Stila Back to School Sale

Wow, Stila is offering a week of pretty amazing Back to School promotions starting this Monday. They start with 35% off, and reduce the discount value every day until Friday, with 20%.

If you're planning on getting anything, start making your list now so that you can take advantage of the steepest discount come Monday! I have a feeling stuff will sell out fast.

No code is needed, apparently, and it doesn't apply to gift sets and sale items. It doesn't indicate anything about the free shipping for orders over 50$, so presumably that still applies?

Unfortunately they don't ship to Canada, but if you have a US buddy to co-order with, or you use a mail-forwarding service, this is a prime time to stock up on staples or splurge on those limited items you've been eyeing.

The Makeup Show NYC 2013 - Recap and Pictures

Aaaaaand we're back.

The Makeup Show was INSANE. And really, really fun. I'm so glad I was able to make it down this year. The seminars were wonderful - Dick Page was the single most inspiring speaker, so much so that I completely forgot to take any pictures or video!!!

The vendor list was incredible as well, with a good balance of big name or high-end brands (Nars, MAC, Ellis Faas), pro artist brands (Graftobian, Cinema Secrets, Mehron, Temptu) and start-ups or those new to the North American market (Layla, MAKE Color). The line-ups were particularly long for OCC, MUFE (which went around the room!) and Inglot, but well worth it for the discounts if you weren't already signed up.

The crowd was interesting. A lot of variety despite it being pro-restricted. You could easily spot the "celebrity" MUAs like Kevin James Bennett, Jon Hennessey and James Vincent, and then the industry workers (I overheard two ladies discussing their work on The Americans) mixing in with the small-scale freelancers and Sephora girls (like me), as well as a lot of students.

I will definitely be going back next year, and if you have a professional interest in makeup, I would highly encourage you to check out the closest show to you next time around. :)

This was the entrance to the show on the first day. It takes place at the Metropolitan Pavillion, which is a lovely and spacious building right near Union Square.

I really enjoyed seeing the random Canadian flag displayed proudly at the Face Atelier booth!

These were some of the vendors on the main floor. I have the say the Nars folks represented their brand most consistently, with their crisp white shirts and pristine makeup. I was really excited to see Ellis Faas there as well, since I had had such mixed experiences with their line and really wanted to give them another chance - and the discount made it easier. :P

Side note - get your shopping done on the first day if you are looking to stock up on certain things. By noon on the second day, a lot of the brands were sold out of the hotter items. (The first thing I snagged was the Nars Pierre Hardy Boys Don't Cry Blush. It was gone by the next morning.)

If you're looking to try things on, don't forget to bring a small mirror. Not all the brands are going to be as ready as the Bite Beauty booth guy was. (PS - Canada represent!)

Then there were the free seminars and demos. This was Keri Blair, one of the top trainers for MAC, teaching Era Reinterpreted, doing a modern take on a 1920s look. She focused on creating a diffused smoky, lamplit eye, perfect but minimal skin, and a vampy rosebud lip. She used a mix of Cyber, Blue Lipmix and Teal Reflects to create the lip, and I wish I had a closer picture to convey its pure awesomeness.

This was James Vincent, a veteran of the industry and the Director of Artistry and Education for The Powder Group and The Makeup Show. He introduced the Keynote speakers (and did the wonderful interview with Dick Page).

This was Brigitte Reiss-Andersen, another 30-year veteran of the industry, who has worked in Fashion, Editorial and as a celebrity makeup artist. Incredible body of work, and she demonstrated her tremendous speed and skill by doing three looks on one model in 15 minutes - 1) clean editorial 2) natural and 3) glamour. If you're inclined to watch, I posted the video I took here. 

There were also some fun body-painting demos throughout, particularly at the Kett, Mehron, Graftobian and MUFE booths.

You may recognize the artist in the picture above as Athena Z, from the second season of Face Off. :)

And, of course, there was the shopping....

I restrained myself to the items that I would normally have a harder time getting, especially at the pro discount price. And, of course, I HAD to get my first Hakuhodo brushes. They are, indeed, made of kittens and love.

So yes. That was my weekend, more or less. (Plus visiting with family and friends.) Imma go pass out now.

Annabelle Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil - Down 2 Earth

Can I tell you how much I love Annabelle cosmetics? THISMUCH. An affordable, Canadian-made (and Montreal-based!), fashion-forward makeup brand is impossible to resist.

Where my American friends probably remember their first makeup purchases being Wet'n'Wild (also one of those drugstore brands that is kicking ass and taking names these days), mine was Annabelle. I still remember my Gleam eyeshadow!

I recently picked up one of their Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils from a limited edition display, intrigued both by their similarity to the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils and their decidedly more attractive price tag.

This is the Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in shade Down 2 earth:

Isn't it the prettiest olive green shimmer ever? 

In indirect light.

In direct artificial lighting.

The color is gorgeous. I am a HUGE fan of this color. It's just the most perfect olive green with golden shimmer. 

It's also a really versatile little pencil. The texture is extremely soft, so it can be applied directly to the whole lid without fear of tugging or discomfort, and the creamy consistency allows for easy smudging and sheering out. It can be worn by itself, or as a base for powder eyeshadow. It's not water-proof, but you will need an oil-based remover to get this off cleanly. 

Worn over a primer (which is how I normally wear any eye product, due to my oily lids), this held up well for a regular workday, with no noticeable shift in texture. Without a primer, it smudged  and had some creasing after about 4 hours. For a somewhat different experience, check out how Rae from The Notice felt about it. 

It's similar to the Tarte SmolderEYES in feel, and is the same size - 1.6 grams. 

To give you an idea of how it compares to some other olive green/bronze eyeshadow pencils and eyeliners.

From left to right:
Annabelle Smoothie in Down 2 Earth, Tarte SmolderEYES in Moss and Olive, Prestige Total Intensity Eyeliner in Intense Olive, Stila Smudge Stick in Moray, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stash, Marcelle Waterproof Eyeliner in Bronze.

After trying out Down 2 Earth, I am going to have to add more shades to my stash!

Availability: Any drugstore that carries Annabelle, listed here. It was a limited edition, so may be difficult to find, but I still spotted some this week on display. Price is 8.95$ CAD, but that can vary slightly with individual store and promotions.

Pros: Inexpensive, gorgeous color, easy to use, multiple functions, creamy-feeling and gentle in application.

Cons: With the super-soft formula, this can crease or migrate on some people due to either eyelid shape or oiliness. I would recommend a primer as a base, and setting with eyeshadow for optimum longevity.

(I purchased this from Jean Coutu.)