Editor's Note: I had a really good time at The Makeup Show with Michelle. My one fatal flaw was wearing my (omnipresent) 6-inch heels...even though they were wedges, I was sort of hobbling by the end. However, toughing it out was worth it to see Michelle's EXTREME HAPPINESS at the end of our adventure (read on for why she was SO HAPPY...). And check out my little photo collage of us at the bottom of her article. I think we look really cute, if I do say so myself ;) ~ Alison.
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One of the perks of being a makeup student was getting the opportunity to attend The Make Up Show in Manhattan. I scored two tickets to the event through my school and dragged Alison there with me. Basically, it is a trade show for makeup professionals and students that is not open to the public. There were large crowds and a lot of waiting in lines but the discounts offered were unbelievable. Some of the vendors there included Make Up For Ever, NARS, Inglot, MAC, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, MAC, Smashbox, Hakuhodo, Kevyn Aucoin, Alcone and the list goes on and on. There were workshops, demos and keynote speeches and seminars given by some of the industry’s heaviest hitters--most notably Dany Sanz, the founder of Make Up For Ever. (Swoon) All of this was possible by the incredible James Vincent, the director of Education and Artist Relations for The Makeup Show. James Vincent is an artist that I have been internet stalking for quite some time and I actually saw him while he was buying his lunch. I went right over to him and demanded that he take a photo with me. He was terribly gracious and took the photo and did not once wince in terror while I gushed about my excessive admiration for him. I also offered to pay for his sandwich considering I totally ambushed him while he was on line to pay for his lunch but he declined. I imagine he just wanted me to just go away.
One of the vendors I wanted most to visit was Kat Von D. I think I have mentioned how much I love her products several times already but the launch of her new palette has made my love evolve into (yet another) unhealthy and unproductive obsession with all things Kat Von D Beauty. About a month ago, I was doing one of my very glamorous Saturday afternoon activities (Costco) and was reading my email while I waited for my child to choose what kind of cereal she wanted. This can take hours. In an email from Sephora, I saw that Kat Von D launched a new eyeshadow palette called Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette. The palette is all mattes. ALL MATTES! I was so excited that I ordered it while I was standing in Costco and subsequently spent the next two days tracking the package. (I know. Such a nerd.) When it finally arrived, not only did it not disappoint, it exceeded my expectations. It is perfect. If I were to design my own matte eyeshadow palette, it would pretty much be just like this one. I immediately started dorking out about this palette to anyone who would listen and also became anxious that the palette would someday be discontinued because I was already quite certain that I would be unable to live without it.
Fast forward to the show where Alison and I were at the Kat Von D booth. While I was waiting on line to pay for my stuff, I was talking to one of the artists working there about how much I liked everything and, for some reason, (probably because I am super cool like the Fonz) she quietly told me that Kat Von D herself would be making an appearance in a few hours. I tried to be cool about it but on the inside I was screaming like Beatlemania. I dragged Alison back to the Kat Von D booth at the time she was supposed to appear and there she was. I waited a few minutes to meet her and when I went over to her I was completely star struck and immediately started babbling about how she made my favorite eyeshadow palette of all time (The Monarch) and how the shade “Wrath” in said palette was my favorite shimmer eyeshadow ever. I then went ahead and used the words “deep emotional attachment” when talking about her matte eyeshadow palette and shared with her my anxiety of it being discontinued. (You can go ahead and cringe. I do every time I think about it.) She assured me that it was not going anywhere anytime soon and I went on my merry way.
To be honest, I am disappointed in myself. Kat Von D is a true artist in every sense of the word and her massive success is all because of her own talent, creativity, drive and determination. I don’t often get a chance to speak to such an empowered and inspiring woman and I wish I had spoken to her more intelligently instead of shrieking about eyeshadow. Maybe next time.
Now, for The Brush of the Week. This week’s is a little beauty I picked up at the show. It is the Cozette S145 Perfect Contour Brush. I have been dying to get my hands on some Cozettes for for a very long time and I finally came face to face with them at the Alcone booth. I would like to say I practiced restraint but I bought eight of them and they are all excellent. They are very finely crafted and have the most gorgeous purple handles. The S145 is my favorite of the ones I bought. I am not usually a huge fan of angled face brushes. Many of them I have found to be too stiff or else the hair is too long and it splays on application which defeats the entire purpose. Often, they are also not angled enough to be of any real use. This one,however, is a game changer. The hair is short and dense, but soft, and the angle is just right for contouring. I love LOVE it. I fully intend to further add to my Cozette collection in the future and I also want to purchase some for my personal stash. They’re all in my kit right now and I need some for ME.
Tune in next time when I tell you all my thoughts on the effects of social media on the makeup industry. Here’s a teaser-- INSTAGRAM IS A LIE.
See you soon, Racoon.
-Michelle (aka Kat Von D’s BFF)
(L-R: Michelle & Alison, Michelle & Kat von D, Michelle & James Vincent, Michelle & Alison)