IMATS is always an important date in the calendar.
It is always a great chance to learn from industry professionals and indulge my make obsessive side in a room full of other make up obsessives.
My aim at IMATS is always to absorb as much as possible to talk to as many people as possible and to buy products that are new to me or that I cant get hold of easily.
I have learnt over the years to spend a fair bit of time on the IMATS website prior to attending so that I can see when the talks are happening and which brands are going to be there.
Having a list makes the whole experience a little less overwhelming and stops you from going way over budget. 2016 has been my most disciplined year yet!
My list this year was short
AJ Crimson
Make up artists turned make up creator A J Crimson has been to the UK before and I always manage to have missed him. He creates make up for women of colour and I have heard amazing reviews of his products so I had to pick up a foundation, but probably what I am most excited about were the lipsticks. Two purplicious shades that I will wear over and over again.
Nanshy Brushes
This purchase was completely enabled by their brand ambassador – industry pro Nikki Taylor who has worked in the industry for decades and has access to a wide range of brushes but uses Nanshy on a daily basis.
I walked past their stand at IMATS last year and got a chance to play with the brushes. They are seriously soft so I knew that this year I had to pick them up. The Masterful Collection is a set of twelve face, eye and lip brushes that provides you with every brush you need.
Yazi
This Canadian brand is new to me but they are doing big things on Instagram. The colours are amazing and the brand is growing with speed.
They ship internationally and at five pounds a pop you can afford to pick up more than one colour.
I attended on Sunday afternoon this year – it was very quiet compared to previous years. Some products were sold out but in terms of talks and making purchases I really enjoyed it and the vibe was much more chilled then the frenzy of Saturday. Definitely an experience to repeat.