Event: L'Oreal Luxe Beauty Blogger Holiday Party!

I'm really lucky to know so many wonderful people in the beauty world. When I entered the beauty blogging world almost 6 years ago, I didn't know what it would mean for my life. I'm very thankful that I get to test out products for free, blog about them, and get invited to swanky events. I have a healthy addiction to products, but that's not why I blog. I really do love to write and connect with other beauty fanatics.

What do you get when you put a group of beauty bloggers in one room? A bunch of lushes who pose endlessly in front of a camera, hilarious photos, and giddy excitement and squeals over products. 

PR powerhouses and sweeties, Isabelle and Kristina, hosted a beauty blogger holiday party on behalf of L'Oreal's Luxe brands like YSL, Giorgio Armani, Shu Uemura, Biotherm, and Victor & Rolf. This event was the first time in almost 2 years that I've attended one. I made a point to make it out for this one because Isabelle and Kristina have been amazing and I finally wanted to put faces to their lovely names! Plus, I got to hang out with some of my favourite beauty bloggers and friends some I haven't seen in years!

Reviews to come of the amazing products that we received - all I can say is that these holiday collections are a must-have. It was some serious swag! I'm so forever grateful!! 

Check out pictures from the party courtesy of L'Oreal and my Crackberry. Thanks again for one of the most fun events I've been to!

Say wha??? Naughty or nice? I guess I've been a very nice blogger!

Blogger babes Lisa from Beauty Crazed, Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews, and Stephanie from Blush Pretty.

The gorgeous Isabelle showing us the new lovelies from Armani. Uh, hi can I tell you how much I love the Maestro Foundation????

The stunning and bubbly Rema from The Burgundy Book. Isn't that hot red lippie from Armani amazing??

I loved Julie, the MUA doing Elaine's makeup! She did my makeup too. On Elaine she gave her some Old Hollywood glama - gorgeous! And there's preggers Steph photo bombing! 

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Prettiest gifts I ever did see! The lovely Kristina and Arianne from Glitter Geek.

Splurge worthy. Love these shadow palettes that can be worn wet or dry!

The adorable Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemura collection.

Here we go trying to come up with a sexy pose. I could not "smize". Tyra would be disappointed.

Charlie's Angels? Sexy right?

Aww aren't we a pretty group? Back row: Jessica from Beautizine, Isabelle, Lisa from Beauty Crazed, Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews, me.
Middle Row: Christine from Perilously Pale, Arianne from Glitter Geek, Steph from Blush Pretty.
Front Row: PR rep (opps don't know her name!), Rema from The Burgundy Book, and Kristina.

Fall 2012: Beauty Favourites From Canada's Top Beauty Bloggers!

Photo Source: iVillage Canada

Itching to indulge in Fall's latest beauty must-haves? Who am I kidding? You've probably already have. iVillage Canada features some Fall favourites from some of Canada's top beauty bloggers - and I'm one of them! Thanks iVillage!

Beauty Buzz: Makeup Junkie Makes iVillage Canada's Top Blogger List!

Makeup Junkie is gushing! Thanks iVillage for listing us on the list of 8 top beauty bloggers to know in Canada! I'm glad to be among some of my favourite bloggers. Check out iVillage Canada now to get to know us! 

Makeup Junkie Buzz: Featured On Beauty Nine To Five!

Makeup Junkie has been featured along with other fantastic beauty bloggers on Beauty Nine to Five! Own a beauty brand or business? Work as a beauty professional and in need of employment? Beauty Nine to Five is a "beauty career website that brings beauty industry employers and job seekers together...". Where was a site like this when I was starting out in beauty?? 

It's a great platform and resource for beauty professionals in Canada so be sure to check it out! 

beautyninetofive.com

IMATS Toronto 2011 Part 2: The Experience

Like many makeup junkies, I look forward to IMATS like it's Christmas. For a makeup artist and anyone who is interested in makeup and artistry, IMATS is makeup playground. It's the perfect opportunity to build your kit if you're just starting out or to replenish things like sponges, wands and other accessories. It's also a great event to score some amazing deals on foundations. I always stock up on foundations because the prices and packages are usually phenomenal. IMATS also hosts an amazing line up of key speakers where you can learn a thing or two from top industry artists. You'll also see models walking around painted in the most fantastical and eye popping designs. 

 Crazy right? I love it! This makeup artist from Make Up For Ever is amazing!

 Nigel's had 15 lashes for $20, cheaper sponges, and mascara wands plus the ZPalette was $4 cheaper than at Alcone's!

And of course there are the amazing vendors which keep getting better and better each year. The vendors that do really well are the ones that offer amazing discounts and promotions. I'm always surprised at brands that offer wimpy discounts or no promotions at all. I also found that you really have to comparison shop before purchasing. I was really disappointed that I purchased sponges and brushes from Crown when Nigel Beauty Emporium and bdellium were offering much better prices.

Another reason to attend is to meet up with other makeup artists and beauty bloggers so if you run into any don't be afraid to say "hi". My friend and I attended the show in the afternoon so I sadly missed out on seeing some of my blogger friends. But I did run into Arianne (The Glitter Geek), Anjali (Rock That Look), and Naomi (Styleyes). I was talking to someone else about how the blogger presence didn't seem that big this year, but maybe that's because we were all dispersed or came at different times. It would have definitely felt weird if I didn't see a single blogger.

I love meeting new vendors. I snapped a photo with Edward from bdellium tools. Edward and his business partner (forgot his name) were such nice guys and very helpful. I'm really excited about my brushes and look forward to seeing them again next year! I'm thinking of selling some of my current brushes and stocking my kit with bdellium! I know their Maestro line is a tad better because of the nickle-plated brass ferrule (lasts longer), but I adore the yellow handles! Maybe I'm just bored of all black - shocking!

It felt kind of odd not buying anything from Face Atelier this year even though I wanted to pick up their new Facade lip and cheek stain. I swore I would not get any colour cosmetics and I'm glad I stuck to my plan! But I still had to stop by the booth to see my girl, Eunique, working her magic! 

This is the MUFE booth later in the day. The crowd around them finally died down!

I love their Aqua Creams and wanted to pick up a few more, but I restrained myself. I'm not in total need of any, but wanted to pick up a few of the lip/cheek shades for my bridal kit. These work amazing in the humid heat!

These are the gorgeous founders and creators of my new favourite faux lash brand, Velour Lashes. Mabel and Angela were absolutely sweet! If you have a friend that loves faux lashes as much as you do, these mink fur lovelies make a perfect gift for the holiday. Or better yet, splurge on a pair (or two) for yourself!

This year, it was all about the shopping for me and my friend. With two kids each, it's hard for us mamas to get out and shop! I've made a promise to myself that next year I will do much less shopping and go to all the seminars and workshops. I usually miss out because I'm too busy shopping! Thank you to Makeup Artist Magazine for putting on another terrific IMATS! Until next year!

Check out more IMATS posts from these blogs! If you missed my IMATS haul click this link!

Glitter Geek

Makeup by Donna Marie

Loretta 
Spiced Beauty

Toronto Beauty Reviews

La Vie en Rose Special 20% Off For Their Favourite Bloggers And Our Readers!

It's nice when brands show their appreciation for bloggers. Unlike magazines, most of us don't get paid to write about beauty products. We do it because we love it.

La Vie en Rose has created a special Blog Fan Facebook tab for bloggers and their readers to enjoy 20% off regular priced merchandise including all the new Christmas styles! It is exclusively on-line and for Canadian shoppers only (sorry to my U.S. and International readers!).

The promo will run now until November 12 so hurry and get your Christmas shopping started! I've had a special preview of their Christmas items - very cute stuff! To access the special promo, you must 'Like' the La Vie en Rose Facebook page to access the promo code. 

http://www.facebook.com/lavieenrose?sk=app_17291228946780

Enjoy! Thank you La Vie en Rose!

www.lavieenrose.com

CityLine Show Full of Bloggers = A Rowdy, Chatty, and Gorgeous Bunch!

(Warning: Most pictures appear blurry and have bad lighting. You can blame that on my Blackberry!)

Pre-show: getting set up and bloggers seated.

I've always wanted to sit in the audience of CityLine, particularly during one of the Fashion Friday episodes. But when I was invited to join the audience for a special Blogger episode I jumped on the chance - couldn't be more perfect!

Me and familiar face Anita from, From L.A. With Love and Primped and Proper,  waiting for the show to start.

The show was aimed at bloggers and how social media has changed all different industries from design, food, being a working mommy, and of course beauty! I had no idea who would be attending so when I arrived, I was immediately greeted with the familiar smiling faces of my fellow beauty bloggers. Everyone looked gorgeous and colourful. The energy in the green room was super hype especially when CityLine's stunning host, Tracy Moore, came in the room to say hi!

The two gorgeous Tracy's - Tracy Peart and Tracy Moore!

The show had some great guests including Erica Ehm from Yummy Mummy Club and one of my favourite makeup artists CityLine's awesome Tracy Peart! This was the only show where audience members could tweet and be on their phones. It was hilarious to see everyone's heads down furiously tweeting away! 

Each guest gave many wonderful tips on Do's and Don'ts of social media. Tracy P. had a good one that I also see often - if you're leaving a comment on another blogger's site don't include a your own website's url. I get it - you want to give your site more exposure but it may come across as spamming someone's site and the comments don't seem genuine. Other bloggers will eventually follow your blog if you visit and comment on their site regularly.

My favourite part of the show was of course the beauty segment with Tracy P.! She shared her favourite beauty products to use: cult classic L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara (used to be a staple of mine - forgot how much I loved it! Will have to pick up the water-proof version.), Vasanti Liquid Cover Up, Hard Candy Visibly Wet Lip Pencil, and a new favourite of mine M.A.C.'s Greasepaint Stick in French Quarter. I have been using this a lot and I love it! Best part - we got to take Tracy's favourites home along with some other awesome giveaways! Tracy is always giving tips on her beauty blog and does beauty how-to videos on CityLine.ca - be sure to check her out for some pro tips!

I asked Tracy a few questions about beauty and social media - here's what she had to say!

MJ: Favourite Spring makeup trend?

Tracy: My favorite makeup trend for Spring 2011 is bright, brilliant, neon colors for the eyes. Whether it be an eyeshadow all over the eye or an eyeliner just to accent the eye. I'm excited about BOLD colors being IN again!

MJ: Favourite product for Spring trends?

TP: My favorite product that will work with the Spring Trend, is an oldie but a goodie "Electric Eel" Eyeshadow by MAC. It's an outgoing color that can be worn subtly or loudly!

MJ: Best thing about starting your blog and being on Twitter?

TP: Best thing about blogging and being on Twitter is all the new people I've come into contact with. Whether it's makeup companies, or the everyday woman who looks to my blog for advice, or fellow Bloggers like you! Before being involved with social media, I didn't know them and they didn't know me. For instance, you and I met at a Blogger Party and remain in contact via Twitter! It's GREAT!

And it's true - love Twitter for connecting with other like-minded peeps! Thanks Tracy!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to stick around after the show to get more pictures and to attend the Tweetup at the ritzy Ritz Carlton. It was a fun experience and it's always good to see my beauty blogger sistas! The show airs March 29 at 9 am so don't miss it! Thank you to CityLine and Tracy P. for the invite! Here are some more photos from the show!

Me tweeting away with lovely bloggers, Anjali from Rock That Look and Anita! Photo courtesy of Michelle from Lipstick Rules!

My lovely gal Jenn from Spiced Beauty and Michelle.

Some of the great beauty bloggers at the show: 

Jill: Batting A Lash
Farah : Faces By Farah
Jenn: Spiced Beauty
Anita: Primped and Proper
Anjali: Rock That Look
Nancy: Nancy Power Makeup Artist
Michelle: Lipstick Rules

IMATS Toronto 2010: The Makeup, The Artists, The Beauty Bloggers

The Filipina crew: Me with Arianne (The Glitter Geek) and Michelle (Lipstick Rules)

UPDATE: Forgot to mention a THANK YOU to Arianne for the ride!

IMATS is like Christmas to me; I wait in anticipation all year for this one day! As soon as I strolled in with fellow beauty bloggers, Arianne and Michelle, I was giddy and instantly felt an exciting vibe in the air. Besides the makeup, makeup shows are always one big makeup reunion.

The Face atelier booth was our first stop. I was so happy to see my girl, Eunique, working and manning the swarm of girls. 

I think pretty much everyone I know went home with some Face atelier products. I wish I had bought more because the discounts were awesome but I mustered up the willpower to stick with my list!

 

L-R Top: Face atelier Ultra Foundation Pro, Embryolisse 24 Hour Miracle Cream, Kett Sett Powder, Stila Custom Blush 

L-R Bottom: yaby Cosmetics Liquid Foundation, mascara wands (Alcone)

I always love seeing what other beauty junkies buy. I think it says a lot about your personality. In my case, my makeup haul looks kind of boring! I'm all about giving good skin - that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. I pretty much bought products that were for my kit with the exception of the Stila Custom Blush (stay tuned for review). The idea of a candy pink blush adjusting to my skin tone intrigued me, but mainly the colour just caught my eye and is a shade I don't have in my kit. I wasn't planning to purchase anymore foundations, but when Liz Yu, creator of yaby, described the finish as "like a baby's soft skin" I couldn't resist! Plus, these tubes were only $8! Stay tuned for my review!

Michelle and Arianne were a hoot to shop with! Check out some fun pictures from the event and all the awesome people I ran into. I didn't have a lot of time to really take advantage of the two days so there were a lot of people I didn't meet and workshops and seminars I didn't have a chance to attend but there's always next year!

Hilarious Arianne going gaga over the OCC Lip Tars "It almost covers my whole hand!" LOL

 

The beautiful ladies from CoverFX: Melissa, Wanda and Katherine

Michelle and Arianne going swatch crazy at NYX

Lovely Naomi from StylEyes with her fabulous friends!

Ran into YouTube makeup guru, Koren from EnkoreMakeup! He stopped me because we have the same flashing wheels on our Zuca :)

Click here to view more photos. 

Overall, I had a great time hanging with other beauty bloggers and shopping the booths. The Toronto Congress Center was a great venue, although I don't think it was any bigger than last year at The Exhibition Place. As for location, I hope that IMATS next year will be downtown. Mississauga is just not central enough and isn't easily accessible by transit. On the upside, a shuttle bus was provided which I'm sure helped but I don't know how frequent it was. 

This year, waiting to pay for products was painful. The lineups at some booths were ridiculously long which deterred me from wanting to buy products. I know having a designated line for paying is meant to be efficient and keep order but at the same time it just wasn't. Then again, this year seemed much busier and that is a good thing. There was a few complaints from some bloggers about IMATS feeling "small" and the truth is that Toronto is on a smaller scale compared to other cities. This is only IMATS' second year in Toronto. I felt this year was better than the last and I'm sure it will get better every year. It makes sense to start out small and test out the waters so to speak. It's obvious a lot of money and time goes into a convention like this so everyone involved has to be confident that it will be worth it. This year new brands were added like M.A.C. and Stila, which is a good sign that more brands will jump on board the more exposure IMATS receives in Toronto. There is definitely a market for IMATS in Toronto thanks to our growing makeup artist and beauty blogging community! 

Thank you to the creators of IMATS for an amazing event! I'm already looking forward to next year's!  I had a great time shopping, seeing old friends and making some new ones. Oh, and if I can make one request on a must-have keynote speaker for next year, it would be the talented celebrity artist, Andrea Claire!

Some fab ladies I ran into and some I missed - be sure to check out their recap of IMATS!

Lipstick Rules blog

Glitter Geek

Lucky Makeup

Tracy Peart

Faces by Farah

ArtistRhi

Rock that Look

Lelo Artistry

Rasilla from In a Nutshell

Beauty Parler

Spiced Beauty

Makeup by Delia

Makemeover Ande

Icy Swirls

Youtuber Fiona

Makeup By Donna Marie

Zina Rox

JilloJello

Naomi from StylEyes

Nancy Power Makeup Artist

My apologies if I missed anyone! What was your favourite or not-so-favourite part of IMATS? What must-have products did you stock up on?

www.imatsshow.com

Beauty News: NTM Model Competition!

Calling all aspiring models! The fabulous makeup artist, Lelo, and the team at NTM Studios are hosting another model competition that will take place from November 15 to November 21. The winner will receive $1000 cash prize! 

To view the competition details visit www.nexttopmodelstudios.com. Will you be the last one standing? Hurry up and enter!

Guest Review: Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner

With celebrities like Rihanna and Katy Perry sporting them on the red carpet, colored liners have become very popular. I currently started to wear them on my lower lids when I don't have time for a full eye look.

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner in Teal ($22 USD): This innovative gel-based waterproof liner stays blendable for 60 seconds then dries to a smudge-proof, budge-proof finish that lasts all day. Jet Set is perfect for lining the inner rim of the eye or as a stay-put traditional liner.

The pros about this liner:

This liner is honestly smudge-proof & budge-proof! It doesn't move which is good if you have oily lids. Also the waterproof factor is amazing! Living in Canada, we will be dealing with a lot of rain and snow soon, so the waterproof aspect will be a god sent!

Liner in Teal applied with the MAC 209

Water has been applied

The liner rubbed five times with my fingers

The con about this liner:

The only bad thing I can say about this liner is it's way too small!! The box it comes in is a pretty good size, so I thought it would be larger.

Overall I like this liner because I don't have check my liner throughout the day to make sure it's not running! I would give it 4/5 because of the size.

www.smashbox.com

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

Beauty News: CoverFX International Treasure Hunt!

(Picture heavy!) :)

Start the first day back to school with a treasure hunt! The lovely team at CoverFX has organized this amazing treasure hunt taking place in select cities in Canada, US, and the UK. I love contests that really get the fans involved. CoverFX's last event was a successful flash mob that took place all over but I have to say the treasure hunt tops it all! Click on the poster to enlarge for contest details and visit their Facebook page!

Last week I attended a fabulous event to celebrate the launch of CoverFX's newest star, EyePrep FX. I'm already a huge fan of their primers so I knew I would fall in love with this one. Not only is it an eye primer for your concealer, foundation and eye shadow but it's also an eye cream!

I spoke with Co-creator, Jenny Frankel, who informed me that it's better not to layer the EyePrep FX over your traditional eye cream as it may affect the 'stay put' primer quality. However, if you just can't live without your favourite eye cream, Jenny suggests applying EyePrep FX during the day and your night cream at night. But to reap the full benefits of EyePrep, it's best to use both day and night. It's also made without silicone so for all you oily lids your shadow won't slip and slide throughout the day. 

I had a blast at the event (despite the heat and sweat!) seeing all my fellow blogger buddies and meeting new ones. And of course, it's always a pleasure being able to chat with CoverFX creators, Lee and Jenny! Thank you to the fabulous Marketing Co-Ordinator, Melissa Shum, for throwing a great event and wearing those fantastic purple heels! 

Sh-wag!

Gorgeous ladies Monica from Beauty Parler and Jennifer from Spiced Beauty

Co-creator Lee Graff demonstrating EyePrep FX on the lovely Melissa Shum

Clearly EyePrep FX works! The colour is definitely more vibrant.

More gorgeous ladies and sporting the "glow"! Rhia from ArtistRhi, Anjali from Rock That Look, and Farah from FacesByFarah

The awesome Lee Graff and Jenny Frankel! Love Lee's dress!

The fabulous International Communications Director, Wanda Longo and Lee

Celebrity makeup artists of the night Tracy Peart from CityLine and Lucky B from MTV Canada!

Me (and my "glow") with some pretty fabulous women!

I'm really bad with names - sorry! Jill from Jillo Jello, Arianne from GlitterGeek and moi. 

Rhia and I getting our sweat glow on!

Hot!

Melissa's killer purple platforms!

Uber talented MUA, Lelo, from Ramblings of An Artist. I love how we're resting our sweaty heads on each other!

I heart you Lucky!

www.coverfx.com