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Guest Review: Clinique Brandied Bronze Colour Surge Eye Shadow Palette

I’m a sucker for any palette with bright and unique colors in them. Clinique Brandied Bronze Colour Surge Eye Shadow Palette ($32.50 CDN) has gorgeous colors in it ranging from a deep bronze to soft baby pink.

Clinique Brandied Bronze Colour Surge Eye Shadow Palette:

“Clinique creates a new tradition in eye shadow for powder connoisseurs who want stay true, long lasting colour, with an emphasis on gorgeous texture. Colour Surge Eye Shadow offers six complementary multi-coloured eye shadow shades that can be mixed and matched or worn alone. Get swept away by a palette of superb shades in new Super Shimmer finishes.”

Palette under natural light

Palette with flash

The pros about this palette:
The first thing I noticed about the palette was that the shadows are very soft, no glitter & very little fall out. Also since this is a warm palette the colors went together well.Even a beginner would be able to create an effortless look complete with highlight, base & contour.

The cons about this palette:
It was very difficult to test some colors on my skin tone. The turquoise had to be swatched twice to get a color similar to the ones I did on the first swatch. One tip I know to get more color is to foil the shadows by wetting them. It probably would have done the trick but I would have risked damaging the shadows.

Natural light swatches no base

Swatches with flash no base

The colors are very sheer. On camera these colors also show up almost non-existent. I would recommend that you wear them with a cream shadow or a matte shadow underneath. It would give the shadows something to stick too.

Personally this palette didn’t live up to my expectations. However I would recommend it for my light to medium toned girl because the colors will show up more vibrant.

Have you tried this palette? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

www.clinique.ca

About Jenn

Jenn is Director (future beauty director), certified makeup artist and a lover of all things fashion, beauty and media! She is also the founder of her popular beauty blog, Spiced Beauty. I met Jenn at a beauty bloggers brunch back in February - she was warm, always flashing her beautiful smile, and her camera was always on hand! Thanks Jenn for your guest review! Do check out her blog - must reads are her daily fashion finds and product reviews!

www.spicedbeauty.com

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Guest Review: L'Oreal Paris Studio Line Indestructible Volumizing Mousse

The texture of my hair has changed dramatically over the years from pin straight to curly curls... It has settled at this point at an in between wave which I'm ok with. Every now and then I like to avoid styling tools and like to give my already damaged hair a rest by using mousse and leaving it wavy. I have probably tried over 20 different mousses over the last few years all promising me this or that in order to get the perfect wave or curl, some have lived up to my expectations and some sadly have not. This is one of those that did not.

I tested this product out for a few weeks giving it many chances because I really wanted to like it, honestly I did enjoy some aspects of this mousse but just didn't feel it gave me any volume what so ever. Maybe my hair is too long or too heavy for it to really do its job I'm not sure, however I feel like it may work well for medium to short haired ladies.

The pros would definitely be the spout that is super easy to use. I also enjoyed the smell and the fact that it didn't leave my hair feeling crunchy at all. The cons I would have to say for me the lack of volume and definition of the curls/waves.

The product claims to also have Bounce Back Technology that allows hair to return to its styled shape even after the daily stresses on hair. During the day I hate my hair in my face so I clip it back, when I removed the clip the style was ruined or altered and the bounce back I had hoped for never happened.

Overall, although I don't think I will be rushing to the store anytime soon to purchase this mousse, I think it could work wonderfully for those gals with shorter hair. I liked the barely there feeling of product on my hair but it just didn't do much for me in the way of volume or styling.

L'Oreal Studio Line Indestructible Volumizing Mousse is available in drugstores all across Canada and the United States.

What do you think of this product? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

About Farah

"Mama Far" as she is called amongst her fellow Toronto beauty bloggers, is a talented makeup artist and founder of beauty blog, Faces By Farah. She is utterly sweet, warm and has the most gorgeous long hair! Be sure to check out her blog for great product reviews, beauty tips and her Sunday posts "You Go Girl/Boy!" where she features a must-know personality in the beauty, fashion and entertainment industry! Thank you Farah for your review! Stay tuned for more reviews from her!

http://facesbyfarah.blogspot.com

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LG Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2010: VAWK

Yesterday, I had the awesome pleasure of working the VAWK show with the fabulous CARGO Cosmetics team! In case you aren't familiar, VAWK is the Canadian line launched by Project Runway Season 2 winner, Sunny Fong. The show was held at The AGO, a fitting venue for the theme of his line: structure meets disintegration.

The makeup inspiration was what I like to call "ice princess": strong architectural brows, pale creamy white eyes and lashes, frost bitten cheeks and paled out lips with just a smudge of red in the center. The lovely and talented Key Artist and CARGO National Artist and Training & Education Manager in Canada, Annesley, collaborated with Sunny to create this whimsical yet edgy look.

The fab makeup team with Sunny! L-R: Eunique, Sunny, Kristie, and Annesley

The makeup went through many variations before we got to the final look but the end result looked stunning on the runway! The hair, done by the fantastic team at Salon Daniel, was ah-mazing. The top was teased for volume, hair kept close to the sides and the back was pulled into a square bun. The excitement of seeing a bride in her wedding dress with the hair and makeup done was very much the same feeling after the models were in their outfits!

1st look

2nd look, lip colour is applied just to the inner center of lips

After the first run-through, we realized the lips just didn't translate. The natural day light was also washing the models out and the colour on the cheeks needed to be bumped up a few notches.

3rd look, applied more pink blush to the apples and made the lips stronger and less defined

The final look! Lots of pink on the apples, strong white shimmer on the cheekbones, and red lipstick smudged in the center with clear gloss over top

The look was created using all CARGO Cosmetics. It was my first time working with CARGO's Oil-Free Foundation and I absolutely loved the coverage. Skin was still properly covered yet had a luminous finish. The pouch packaging is especially handy for transporting and even more perfect if you're a makeup artist. Another product I fell in love with is Catalina blush which I will have to pick up! In the tin, it looks like a soft pink but don't be fooled! This colour has a lot of pigment but is definitely buildable. This was the blush used to create the baby doll pink cheeks on all the models.

Funny guy - he actually stooped down to my height!

The show was fabulous and Sunny was an absolute sweet-heart! His talent and humble attitude is inspiring and I was so happy to be apart of the show. I was glad to work with Annesley and Eunique again and to finally meet the uber-talented artist, Kristie Stoodley! Working with a great team just makes working shows that much more fun.

A few of my favourite pieces

Loved the jewelry pieces!

What did you think of the makeup look?

To view more pictures from the show visit my gallery here. Check out more VAWK coverage from BlogTO!

www.vawk.ca

www.cargocosmetics.com

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Makeup 101: Bridal Beauty

Photo credit: www.kevinlamphoto.com

MU: Joy David-Tilberg

Wedding season has begun! My bridal beauty philosophy has always been radiant, flawless, timeless and naturally you but better. You don't want to look back at your wedding photos ten years from now and think, "What was I thinking?".

Trying to decide on the right look for you can be difficult. Many look at the celebs for inspiration, but in the end you want to decide on a look that will suit you. You also want makeup that isn't fussy and will need multiple touch-ups throughout the day. Keep in mind, your wedding makeup will be a bit stronger to compensate for lighting in the photographs. So, don't be alarmed if you're wearing more blush than usual. A skilled makeup artist will know how to make those cheeks pop while making it appear like you're glowing from within.

Check out my sister site, Makeup 'n The Bride, for different bridal looks. Learn how to achieve a glowing, blushing bride look in my latest post featuring the lovely Lauren from LIFT Beauty Boutique!

To view my complete bridal portfolio click here. Don't forget to join the official Makeup 'n The Bride Facebook Group for tips and beauty updates!

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LIFT Beauty Boutique Hair Workshop for Makeup Artists!

*Please note: I did not do the hair only the makeup which is why I will be attending the workshop!

If you're a makeup artist who wants to learn how to style hair then this workshop is for you! The amazingly talented ladies at LIFT Beauty Boutique are hosting a hair workshop. You'll learn all the tips and tricks to doing hair like the pros! There are still a few openings left so hurry and book your spot!

What: Hair Workshop for Makeup Artists

When: April 11 at 1 pm

Where: LIFT Beauty Boutique

114 Cumberland Unit #303 (Lift Beauty Boutique is located on the third floor, right in the heart of Yorkville. We are easily accessible by subway (exit at the Bay subway station). If you are driving there are two Public Parking lots located right on Yorkville Ave, just steps away.)

Fee: $100 (You must pay in advance. Attendees get bobby pins, combs & elastics in class & take home. 15% off products, 20% Hot tools for kits)

To book call: 416.960.LIFT

Website: www.liftbeautyboutique.com

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Beauty News:Toronto Hope For Haiti Beauty Benefit

February is a busy month for charities! Besides the "In the Still of the Night" charity gala (purchase tickets on the right hand side) I am helping with on February 20th, I am also happy to announce that I will also be contributing my makeup services to "Hope For Haiti Beauty Benefit".

This fabulous beauty-filled day is being organized by the wonderful makeup artist, beauty blogger, and W Network Beauty Expert, Rhia Amio (also a former Makeup Junkie contributor). She has reached out to Toronto beauty bloggers and beauty professionals to donate their services to this amazing cause.

It will definitely be a day not to be missed! We have some amazing beauty sponsors contributing to our swag and prizes like CARGO, BALMSHELL, Cake Beauty, Face Atelier, Vidal Sassoon, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Mary Kay. We will be updating our sponsor list so stay tuned for more!

To view the event visit the Facebook page and rsvp! Here are the event details:

What: Hope For Haiti Beauty Benefit: Join us for a day of beauty fun while raising money towards relief efforts in Haiti!

Where: downtown Toronto (location details to follow)

When: Sunday, February 7th, 2010 11:00AM - 4:00PM

Ticket Price: $25 (details on where to purchase will follow). Please note: only 50 tickets are being sold so rsvp fast!

More details: The Hope for Haiti Benefit will feature Toronto beauty pros donating make-up and hair services to raise money for Haiti. Participants are asked for a minimum donation of $25 for an afternoon of beauty services, hors d'oeuvres and fun!

Services include the following beauty stations:
1. Eyebrow Know-How: Have your brows professionally tweezed, and learn how to fill them in properly.

2. Mini Mani: Polish off your look with the latest colours in nail trends.

3. Smoky Eye Make-over: Once you're done at this beauty station, you'll be looking for somewhere to go on Sunday night! :)

4. Hair: Learn tips and tricks on how to make-over your hair, without cutting it!

5. Before and After Photobooth: Perfect for updating your Facebook profile photo :)

Participants will receive goodie beauty bags and there will also be beauty prizes up for raffle!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Participating services:

MAKE-UP:
Rhia Amio (http://www.artistrhi.com)
Joy David-Tilberg (http://make-upjunkie.blogspot.com)
Ande (http://www.makemeoverservices.com)
Maggie Ng (http://www.maggieng.com)

HAIR:
Suzie Choi Bridal Hair (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzie-Choi-Bridal-Hair/155570319978?ref=ts)

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Get the Look: Drew Barrymore Pretties Up the SAG Awards

Photo credit: justjared.buzznet.com

Drew Barrymore's winning look at the SAG Awards complimented her win for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries! I adored her look from head to toe.

Photo credit: latimesblogs.latimes.com

Get the Look:

The inspiration behind her glamorous beauty look was took a cue from the 60's Brigitte Bardot and Sharon Tate. For the makeup, Debra Ferullo, celebrity makeup artist, didn’t want to match the blue color in her dress, but rather accentuate Drew’s natural features with warm undertones.

Face:

Debra prepped the skin with a moisturizer and then used COVERGIRL Clean Liquid Makeup for normal skin followed by a highlighter and COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush in Plush Peach on the cheeks.

Eyes:

For Drew’s 60’s inspired colorful smoky eye, Debra applied COVERGIRL Smoky ShadowBlast in Bronze Fire, using the darker shade on the lid and the taupe shade in the eye crease as well as underneath the eye. She then applied a dot of the silver shade in COVERGIRL Smoky ShadowBlast in Silver Sky to the inner corner of Drew’s eye to make it pop, followed by a thin line of white eyeliner on the inner bottom eye.

She finished the eye with a heavy coat of DiorShow Blackout Mascara to the top and bottom lashes for definition.

Lips:

On Drew’s lips, Debra applied DiorAddict lipcolor in Beige Negligee #223, followed by DiorAddict Ultra Gloss in Jersey Pink #157 for a washed peach lip with a shiny finish.

www.covergirl.ca

www.dior.com

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Golden Globe Beauties

Red carpet beauty and fashion is my favourite part of award shows (although I thought Ricky Gervais was hilarious) - everything else is kind of a yawn. There wasn't really anyone that stood out as a winner to me but there was definitely a lot of pretty faces and dresses.

Beauty expert and celebrity makeup artist, AJ Crimson, dishes on his favourite beauties of the night along with tips on how to achieve their flawless looks!

Julianna Margulies:

Julianna wins top spot with AJ! Natural and fresh skin, slightly defined corners of the eye make a beautiful doe eye shape in soft taupe and gold accentuated corner lashes with a subtle cheek rose color

To get the look use water based foundation to get a clean barely-there application. On the outer corner of the eye, slightly define at the lash line into the crease. Use a soft brown shadow such as #98 by Makeup Forever or Taupe by MAC. Define the lash line with aqua black waterproof cream eyeliner, adding faux lashes on the outer corners and coat with SmashBox DNA LASH mascara.

Zoe Saldana:

Deep liner! Rim the entire eye with SMOLDER eye kohl by MAC, soften and set to prevent edges from running with Nars eye shadow in Sofia.

Kate Hudson:

I loved Kate Hudson's look. She looked stunning and classic. It was all about bronze cheek and nude lip this Spring.

To Achieve the look try SmashBox photo finish lipstick in MAGNIFICENT with Honesty by Kissable Couture on top for shine. We loved the hair softly pulled back and with a Guerlain Bronzer (Sephora.com) for the cheeks.

Anna Kendrick:

New comer - looked stunning with a soft smoky gray eye and heavy liner.

Achieve the look with lightly applied Lili Marlene cream shadow by Nars all over the lid into the crease. Set with a light sweep of #31 shadow by Makeup Forever. Finish the look with Boot black eyeliner by MAC and Covergirl Lash blast Mascara!

Kristen Bell:

The Peach cheek. Nothing says spring like full blushy cheeks. Try Style by MAC or for a rosy peach or #153 by Makeup Forever.

Mo'Nique:

Oh so radiant. Very beautiful defined doe eye, bronze golden skin, soft brown eye. This look was just great placement.

To achieve this look try Exposed lip gloss by Kissable Couture #129 and soft brown eye shadow by Makeup Forever.

Christina Hendricks:

Rosy cheek, classic Red lips, black liner with heavy mascara. Try Amour by Nars Shu Umera eye pen in black with DIORShow mascara.Try adding some faux lashes for added drama! VERY MAD MEN!

My faves:

Loved AJ's choices but here are a couple of others to add to the list!

Drew Barrymore:

I've loved Drew Barrymore since I was a kid. She has this fresh youthfulness about her and her look at the Golden Globes was exactly that. The dress wasn't my favourite - the shoulder/waist tinsel decoration kind of threw me off but she still managed to land her first Golden Globe!

Meryl Streep:

Meryl Streep can do no wrong. She is one of my absolute favourite actresses and always carries herself with such grace and elegance. Did anyone get a good look at her skin? Fabulous! Glowing and radiant.

Who were your favourite beauties at the Golden Globes this year?

www.AJCrimson.com

Photo credit: JustJared.buzznet.com

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Beauty Feature: Lancome Goes For Gold

What's all the fascination with gold? To celebrate this winning colour, Lancome has partnered with Canadian artist, Raphael Mazzucco, and his wife and makeup artist, Lisa-Marie, to create the limited edition Winter collection, Gold Fascination. Also former athletes, the line and package design was inspired by Canada's best female athletes and their quest for gold at this winter's Olympic 2010 games.

When I opened my package of samples, I fell hard for these beautiful little boxes of art! It's incredible how much these photographs look like paintings. I adore them so much that I want a blown up version to hang on my walls!

Lancome La Base Pro ($42 CDN): Lancome's primer has made a little home in my makeup bag. Because of the oil-free formula, I was afraid it would only enhance my dry winter skin. It actually hydrates my complexion, leaving it soft and silky to the touch. Fine lines and large pores are smoothed out and my makeup lasts all day without any touch-ups! The price is also comparable to Smashbox's Photo Finish Oil-Free Primer.

Lancome Color Design Quad in Showstopper Style ($48 CDN): Looking for a daily staple? Showstopper Style will take you from day to night. The neutral colours and mix of pearly and matte shades allow for versatility. These shadows are also highly pigmented and didn't crease or fade at the end of the day.

Lancome Color Design Blush in Pret A Plum Sheer ($38 CDN): Plum is such a pretty colour and looks fabulous on every skin tone. I really like the texture of these cream blushes because they set to a powder finish yet still give you a flushed glow. This blush won't leave a sticky or tacky feeling on your skin. A little goes a long way - just start with a small dab on the apples of your cheek and layer until your desired shade. These blushes are also long lasting - I didn't have to retouch once!

Lancome L'Absolu Rouge in Absolute Rouge ($35 CDN): If your lips are in need of some major definition and fullness then L'Absolu Rouge will do the trick. As you age, your lips loose density and shape, but thankfully I don't have to worry about that yet. While the Pro-Xylane ingredient in the lipstick defined and plumped my lips, I didn't care much for the flowery scent. Absolute Rouge is a classic true red perfect for that Old Hollywood look - although with my medium-dark skin tone I fancy deeper reds.

What do you think Lancome Gold Fascination collection? Love it? Hate it? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

www.lancome.ca

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Beauty Feature: Cover FX

Cover FX is a popular brand amongst many of my friends and clients. However, this Makeup Junkie had never really tried the line. When I tell people this, it's usually followed by a gasp and "Really? You've never tried Cover FX?". Take back your gasps people because I finally know what the buzz is all about!

I visited the Cover FX booth at the IMATS show in Toronto. The first person to greet my friend and I was Derek Selby, makeup artist for Cityline and Cover FX. I've spent many Fridays watching Cityline's makeover shows just to see Derek beautify some lucky ladies! Wanda Longo, International Communications Director for Cover FX, was also at the table colour swatching some Cover FX fans.

Pictured up top is me with President and Co-Creator of Cover FX, Lee Graff! We chatted briefly about beauty bloggers and Cover FX recognizing bloggers as an important part of media. Lee's background as a corrective makeup specialist for patients with skin disorders and burn victims are what prompted her to start Cover FX.

Cover FX products offer a wide range of full coverage cosmetics that offer therapeutic benefits and environmental protection while being completely free of irritants. Wanda was super helpful and offered to test the products out on our skin. As you can tell in the photo below, I happily agreed (eww profile shot!). The lovely people at Cover FX sent me a few samples that were used on me at IMATS.

1. Cover FX Natural FX Water Based Liquid Foundation SPF 15: I prefer a lighter texture of foundation and was absolutely happy with the results. The foundation feels light on the skin yet covers redness and blemishes flawlessly while still looking natural. I also found it lasted all day with no touch-up required. Tip: even though it is a liquid a little goes a long way. I only needed to dab in the areas that required coverage. The product blended seamlessly with the rest of my skin so no dark outline!

2. Cover FX Setting FX Translucent Loose Mineral Powder: Wanda used this powder to set my foundation for longer-lasting results. I've been using this for the past week now and love how luminous it makes my skin look.

3. Cover FX Bronzing Powder in Golden Peach: This mineral based bronzer not only gives you a healthy glow but is good for your skin. The Golden Peach is gorgeous and definitely a universal shade. It just gives your cheeks that extra pop of colour! Tip: Derek used this bronzer as a shadow!

If you've ever shopped for a Cover FX foundation then you know it can be a little daunting if you don't know the way the colour range works. I've gone a few times with my best friend (pictured above) to shop for a Cover FX foundation and failed each time. The colours we chose were a little - ok alot off. Thankfully, Wanda gave us a little Cover FX colour lesson.

B Series: "Think Beyonce." Golden brown to Ebony undertones
C Series: Primarily Pink undertones
E Series: Neutral meaning Pink and Yellow undertones
M Series: Yellow and olive undertones

Can you guess which ones we are? Christine and I both ended up being M60! Click here to see an in-depth guide.

The gang at Cover FX were a lot of fun and extremely helpful! Thank you to Lee, Derek, Wanda and Melissa for chatting with Makeup Junkie!

Have you tried Cover FX? Makeup Junkie wants to know what you think of the popular line!

www.coverfx.com

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Beauty Feature: yaby cosmetics and Liz Yu

One of the great things of being a part of a makeup artist community and attending events for makeup artists is meeting and learning about other brands. I had learned of yaby cosmetics a few years ago from other makeup artists in the industry. When I realized that Toronto makeup artist, Liz Yu, was the genius behind the brand I knew I just had to meet her.

Well, it took us almost 3 years to officially meet in person! I had the awesome pleasure of finally meeting Liz at Toronto IMATS this year. With all the success she's had with yaby cosmetics and as an artist, her sweet and absolutely down-to-earth personality was refreshing!

The concept behind yaby and the reason the line is so popular are for the customizable and compact palettes. Liz was searching for solutions to condensing her growing kit and decided if you can't find it make it yourself! These handy palettes not only save on space, but the planet as well. Every shade comes in a refillable pan!

A swatching frenzy began when I visited the yaby booth at IMATS. The range of colours were just beautiful and highly pigmented. The top swatches are of a bronzer and some blushes. I fell in love with the bronzer - the colour was so rich and deep. My other faves were the pearl paint shadows (swatch below)! The texture felt like a cream but had a powder finish. The shadows are also saturated with colour so what you see is what you get - very important when working with photography or video.

The palettes come in a range so you can customize to your needs. One palette can hold up to 40 eye shadows - a makeup artist's dream! Sigh...if I ever get back into makeup full-time I will definitely be snatching up a few palettes!

yaby, created for the makeup artist but is perfect for makeup junkies who have a love for makeup and are tired of overflowing makeup bags! Thank you to Liz for stopping to chat with Makeup Junkie!

For more information on the products and pricing, visit www.yabycosmetics.com.

Have you tried yaby cosmetics? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

For more coverage on IMATS, click here.

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Highlights From Toronto IMATS

Makeup lovers crowding around brushes and makeup accessories

Yes, IMATS (International Makeup Artists Trade Show) has come and gone in Toronto and my post is over a week late. Better late than never?

I miss doing makeup. I miss the smiles and the happiness my beautiful clients would exude after I was finished their makeup. Life has a funny way of working, but I believe everything happens for a reason.

IMATS was an event I definitely could not miss. Being amongst makeup artists and some of my favourite beauty brands was exactly what I needed. As soon as I entered the building, I was hit with a buzz of creativity, excitement, and community. It was like I was seeing an old friend again. We picked up exactly where we left off.

Highlights:

Messy me with cutie Hung Vanngo

One of my main reasons for going to IMATS was to meet celebrity makeup artist, Hung Vanngo, who I've admired for many years. We sent each other random emails here and there, but had never officially met. He was exactly how I thought he would be; super sweet, gracious, and utterly adorable!

Makeup gurus Jackie Shawn and Hung Vanngo

To top off the night, celebrity makeup artist, Jackie Shawn, was sitting right beside Hung! I totally scored. Seriously, I get more excited meeting makeup artists than I do Hollywood celebrities! Jackie was so down-to-earth, super bubbly, and had amazing skin!

Yay! Self-shot with Jackie!

I'm a year late, but I've finally joined the Twi-hards as lame as that sounds. It was just a few weeks ago that I decided to see what all the fuss was about - Robert Pattinson. I'm not normally into extremely pale, blood-sucking men, but his mysteriously enticing character, Edward Cullen, made me want to give up my soul if only for just a moment.

Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen

Meeting Norma Hill-Patton, makeup department head for New Moon, for some reason made me a nervous, blubbering fool! Maybe it had something to do with her touching the face of a certain dreamy pale face. Yes, she would be the closest I would ever get to touching Robert Pattinson. Thankfully, she politely looked past my stuttering and blabbering and smiled for the photo anyways.

Nervous me with New Moon makeup artist, Norma Hill-Patton

There were mixed reviews of IMATS with some feeling more underwhelmed than anything else. Many expressed that IMATS seemed smaller compared to last year's Canadian Makeup Show and not enough vendors were present. Despite these details, I felt renewed and energized again. As much as I love makeup, this year's IMATS was more about reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.