It feels like IMATS New York was ages ago! But here we are, 6 months later, with another IMATS is upon us.
This time I went on the Saturday afternoon, compared to my first IMATS, where I woke up at the crack of dawn to get into the convention first thing.
IMATS is always fun, for one, because you get to bust out whatever loud/colourful makeup that you want, and no one will even bat an eye. In fact, you’ll probably get complimented! This was the look that I put together for the day.
On my face:
- Inglot HD Perfect Cover Foundation #71
- Too Faced Brow Envy Kit
- Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette
- MAC Eyeshadow ‘Bowlerama’ (Review HERE), and ‘Coquette’
- Inglot Gel Liner #77
- Tarte Tarteist Mascara
- Clinique Cheek Pop ‘Berry Pop’
- Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder ‘Sunset Glow’
- Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed ‘Champagne Pop’
- Too Faced Melted Matte ‘Who’s Zoomin Who’
- Too Faced Bronzer ‘Endless Summer’
There were well-known brands like Kat Von D, MAC, MAKE UP FOR EVER, and Benefit, as well as up and coming brands like L.A. Splash, and Cailyn. In addition to the shopping, there was live costume makeup application, special effects makeup displays, and presentations (I checked out the “Facelifts with Makeup” presentation, with U.K. makeup artist, Siân Richards).
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| New lipstick with Miranda! |
I managed to only buy a few things. I finally got my hands on the Kat Von D Shade & Light Eye Palette, as well as the Studded Lipstick ‘Cathedral’. The Kat Von D purchase came with a mini Tattoo Liner in ‘Trooper’ and a mini liquid lipstick in ‘Exorcism’. I also have to mention how nice the ladies at the Kat Von D booth were. They were friendly, very knowledgeable about the products, and even opened up a new tester lipstick for me, so I could compare swatches – Shout out to you, Team KVD! My pal Kaitlyn picked up a few brushes from the Morphe booth for me (Thank you!), because she went in the morning, and went to the Morphe booth first. I also got a sample pack of micellar wipes from Clinique (they were handing them out).
In the evening I went to the NYX After Dark IMATS after party, and had a great time with my fab blogger friends (Ladies in the photobooth pictures: Steph, Zubie, Miranda, Kaitlyn, Chelle, and Jen).
Alright – let’s talk about the best times to go to IMATS. I always go on the Saturday, as I work on Sundays. As I mentioned before, I have gone to IMATS bright and early, compared to this year, when I went near the end of the day.
Going first thing, when it opens:
Pros
- Better stock – there’s a good chance that most items won’t be sold out (unless it’s a super popular item, that has a low stock – for example: The Kat Von D booth apparently only had 5 of the new Metal Matte Palette in stock, so it sold out very quickly).
- You can definitely beat a long lineup for your #1 brand of choice. If you get into IMATS right when it opens, you can book it to your favourite brand and maybe even be the first in line.
Cons
- Early wake up call. Since IMATS opens at 9:00 AM on the Saturday, you’ll need to wake up super early to do your makeup, and get in line (a big line forms just to get in, and people take it very seriously. I’ve gotten there an hour early, and there were still a bunch of people in front of me). Depending on your travelling time, this might require a 6:00 AM alarm.
Going in the afternoon:
Pros
- Less crowded. By the time that lunch has passed, the morning crowds have usually disappeared. This means that the convention as a whole is less crowded, and less “GO, GO, GO!”. It feels less like a mission, and more like a leisurely shopping trip.
- You get to sleep in. Feel free to wake up whenever you want, just be sure to give yourself enough time when you’re at IMATS to sop around, as it closes at 5:00 PM.
- Little to no lineups when picking up your ticket. Simple – I got to walk right up to the booth and pick my ticket. No one was in line!
Cons
- Items will be sold out. Some of the hottest items are definitely going to be sold out. I wanted to pick up some RCMA Powder, but when I arrived at 2:00 PM, they were long gone, with no plans to restock for the next day.
- You won’t get NEAR some of the booths. Some of the most popular booths will still have long lineups, even near the end of the day. Of course, this isn’t out of the ordinary, but what WAS out of the ordinary (and I didn’t know that brands even did this) was booths not allowing people to line up anymore. The Morphe booth apparently stopped letting people line up, after a certain point, so some people couldn’t shop, even if they were willing to wait in line for hours (photo of the Morphe booth above).
Did you go to IMATS Toronto? Do you plan on attending IMATS in the future? Let me know in the comments below.
I was given a complimentary IMATS Press Pass. The NYX products were gifted.