IMATS 2011 Recap

So IMATS happened in Toronto this past weekend.  For those that don't know it's an International Makeup Trade Show that comes once a year.  For the past couple of years I've worked the Yaby booth w/ creator Liz Yu and fellow makeup/hair artist Ashley Readings.  This year I could only work the Sunday b/c I had a wedding on the Sat. but it was still a great time, I got to meet some great ppl (nice finally meeting you Delia, Roshar & Angie!) and of course do a little shopping!

I'll be honest I really didn't buy that many "exciting" things when it came to makeup this year.  Actually I  know this is sad but I don't buy too many "exciting" makeup products in general anymore :(  These days I find myself mostly just stocking up on supplies and replenishing my kit.

From Yaby I basically just stocked up on some of my fav/popular Powder Foundations, Liquid Foundations, Concealers and Highlighters...the only thing I did get that was "Fun" was some new lipsticks lol!

From Alcone I got my usual big bag of sponges that I try to make last for at least most of the year.  I use to use a lot of sponges while I worked...I'm trying to cut down on this now lol.  I use to always get all my disposables from the booths at IMATS too but now I just get things on ebay...God I LOVE ebay lol!

I of course stocked up on my fav. go to moisturizer - Embryolisse .  It's a makeup artist staple and I've been using it for the past couple of years now.  I also picked up a new moisturizer they have designed specifically for Oily skin (key ingredient being cornstarch) - Emulsion Hydra Matt.  I couldn't resist after Vicki Millar stopped by the booth to tell me about it!

I was also lucky enough to get the LAST newly designed brush cup from MUFE!  My old one has def. seen better days and when I saw Roshar w/ the  new one I knew I had to get it!  At first they thought they were out but at the end of the night they found one misplaced and were nice enough to come find me at the Yaby booth so I could buy it!  So nice of them!  The new one is more rigid then the old one which is great b/c I was having trouble getting the old one to stay standing all the time.  The best part is it's bigger...def. a BIG plus for me!

The other stuff I bought at IMATS this year was Airbrush stuff.  I've been doing airbrush a bit in the last year but I really want to focus in on it a bit more and I def. needed a wider range of foundations and brands b/c previously I only had OCC.  So I bought a couple of Graftobian airbrush foundations (unfortunately they were out of a lot of them so I just got the two colours I use the most in my cream palettes - Vixen & Ingenue).  I also got a starter set of S/B foundation, Adjusters, Primer and Airbrush Cleaner from Temptu b/c again Vicki Millar always raves about it!

One of the things I was most excited about for the show this year was the fact that Roshar was guest speaking for Yaby! Roshar is a huge inspiration to me and you know what so NICE in person!  Seriously, really friendly...sometimes you're let down when  you meet someone you admire in person.  He did an amazing look for the Yaby seminar...I only wish I could have actually seen it!  That's the only downside to working the show is you never get to see any of the amazing seminars that are held!

Liz, Roshar & Demo Model (Don't you just LOVE the new Yaby pic in the back!)

Ashley, Roshar & Myself

Ashley and I tried on the wig from the demo...not our best looks lol!

 

Yaby Booth - Busy Busy!

Liz had new display tester units designed - So Much Nicer, Cleaner & Easier for EVERYONE!

Ladies Hard At Work Filling Orders!

Overall, the show was a great success IMO and I def. think it was busier this year on Sunday then last year!  I'm also so excited for Liz and to see how the brand is growing in recognition EVERY year!  Hopefully the show will just keep getting bigger and better!

IMATS Toronto 2010

So this past weekend brought IMATS to Toronto!  Always an exciting time of year when I get to stock up on all the supplies I so desperately need at really good prices.  Like last yr I was working w/ Liz Yu and Ashley Readings at the Yaby Booth. 

As you guys all know I LOVE Yaby Cosmetics and really believe in the brand and know a lot about it so it's really easy for me to work at that booth and talk about the products.  Plus Liz is so easy going that it basically feels like friends just hanging around and talking.  It was also really great b/c I got to meet some readers which is always so much fun!

As per usual Sat. was insanely busy at the show while Sunday was a lot calmer and more relaxed.  What I always find funny is how "done up" some girls are when they go to a trade show...like more then club done up and this is at 8:30 am...there was a huge line up just to get in at 8:30!  I'm also always amazed at how much BAD makeup I see at a makeup show...and I mean BAD!  Seriously, sometimes all it takes is an extra 30 secs to blend out that eye and it makes a world of difference!  I know it's mean to say but it goes to show just b/c you love makeup doesn't mean you're good at it or have a good eye.  I mean I love to sing but no one is EVER going to pay me to do it lol!

The one thing that is disappointing about working the booth is I never get a chance to see some of the great demos and talks that happen on the main stage but what can you do. 

So this yr was a bit different then other years for me when it came to purchasing.  In the past it was a lot about building my kit and buying new products while this year it really wasn't so much about buying new products as just replenishing my old supplies and products.  Which is exciting b/c that means I'm actually working enough to have to replenish things lol!  One of the big things I wanted to replenish was sponges.  Every year I go to Alcone and buy a giant bag of sponges.  This year I wanted to buy 2 but they didn't bring any!  This literally was one of the biggest things I wanted to buy!  Thank god Embryolisse was there so I could at least buy my moisturizer!  I also bought a couple of new brushes, mascara wands, brush cleaner and a Graftobian HD Foundation Palette Warm #1 (my other one was almost done)...nothing really exciting I'm sorry to say.  Oh wait I also bought 3 new lip tars from OCC...that's pretty exciting lol!

Plus for working Yaby I also got a shit load of products which is always fun and exciting!  I practically have EVERY Yaby product at this point but there were definitely a few favourites I needed desperately to restock on like Powder Foundations from the Med. Palette - LOVE!  Some Yaby Powder Highlight shades, Liquid Foundations, some eyeshadows and lip colours.  Plus I actually bought a bunch of stuff for myself to make my own palette to take w/ me for the gym and stuff. 

I NEVER actually buy makeup for myself anymore beyond mascara I swear.  I always just take my cast offs that I don't want to carry in my kit anymore so to actually make a little Yaby palette just for me was actually pretty exciting lol!

Here's some pics from the Yaby Booth as well as "My Makeup Haul"

Ashley striking a pose at Yaby!

 The Crowd on the much less busy Sunday!

 Liz working the booth!

 Ashley & I - Btw I'm wearing my new Lip Tar in Pageant!

 Me being silly...and slightly perverse lol eating one of the yummy Korean cucumbers Liz brought us to snack on!  Btw the lip tar lasted all day!  I even ate an apple and it stayed!

 My Haul!



Weddings - Makeup Artist Rules to Live By

I'm happy to announce my wedding business is progressing along very nicely now! I've actually booked 2 weddings this wk for June & July! What sucks is turning down weddings b/c you're already booked that date :( ...come on brides there aren't only 2 dates in the Summer to get married lol.

So I want to give a few tips to the Makeup Artists out there about weddings.

1. DON'T UNDERCUT

I know this sounds like basic knowledge but you don't know how many MUAs I see that post their prices on craigslist or their site and I wouldn't even leave my house for the price they are charging. Of course understand your area and what you can charge but if you're in TORONTO (like me) this is a major city...charge for it! I'm not quite sure if these MUAs are doing this as a hobby and have a husband at home to support them, live w/ their parents or if they've never actually figured out their costs and what they end up making per hr. Doing a bride's makeup or any of her bridesmaids for under $50/person is NOT acceptable...hell doing a bride for under $100 in my book isn't acceptable but I'll give some room I suppose (btw I'm taking just makeup here, no hair).

Remember when you undercut you're not just hurting yourself you're also hurting the business and all the other makeup artists out there! You'll never be able to raise your prices b/c you'll be known as a budget makeup artist and therefore you'll only attract budget brides. Plus remember you have to travel to the person's house or hotel or whatever...so your rate needs to reflect this service. Your product costs money and needs to be refilled. You have taxes...you do pay taxes right ;) You have to pay for your website and advertising. Plus all the time you spend not just doing makeup but cleaning brushes, emailing, networking etc. Weddings are WAY too much stress and trouble to be giving our services away...have a little respect for yourself and your profession!

2. Learn How to Do Bridal Hair

This will open up so many doors for you as a makeup artist if you can offer this service too...plus it means more $$$ which is always a good thing in my book lol! If you're hopeless at hair find a hair person to team up w/ and make a go of it together. Brides love anything that makes their lives easier b/c the planning of the wedding can be a very stressful time.

3. Know the Importance of a Trial AND Charge for It!

I see a lot of MUAs giving away trials for free. I don't agree w/ this (esp. when this same MUA is only charging $50/person...OMG). Time = Money and MY TIME is important! Why would I give away my time and skills for free when I could better spend that time making money on another makeup job. I get booked for photo shoots, music videos, print advertising, proms etc. I don't have time to GIVE away my talents when I could be making money for that time. I'm not opposed to charging a bit less for the trial but understand the trial is A LOT of work. Sometimes it can be more stressful then the actual wedding day b/c this is the chance for the bride to figure out exactly what she wants and to assure her that you can help create her vision...sometimes it takes a few alterations that day. Plus it takes a couple of hours...hours I can't book other work during! If a bride went to a salon to get her hair done would the hairdresser do that for FREE...I don't think so. If yes tell me the salon b/c I think I need a trial updo next time I have a night out ;)

4. The Trial is an Interview

So often we think of the trial as a way for the bride to decide if she wants to use our services. It's like an interview/audition of sorts. But you have to remember to look at it from the reverse point of view. Makeup Artist Liz Yu really got this concept into my head - YOU are also interviewing the BRIDE! YOU don't have to take that booking if you get a bad feeling at the trial b/c you think she'll probably be a bridezilla or more stress then she's worth! Truth is if you're good and do your networking you'll probably get another bride inquiring about that same date...someone who might not be worth the headache. This is why it's important to charge for a trial. It shows that you respect yourself, your time and your skills and it also let's you have the power to turn down a wedding if you don't want to take it b/c you don't think it will be a good fit. I'm not saying this will happen often or anything but it's good to be able to say no if you want to.

5. Avoid Bargainers

If the bride is trying to bargain your prices right at the beginning it's a warning sign of bad things to come. I'm not saying it's a guarantee but in my experience ppl that bargain and care more about the bottom line don't appreciate what you have to bring to the table and will NEVER be satisfied w/ your services b/c they don't respect your services in the beginning. These will be the ppl that email you constantly and complain about everything and want multiple trials (free of charge :S ). You want clients that respect your craft and the skills you bring to the table...remember we are ARTISTS!

6. Network, Network, Network!

Bridal business is just like any other makeup business it requires A LOT of networking. Build a good website. If you're starting out set up some mock bridal shoots w/ photographers so you have some nice pics for your website. Contact local wedding photographers and introduce yourself to them...lots of brides ask photographers about makeup/hair artists. Set up a links page on your site and link to vendors that are also willing to link to you. Get your website SEOed! Go on bridal forums and give your opinion or advice about things. Even network w/ other bridal makeup artists...they aren't the enemy or competition sometimes they can help you out! If they are booked they might refer you to the bride and likewise!

I know I've missed some things so let me know what you think is great advice for other Bridal Artists out there!

http://www.weddingmakeuptoronto.com/

Yaby Liquid Foundations

Okay to answer you question Aziza the Yaby Liquid Foundation colours in my kit are:

On the Yellow side: Buff, Pecan and Caramel

Apparently Buff is the MUST have colour for the yellow side b/c it's a very common colour for white girls and it's mixed in w/ a lot of the other colours to adjust them. Liz (Yaby creator) herself told me that Buff and Pecan can be mixed together w/ different amounts of each colour to make a range of colours.

There is one shade lighter then Buff but I have the Face Atelier 0- Foundation Adjuster so if I need to go lighter I just add a drop of that. Remember you can mix different types and brands of foundations together to get different consistencies and different coverages. If you think your cream foundation is a bit heavy or matte mix a bit of Face Atelier or something similar w/ it to make it a bit lighter or dewy.

On the Pink side: Vanilla, Peach Cream, Almond Butter

Peach Cream and Almond Butter are apparently great colours for men b/c they do tend to have more pink in their skin. Also if you think some of the colours are a bit too pink you can always cut them w/ a little something from the yelllow side. Some colours like Rubarb (which I don't have) look very pink but I think they are more for adjusting then for use on their own.

I also have Cherry Blossom which is a colour adjuster to add more pink but I actually use it more as a natural looking cream blush. It gives a great rosy glow to the cheeks.

Liz also has other liquid adjusters which are very useful: White - make lighter, Blue - Neutralize Orange (bit too much fake tan), Purple - Neutralizes sickly yellow skin, Green - for those pesky red zits or rosacea and Apricot - great for the under eye area.

I should also mention that Liz does have a large range of colours for darker skintones. Caramel being the darkest shade on the yellow side, Chocolate Chip being the darkest on the pink side and Hot Fudge is a dark neutral shade. At this time I don't work w/ a lot of girls w/ darker skintones so I'm waiting to get some of the other darker shades. When I was working w/ Liz at the makeup show there was one very dark black girl who came to the booth and Chocolate Chip was a perfect match for her...she was quite surprised not only at the match but at the price!

I have started using Yaby liquid Foundation on myself everyday and I love it. I'm Honey w/ a bit of Buff lol.

IMATS Toronto

So this weekend is IMATS Toronto. For those that don't know IMATS stands for International Makeup Artist Trade Show. Very excited! This is the one time of year that I really try to stock up on all the kit necessities that I need, plus some fun extras I've been drooling over b/c of the amazing deals offered. At first I was a bit worried about the vendors list but it's really come together now and I'm really excited to check things out and spend WAY too much money as per usual lol. Plus there's also tons of cool workshops and seminars for ppl to check out.

I won't have much time for the workshops or seminars b/c I'll be helping out Liz Yu at the Yaby booth this year w/ fellow blogger/MUA/friend Ashley Readings. So make sure if you're coming to the show to say hi b/c I love meeting others in the industry...esp. those who might actually be reading my blog lol.

It's so weird b/c last yr IMATS happened less than a wk before I left for Shanghai so it was pretty crazy and surreal for me for a number of reasons lol. It has officially been just over a year since I moved to Shanghai and then came back to Toronto. Crazy how much can happen in a year and how much things can change!

Post #100 - Assisting Liz Yu

Yeah my 100th post! How exciting! It will be even more exciting one day when I actually reach 100 followers...ways to go on that one though lol!

Anyway, I mentioned last wk that I assisted on a photo shoot and it was my first time assisting. Well wouldn't you know it I got my second chance at assisting later that wk. Last Sunday I got to assist Liz Yu (creator of Yaby) on a Runway Show for this Taiwanese designer that was visiting all the way here from Taiwan. I thought at first she might have hired me b/c of my vast experience on Asian models lol...but actually there was only one Asian model in the whole show to my surprise.

Liz also hired another assistant Whitney Sellors to help out. It's really weird in Toronto sometimes b/c you'll know a makeup artist's name and their work for a long time but you'll never have actually met which was the case w/ Whitney. I had heard her name for a few yrs now (the Toronto market gets small quick) but I had never actually met her. Totally nice and a great person to assist w/. It was also nice to hear that she reads this blog - Hi Whitney!

The look for the show was really soft. Grey eyeshadow w/ a bit of blue black smudged along the lashes, natural blush and a pink/nude shimmer lipstick or red if they were a special girl. There wasn't a face chart so to be honest my first model was totally not right but once I saw what Liz did w/ her first girl I figured it out.

What sucked was the models were all suppose to be there at 2 which although was super early was still the call time. By 4 I think only half the models had arrived. By the end one of the models never arrived which is totally uncalled for and unprofessional IMO. So at 7:30 we had a replacement girl come in where we had to scrub off a pound of makeup and mascara and comb out a head full of back combing to get her ready. She literally had all 3 of us poking and prodding at her to get her ready in time...but we did!

The other thing that kind of sucked was the show which was suppose to start at 8 didn't start till probably 8:30. The call time was 2 so all the girls had to get massive touch ups b/c the makeup had been sitting on their faces for so long and the curls had completely fallen out of their ponytails so it almost felt like we were doing things twice.

But overall it was a fun experience and it was great to finally work w/ Liz on something. I thought I had all the Yaby eyeshadows but after that show I realized there is definitely a few I need lol! Plus some new blushes and lipsticks too lol! I swear before I know it I going to become Liz's biggest promoter besides herself.

Here's a few behind the scenes pics of the girls.

The wonderful Liz Yu at work! She did amazing on those fingerwaves...I'm impressed!
All the Girls!

YABY!!!

So yesterday I met w/ the lovely and talented Liz Yu. Fellow MUA, friend and creator of Yaby Cosmetics. Liz is not only an amazing makeup artist but she is also one of the most generous ppl I know right now...not just w/ product but also w/ industry knowledge and time.

Yesterday we spent literally 5-6 hrs at her Yaby office just catching up, gossiping and me picking her talented brain. As some of you may know I've been meeting w/ stylist agencies the last wk so I was just getting some info and opinions from her about everything from assisting (actually terrifies me) to portfolio layout - which btw she helped me w/ tremendously! Seriously my book looks a million times better now...sometimes you just need an outside industry eye to help clear away the crap you know. I'll talk more about agency meetings tomorrow after I make my final decision...EEEKKK - Fingers and Toes Crossed People! Although I do have to admit so far the agencies have been very receptive to my work which has been nice.

Anyway, what was also AMAZING about my meeting w/ Liz besides all the amazing tips she gave was the GRATIS I got :)!!! I mentioned Yaby in a couple of editorials and I know I'll definitely be mentioning them in the future (b/c half my kit is probably Yaby now lol).

Liz was beyond generous and I can't wait to try out the products she gave me on a shoot. I did try a couple out today on myself and let me tell you they were a DREAM! I got some powder foundation palettes from her as well as a highlighter palette and they are beyond gorgeous! The powder foundation (can also be used wet) is really smooth and great for both men and women. It's great for men b/c it's great at evening out their skintone w/out making them feel like they are wearing "makeup" and for women if their skin is great just a light dusting might be enough or if their skin is "less than great" layer it over the other foundation for another layer of coverage w/out making things look cakey. The highlighter palette has highlighters and bronzers for all skintones and it's the perfect amount of light shimmer w/out making things look like a 70's disco ball.

Liz's line is also great b/c it's small and compact. I'm all about keeping my kit small and as light as possible. I walk and take public transportation and I just use and over the shoulder MUFE pro bag for my kit (no rolling wheel kits for me) so it's essential I keep everything to a minimum. Yaby is great for not only condensing their products w/ her amazing palette system but there are also empty palettes which you can purchase and fill w/ your other makeup brands. I did this w/ my lipsticks actually. I bought an empty Yaby palette and some of the Yaby empty lipstick pots and cut and smooshed my lipsticks very neatly into the little empties. Now instead of going through a million tubes to find the right container I just open my very small Yaby palette and there are 35 (I think) lipsticks right at my disposal...and they look so neat and pretty too. All the models always ooh and aww over my Yaby stuff and how cute and small it is!

I also have A LOT of Yaby eyeshadows and pearl paints from before which are amazing b/c they are small but SOOO pigmented...seriously it will take forever to go through them...and really how many times do you actually get a chance to use that lime green eye shadow you used once for a shoot anyway. Everything is also really reasonably priced esp. for the quality and she offers a pro discount and usually has bi-annual sales.

To let you know how much I REALLY love Yaby I should just say I think I mentioned to ppl more than once at the CMS Toronto trade show this yr to go to the Yaby booth...umm did I mention I was working the Face Atelier booth at the time lol...don't get me wrong Face Atelier is another AWESOME Canadian brand (and not just cuz they give me gratis too ;) ). Seriously, they have some great foundations and I love their shimmers and lip glosses.

Btw any beginner MUAs - a great tip for when you actual start to do editorials try to use brands that offer gratis for editorial credits ie. Jessica Jean Myers using Yaby Cosmetics. A lot of times editorial pays very low to zero so a great way to make something out of it is to mention a cosmetic brand that you featured heavily in the editorial and at least get some free product from it!