Lifestyle: My experience at IMATS Vancouver 2012

This was the first IMATS that I have ever attended in my 8 years of living in Vancouver.

Prior to attending the event I made sure I purchased my admission a month in advance online. Trade shows like these are usually cheaper when you buy your tickets in advance. I also made sure I downloaded to app for my phone and iPod touch.

Always do your research before the event. Which vendors will be there? Write them down in your priority order. Then write down a list of products you know you want and are looking for. You can also write a list of products you would like to try.

Which Guest speakers' presentation do you want to attend? Keep in mind these presentations may overlap in separate areas. Set a schedule of which seminar or forum you will attend and cross of the ones you are not attending. These schedules can always be found on the IMATS website.

 
Secondly, it's a good choice to go to both days of the event especially if some of the same guest speakers are giving a seminar. You can miss it one day and catch up the next day.

Always bring a pen and pad of paper when watching seminars. Educators will give you tips and tricks of their own, they even give you product recommendations. Always ask question when possible. White paper is good for makeup swatches too.

Always take swatches and compare the similar products prior to purchasing. You want to make sure you get what you are looking for.

Now for the fun part, my experience at IMATS was good. I entered the event at a quarter to Nine and the Makeup Forever lineup had already taken up the length of the entire venue hall. I quickly hopped into the lineup not knowing how long I would have to wait in line. 30 minutes goes by, an hour goes by, an hour and half goes by, oh no my forum is about to start. I was still at least an hour away from the vendor display. I left the lineup and went to watch the Once Upon A Time forum.

At the forum on the main stage there was a discussion about the special effect makeup and the creation of the characters' looks. In attendance were Toby Lindala, Sarah Graham, Ann McLaren, Lee Arenberg, Jeff Kaiser.

After this forum I had an up close chat with Lee Arenberg who plays Grumpy in Once Upon A Time. I had an opportunity to take a picture with Lee. He was super friendly and humorous too. He called it an occupational hazard that he had to talk to woman and take pictures with them. Too funny.

 

After that I wandered off to NYX Cosmetics, where you can buy affordable makeup with great quality. I picked up two blushes ($7.00/each), one lip gloss ($4.50), one eyeshadow palette ($10.00) and two eyebrow pencils ($2.50/$4.50).

NYX product list:
Blushes
PB05 Pinky - a rosy pink colour
PB25 Pinched - a golden peach colour

pinched

pinky

Lipgloss
STG19 Sweet Dreams - a nude pink

sweet dreams

Eyeshadow Palette
ESP10C07 Versus - purples and neutrals

versus

Eye/Eyebrow Pencil
904 Light Brown
AUTO Eyebrow Pencil
EP03 Medium Brown

I then headed over to Crown Brushes and found a new Kabuki Brush for my setting powder. I was being extremely picky with this one brush. I asked the sales lady to show me all the kabuki brushes she had and I fell in love with the second one. I looked around some more and this sales lady kept bringing me more and more options. But I finally settled for that second one. It was so soft and the bristles were sturdy and dense. Perfect for powdering my T-zone throughout the day and setting my foundation or BB cream in the morning.

My Crown Brush Kabuki details:
Syntho SS009
208-CR-SS009
$18.50
Vegan & 100% Animal Cruelty Free (which I really like).

 

I then went over to Royal & Langnickel and picked up a 13 piece full size brush travel kit. I love the Fuschia & Black combination, it makes it extremely girly and cute. $25USD

Overall I really enjoyed my experience at IMATS Vancouver. Too bad I only went the Saturday and not both days. I missed out on some good lectures. I hope to see more brands join the vendors next year. I would love to see MAC, Smasbox, Benefit, Coastal Scents or even a nail bar be a part of the event.

Beauty & Lifestyle: EO Hand Sanitizer

Antiseptic cleanser in organic lavender. I love the smell of lavender, this milky gel formula doesn't dry your skin out. 

This product also comes in a liquid spray formula, great for people on the go. It is widely available in health food stores like Capers, Whole Foods, I've also seen it at Winners & Home Sense before.

Overall I rate this product 5/5 & I will definitely repurchase this again.

Lifestyle: Upcycling

I'm sure lots of people have heard of recycling before. But what is Upcycling? Upcycling is revamping something old into something new and possibly changing its purpose. Check out the following pictures and be inspired by what the world around you has to offer. Who said you can't DIY? Nobody knew that a spray can of paint can make beautiful art that is not graffiti.

Who says you can't be Eco-friendly and live green? Look around and you may find things lying around the house that could be upcycled into something cool and funky.

Paint something, glue something, wrap something, frame something, weave something, you have endless possibilities.

Just give it some thought, give it some love and creativity and you can make a masterpiece too. Live, Love & Inspire.

Beauty Review: Rimmel London Vinyl Gloss Mirror Shine Lipgloss

I recently re-discovered my long time favourite lipgloss in Eastend Snob. This ironically funny name has made me giggle every time I re-purchase this Steal!

It is the perfect pearly nude shade that brightens up every look. I've been using this lipgloss for possibly five years plus. I own this line of gloss in many shades. It's non sticky formula glides on smooth and it is moisturizing for the lips. Pigmentation for these glosses will vary depending on the shade and finish.

Overall, I give this product a 5 out of 5 and I will definitely be re-purchasing this product as long as it is on the market.

Beauty Review: Vitamine & Sea Perfect Skin Solution

Ingredients: sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, hazelnut oil, borage seed oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, vitamin E, d-alpha- tocopherol, evening primrose oil, geranium essential oil, jasmine essential oil, carrot seed essential oil.

No dyes, no fragrances, no synthetics, no sulfates, no parabens, no silicones, no petro-chemicals

Review of a perfume sample vial sized product received in my June Glymm Box.

I was skeptical of trying this product just because it is an oil based product. Some of you that follow this blog will know I have acne prone, oily & sensitive skin. This product did give my skin a nice glow after a week of usage.

But I did find it to be too oily for my skin and it gave me little whiteheads around my Tzone. I think this product would be more suitable for normal/dry skin types rather than skin like mine.

I am not fond of the earthy musty smell either. Overall I would rate this item 2 out of 5, and I won't be purchasing this product in the full size.

Beauty Review: COOLA Mineral Face Sunblock Matte Finish Cucumber

Description on my sample: Hypoallergenic, paraben free, perfect primer. Natural mineral sun-care. SPF30. COOLA has perfected the art of blending organic and natural ingredients. Zinc and titanium dioxide are evenly dispersed to maximize coverage and to minimize white residue. COOLA natural mineral SPF formulas provide superior sun protection with a transparent application. Enjoy!

My thoughts on this product sample from my Glymm Box, I didn't know you had to shake the product before you used it as my sample was separated. Not knowing any better I used the top layer of this sunblock on my face and had a chalky white film on my face. The separated layer of product had a smooth mousse like consistency. It dried quickly and blended well. Only the fact is my skin is a lot darker than this pale white sunblock. Hence it leaves a white veil over my skin which looks rather odd. Also the matte finish dried out my skin, which wasn't too pleasant.

Overall, I don't think I would purchase this product in the full size version. But I might want to try a sample of the tinted sunblock just to compare the two. My score for this product is 1 out of 5.

Beauty Review: Alba Botanica Natural Acnedote Face & Body Scrub

Maximum strength, oil free, fights breakouts even after you rinse, has 2% salicylic acid acne medication naturally formulated with willow bark extract.

I use this scrub every other day to treat my acne, this scrub smells fabulous, it has a minty feeling when applied. The 227g or 8oz tube was a steal at $6.99 and this product is comparable to some expensive brands, but less expensive, less drying and it smells better too.

It helps buff away the dead skin formed over my dried up spots that create dry patches if not exfoliated. At first my skin broke out with some mini whiteheads as it wasn't used to the scrubbing and boosting of circulation in the facial area.

After a week, my skin is brighter and more dewy than oily, I can get away with just wearing tinted moisturizer and minimal concealer to cover up my hyper pigmentation scars from acne. I find this scrub does help fade my scars slowly but effectively used in conjunction with my Lush Grease Lightning tea tree cleanser as a spot treatment.

Overall I rate this product 4 out of 5. And I will definitely repurchase this item when it runs out.

Lifestyle Review: Vancouver Art Gallery

one of my favourite places to be when I am in Downtown Vancouver. A place full of inspiration, creativity & history. This historical building was built in March of 1931 and twenty years later it has expanded to three times it's originally size. And did I mention they have a fabulous cafe and patio that overlooks a cascading stairwell in the courtyards.

Gallery CafeExterior of Gallery from Main Entrance Stairwell

At this gallery I have seen many outstanding exhibits of renown artists from the past and present. And of course, our famous local artist Emily Carr's permanent collection that is housed on the top level of this gallery. Amongst all the exhibits that I have attended in the last 8 years, my favourites are Andy Warhol, Monet to Dali, Nature & Abstraction by Georgia O'Keefe, Picasso, Van Gogh, the famous Group of Seven & KRAZY Japanese Manga & Anime.

Currently the Matisse exhibit is going on from now until September 30th, 2012. So hurry in and be awed by the beautiful artwork. Don't forget to visit their wonderful "current exhibit mini gift shop" as well as their main gift shop located on the main level of the art gallery next to the membership information desk.

Here are some clips of the past exhibits:
 

Georgia O'Keeffe
Series 1, No. 4, 1918
oil on canvas
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
Gift of Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation, 1955
© Estate of Georgia O’Keeffe / Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus / SODRAC (2007)

KRAZY! The Delirious World
of Anime + Comics + Video
Games + Art (book cover) -
Douglas & McIntyre, the University of California Press and
the Vancouver Art Gallery, 2008
272 pages (available May 2008)

Mao by Andy Warhol

Beauty & Lifestyle: Meet Me at IMATS Vancouver 2012

Hello All:

Just wanted to let you know that I will be attending the Vancouver IMATS this year on Saturday July 21st. I will be reporting back to you about what I thought of the event and share my haul with all you makeup junkies out there. See you all there :)

Beauty Review: L'Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black

 

I've been searching high and low budget mascaras for a perfect match to what I am looking for in a mascara.

Smudge proof

Waterproof

Clump free

Lasting volume & curl

Thickening

All of you might think that is impossible to find in 1 mascara. I've become sick and tired of layer different mascaras together to achieve the look that I want. I just want to carry one tube of mascara or at least minimize it to just 2. 

My skin and my eye area is quite oily, although I do use primer on a daily basis as my makeup tends to slide right off my face, especially on hot sweaty days in the summer. Mascara tends to melt into the oils of my skin and give me raccoon eyes. Hence, I cannot live with a mascara that smudges the slightest. 

I put this mascara to the test in a 90 minute infrared hot yoga class. After sweating buckets this mascara did not smudge and the waterproof capabilities did hold up to the test.

I find this wand does need to be cleaned off with a tissue or wet wipe before application, this way the old mascara is wiped off and the fresh mascara won't clump.

The volume and curl, thickness does last when your eyelashes are curled with an eyelash curler prior to application. However, the volume and curl doesn't last through a 90 minute infrared hot yoga class, but the lashes still have thickness.

Overall I rate this mascara 4 out of 5. I will definitely repurchase this mascara.

Beauty Haul: NYX Cosmetics 30% Off

Currently Save-on-Foods has 30% off on all NYX Cosmetics. Here's what I got:

Jumbo Eye Pencil in Black Bean unfortunately they didn't have the French Fry shade in stock $5.99 - $1.80 = $4.19

Single Eyeshadow in Golden Dune, Sparkle Cedar, Frosted Flakes $6.99 - $2.10 = $4.89

Lipgloss in Cosmo $6.99 - $2.10 = $4.89

I'm not sure if it's a manager's special or it is happening at all SOF locations. I found this deal at the Ironwood location.

Oddly enough the day before I had gone to Pricesmart in Langley and NYX wasn't on sale at all. Yesterday I purchased Jumbo Eye Pencils in Cottage Cheese, Iced Mocha, Oyster $5.89 each.