IMATS officially landed in New York City for the first time this past weekend. If you’re not familiar with IMATS it stands for the International Make-Up Artist Trade Show and it’s hosted by Make-up Artist Magazine. Make-up enthusiasts and artists flock to this trade show for mix of products, demonstrations and education from recognized industry leaders like Eve Pearl and Lan Nguyen. The exhibitor list varied from well know brands like Stila and Inglot as well as newer brands like Naked Cosmetics.

One of my favorite part of the trade show is the special effects part. I spent a lot of time on the main floor observing the flawless execution of the special effects makeup. One piece that stood out the most was a prosthetic replica of Jake Gyllenhaal, it looked so life-like that I stopped by three times just to look at it. It amazes me how talented some make-up artists are.

After I viewed all of the special effects presentations I headed to the vendor floor. As I began to walk around I noticed someone that I am a huge fan of. I am normally not star struck but Queen of Blending is kind of a big deal so when I saw her I had at the Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics booth I HAD ask for a pic. She is absolutely one of the sweetest (and most talented) people that you will ever meet, she truly creates art.

Even though I arrived early the trade show was extremely packed so unfortunately I was not able to capture all the demonstrations and the booths. However I was able to snap this picture of a make-up demonstration at the Mehron booth. Adorable huh?

Another major part of IMATS is the student competition where students from recognized make-up schools have applied and been accepted to take part in the contest. The Saturday contest was a beauty/fantasy competition with a tribal theme. When all the students completed their projects, attendees literally stood back in awe. The work was breathtaking.

Overall my first IMATS experience was a total success! Have you ever been to IMATS? What’s your favorite trade show?