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I had such a great experience (as always!) at The Makeup Show NYC this weekend. It is certainly sensory overload from the minute you enter this trade show. One of the first things everyone notices is the body painters. I am always amazed at the type of creativity and precision that these artists possess!
The big highlight for me is getting up close and personal with famous and legendary Makeup Artists. This year attendees were treated to a keynote presentation by Charlie Green! Not only did we get to pepper her with questions about makeup and her career, we got to watch her do a smoky eye step by step just like she would do on a sexy celeb or perhaps one of her Victoria's Secret models. I won't even attempt to describe her quirky and eclectic style which made it all the more fun to watch.
And speaking of smoky eyes, my favorite seminar, Achieving Editorial Beauty with Jon Hennessey, featured a beautiful editorialized version. In other words, it's the type of makeup that you might see in a fashion magazine instead of the red carpet or on a celeb. The way he manipulates the skin and eyes with very little product is really something. I especially loved hearing his thought process about achieving these looks ("How can I take this basic idea and make it my own? How can I modify this color, shape, or texture?"), where he finds inspiration, and how he tries to push his artistry continually in new directions.
The kids from MAC Pro never disappoint either! Keri B and Romero J tag teamed to show us lots of backstage runway tips and tricks, all while taking typical kit items and making them work quickly for any challenge. Who knew you could prep brown brows and then comb through concealer to turn them blonde?! Loved the cheek sculpting method too!
Of course the main attraction for the 4,000 makeup artists that attended was meeting up with industry friends shopping like crazy! Some newcomers such as the Inglot booth were so crowded I could only get my hands on some thick and deliciously sticky pots of gloss called AMC lip paint. These were exactly like NARS lip lacquers but with more colors to choose from. Another thick and long-lasting gloss discovery was from Armour Beauty. Impressive staying power! There were some surprises such as the Egon Schiele Cosmetics booth. My husband is a huge fan of Schiele's artwork but he doesn't exactly conjure up images of lovely ladies the way some artists like Vermeer did. Turns out the lady at the booth (founder perhaps?) was friends with the Schiele family. Very cool story! I revisited the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics booth again, to buy some more of last year's breakout hit: Lip Tar. They have re-packaged it and added new beautiful colors. Lip tar is so extremely pigmented it's like putting house paint on your lips and having it dry into a smooth satiny finish. There is nothing else like it out there. Some of the vendors were nice enough to give us some goodies for free! Thanks L'Oreal Studio Line and Geri G. Cosmetics!
My niece had just graduated from high school three days before the show and tagged along to learn more about a career in makeup artistry. She was blown away by the experience. Thank you to The Powder Group (TPG) for producing another amazing show!
