Hello fellow artists!

IMATS LA 2015

IMATS LA 2015


As a former pro makeup artist, I receive many questions - from my classes to the products I use, so I've learned to keep a record of it here. These are the things I HIGHLY RECOMMEND for my fellow pro makeup artists!

I'll do my best to keep these links up to date, but if they are not, please feel free to email me here.


SCHOOLS / TRAINING

San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology - this is where I went to school for esthetics.  They try to pack 900 hours into 600 - so we learned SO MUCH! 

MAKEUP TRADE SHOWS

IMATS - definitely worth your time and $$. This one will have a mix of Beauty / Film & TV / Special FX brands.

THE MAKEUP SHOW - always worth your time and $$. This one will mostly have Beauty / Film & TV / and a few Special FX brands. Some wellness too. I always love the makeup sessions at this show.

PHAMEXPO - I went in 2018. It was way different than last year. The location moved from Pasadena to DTLA. Parking was $20 and there weren't as many vendors as the year before, it was pretty dead while I was there on Saturday. So much so, that I didn't even go back on Sunday. There were lots of picture opportunities tho! I hope things pick up for next year because this is usually my mid-summer shopping fun! Best show to go with friends.

BEAUTY TRADE SHOWS

IBS/IECSC Las Vegas - I’ve been a couple of times and loved it! Lots of skincare, some hair brands, and lots of nail brands. It was HUGE! So wear comfy clothes and shoes. Lunch is pricey, but they had yummy well-known restaurant food. They also had a reliable bag check so you didn't have to carry around your heavy bags. Note for those flying to Vegas: find a way to ship your aerosols before buying them! The FedEx in the Convention Center was open but refused to ship anything that was compressed. They wouldn't even ship via ground. Next time, I'm driving to this one!

ISSE by Pro Beauty Association - This one is mostly for Cosmetologists. They do have some makeup brands now too, thanks to The Powder Group.

BEAUTYCON (LA) - This is more for consumers but I think it would be great for getting a pulse on the beauty youtube and blogger industry. Prepare for super long lines and lots of fun products to try!

SKINCARE TRADE SHOWS

Face & Body (San Jose, CA) - Worth it! They have a lot of brands that even IBS/IECSC didn't have. I would say this is the best skincare show out of all the shows.

International Esthetics, Cosmetics and Spa Conference (Las Vegas) WORTH IT! See IBS above for details.

ARTIST GROUPS

THE POWDER GROUP - you pay for a membership, but you get what you put into it. That's the best way to describe it. Personally, I love the community. It helped me adjust to moving SF to LA. I dunno what I would have done without these guys! And the classes are always worth every penny. I love the community, I love the artists. I have so much fun with my TPG fam! 


MUA CLASSES (worth your time & money)

MUSE BEAUTY PRO (SF) - I've taken all their classes except the Editorial or Trending Tour. Alphonse is awesome and very patient. I love the stories he tells from his high fashion makeup artist days. The classes are designed and broken out really well. Very well thought out. And you work with great products, learn a ton and the hands-on is great!! You definitely walk away feeling like it was worth the money. These classes are a bit more technical, so they are good for MUAs.

SARAH DEAN (SF East Bay) - I took one of her classes and she shared a lot of great tips from her many years of working from MAC - so insightful! Sarah makes it fun and enjoyable. This class was geared more towards makeup lovers and beauty enthusiasts.

MAKEUP / KIT TOOLS

My Makeup Chair - Tuscany Pro (tall)

Away Suitcases In Black - I love these because I can configure and tetris style my smaller makeup cases inside these suitcases. I have the carry-on and the bigger carry-on. They are easy to wipe down. And have 4 wheels to make moving my cases easier.

Lighting System - The Makeup Light, has been go-to for almost a year now. I love how versatile they are. You can have it on a stand, on a suction cup to a mirror, or clipped onto something. It's amazing and more compact than some of the other lighting systems I've had.

My Set Bags - Loving the new KatKit Aircraft (with the hot iron pad) for all my hair products and tools. It's pretty lightweight too once it's all zipped up! And then I really love the KatKit Location bag, the size is perfect for me to carry around, not too heavy but can carry a ton of stuff!

My Brush Holder - Brushfolio from Priscilla Ono I love this one for weddings and places where I can sprawl out on a table. It makes things look pretty and clients feel special. the only thing is that it does not hold a ton of big brushes so I had to buy a couple of these so that I could carry all of them. Also, it will not carry any uniquely shaped brushes like the NARS Ita, so you have to carry that separately.

Brushfolio x 2

And for smaller jobs or just for personal travel, my friends and I really like this brush book from Esum. I can easily fit 2-3 sets of makeup brushes in it. 

My cart to carry my chair & kit long distances - Magna Cart Flatform on amazon. This has saved me so many times!!! WORTH EVERY PENNY!!