IMATS vs The Makeup Show (TMS)

This year was the first year I attended IMATS and TMS, both in NYC. I did a lot of research to find out what to expect, how to maximize my experience, and what sorts of discounts there were. I was also interested to know ahead of time what were the differences. In case anyone is interested, here are some thoughts on IMATS vs TMS.

1. TMS is pro-only and IMATS is open to the public. IMATS does do a pro night on the Friday preceding the show, so pros do have early access to most products. But TMS does not allow entry to non-pros unless you are the guest of a pro. As a result, there is more focus on networking and learning at TMS. There are also plenty of opportunities at TMS to enroll in pro programs if you bring the right documentation. It's worth finding out ahead of time what you need to bring, by looking at each vendor's pro website.

2. There were more youtubers and photo/autograph opportunities at IMATS than at TMS.

3. IMATS NY was a bigger venue and probably had way more people than TMS. But, TMS almost felt more crowded to me because it was a smaller venue. The first half of the day at TMS was really crowded and tough to navigate.

4. There are lines at both. Both shows had a line forming outside the venue prior to opening. The IMATS line was longer, presumably because it is a larger event. The TMS line moved more quickly than the IMATS line. Next time I go to TMS, I will show up on time, but not early because there's really no point. It's a matter of getting in at 9am vs 9:15am. At IMATS, however, the line does move quickly but it took my 45 minutes to get in, even though I arrived 30 minutes prior to door opening. So I would advise getting there early for IMATS, especially if there is a hot brand/product you are interested in.

Once inside, the lines at IMATS were more to see product and then purchase, whereas the lines at TMS were to pay for the product. For instance, at MAC at TMS, it was pretty easy to find someone to pull your products for you, but then you had to wait in a line, for up to an hour, to pay for the products. At Limecrime at IMATS, on the other hand, you had to stand in line in order to get to the display to even see the product and then pay for it.

5. The discounts at each depend on the vendor but in general are better at TMS.

6. The vendors are somewhat different. There was some overlap: OCC, Frend's, Nigel's, Alcone, Eve Pearl, Stila, Veil, Wayne Goss, Hakuhodo, just to name a few. But IMATS had some that TMS did not have: Limecrime, Sigma, and Sugarpill. And TMS had a bunch that IMATS did not have: Surratt, Kevyn Aucoin, Mac, Nars, Ellis Faas, Ardency Inn, ABH, to name a few.

7. IMATS seems to have a better vendor list in LA than in NY, whereas TMS NY has at least as good, if not better, vendor list in NY as they do in LA. So if you're deciding between NY and LA, definitely compare the list of vendors at each.

In the end, I'm really glad I went to both, and my decision to go next year will probably be based on the vendor lists of each show. Sorry this post has no pics - I'm planning to post my IMATS experience and my TMS experience as well as hauls in the near future.

Bite Beauty Lab Custom Lipstick NYC

This is a mini documentary of my visit to Bite Beauty Lab! The store is located in Soho on Prince St. I arrived early and was able to score a custom color appointment easily; however, customers who arrived after me had to wait anywhere from 30 min to a couple of hours. I would recommend either calling ahead of time or coming early.

This is a view of the consultation area. You sit across from a MUA with a spread of colors between you, as well as a clean surface for mixing:

The lovely MUA (whose name I forget! I remember that she was from Senegal, that she wore MUD eyemakeup, and that she used to work for OCC, but for the life of me I can not remember her name!) introduced me to the four formulations: Luminous Creme, Matte Creme (?), Sheer Creme (?), and Creme Deluxe. The Luminous Creme is like the Luminous Creme lippies that they sell: satin finish, hydrating. The Matte Creme is supposed to have silica powder which makes it longer lasting. The Sheer Creme is sheer and hydrating, probably like the sheer lippies in their regular line. The Creme Deluxe has more antioxidants and is long lasting due to inclusion of Japanese silk and is therefore more expensive at 48$. The prior 3 are 36$. I decided to get a Creme Deluxe in a classic blue based red and a Luminous Creme in a pinky-peach my-lips-but-better shade. The MUA started mixing shades using a spatula on a clear surface:

The first mixture was too bold, the second too purple, and the third was just right. For good measure, I tried a fourth, but settled on the third. With each concoction, the MUA wrote down the proportions of the different ingredients:

After settling on both shades, I was asked to choose a scent. There was a scent station with cherry, wildberry, mint, vanilla, mango, citrus mango, and violet scented lipstick bases. I settled on citrus mango:

My MUA then pulled all the pigments for my lippies from a wall full of pigments in bon-bon sizes and shapes:

She then put them in a cup and added the appropriate lipstick base formulation as well as several drops of the scent I had chosen:

After melting the concoction in the microwave, she put the mixture in a centrifuge:

She then tested the shade against the shade we had mixed together at the consultation area. One of the shades was slightly off so she added additional pigment and then remelted/centrifuged:

Once the shades were perfect, she poured them into lipstick molds:

The lipstick molds were set on a cool surface and allowed to solidify. Afterward, she released them from the mold:

She then got an empty housing and placed it carefully over the unmolded lippie:

Then the lipstick was lidded and boxed:

The lipstick was placed in a box and labelled with my chosen lipstick names. It was placed in a plastic bag with a business card (red lip), advertisement card, and personalized lip card with my shade on it and the recipe on the back. I named my two lippies after my two kids:

Here is the final result:

I enjoyed my experience immensely and have to thank my dear friend Mary for giving me a 100$ gc to Bite Beauty Lab for Christmas. I would highly recommend this experience to those of you who would like to find the absolute perfect shade. The more expensive formulation (deluxe creme) is about the price of a Tom Ford, so probably not worth it unless you have a gc. The others are in the range of a Guerlain or Chanel, so for me, totally worth it, considering you are getting a perfect shade. I would swatch my lippies for you, but my lips are entirely exhausted from trying on so many shades. I hope this helps those of you nearby decide if you want to make the trip to Manhattan, and as for those of you who live far away, consider visiting (and making an appointment!) if you ever visit NYC!