blurtastic image taken by me at last year’s Industry Panel / TMUSLA
It is time once again for the Powder Group’s The Makeup Show trade show in Los Angeles. I so completely lost track of time that I forgot the show is coming THIS WEEKEND.
I’ve written extensively over the years about the 2 main trade shows that happen in Los Angeles (there’s an intriguing 3rd show starting this year that I’ll also be attending and writing about). At first there was a lot of “compare and contrast” to be done as one was quite established and one was the “hot new upstart”. As predicted, however, they’ve booth settled into their own groove and offer unique experiences to their attendees. So with that said, here’s what I’m looking forward to from The Makuep Show this year.
Education
Once again, the education looks like it’s going to be off the hook. I have been an artist since forever and I’ve been attending Trade Shows for years and yet there are ALWAYS interesting classes at The Makeup Show that appeal to artists of all experience levels and backgrounds.
Keynote Speakers
All of the Keynotes look fantastic, but one cannot attend everything (alas) so the ones that are catching my eye are;
- Family Matters featuring Johnny LaVoy and Billy B.
Saturday, March 2nd, 12:00-1:30
Who knows what this is about, the description makes almost no sense to me, but it sounds fun and it features 2 great artists so I’ll be there.
- Impact: Social Media and the Internet in the Beauty Business Sponsored by Beautylish
Saturday, March 2, 2013- 2:30-3:30
Social Media has become The One Ring to Rule Them All. Those who know how to fully utilize it prosper and those who do not fall behind. What I’m finding is the more savvy I become the more there is to learn and the more social media outlets there are to learn about. At this point in my career I take more classes about SM than I do makeup, seriously.
- I’m With the Brand – Uzo, International Lead Artist For Nars Cosmetics
Sunday, March 3, 2013 – 10:00-11:30
Many artists dream of working for one of the premiere brands, but few make it onto the Artistry side (as opposed to selling at a counter/boutique). Nars Cometics’ lead artist Uzo is going to share her story of how she got to where she is, and also demo some of Nars’ signature looks. I. Cannot. Wait.
- The Next Big Thing – Crystal Wright & Michael DeVellis
Saturday, March 2, 2013 – 4:00-5:00
The Makeup Show LA Pro Resource Area 2013 – Throughout Show
Last year I went on and on about the Resource Area that Crystal Wright put together for The Makeup Show. It was a truly amazing resource that SOOOO many people did not take advantage of. Crazy! Well, it was a success and it looks like they are doing an even expanded version this year. Do Not Blow It. Signups are very limited. Take advantage!
EDIT: Sign ups have already begun and are going FAST! As of her last tweet, Ms. Wright reported there are only 47 spaces left! Follow the link to sign up now: Crystal Wright’s Portfolio Review at The Makeup Show Los Angeles.
Honorable Mention
If I were an artist just starting or new in my career, I would not be able to get to Sam Fine’s talk on “A Career in Makeup”, Saturday, March 2, 2013 – 10:00-11:30, fast enough. Heck I still might attend. But particularly when I was a makeup youngin’ talks like that were REALLY important to help keep me motivated and keep my eyes on the prize.
Workshops/Seminars
Whereas the Keynotes are generally business/career focused, the Workshops and Seminars are generally product/makeup application oriented (one exception noted below). Sponsored by various top cosmetics lines, this years Workshop offerings run the gamut from a few different Airbrush Makeup workshops, a couple of different Contouring workshops, and even a silicone prosthetics class. The three seminars, however, that really caught my eye are;
- Saturday, 11:15a – 12:00n How to Get Into the Union-Susan Cabral Ebert for Local 706
Enough said. For certain types of work, you MUST get in the Union, period.
- Saturday, 1:30p – 2:15p HD Makeup-Applying Matching Creme and Airbrush on the same Face featuring Brad Look for Graftobian Makeup Co.
This has been an issue for me with one of my media clients. Learning how airbrush and traditional makeup products work together is crucial in today’s working world. And I love Graftobian foundations. Love.
->> Saturday, 5:00p – 5:45p Streamlining Your Kit to Maximize Efficiency – Sofiya Avakova for Naimie’s Beauty
Center <<- Most of y’all reading this need this class BADLY. Students are always amazed at how small my kit appears to be. Kit paring and organization is essential to working effectively. I cannot carry every piece of makeup that I’ve ever purchased to every job, nor do I need to go run out and buy a new piece of makeup for every job I do. PLEASE attend this seminar! lol
All of the above education is included FREE in the price of your admission ticket. That’s right; F-R-E-E . I could not believe it when I saw only ONE of my students at the show last year! Where else will you get this opportunity to learn from some of the best in the business for a $65/2 day ticket????!?!?! In addition to the Free education, there are a number of very reasonably priced hands-on makeup courses available. This list above is only of the items that caught my eye for one reason or another. For the full list, visit The Makeup Show website or better yet download this handy dandy PDF guide.
Shopping
The Makeup Show, being focused on the “beauty” side of the industry vs. the FX side, always offers unique vendors that other shows may not have. This year in addition to the usual suspects such as Make Up For Ever , Smashbox and Stila (all of whom are show sponsors), the big news this year is that NARS is going to be there as an exhibitor (they are also a show sponsor). I know NARS has re-vamped their Discount program yet again, so presumably attendees will be able to take care of that at the show. I have heard rumours in the past that they had a booth at the NYC Makeup Show one year but didn’t sell product. ???? I certainly hope that is not the case this weekend, I could see a mini-riot breaking out.
For the complete list of this year’s vendors, you can visit The Makeup Show website exhibitors page. One thing I am noticing specifically is that while there are a few listed, there are not an endless streams of schools exhibiting this year. I think this is a step in the right direction. While I do not think it’s unreasonable to have a few schools in attendance, in past years schools became overly dominating and aggressive. Also, this trade show is open to the professional Trade Only.
OH and one more shout out – Greene Street Beauty and the Hair Makeup Artist Network will be having a Mentor’s Corner at their booth (Booth #3019 – The Kim Greene Line/HMAN) where Senior artists will be around for about an hour to answer questions and meet and greet. Kim Green (film artist), Melissa Street (TV artist) will be amongst the Mentors as will my friend and fab celebrity/fashion/editorial artist Anthony Gordon. Hit the link to see the exact schedule.
So there it is. Another weekend of learning, art and community. I hope to see you there!
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