Collective Haul | Sephora, Bath & Body Works, Bobbi Brown, and Macadamia Natural Oil

Happy, slappy Tuesday, y'all! It's the end of April today if I'm not mistaken! Which to most is a signal of 1/3 of the year coming to a close but to me it means MY BIRTHDAY IS IN 2 DAYS! I know, I know, you're tired of hearing about it. By the end of the week you won't have to hear about it again till next year ... or unless I post a haul of goodies I got, LOL. Speaking of hauls, I have a collective one to share with you all today! I've been shopping a bit here and there for some essentials and not so essentials, haha. Sephora was having their VIB sale at the beginning of the month and I took that as an opportunity to get a full-size Urban Decay Naked Skin BB after loving and squeezing out every last drop from my baby-size sample. Since I ran out of my MAC MSF a while back I figured it was time to try a new setting powder. Originally I was going to go for NARS Light Reflecting Powder but my friend Julia recommended Tarte's Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Powder, which she said is a great setting powder for drier skin as it has some ingredient that keeps moisture on your face. I don't know, but I was sold and got it! Reviews on both of these are coming to a blog post near you so stay tuned! I also got my Sephora birthday perk which is a mini sample of Benefit's They're Real (love this mascara, and I'm so glad I've never had to purchase it as it always, always comes as a sample somewhere) and a mini Benefit's WattsUp highlighter, which I actually reviewed once and wasn't a big fan of it. 

Bobbi Brown was also having a super exciting Friends & Family 20% off sale that my mom took FULL advantage of. Seriously, if Bobbi Brown makes it, my mom 100% wants it, haha! She kindly asked if I'd like anything (no doubt trying to spread the Bobbi Brown joy she is feeling) and I said no until I played with one of their lipglosses in a Sephora one night out. I ended up getting Bobbi Brown's High Shimmer Gloss in Bellini. It's such a gorgeous, everyday lipgloss with hints of silver and gold shimmers. I'm not a lip gloss gal, at all, but this one has virtually no stick to it. It's not goopy and you can barely feel it on your lips which I LOVE.

Then my ever so lovely mother surprised me with some sweet treat from Bath & Body Works after I dropped my *not-so* subtle hints about wanting some new candles. She picked up the Strawberry, Market Peach, and a baby Espresso candles (which btw, makes my entire room smell like a coffee shop!) I, like every other blogger/vlogger, love me some Bath & Body Works candles! They have the best scent throw and some of the most delicious scents I've ever sniffed! I didn't even have the heart to blow out Market Peach whilst taking these photos!

Last, but not least, are my Macadamia Natural Hair goodies that I managed to find in my Stop N' Shop (for cheaper, too!) I've been on the search for some hair products that would make my frizzy, poofy, dry, and curly hair look like I actually managed to do something with the mess. Macadamia products are raved and raved about on the blog-o-sphere and after some recommendations I bit the bullet (have you seen the price?!) and got myself the shampoo and conditioner. Well I THOUGHT I got the conditioner, turns out it's the leave in conditioner, haha! Woopsie. Still testing both of these out and the Leave-In conditioner is actually quite nice so I've decided to keep it. We'll see how I get on with them and then I'll be sure to put up my own review on the ever so hyped hair goods!

What do you lovelies think? Anything here that you've tried? What have you recently hauled? 

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FOTD: Aqua Shimmer

This is actually a face of the 'yesterday' but I won't tell if you won't ;) Sundays are 50/50 days. Sometimes it'll be a day I wear not a single trace of make up; other times it'll be a day for me to play with products I haven't touched in a while. So yesterday I decided to break out my unhealthy amount of blue liners and pop one under my lower lashline for a subtle yet really fun and sparkly pop o' color that many of us beauty gals, looooove :) It made me feel really pretty paired with the dark black liquid liner on top and made my eyes do that thing where they look uberly blue and ha-uuuge. I dug it, and I think I'll be wearing this look a lot more now that it's getting warm and is becoming socially acceptable to wear more color! 

On my foch:

• Urban Decay Naked BB as a primer
• Urban Decay Naked Skin all over foundation
• Tarte Smooth Operator powder face with Sigma Large Powder to set foundation
• Benefit's Hervana Blush blended on apples of cheeks
• Benefit's  WattsUp blended on tops of cheeks
• Sephora Liquid Liner in Noir thin line on upper lash line
• NYX Eye/Eyebrow Pencil in Aqua Shimmer (who would put this on their eyebrows?!!) line the lower lashline and stopped a little before the inner corner
• MAC Fascinating Eye Khol line the inner corner for a pop
• Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara mascara yo' lashes
• And shockingly enough, no lip color :O *gasp*

What color would you like to pop under your lower lash line? I think I'm going to try mint or purple next time!

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I ♥ Spring Tag

Hey guys! Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend. I should be starting and finishing a paper for my history class but instead have spent the day watching Spongebob and Ice Age. What a life, right? Because of my school work I haven't really had time to film so that's why no video has gone up recently, but I finally managed to film a video and do the I <3 Spring Tag that a lot of lovely people have been doing! It took me ages to put up this video because I've been trying since 10 pm last night. So this is just a quick post to let you know that it's finally up and I'd love for you guys to watch it and let me know what you think! If you haven't done this tag yet, I def. TAG YOU! to do it :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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✤ 20th Birthday Wishlist ✤

Hey everyone! Today is Thursday the 25th of April which means that my 20th birthday is just a week away! I love my birthday and I get so excited for it every year! I take birthday's quite seriously and I'm not sure why. I feel like on your birthday you and your loved ones should (at least attempt) to make sure you have a joyous day! What's strange about this year's birthday is that I'm turning 20. No more teen. People will hear 20 and expect me to act like a full fledged adult and we all know that's not happening ;) If anyone asks, it's only my 8th birthday, haha! Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a wishlist of things I'd love for my birthday! Of course they're beauty related bits but c'mon, isn't your birthday a prime time to lust after things you love but it would ache your heart to splurge on yourself? Yes, I thought so. Here's my list!

1. Estee Lauder Pure Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins | I swatched this in a duty free in Mexico before boarding my flight and instantly fell in love with the smooth, buttery-ness and beauty of these shadows. This is such a lovely duo that if I got I could see myself pairing the two colors every day!
2. Benefit's FakeUp | I LOVE THIS STUFF. I tried it out in a Sephora and was seriously overwhelmed with how fantastically it worked. I did buy it, but had to return it because I realized I didn't have the funds to pay it off. So, hopeful birthday present :)
3. LORAC PRO Palette | I always ignore products when they initially get super hyped up and when that dies down I end up falling in love with. I'm an absolute nut for matte shadows and a friend of mine basically said I need this. It's still sold out in all my Sephora's but it'd be an awesome palette to have!
4. Essie's Resort Collection | The colors in this collection of polishes by Essie are all so lovely and spring like. They remind of some of the colors that Barry M does in their Hi Shine formula and since I can't get those, I'd love these!
5. Beauty Blender | This has been on my list for quite some time and I've heard that it's fabulous for getting a flawless foundation application. 
6. NARS Sex Appeal Blush | This blush is the epitome of the perfect pale, pink, peach nude. It's gorgeous. I love it. I need it. I did buy this with the FakeUp but again, didn't have the funds to pay it off so I begrudgingly had to return. But soon, it shall be mine! I need this in my collection!
7. Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, & Lore | Self explanatory, I think, haha. It's a 200 page book about the myths and legends of mermaids which is something I've never seen before. I'd love to read up more on some of the mysteries of le mermaids :)
8. Ted Baker Kalipso Wash Bag | I've seen this bag in a lot of bloggers' 'What's In My Make Up Bag?' posts and I love how simple yet cute it looks! It took me ages to figure out where anyone got them because no one ever said, haha! My mom actually got the black one and stores her new make up collection in it. I love it, and am so jealous of hers! (Hopefully she gets bored of it so I can steal it ;) )
9. Jeffrey Campbell Litas | These shoes are SO BADASS. I'm always in ballet flats or sandals and I'd love a pair of sassy shoes I could wear to feel super ... well, sassy, haha. I think these would go great with my insane amount of plaid shirts and acid wash shorts. I don't expect to get these as a gift and even if I received enough money to buy them myself I'd still have to get the cajones to order them!

It's a long list, but hey a girl can dream can't she? This is the only time of year where my list is about a mile long! It'd be awesome to have even one of the things on this list as just imagining owning any of it makes me happy. I'm super excited for my birthday and I can't believe it's just a week away! Eep! Hope I get to eat a lot of Mexican food, YUM! :D

Anyone else a Taurus baby? ;)

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Pictures Hanging on a Wall

Did you ever notice that hardly anyone takes personal photos with a camera that's not on their phone? Seriously, think about it! When you want to snap a quick picture you grab your phone, snap it, and then upload it to Instagram to share with your friends (Unless you're that one individual who whips out their iPads, LOL). I'm not saying this as a "TECHNOLOGY HAS TAKEN OVER OUR LIVES" sort of thing. I'm coming from a place nostalagia. When you would have your pictures, print them and have a physical image in your hands. I used to print pictures from drugstores and sites like Snapfish all the time. Now, not so much and my memories are just stored on my phone, instead of a keepsake box or hung up on my wall.

A while ago I stumbled upon this site called Printstagr.am. They print out your Instagram pictures on some seriously sturdy photo paper. So I decided to order some because it seemed like just the fix I needed to my nostalgia of physical pictures and I thought I'd share with you all what I did with them! I ordered the mini squares (2.5 x 2.5 pictures that are $12 for 48) and decided to place them on my door like they were photos in a dark room that you hung up to dry. I used baker's twine, Command mini hook strips, and tiny (yet super sparkly) clothes pins from Michael's to put this whole little DIY together. I love the look of these pictures just hanging in my room. They add a personal touch that my room was seriously lacking and now I have pictures I can get up and physically look at! It's so much nicer to see them on my door than on my phone's gallery. 

If any of you lovelies have some pictures on your Instagram's that you'd love to physically have, I'd highly recommend this website/service! It's affordable, quality is great, and there's no stopping the DIY gears churning in your head! I've known people to just tape them up on their walls to create a massive collage (which sounds so awesome and I may try soon!). I know all of us blog lovelies take pride in our Instagram accounts and keep loads of keepsake pictures on their, so why not take that one step further and have something you can actually keep!

Have any of you lovelies ever used this site? What do you think?

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[CLOSED] The Mod Mermaid's 1st Birthday + Giveaway!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear bloggy, Happy Birthday to you!

Morning, afternoon, or good evening to you all! I'm a big ball of energy today because there's something so amazing at seeing your blog reach a full year! I honestly can't believe that a year ago today I sat down and wrote my first post. (It was my IMATS experience and haul post, haha!) It's exciting because I'm the type of person who gets bored with things quite quickly and once I get bored I just stop doing it, but not with my blog! I feel like I should have made cupcakes or a cake or something for such an occasion! Maybe I'll throw a party and have all the #bbloggers celebrate, haha, imagine! I'm so proud of my blog and little space on the internet. I'm happy that I found a hobby that I enjoy doing so much that let's me play with make up, write about something I love and interact with lovelies all over the country and even the world! No one in my personal life really cares too much about make up (not like we do!) so it's great to have found and stuck with a fantastic community like the #bbloggers. (I promised myself I wouldn't cry! )': )

In honor of my blog's first birthday and to treat all my lovely readers because I'm so thankful for each and every one of you and the comments you leave I've decided to host a giveaway! Now as I am without a job the prize shan't be as extravagant as I wish I could make it but what I will do is up the ante by having two winners! Oh yeah! The first winner will receive a MAC lipstick of their choice (cause we all love a MAC lipstick, don't we?!)  and the second winner will receive a Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid lipstick of their choice (I love brights, and I will make you love them too!) On top of that, this giveaway will be international! I've never had a giveaway that wasn't international because it doesn't seem fair to exclude such a wide part of my audience! 

You all know how this works! I shall leave you with this widget and just make sure to record your entries and come back for the ones you can do once a day as that'll increase your chances! There are only two mandatory entries you must complete, and you must complete both!

1. Follow this blog via GFC (only follow if you plan to stick around! none of this temporary following, it's not nice!)

2. Leave a comment below telling me :: What are your favorite blog posts to read/write? 

The rest are optional, you don't have to do them, but feel free to so that your chances to win are increased! The giveaway will run from April 19, 2013 to May 19, 2013. A whole month to enter and remember there will be TWO WINNERS! Also, please make sure that if you live with your parents that you let them know you've entered because chances are you won't tell them, you'll win, I'll send the package and you'll be questioned about this mysterious lady sending you gifts! Just avoid it, haha, and give them a heads up!

I will select the winners 1- 2 days after the giveaway closes. If I don't get a response in 48 hours a new winner will be chosen and keep getting chosen until such a time that a winner responds (how legal). Also, to the winners please give me about a week or two to send out your prize. I have to wait to hear back what colors you'd like, get to a MAC store and then a drugstore, and then get to the post which might take a little time!

Again, thank you all so so so much! I really appreciate all the love and support you've given my blog just by following, coming to read, leaving a comment, or even sharing my posts with others! I love you guys (cue cheesy music!) and here's to another year for The Mod Mermaid *clink* 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy entering! May the odds be ever in your favor ;)

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Polishes Any Mermaid Would Love

The best thing about being one of the few mermaid (don't argue with me and just let me believe!) bloggers is that I get to bring you mermaid themed posts, which are my absolute favorite to come up with and write! I've only written one other that I can remember (a gift guide for the Merfolk in your life which you can find here) and you guys seemed to enjoy it. So today I'm bringing you guys a list of some of my very favorite and very best 'mermaid' polishes. Personally I could wear these colors all year round, that's just me, but these polishes would also be great to wear for the warmer seasons! The six colors I chose, I chose because they reminded me of mermaids, the ocean, or the beach. Without further ado, here they are:

:: Deborah Lippman's Across The Universe ::

(review/swatches)

This polish always made me think of the little lagoons you find at the beach. With the dark navy base, big green glitters, and smaller blue shimmers it looks like the ocean at night. Pair it with a black polish as a base and the result will be absolutely stunning!

:: Sephora by OPI Mermaid to Order ::

(review/swatches)

This polish reminds me of the scales on a mermaid tail. The blue-teal polish is metallic and reflects light beautifully. This was my first 'mermaid' polish and I used to wear it every single day!

:: Julie G Nail Color Mermaid's Tale ::

Mermaid's Tale is the newest edition to my mermaid polish collection and I'm already in love with it! One the nails this color has some serious shine to it and looks like the shimmering water of the ocean. The base of this color is blue but when light reflects on it you can see green glimmering through the blue.

:: Deborah Lippmann's Mermaid's Dream :: 

(review/swatches)

I just noticed that I've used up half of this nail polish. WOT?! Anyway, this polish is gorgeous, stunning, and totally worth it's $18-$19 price tag. The way the seafoam green base was paired with the blue/green shimmer just reflects the epitome of what a mermaid's nail polish should be. It dries textured and looks just like you'd imagine a mermaid's tale to look like from afar.

:: Essie Turquoise & Caicos ::

This polish is the mint/teal color that every beauty girl goes searching for when the weather starts to get warm. It's a no non-sense color that's fun to pair with other brighter colors. It simple yet always reminds me of the super clear ocean water you see in pictures of islands (def. not the water where I live!)

:: Sephora by OPI Chest-nuts About You ::

Now you might be wondering why I included this nail polish shade in a post dominated by blues and greens. I almost didn't include it but every time I look at it I think of pink sandy beaches. The polish is metallic and a rose gold color. It applies smoothly but you still see little grains of shimmer that are just so reminiscent of the soft sand on beaches.

There you have it! Six polishes that are sure to remind you of majestic mermaids, beautiful ocean water, and sandy beaches. If anything, they'll just make you oh so excited for spring and summer when you'll actually be able to go to the beach! I hope some of you find a color in here you'll like and embrace your inner mermaid! If you have any polishes that remind you of mermaids please let me know! I'm always looking to add to my collection :)

Have a lovely Wednesday!

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Maybelline | ColorSensational Vivids

Hey there, hi there! I think it was about time I reviewed these beauts as I raved about them little by little when I hauled them and then in my last month's favorites. The Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids line is amazing. So amazing that I'll go so far as to say they're maybe the best line of lipsticks the drugstore has to offer (for the spring and summer, at least!) All the colors in this particular range are bright and vibrant hues of pinks, purple, oranges, and reds! All of them are right up my alley and those who are ready to embrace the neon trend for spring/summer! I think the crazy bright red packaging was perfect to represent the amazingness that awaits you inside. 

I ended up picking up two colors, although I could have easily walked away with them all! I got Shocking Coral which, like the name suggests, is a bright coral! It's almost like NARS Orgasm in a lipstick form (only a tad more bright!) I also got Vivid Rose which is a gorgeous (GORGEOUS!) pinky red! I used to think I loved blue based reds but there's something so fun about reds that have a little bit of pink sass to them! The only reason I didn't get more is because I have so many brights that some shades offered were really close dupes to ones I already had and I was trying to be good! The color pay off is sensational (pun, most definitely intended!) It's glides smoothly onto the lips and leaves opaque color in just one swipe. I love that these are such bright colors, yet not drying! They leave a sheen on the lips and while I know some beauties adore matte brights, I personally love them more when they have a little shine and moisture to them. It makes it easier to wear because you can barely feel it on your lips.

If you love wearing brights and bold lip colors I'd tell you to definitely check out this line of colors! They're going to be amazing and so much fun to wear when the weather starts to warm up. Even if you're not totally comfortable wearing such vivid colors just yet I'd say check them out anyway! You can dab this lightly on your lips so the color is bright but a sheer wash of it! You'll ease your way in to the full beautifulness of it all! These lipsticks get a big ol' two thumbs up from me! I may get some more if I'm feeling cheeky and want more of these red lipstick tubes lying around in my collection!

What do you think of the Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids? 

Are you a fan of the neon/brights for spring and summer? 

Which of these could you see yourself wearing?

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Haul | #IMATSNYC

As many of you lovely readers know, last weekend I went to this magical event called IMATS. I talk about my experience in this post right here so if you want to see how I liked it (LOVED it) and some snaps from the event itself. Today's post is all about my haul and I have to say it's a pretty impressive and exciting haul; my best one yet! For some reason there was so much more to find at this year's IMATS or maybe I was just more open to trying new brands because I came away with a hefty haul (hefty, hefty, hefty!) With not much else to say, here's what I got from IMATS!

• INGLOT | I got a two-pan eye shadow palette and two eyeshadows to put in it. The coral/orange shade is 407 and the deep plum/purple is 446. I thought these colors would look really nice together in an eye look for a summer night and if not, they're totally gorgeous on their own!
• Hakuhodo | I couldn't resist leaving this booth without something. These are the softest brushes that I've ever touched and I'm really happy my mom was generous enough buy me a blush brush (I don't have any, gasp*) and one from Hakuhodo no less! I still don't have the cajones to use it. It's too awesome!
• Morphe | Funnily enough I didn't get any brushes at Morphe, although I should have because I heard they were seriously cheap. No, I ended up getting make up removing wipes that smell like apricots. Boy, oh boy, they really do smell like apricots! They'll be fun "summer" wipes, haha!
• Lit Cosmetics | I'm going to curse right now. I lost my shit at this booth. All the glitters were just so overwhelmingly beautiful! I was pretty sure I was only going to get one glitter at this booth but no. I walked away with a Lit Kit (came with two brushes, a huge fan, a duster, and liquid glitter base) and SIX, yes, SIX glitters! I would have walked away with more but I need something to look forward to buying next year, haha! The colors I ended up getting were Margarita, Nightlife, California Soul, Peacock, Cowgirl, and Soul Sister. You can see the colors more clearly in my video below!
• Jesse's Girl Cosmetics | I really wanted to get nail polishes at this booth to stock my personal collection with colors I didn't already have but I felt guilty after getting a Hakuhodo brush and then SIX glitters. So I ended up getting 3 nail polishes instead of my intended 6. The colors are Mermaids Tale, Oh Em Gee, and Cupcakes & Castles.
• Hawaiin Moon Aloe | I left this product out of my video because I rambled on and on about it in a way that was un-editable. Basically this is a cream that is 100% aloe that's also paraben free and free of any fancy minerals and oils. It's meant to be used as a hand, body, and face cream to really rejuvenate the skin and get the circulation going. It's amazing stuff and my new moisturizer! I had a severe reaction from a facial I got earlier that week and it managed to clear all my spots in a 48 hours. To say I am impressed would be an understatement! This big bottle is going to last m a very long time!
• Ardell | The Ardell booth was the scariest of them all but I did manage to get the lashes I wanted. One of the pairs was for my mom, another for my sister and the last two were for me. The ones I chose were a pair called 'Romantic' that has crisscrossed lashes and little dabs of glitter on them (of course) and then this really beautiful pair called, well, 'Beautiful' that had lashes of different sizes (they look like little empire state buildings) and then two sets of three-triangle rhinestones on each corner. I really want to wear these to Disney World because they remind me of Mickey Mouse!
• Alcone | At the Alcone booth I was hoping to get a Beauty Blender but they were sold out. I ended up just getting a Large Black Z-Palette so my depotted Urban Decay 15th Anniversary shadows finally have somewhere to go (they've been sort of laying around since I depotted them, haha!) 

So that's all I got at IMATS NYC this year! I'm really pleased with every single thing I got and that I finally hauled and share with you all because it means I can go play with them now! I'm already looking forward to next year and if next year's haul is half as good as this one I'll be a delighted peach! Reviews of all these products will be coming soon so make sure to stay tuned for those!

Have a great weekend!

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NYX Single Eyeshadows | Hot Pink, Lanikai, Lagoon Sparkle & Light Green

Don't you just love it when you take the time to dig through your stash and hoards of make up to discover some new gems? These little beauts are the NYX single eyeshadows. I had bought four of them at IMATS last year and really haven't touched them since except for one. Then again I didn't get the most practical colors did I, haha! Since this year a lot of beauty gals are embracing color I thought it was time to give them some much needed love and love them I have!

Hot Pink is, well, a hot pink shade. It's semi-matte and I say 'semi' because it does have a little iridescence running through it. 

Lanikai is a frosted cobalt shade. Normally I'm not a fan of frosty shades but this doesn't have frost overload.

Lagoon Sparkle is a gorgeous teal color that's loaded with silver glitters.

Light Green is a matte yellow-green shade. Every time I look at it I think of lemon-lime soda. 

All the NYX single eyeshadows come packaged in plastic cases with a clear lid so you can see the color on the inside. Think MAC eyeshadow packaging but more square with shinier plastic, haha. These four shades are all highly pigmented and color pay off is great, although it does take two swipes to reach a nice opacity. The colors appear as bright as they do in the pan, are super smooth, and blend really well. I noticed they don't last very long on their own but with a primer or even cream shadow base they'll last for ages and without creasing! The fantastic thing about these eyeshadows is that they come in a HUUUGE variety of colors and finishes. It can be quite overwhelming to choose! I've heard that not all of them live up to the same great formula and pigmentation but rest assured that these four do! If you're curious about any of the other shades I found this fantastic post by Makeup Geek where she swatches what may be every single eyeshadow shade NYX offers!

Each NYX single eyeshadow is $4.50, which is such a steal as you're not settling for quality. You can get them at ULTA (they're on sale now for only $2.69! an even bigger steal.) I don't live near an ULTA (oh how I wish I did!) but you can buy them online at Ulta.com, the NYX Cosmetics website, or Cherry Culture.com! I'm thinking about getting so more neutral shades so I can wear them more often. May take Ulta up on their amazing sale ;)

Have you ever tried NYX shadows?

Which out of these four is your favorite?

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#IMATSNYC 2013

IMATS: International Makeup Artist Trade Show

IMATS. The magical land of make up brands, products, and discounts galore. There is not a single beauty girl I know who knows about IMATS and doesn't at least dream of going. IMATS has been an event I have been looking forward to for months and I honestly can't believe it's already over. A lot of you may not know this but IMATS is what inspired me to create this blog. The event itself, and all the products and experiences I'd get to share with people. So now excuse me whilst I have #IMATSwithdrawal. 

The IMATS that I attended was in NYC. This year I couldn't go with my BIF (Best Internet Friend) Julia, but I did get to go with my mom and I had a FANTASTIC time! I got to discover an amazing new brand that before IMATS I didn't even know existed (BTW, why don't more people talk about this brand? I'm in freakin' love with it!) and that brand is Lit Cosmetics. But I'm going to save my rave of them for a separate occasion or else this train will go completely off track. Unlike last year, I was completely prepared this year with comfy shoes, pre-IMATS coffee, and the confidence to take my time and push my way through clusters of humans. It ended up being super fun! My mom and I were running from booth to booth playing with anything we could lay our hands on (and then running over to the make up wipe booths to clean our slates, haha!). It was great to see my mom excited for the events and booths as well (she was a bit naughty with her purchases!). She bumped into a free standing sign and almost knocked it over which was hilarious. She was also disturbed and in awe of all the make up artistry taking place around her which was so cute to watch, haha!

I didn't get a chance to whip out my camera a lot and whenever I did my flash would not pop up and just shut down my whole camera. I did manage to get a few shots though and thought I'd share some with you all!

The INGLOT booth was my first stop! Had to get in there before the crowd around it would start thickening. I knew exactly what I wanted so luckily I didn't have to push through to the eyeshadows and start swatching in a squish.

 Lit Cosmetics. My next stop and my new holy land.

 We waited on line for 40 minutes to get to this point and see all the gorgeous glitters! The girl helping out and dolled out in makeup was just the absolute sweetest to us as we went about swatching almost every glitter. The girls behind us weren't so kind, haha!

 I grabbed this pic off of Lit Cosmetics' Instagram. There was a (very entertaining) woman (who I think was the creator of this company!) glitterfying people's make up looks. She had every glitter laid out in front of her and just by looking at it you can imagine there would be crowding around this gem. I could stare at this for ages!

 The Battle of the Brushes models. The one on the far right was my favorite. I don't think she won though ):

 Took a photo with this lovely flower! She sort of reminded me of my Marc Jacobs Daisy Sunshine perfume bottle, haha! She also made me wish it was actually springy outside. It was freezing that morning!

We visited the little museum they had on the sides and look what I found! Doctor Who creations! 

My second year at IMATS was amazing and is only making me that much more excited for my next one. I may or may not try to get myself to LA in January 2014, but no promises (to myself). I had a really fun experience and came away with some amazing new goodies to play with (I'll share those soon in another post ;)). I'm glad I got to experience this with my mom and I'm already awaiting for IMATS NYC 2014! For now, I think I'll live vicariously through the #IMATSNYC tag on Instagram. (so pathetic, right?) LOL, oh well :)

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