served breakfast and there were 2 artists who picked 2 people out from the audience to be “models.” They went over each step they did and put looks on people that they never thought they could pull off but the results were fabulous. This wasn’t to showcase particular limited edition “collections” but just to show how to use MAC makeup in general. I went to a few of them with my mom, and they picked her as one of the models once! They gave her light blue eyeshadow (which she hadn’t used for a LONG time) and a peach/pink lipstick. It looked soft, glowy, and fabulous! They chose her because they wanted to show that all ages could wear/use MAC. I remember buying my first red lipstick, the original Viva Glam at Bendel’s! These events were really nice and it’s too bad they stopped doing them.
I went to a MAC Pro event in Montreal. I did not stop to think the event might be in French! I do not speak French. Fortunately the person giving the presentation asked if everyone spoke French and I explained I did not. Sad to say. I was the only person who did not speak French. MAC had an interpreter sit next to me the entire time and she explained what the presenter was saying. I was a lot of fun because then she and I would exchange thoughts on what was happening. Everyone was very nice and thoughtful but I was a bit embarrassed by my lack of language skills.
I’ve been to both IMATS and the Makeup Show and they were both great experience.
I’ve attended a few events with Mac and Sephora. I’ve also taken a few classes for Clarins.
Nope! I’d love to go to an IMATS or something similar, but no longer live near NY and can’t afford to travel at the moment. Maybe someday!
Yes, I went to a Bobbi Brown event at Nordstrom a few years ago. I ended up buying a foundation that I returned because it was too red for my yellow undertone and a sparkling eyeshadow that I eventually threw out. I was invited to a Chanel Event at Lord & Taylor but didn’t attend because I just spent a lot of money on makeup and skin care and the point of those shows is to spend money.