The Makeup Show LA Photo Diary - Recap & Haul

Hello, everyone! I did not officially announce it, but I was generously granted a Press Pass to The Makeup Show in Los Angeles last Sunday, so I had the opportunity to stop by and snap these photos for you. I attended the Show several years ago with Elessa of Pursebuzz and had a wonderful time. There were plenty of workshops and seminars as usual, and many industry insiders were out and about during the Show. Last Sunday morning was truly enjoyable, as I much preferred the more intimate environment (in comparison to IMATS) as well as the new and unexpected presence of higher-end brands. I was most excited to photograph Hakuhodo brushes and check out brands like Jouer that are not as easily accessible in stores. 

Hakuhodo Displays -- My favorite collection by Hakuhodo below is the S series, look at the lovely orange lacquer! I will purchase a couple soon, since I know many of you are curious to see if these brushes are worthy of their price tags. Hakuhodo utilizes a lot of blue squirrel, my favorite natural hair for face brushes (incredibly soft). CLICK TO SEE MORE PHOTOS!

I loved examining all the Hakuhodo eye brushes, as there were so many smaller eye brushes! Many of the eye brushes on the mainstream market splay out too much, distributing too much color. I adore the pencil and smudger style brushes.. my wishlist is so long already! One positive thing to note is that the majority of these basic eye brushes are reasonably priced, around the price of MAC eye brushes. The face brushes require so many more bristles, however, making them exponentially more expensive.

I was not aware that Hakuhodo made foundation brushes until attending this year's The Makeup Show! Above are goat and synthetic blends, best for face products. I will be purchasing one of these eventually, as they had just the right amount of resistance against the back of my hand. I am surprised I have not seen a review of these online yet, but perhaps I have not been paying enough attention.

Now for the Hakuhodo Traditional Yachiyo brushes, which are wonderful cheek and highlighter brushes. I still prefer the black version by NARS, as I find that looks more sleek and chic!

Ellis Faas -- I was excited to encounter such an exclusive luxury brand at The Makeup Show! The displays were unique and fun, and I love that the brand offers so many variations of lipsticks and lipglosses. I was very interested in testing out the foundations, since as you all know by now that I adore face makeup. Any feedback? I picked up samples and will start testing them this weekend to see if they match me. Also, take a look below at the ammo belt on the bust! Military inspiration has never before paired so well with makeup.

Kevyn Aucoin -- If you have watched my video reviews, you will know I do adore KA's Sculpting Powder. I have said before it is more of a professional product, as the product is so pigmented and rich. "Use a light hand" is an understatement. But his Candlelight highlighter is smooth and creamy, the eyeshadows are classic and blendable, the blushes are bright yet wearable. I had never taken a good look at his nail polishes, but I adored the red glitter and some of the more neutral rosy shades!

Jouer -- I first encountered Jouer earlier this year when I received a sample of one of their lip glosses from Beauty.com. I never realized they offered so many shades! There were quite a few I was interested in, like the peaches (of course) and the sizzling red shade. I think the utilitarian packaging is modern and sleek. More to add to my wishlist!

Koh Gen Do -- I have purchased many Koh Gen Do items in the past when they were only available at Bergdorf's or online, so it was great to see the brand making moves and appearing at a makeup convention. They have not released any new products recently, but I am planning to test out their powder foundation soon! And yes, I still love their Massage Milk (a must-have for dry skin).

Parian Spirit -- My favorite brush cleanser! I do not use MAC's brush cleanser, as Parian Spirit is inexpensive and comes in many forms (spray bottle, full size bottles, wipes). These are great for traveling artists and for those looking for easy maintenance of eye brushes. I deep cleanse my brushes, however, with a combination of olive oil and antibacterial dish soap.

Mehron -- I have seen these colorful creme palettes used in many YouTube makeup tutorials as bases for creative looks. I focus more on editorial looks and designer releases, however, so this brand does not fall into my niche but their palettes offer so much variety! Makeup professionals and novices alike around bound to have fun with these colorful pans, which are available in singles. Apparently, they have released new foundations and concealers, which did seem to offer a large shade range.

Naked Cosmetics Pigments -- I have been interested in Naked since I saw Leesha of xSparkage work with them. They seem to be much more finely milled than MAC pigments, and they mix into a gorgeously smooth paste that sets well. There is variety in color and texture, and now they offer glitters! This brand is definitely worth checking out if you do not mind working with loose powders. These also stack up, making storage convenient!

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics -- This vegan brand has grown so much in range and presence. I am very impressed by their newly packaged nail polishes, which I will reviewing for you next week. I posted a photo of the green shade below on my Instagram HERE! The Spring collection of Lip Tars are wearable, and I have found that mixing them with other lipsticks and lip glosses is actually quite fun! Lip brush and exfoliated lips required. I love the blue glitter that you can see below.. would you like to see it in a makeup tutorial sometime? I own it, and have owned it, for several years now!

Senna -- An established brow authority! I did not realize they carried a full line of eyeshadows and cosmetics, but their brow palette (complete with powder and wax) was their stand out in my opinion. Freelance makeup artists, you will love this! 

Stila -- One of my favorite "fun" makeup brands. Stila is colorful and inventive yet still wearable. I think they make makeup applying enjoyable, and their products are generally worthy of their price tags.  Packaging is not fussy and individual colors are easy to spot, which I know many of you find agitating when it comes to some designer brands.

The palettes above are new, and the embossed motif on the surface of the palette is a bold move by Stila. I love they took the time and effort to switch up their packaging! Does it remind me a bit of Givenchy eyeshadow palettes? Yes. But is the pigmentation of the Stila palettes better? Yes, especially given the price point. The Stila booth was humming with activity, however, so I could not take a closer look. I would like to swatch and experiment with them more later.

Now for the Stila Sparkle liquid and pencils liners, which are some of the must-haves in my makeup arsenal! I would like to collect them all one day. These are performance products at a great price! Wearing a bright, glittery liner is the perfect way to spruce up your makeup routine and break up a boring black and brown cycle. They last through swimming at the beach and do not flake off into my sensitive eyes.

Stila has always excelled with lip products, and I fondly recall twisting up their brush-on glosses as a teenager. Now they have pencils, lipsticks, and so much more to experiment with! They have a hybrid lipstick-balm blend (in the silver bullets above) that I am very curious to try. Have any of you purchased and tried some?

Velour Lashes -- My FAVORITE false eyelashes brand! They have three new natural/shorter models available (top 3), but I skipped them to stock up on my beloved T Dot Ohhhs. I also like the Lash in the City model for an overall full lash look. I plan to try other styles in the future, but no other lashes are this lightweight and comfortable to wear. Expensive, yes, but positively worthwhile! I only notice lifting at the corners after a dozen wears or so.

Now last but not least.. MY HAUL! 

I purchased two pairs of Velour Lashes, some very underwhelming Cult Nails polishes, and a Hakuhodo cheek brush that I adore! I will review all of these products fully in my March Favorites episode to launch later this month. Hope you enjoyed this post, see you at the Show next year!