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MustaeV

Packing Travel

Packing for a Summer Getaway with Carry-Ons

July 6, 2016

 

This is the post many of you have been waiting for and I want to thank everyone for their kind words of support and also your patience while I try to get myself back together. It doesn’t matter how long or short a trip I take – it takes me a long time to unpack and organize things. This summer my husband and I planned a 2 week getaway with one week in New York and another week for Florida. The second half ended up being postponed for a later date due to work conflicts combined with my anxiety about leaving our two energetic Jack Russell Terriers and a very temperamental Ragdoll cat. This was the first trip we boarded them and while we knew we were leaving them in very good hands, I still think of them as my babies and leaving them for any period of time is hard for me especially since our fur kids are very high maintenance. But I digress – we packed for a two week getaway with carry-ons only as both my husband and I like to travel light. Many of you liked my Three Weeks in Europe with Carry Ons post last summer. This year we were lucky to try something new with carry on luggage from Away Travel.

Those following me on social have seen a few sneak peeks featuring Away – they are a relatively new company that carries affordable travel luggage. At the time of our trip they stocked one size of luggage the Carry-On ($225) which measures 21.7” x 13.7” x 9”. While in New York I stopped by their pop up Concept Store on in Noho at 325 Lafayette Street and discovered they just launched two additional sizes The Medium ($275) and The Large ($295). At this time you can order them direct from their website or purchase in store. You can use this referral code to save $20 off your first suitcase order.

A quick look inside the concept store and then a review of the carry on followed by what I packed for the trip. The store currently stocks a few items you can only find in the store. There are two themes for the store, one is Tokyo inspired and the other has a Swedish theme. Both are based on what the founders are passionate about. While in the store I bought a travel blanket/scarf they call a Blarf ($125). I hope they carry this online soon or have it in more colors. It’s the perfect size, thickness and density for the airplane. So many recommend carrying a large scarf or small blanket and I think it’s hard to find something the right size and thickness for the plane.

 above image, courtesy of Away

above image, courtesy of Away

Below are some images I took of the store. The staff was very kind and allowed be to browse. They have stations inside where you can see the product in person. They also have a kiosk stocked with folded shirts and tees like a demo station as a way help you figure out what size luggage will work best for your travel packing needs.

 

Bottom left – try out station with clothing so you can see which size best fits your needs based on what you plan to pack. Bottom right an Away x Capsule Beauty Box Collaboration set.

A closer look at the luggage. Away sent both my husband and I carry ons to test out for our trip. I wasn’t able to get a picture of the box – but they are shipped in a perfectly fitted box and they also come with their own dust bags for storage. Upon opening it I was really surprised how lightweight it was. The exterior is made of a Bayer Makrolon polycarbonate. It has some give to it if you touch it – it’s not 100% solid like metal or glass but still very thick and surprisingly sturdy. When we both unboxed ours I have to admit we were both concerned about the sturdiness since it’s so lightweight. After putting it to the test though I can report that it’s very sturdy. We did take these on the plane with us as carry-ons so I am not sure how the exterior will hold up if you check it.

For something so compact and streamlined, it has a lot of features I found practical but genius. The space is very well designed inside and out. There’s minimal wasted space inside for maximum packing – most luggage has a lot of unusable space inside because of the handles or pockets. It comes with a built in USB charger which I found very handy. The interior comes with a compression system which helps hold all your clothes in place so there’s minimal shifting even if it’s not completely full. There is also a removable laundry bag packed at the base – it rolls up into a compact zip pouch so once again, valuable packing space is not taken up. It comes with four wheels that have a 360 degree spin so rolling it around flat or angled is easy and seamless. Handles expand up to 20.3 inches.

There are four lights that indicate how much charge is left in the battery. Each case comes with a TSA approved lock as well:

 

Many of you saw my preliminary packing list in this post here. This is what I ended up packing inside, I also had the clothes I was wearing to and from our destinations. In addition to our carry ons, I had a Louis Vuitton Neverful Tote in the MM size and my husband had a laptop case. Not shown below is what I packed inside my tote which included my liquids, wallet, small truffle pouch with cosmetics, makeup brushes in a MustaeV bloom pouch, laptop and one pair of flats.

All packed up:

A quick look at the interior, more shots and details on their website:

 

What I fit inside the left side with the zipped portion. Each is the same in size. This is the first suitcase I’ve tried where both sides are the same – most have either a deep base with a cover. The Anya Hindmarch case fit inside with everything shown below (hat not packed but rather carried by hand). In the left side I packed 2 pairs of jeans, 2 blouses, 4 tees/tanks, makeup case, 2 sweater shells, three dresses.

 

On the right side is a compression case. It has a zip pouch where I stored socks and underwear. Packed inside were 3 boxes of Laduree tea (for on the way home), 3 sweaters, 1 pair of jeans (yes a 3rd pair, lol), 1 summer dress, 1 black tank, 1 pencil skirt, a pair of heels in dust bags, 1 tank, yoga pants and my camera case. My clothes are small and were lightweight so it was easy to roll or fold things in a way to fit without overstuffing.

 

Beauty-wise, everything fit inside 1 Anya Hindmarch Inflight Case to keep everything compact, 1 MustaeV Bloom Pouch for brushes and pencils, and 1 quart sized ziploc bag for liquids. Some of you may be wondering what happened to my clear pouch that I bought last year for liquids. Even though the description says it’s quart sized and reviews indicate many airports take it, there have been a few instances where security took one look and I had issues getting through. I was still able to get through in the end but since it looks like it carries a lot many suspect that it’s over the quart size limit. I decided to skip it this round.

 

 

The beauty pack list:

Cases:

Eye makeup:

Face Makeup:

Cheek and Highlighters:

Lips:

Misc:

 

 

Liquids and skincare:

 

 

For those wondering how well the luggage will hold up to scratches, I did not check the bag and so it was not exposed to serious contact damage with other bags. I did find one mark light scratch on the surface that happened from another bag sliding in the overhead compartment against mine. It was easy to remove but it was not a deep scratch and there was no indentation in the surface. I used a warm wash cloth and a tiny bit of hand soap to wipe the surface and the mark was almost 100% gone with a couple swipes.

 

 

A few final thoughts about packing for a week in New York City for the summer. I could have skipped the hat and my heels. Even for dressier occasions or meetings, my black flats worked just fine. In the streets I saw women mainly wore sandals, flats or short heeled wedges. I saw very few heels although I suspect some may just simply carry them in their totes to change for work or going out – if any New Yorkers want to chime in let me know!

  • I could have skipped the hat. I didn’t want it to get squished so I carried it on the plane. I did not end up wearing it at all as I felt it would have just gotten in the way.
  • I walked most of New York City in either my Chloe flats or Tory Burch Millers. Yes, sandals were not the best idea, but being a California girl I just have to. My feet did ok – no blisters and they did not get too dirty. Both pairs of shoes survived without any damage from extensive walking.
  • I packed more than I needed for a week – but we did intend to be away for 2 weeks instead of 1.
  • Next trip to NYC I’m packing super light on the beauty side. All I need can be found at Birchbox Soho or Space NK, not to mention all the Sephora stores around the city.
  • I really missed my hair dryer but I survived with the one in the hotel.
  • My husband only packed jeans and even after a trip to Banana Republic in the city for some last minute things, he only picked up shorts and polos. Next time I will be packing a nice pair of slacks or khakis for him. There were a few restaurants I wanted to go to that we could not because he only had jeans as he was on “vacay” mode.
  • I did bring a pair of my Pumas that I had from last year as my sneaker/walking shoes. My husband informed me I need to invest in a pair of better looking shoes. He gave them that “these should be burned” look when he saw me wearing them. If you have any recommendations please let me know.
  • By the end of my trip I had several full sized liquids and other items I bought while in NYC that would not fit inside my carry on or tote. I shipped them back home via FedEx. Quick note on pricing – make sure you double check price quotes online. I shipped everything home for a little over $40, box weight was about 20 pounds. A little over a week later I received an invoice from FedEx stating I owed an additional $120. I called them to ask about it and was informed that prices are just estimates in the store and additional charges may occur for residential deliveries, weekday deliveries, declared value and size etc. They said the best way to get an accurate quote is to use the calculator online or to call them directly. They were very nice and professional on the phone, this obviously was my first time shipping something this large from FedEx and I told them I was just a bit surprised there was such a huge difference from the estimate to the actual cost. They waived the extra $100 without me complaining or asking, which I thought was really nice of them and something they did not have to do at all. If you are a newbie shipper like me – just be aware of the shipping estimates if you ship large boxes or items home. If in doubt just ask about any potential added charges that may be incurred.

I hope you enjoyed this packing post and review of the Away Carry Ons. Right now the only place to buy is direct from their website. You can use this referral link to save $20 off your first suitcase order. Both my husband and I were really impressed with it. It’s practical, priced right, works just the way you want a carry on to work and sturdy. The little touches and features make a huge difference. I was impressed with how much I was able to fit. I am planning to buy one for my brother and brother in law soon as they are both in need of good travel gear.

Do you have any tips or things you do for packing in carry-ons? Or are you the type that always checks luggage?

Press samples featured courtesy for review include the Away Carry Ons, MustaeV Bloom Pouch, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint, Edward Bess All Over Seduction. Some minis were from gift with purchases I’ve collected over time.

 

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Roundup

10 Mascaras Tried and Tested

June 6, 2016

 

I’ve been playing with quite a few mascaras over the past several months – some from early January. As I’ve worked my way through a few tubes I’ve made notes on thoughts for these and kept them to photograph next to each other so you can see the brush sizes and shapes. I have really straight relatively wimpy lashes that are often barely visible unless I have mascara on. I rarely ever wear anything on the bottom lashes because most brushes are too big to catch the tiny lashes. That combined with the fact that most mascaras smudge on me is another factor for why I don’t wear anything on the lower lashes.

 

I have tested a few lash growth serums but am still undecided – I suspect that they require months of use to see results. I received a sample tube of Rapidlash earlier this year and as of today I’ve hit the 71 day mark of use. I have started to see some results but they are still on the subtle side. If you have ones you’ve tried that worked let me know.

 

Onto the mascaras I’ve tested out. Some are repeats of classic staples. I usually like waterproof versions because they are the ones that really don’t smudge on me. However there are quite a few that leave the lashes looking and feeling a bit crunchy or that turn slightly greyish when they dry so I’m really picky with formulas. The image below is interactive so you can click on the icons below to shop the mascaras:

Shown above from bottom to the top:
  • Clinique High Impact Mascara ($16.50) is one of the mascaras I’ve used for the longest, I discovered it years ago and it’s a great basic mascara to add definition and volume, it’s not the most volumizing formula but the black is a true black color and doesn’t smudge, flake or clump.
  • By Terry Terrybly Growth Booster Mascara ($48) is one I received as a gift with purchase at a counter a year ago, it’s a formula that is very expensive but gives a really nice lush look to the lashes, it is supposed to have a growth formula inside it, I haven’t noticed any visible growth from this one but it’s not one I use daily, I like this because it doesn’t flake, irritate or clump, it holds the curl and adds nice volume you can layer.
  • Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara ($29.50) I love Dior mascaras but often times they just don’t hold the curl for me, I gave this a try in hopes of finding one that does and was thrilled to find that it did for me. There were a lot of mixed reviews online – people either love it or hate it. I found it held the curl and did not smudge. I would have liked a bit more noticeable drama for me, you can layer it but on me it was easy to over-layer where you get that slightly cakey look. The fact that it held the curl and didn’t smudge moved this into my thumbs up list.
  • Burberry Bold Lash ($29) is one I used a few years ago, loved it and repurchased once. I gave it another buy and have no regrets. This is best on me with one good coat. I apply at the base of the lashes and wiggle the tube to apply – it coats lashes evenly without clumping and it does not smudge on me.
  • Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara ($23) is one I tried in the Birchbox Beauty in Bloom Box (review here and it’s still available). It far exceeded my expectations and I proceeded to search for it in stores. I could not find it anywhere near me so I ordered online. It’s my new favorite formula although it is a bit hard to remove in the evening. I like this for the most drama and definition. It holds the curl and doesn’t smudge and looks like a true black.
  • Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara ($26) is one I had high hopes for because I really love the O!Mega Lash Mascara (that one has been my most repurchased formula over the past year). The Velvet Noir has an ultra deep color. It has a unique curved brush that dips in the middle of the wand to match the curve of the eye and get the corners. Application is really easy and it looks incredible. Unfortunately for me it does not hold the curl. Smudging is minimal but still happens a tiny bit on me with this one.
  • Marc Jacobs Feather Noir Mascara ($24) is an ultra skinny mascara – one of the tiniest wands I’ve ever seen! It’s made mascara application on lower lashes possible for me. I have super sensitive eyes so it does tickle a little when I apply this but it has such a fine wand it will catch tiny lashes without touching the skin. It did not smudge on me when I used on lower lashes. I think this is a winner if you’re one who is looking for a lower lash mascara.
  • Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes Mascara ($32) I love all things Charlotte Tilbury so when this launched I had high hopes. The regular mascara from her line is ok in my experience. This one is like a face lift for the lashes. I rarely notice the smell of mascara but this one smells like it has a tiny bit of perfume and it smells amazingly fresh and pretty. I have mixed feelings on this one. I’ve put this to the test over the last month. It gives that faux mascara look by adding incredible volume and definition – it’s really impressive. It holds the curl, doesn’t flake and is non irritating. However half the time it smudges. The other half of the time it does not. Even when I have an extra powdered under-eye sometimes it still smudges. If this came in a waterproof formula I think it would be 100% flawless for me. Right now it’s 50/50 on the smudge factor.
  • Chanel Le Volume Mascara ($32) is a classic. I like the regular black version but try to buy the plum shades when they launch because they are often limited-edition. There are two formulas the regular Le Volume and Le Volume Waterproof. I like both but for me waterproof is the way to go especially in humid warmer months. It adds volume and doesn’t smudge.
  • MustaeV Maxi Lash Volume Mascara ($18) is one of the deepest black mascaras I’ve tried. It has a super skinny wand so it’s easy to grab all the lashes – even the ones around the edges. I was really impressed how well it stayed put – no smudging for me on all testing occasions. It’s not the most volumizing for me because I have such wimpy lashes but it’s a good everyday kind of mascara that never clumps on me and I love the true black color.
Another view of the mascaras, different angle:

 

 

So which one is my favorite? Right now it’s a three-way tie between the Stila Huge Extreme Lash Mascara, the By Terry Terrybly Mascara and Chanel Le Volume. The Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes is almost perfect – it smudges on me half the time I wear it.

 

If you’re looking for a new mascara I hope you found this roundup helpful! As always – I’d love to hear about your recommendations! At this time I don’t use a base/primer or a top coat for the lashes. I know several of you have recommended the Clarins Double Fix as a way to prevent smudging. I still have yet to try it but just ordered it so will let you know how it works. I’ve played with a few false lashes on occasion but find them too time consuming to apply on a daily basis – I know it just takes practice to get used to but it’s something I just haven’t gotten into yet.

 

If you have any tips, tricks or advice on lash growth serums I’m all ears!
Press samples featured include the Charlotte Tilbury, MustaeV, RapidLash. Gifted item includes the By Terry Mascara.

 

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What's In My Bag

What’s In My Bag

May 12, 2016

 

I’m spilling what’s inside my bag this week – as usual I have a couple small cosmetic bags or pouches to help keep makeup separated and somewhat organized from the rest of what I carry with me. Most of the purses I have tend to be open totes without dividers or pockets. I finally splurged on a Neverfull MM which has some pockets inside and comes with a flat zip pouch, but for the most part it’s one of those open totes. Shown above is the Tory Burch York Cosmetic Case (also cute in red) and the Truffle Small Clarity Clutch (also available in mini and large). iPhone Case is one of the Gray Malin Lisbon prints.

 

Face Products:

 

Skin care and hand care:
  • Tatcha Indigo Hand Cream (travel size) is a go-to for calming and hydrating, the full size one is actually compact enough to carry around with me, but the small one is best for those who prefer to carry smaller bags, the entire Indigo line is really good for sensitive skin and helps calm down irritation or flare ups, they have a four piece set called the Soothing Indigo Mini Set which I highly recommend if you want to try the line in smaller sizes
  • The Lotus Leaf and Camellia Mist from Peach and Lily was sent as a sample for me to try, it’s hydrating and refreshing with a soft citrus scent – the mist pump dispenses a fine mist which calms the skin. I’ve been playing with it for a few weeks now and am obsessed.
  • Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist (travel size) is the best-designed travel sized mist – it’s been a go-to staple for a long long time, the packaging is really the best I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t tried this you need to!
  • Le Labo Santal is one of my latest discoveries (actually from a few months ago), it’s not really a spring scent to me since it has sandalwood, amber and musk, but I still love it. At this time I’m still working my way through a few of the mini vials – I don’t know that I love it enough to buy the full size, but I suspect it’s because I’m feeling the spring to summer vibes.
  • Molton Brown Hand Cream in Pink Pepperpod is probably my favorite scented hand cream of all time, I just can’t get enough of the scent – I’m seriously considering buying the perfume version. If you love Molton Brown hand creams, they just launched the Dewy Lily of the Valley Star Anise which is the ultimate floral lily spring scent (review on this one soon).
Lips:
I’m always on lip overload when it comes to what I carry in my bag, right now I have:
  • Tom Ford Moisturecore Lip Color in Mustique (reviewed here) is such a pretty baby pink that is on the light side but doesn’t wash out the complexion.
  • Glossier Cherry Balm Dotcom is one of three new flavored lip balms from the line, I ordered immediately and have been obsessed with all of them – if you click this link here you can save 20% off your first purchase.
  • Edward Bess Deep Shine Lip Gloss in Lover’s Desire is a pretty peachy pink with a rich shine, I love all the glosses I’ve tried from his line, they add the prettiest healthy gloss to the lips. I like using them on top of lipstick. If you like a cool-nude, Nude Satin is amazing.
  • Edward Bess Defining Lip Liner in Natural (swatched here) is my holy grail go with everything neutral, if I were forced to live with one lipliner color the rest of my life this would be it, although his newest shade Barely is pretty awesome too.
  • Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint in Goals is a pretty full pigment glossy warm pink (review soon).
  • Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Eddie (on the lips here) is a a pretty shimmering cool beige neutral that’s easy to throw on for a neutral wash of shimmer.
Lip swatches with Anastasia Vintage as a comparison:
Eyes:

 

I have two items for the eyes in my bag, the By Terry Mascara is one of my favorites these days because it thickens and lengthens without smudging. Also in my bag is the Edward Bess Illuminating Eye Base in Dune. These come with a twist click packaging and brush applicator at the end. The one I have shown is a brand new one but I keep multiples so I don’t run out. It evens out the lids and preps the eyes for powder shadow. It’s my holy grail and comes in three colors. Swatched below next to Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rose Gold which I use a lot as an eye base and also next to NARS Concealers in Custard and Ginger as a baseline (full concealer roundup from last fall here). The Edward Bess Eye Bases have a more pink undertone which is exactly what I want on my lids. Yellow concealers match my skin for concealing but on the lids the pink helps neutralize red a bit and evens out without making the face look sallow.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed peeking into my bag! Also hope the swatches helped in case you’re new to any of the color items I featured. What’s in your bag this week? Do you have any favorites you are carrying with you right now?

 

Press samples featured include the MustaeV Easy Go Brush, Tom Ford Mustique, Edward Bess Natural, Edward Bess Lover’s Desire, Lotus Face Mist, Tatcha Indigo Hand Cream, Truffle Clarity Clutch.
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Uncategorized

The Makeup Show LA March 2016 Event Recap + Haul

March 24, 2016

I attended The Makeup Show LA last weekend and it was one of the best makeup events I’ve attended. This year they had over 150 brands at the show – I love events like these that support beauty professionals in so many aspects. If are able to attend one I highly recommend you do. In recent years they’ve expanded their stops to some additional cities with pop-ups. Full calendar and list of upcoming shows on their website The Makeup Show. This was my second year attending although they’ve been making an appearance in LA for ten years now.
Urban Decay Cosmetics made an appearance this year with their full line available (items were offered at a 30% pro discount). Most of the brands offered generous discounts during the show for professionals to stock their makeup kits or explore new launches (some like Kevyn Aucoin offered discounts of 40% off). In the excitement of being able to swatch and play with so many things I neglected to take as many photos of the show as I had hoped, but here are a few I hope you will enjoy.

In the morning I attended the Press Preview where The Makeup Show Director of Artist Relations and Education James Vincent gave us an overview of show highlights, new product launches along with some inspirational thoughts about the business of beauty, building your own brand and the importance of knowing how to merging art and commerce.

A look at some of the booths, first is Kevyn Aucoin. They had the new Featherlight Collection for spring available along with the full line of makeup and brushes. I had their Sensual Skin foundation on my wishlist to try out but did not want to wait to get matched at the show.

Inglot booth:

Sephora Collection booth was very busy with lots to explore, pro discount offered at the show was 30% off so I picked up another of my favorite foundation brush and a few of the matte lip products:

Scott Barnes was showcasing their new Multi Media Liquid makeup, based on the raves from several of you, I did get a color match and picked up the shade Creme Fraiche. I haven’t tested it yet, but will have to see in natural light if the match was indeed correct. They also had mini Body Blings which I wish I had picked up one to try out, but since I don’t usually use body shimmers, it’s probably not a huge miss.

I’ve been a huge fan of the MustaeV Lustrous Cream Base and Skinny Tint Foundation. They are expanding their color selection for the foundation since it only comes in three colors right now.  I was hoping they would have the new shades available at the show, but they won’t be launched for a few more months. If you’d like a review now of what I do have – let me know in the comments.

Nigel’s Beauty Emporium is a beauty supply store – at the show they had some of the best values and discounts. I stocked up on beautyblenders last year and did again. They had a Beautyblender Propack of 6 pink (or white) beautyblenders + the solid cleanser for $64 at the show (listed price on their website is $80). Individual blenders were on discount for $16 each. They also had a large number of mixed sets. If you’re in the LA area they have a store in West Hollywood and carry a wide range of brands like Anastasia, Ben Nye, Artis, Becca, Black Up, Make Up For Ever etc.

 

NARS also had their own booth with the full line. The Laguna Tahiti Collection was available for purchase at the show so I picked up several of the new items as they were available at a pro discount (I can’t locate my receipt at the moment but it was either 30 or 40%).

Kat Von D Beauty had amazing bundles at discounted prices on their Shade + Light collection, but the line was insanely long, I took a few photos from outside the line area:

Viseart has three new eyeshadow palettes launching exclusively at MUSE Beauty Pro at the end of the month called Theory Palettes ($45 each). I was hoping they would have these available for purchase at the show, but they only had the testers to play with. The texture and pigment is amazing. You can pre-order them from their website now (estimated ship date is end of March). MUSE Beauty Pro has the exclusive for 3 months on these palettes. I’ve never tried any of the Viseart palettes before – the pro discount at the show was 30% off so I was thrilled to buy my first two last weekend.

Beautylish had some of the Natasha Denona items on display. I was hoping they would have the entire line available to play with like they did at IMATS Los Angeles, however the selection was a bit more limited this round. A look at all the Natasha Denona Blush Duos.

For those curious about what I hauled, here is the loot. I did haul more than I had planned – some of the 30% to 40% off discounts were just too good to pass!

Items shown above listed below, items purchased by me except for a few press samples noted:
I’ll be reviewing items as I work my way through testing them. I did pre-order the new Viseart Palettes at the show and will be swatching as soon as they arrive (estimated ship date is 3/30). I’m always looking to try new brush cleansers so I’m excited to try some of the ones I picked up at the show – I know many of you love baby shampoo, I used to use it, but I feel like these days it just leaves a film on my brushes that I cannot rinse off properly. 

Did you visit The Makeup Show LA last weekend? Or do you have plans to attend on in another city later this year?
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Uncategorized

The Makeup Show LA March 19-20, 2016 – Event Preview

March 14, 2016

The Makeup Show Los Angeles 2016 is happening this weekend March 19th – 20th at the California Market Center and I’m thrilled to be able to share a sneak preview of some items that will be available at the show! For those new to The Makeup Show is a pro-beauty event open only to those in the beauty and fashion industry including makeup artists, hairstylists, estheticians, cosmetologists, agents, models, stylists, photographers, industry insiders and anyone that works or studies in under the umbrella of beauty and fashion. It typically happens once a year in Los Angeles – they travel nationwide to other cities like New York City, Dallas, Chicago and Orlando.

Tickets are available for purchase online or at the door (they are cheaper if you buy ahead of time online). There are 1 day or 2 day passes available. Since this is an event for professionals you will need to show some credentials at check in (full listing of qualified credentials on the ticket page).

There will be approximately 60 different booths including individual beauty brands, beauty retailers and educators attending such as Make Up For Ever, MustaeV, Hakuhodo, OCC, RCMA, Beautylish, Urban Decay, Sephora Pro (full list of exhibitors here). To see last year’s feature check out this post here on The Makeup Show 2015.

For the preview items sent by The Makeup Show team, full listing is as follows:

A closer look at the color items below starting with the face products. I first tried the Bésame Brightening Face Powders last week in store at Sephora. I tried Violet which is a color corrector for light-medium skintones designed to correct yellow and red (it’s brightening). I was thoroughly impressed by the finish – it’s truly transparent yet brightening and left no white or purple cast on the skin. (I did decide to wait on purchasing it though.) I received Vanilla Rose from The Makeup Show which or light-medium tones, color corrects green and blue tones in the skin. It has a transparent finish as well with a subtle finish. Overall I prefer the effect of the Violet on my face for all over but Vanilla Rose is good for setting the undereye area for me.

Next up is the Scott Barnes Multi Media Liquid Makeup. This is a bi-phase liquid that separates once it settles much like the Armani Glow Foundation. I received the shade Cafe Au Lait which is too dark and too peach for my skintone so it was hard for me to tell how it really performed with such a mis-match. I hope to check out the other colors in person at the show. If I find a match I will be sure to let you know.

From MustaeV is the Lustrous Cream Base which is subtle shimmering opal cream product. It has a similar concept to MAC’s Strobe Cream but the MustaeV has a more emollient moisturizing formula. The finish is also a bit more transparent in finish so the glow cast is more subtle on the skin. You can use the MustaeV as a base under foundation, mix it in with foundation for a glow effect or use on top to highlight any area you want a glow. If you’re interested in a full review let me know.

Swatches on bare skin, note the items are swatched heavily to show the color. When applied on the face with blending the Cream Base and Powder both disappear into a translucent finish.

For lips The Makeup Show as quite a few bold and super edgy colors. From OCC are two grey lip color items. The Cosmetic Colour Pencil in Sebastian is a grey taupe. It’s for both lips and eyes, I can see myself wearing it on the eyes. On the lips – I just don’t pull off grey well. There’s a new Lip Tar in Indrid which is an opalescent violet pink shimmer. The pigment and finish is excellent. The color is not something I would ever wear. For both of these shades I didn’t swatch the entire lip – part of the center isn’t touched up so you can see a bit of my natural lip color underneath.

From Make Up For Ever there are three items in the Lip Fever Passion Pink Collection including Artist Lip Balm #920 Flushed Cherry, Artist Lip Blush #921 Exalted Rosewood and Artist Acrylip #922 Electric Fuchsia. You can find all three at Sephora now. I received the Acrylip #922 which is a high pigment liquid lipstick. It’s a lightweight formula that covers the lips entirely and has a glossy finish. At this time I do not know if more colors in these formulas are coming out – I hope they do because as far as a liquid lipstick goes, I am really liking the shiny finish (most liquid lipsticks are either too opaque or matte which makes them look so flat).
The last color for preview is the Bésame Sweetheart Glaze in Caramel which is a glossy nude. It’s described as a luminous lip protectant with moisturizing ingredients. It has a medium to strong vanilla scent and offers medium smooth coverage which I find really good. Often times cream nudes can settle into lip lines but this one does not. It does have a moisturizing finish – if a gloss formula does not have any moisture-added properties my lips are dried out by the next day – with this one, no peeling or dried out  lips so I give this one a thumbs up.

Kat Von D Beauty always launches new items at The Makeup Show. Last year this time the Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette made it’s debut (I still don’t own it but I think I need it in my life). For those who like the concept but want something non-neutral there are four Shade + Light Eye Contour Quads launching. I have a preview of plum which features all matte shades. The colors are in the plum and pink color family which make for a softly contoured eye look. The texture is very powdery with a lot of kick-up but finish is really good. It’s like skin but better with no powdery finish on the eyes – it’s like the product melts into the skin. I played with this a few ways and found that the synthetic brushes were the best tools for application. The Shade + Light Double Ended Contour Brush is excellent in quality and super soft. It applies matte shades very well and blends colors to create a nice gradient. 
Also new is from Kat Von D Beauty is the Lock-It Color Correcting Eyeshadow Primer. I was sent Fair but I suspect the next shade up in Light would be more ideal for my skintone. There are a lot of mixed reviews on this one. I’m in the batch that likes it – I smudge it on the lids direct from the tube and blend with a finger. It evens out the lid nicely without looking cakey or flat and truly did make the matte eyeshadows from the Shade + Light Eye Quad last all day long without fading or budging. I have yet to try it with other eyeshadow formulas but first impressions are overwhelmingly positive.

A quick eye look I took a few days ago. This is shown around 5-6 hours after initial application. Colors looked pretty much the same as when I first applied – do note I did a very subtle wash of all four colors layered together.

Last but not least is the Pur Cosmetics Eye Polish in Caviar. This is described as an all-in-one primer and shadow product. It comes with a silicone applicator which I wasn’t able to master. I did try applying this with other detail brushes and found it to be an extremely glitzy highly metallic black gold. I think it will take some practice to figure out the layering and blending – but I will say that the lasting power is quite impressive. I do like a good shimmer eyeshadow but I found this one to be more glitzy than the Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Shadows so for me would be better suited for going out versus everyday.

To recap, the event in Los Angeles is happening this weekend March 19-20th at the California Market Center. All the event details, location, hours, exhibitors, special speaker events are on their website www.themakeupshow.com/la. You can purchase tickets ahead of time online here or also at the door (they are cheaper if you purchase online). Follow them on Instagram @themakeupshow to get more sneak peeks of what’s launching at the event.

I hope you enjoyed this preview! Full recap of the event to follow after
this weekend. If you’re planning to attend please let me know in the
comments! Or if you’ve attended one – would love to hear about your
experience and thoughts too.

Items provided courtesy of The Makeup Show team as a preview for the LA 2016 Event.

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IMATS Los Angeles 2016 + My Mini Haul

January 17, 2016

This year I finally made it to IMATS Los Angeles in Pasadena, California. This event has been on my radar for such a long time so I was thrilled when MustaeV invited me to attend the Makeup Artist Pro-Card Event on Friday. Since I had never attended one of these events before, I wasn’t sure what to expect and it was significantly larger than I expected. For makeup professionals who have attended The Makeup Show, the concept of IMATS is similar – but is open for anyone to attend. I didn’t do an exact booth count, but there seem to be a lot more vendors and brands featured at IMATS.

IMATS in Los Angeles is held at the Pasadena Convention Center and the booths were split into two different halls. I looked through the list of attending brands and had a list of booths to visit including Beautylish, MustaeV, Kat Von D Beauty, Make Up For Ever, Anastasia of Beverly Hills, Le Metier de Beaute, Temptu, tarte, Hakuhodo to name a few. I was told by a few other fellow beauty bloggers to expect booths to be extremely busy and packed and they weren’t joking. I arrived at 4:30 and stayed until closing at 7. I only made it to a portion of the vendors I had on my list, many had crowds or lines I didn’t have patience for. The first brand I went to was Anastasia which had a long line just to submit your purchase requests on a form, and then a 2 hour wait to pick up your items.

I snapped a few pictures as I walked throughout the event. A look at the floor layout, wish I could have gotten an aerial view of the entire setup.

Amazing demonstrations of body art and special effects. The artists are phenomenal.

A look at the MustaeV setup some exciting releases coming out this year were not yet on display, but I can’t wait to share them with you later this spring.

Setup on one of the stages (right), a look at Kryolan Professional Makeup Palettes (left):

Viseart Palettes:

Palettes from BH Cosmetics, brushes galore from Hakuhodo:

Beautylish featured a new line from makeup artist Natasha Denona. Right now they offer the Glow System (complexion products) online. The remaining items are expected to launch by the end of February (shadows are supposed to launch end of January). Natasha herself was in attendance and she was so kind to take the time to explain some of her products. I was also thrilled to see @trishalee_w from A Glittery Life working the booth – she’s an amazing artist and helped me pick out a blush (I wanted like all of them, but she helped me pick 1 to start with). I will be reviewing the Glow System and more from the Natasha Denona line soon, texture and pigments are really phenomenal and so unique.

Several have asked for a haul post. I didn’t buy much – there were a few booths where I had intended to go back to pick up  items, but I didn’t have time and I did not have tickets for the other days of the event, so here’s a snapshot of what I picked up. I’ll have reviews + swatches in the next couple of weeks (as soon as I can). Most items you can buy elsewhere right now. I’m most excited about the Beautylish x Natasha Denona launches that are coming in a few months.
The items I looked at were at full retail price (they might have had discounts for pro-card holders). The Glow Kits were offered at $40 each without sales tax.

I was also very fortunate to receive a generous gift of the Natasha Denona 28 Eyeshadow Palette in Green Brown. It’s just so dreamy and from what I swatched at the booth – the textures are super saturated, highly pigmented and gorgeous. I have several of the 5 pan palettes on my wishlist but this one is just phenomenal. I die for the texture! The packaging:

28 shades of stunning green and brown. I am not a green eyeshadow wearer but I lightly swiped the top row on my eyes this morning – texture, pigment and shimmer = OMG.

If you are able to attend one of the IMATS events I highly recommend going. It’s a beauty lovers dream come true to visit all the booths and see makeup artists in action. Do be sure to carve out as much time as possible if you’re going on 1 day – I thought I could make my rounds in 2 hours, but I guess that was being overly optimistic! You can check out the IMATS website to see where else they will be traveling this year in 2016, there are three dates listed so far: 

New York, April 8 – 10
London, June 3 – 6
Vancouver, July 16 – 17
If you’re in the Los Angeles area and missed out, be sure to check it out next year. Otherwise if you are a makeup professional, you might want to consider attending The Makeup Show (see their FAQ page to check if you qualify to attend). They will be in Los Angeles later this year in March.

Many thanks again to MustaeV for enabling me to attend this year! Have you been to IMATS before? If yes, please let me know!

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France Italy Mediterranean Travel

Travel Beauty For Three Weeks in Europe

July 15, 2015

Today I have a roundup of what makeup I brought with me on my 3-week vacation. My travel beauty picks for makeup and tools were packed into my Anya Hindmarch In Flight Patent leather-trimmed travel case and MustaeV Bloom Pouch (liquids, skincare and fragrance packing in this post here). These kept everything compact, organized and made everything relatively easy to find. Above photo: Longchamp Expandable Tote, Marc by Marc Jacobs Rimless Aviators, sandals by Hermes. Beauty details broken down below.

First up makeup breakdown. I limited myself to 1 eyeshadow palette. I usually almost always bring one of the Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palettes with me on travel because they are versatile and can be used to create a number of looks. I decided to try something new for this trip and brought the MAC Nordstrom Naturals Palette with me instead. It worked just as well to create a number of different looks – I like that there’s a good mix of matte and shimmer. If you’re limited on space – there are some good browns that can double as brow powder.

For face products I brought a mini tube of NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz (currently only in one size, I was lucky it was a good shade match). Other face cream products listed in my liquids post. For powder I brought my Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Shade 2, I knew there was a chance I would get a tan on my trip so I brought the Chanel Powder Foundation in Beige 30 and 40 with me (40 shown above).

For cheeks products I brought the NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Craving, Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Afterglow, Edward Bess Bronzer in Daydream, Tom Ford Cream Blush in Pink Sand (discontinued) and Charlotte Tilbury Blush in Ecstasy. I definitely could have skipped a few of these but I’m one who always layers cheek products.

Eye makeup included my favorite stick shadow Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rosegold. For pencils I brought Marc Jacobs Ro(Cocoa) which is the perfect bronzey taupe liner (it lasts all day). I also brought the Tom Ford Liquid Eyeliner, NARS Brow Perfector, Chanel Fresh Effect Eyeshadow in Caroube and Charlotte Tilbury Chameleon Pencil in Amber Haze. I also brought my NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia which is a good bronzey tan beige shimmer for the lids and one waterproof mascara by Guerlain.
I kept my lip products edited to one lipliner in Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk. For lipsticks I brought three including Tom Ford Summer Lip Color Sheers in Skinnydip and Rose Soleil and one Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Reveuse.

Tools and brushes:

Above (excuse the messy brushes, I haven’t had a chance to wash them yet):

MustaeV Bloom Pouch (large, also featured here and here)
MAC 135 Large Flat Powder Brush is a new brush from MAC, it’s large fluffy and flat which is perfect for a sheer dusting of powder or bronzer
MAC 239 and MAC 219 Brushes
Chanel Powder Brush is a dense brush ideal for powder foundation
Chanel Eyelash Curler (discontinued)

Several of you have asked about the Anya Hindmarch case that I’ve previewed on a few posts and on Instagram. I bought mine from Net-A-Porter although several have told me they’ve found it discounted at Duty Free locations while they were traveling. Based on online photos and reviews I couldn’t tell if it was one open case with two openings or if it had two compartments. It has two compartments – one is slightly deeper than the other. It’s fairly pricey for a makeup pouch but the material is very sturdy and it’s very well made.

The MustaeV Bloom Pouch comes in two sizes, small and large. I discovered the line at The Makeup Show LA earlier this year and love them. I brought the large one with me on this trip. The small one was featured in this travel post back in April. I’ve added a repost shot of the large one below to show how it stands up.

For three weeks I brought plenty to last me the entire trip. I did miss my eyeshadow palettes and lip glosses but given the heat and warm weather a good portion of the trip was makeup-free for me so it didn’t really matter. I worried that skipping concealer would be a mistake but my skin has cleared up pretty nicely in the past few months so for face coverage, tinted moisturizers and powder was enough.

In case you missed it, how I packed all my liquids in this post here (Muji containers, clear pouches, his and hers travel skincare, fragrance and body care):

https://thebeautylookbook.com/2015/07/his-and-hers-travel-essentials-skincare.html

What do you like to bring with you on extended trips? Do you have any packing tips or favorite carrying cases?

The MustaeV bloom pouch and easy go brush was gifted during The Makeup Show. The Afterglow highlighter was also a gift courtesy of Edward Bess.

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