I'm not tying to be a party pooper here, but WOW do I feel like I have nothing to say here. You know those social media "experts" that lecture you to find what makes you unique and showcase that? I've felt for a while, years really, that I have no idea what that is when it comes to me and this blog, but right now when the world is literally and figuratively on fire, I find it extra hard to remember why I do this.

I don't feel like writing paragraphs on Instagram and maybe that does make me appear aloof or mysterious, but it's more that I just prefer to keep my inner angst and battles private, and let those with stronger and more relevant voices speak more.

So instead here are the second set of sunflower photos from last month, that involved me getting half naked in a field in Maryland while my friend Tanya kept an eye out for other photographers hahaha. Oh and these pants from Zara? I'm actually super sad I bought them near the end of the season, cause even though they were on sale I love them and wish I could have grabbed the other color. I'm officially at that point in life where avoiding swamp ass is more important than "flattering"....

Well, here we are.

The haul.

I'm not going to lie to you, this is probably not the most thorough of hauls that you've seen me share, but that's mostly because with 99% of this I haven't really touched what I bought. Some of it was purchased for personal use, but some of it I was overcome by memories of the time I seriously contemplated doing makeup for realsies, and are products I would consider more "kit" choices than anything.

I will say though that due the show discounts, the final tally wasn't quite as bad as you'd think. Someone beside me at the Danessa Myricks booth "two of those and two of those"-d herself into a little over $360.....which to be honest made me feel better. I *tried* to be deliberate and strategic with what I was purchasing and why, and I think hearing industry folks talk about the differences between professional grade and what is sold to the consumer via third parties, did help me feel confident  in that decision.

I have to spend some more time playing with everything, obviously, but I'm really excited to do so, which is a happy feeling that I don't think I've truly felt in a while.

Skincare
One of the first artists and brands I was introduced to at the show was B3. As a product type, I find oils in particular are ones I enjoy a lot from "indie" brands - I think it's something about how passionate people are about them, and the number of different ways they can be incorporated into skincare and makeup application.


Next up was Twinmedix, where I had some very interesting conversations about masks and the introduction of CBD into skincare products. I went the boring route of an oxygen mask and one of those exfoliators that "peels off your skin" ala Cure gel.



Tools
Is anyone shocked I spent more than I expected at Crown Brush? No? Good. Cause some of the oldest brushes in my collection are from Crown and it's even more exciting to see and touch in person.



Makeup
On the actual complexion coverage front I had a hard time picking between a few different brands, including Kryolan. Graftobian and RCMA were also there, and while all three brands have cream makeup with varying percentages of pigment, I went with Kryolan for a few reasons:

1) Mini Palette at a good price point ($39.95 on the website)
2) Full size refills are at a good price point ($11.50 on the website)
3) 24 month shelf life
4) Admittedly them showcasing a waterproof powder that literally sits on top of water in a beacon that is also what Cirque du Soleil uses for their underwater shows was pretty damn impressive.

Next up was Kett Cosmetics (via Muse Beauty Pro), because when Kevin James Bennett said the powder was translucent and not transparent my eyes perked right up. I grabbed the loose and pressed cause... well mostly because they were very well priced at the show and I could.

And that's it! You've now all see my dirty little secrets and where my money went over the weekend. Is there anything in particular y'all want to see up close and personal? Let me know!

I know that it's August and people are ready to start winding down on the whole "summer" thing, but DC DOES NOT STAND FOR THIS BLASPHEMY.

If there is a chance for it to be hot as hell and humid it will take it, and for moments like that I glad I splurged a bit over the winter on this LACAUSA (care of Anthropologie) dress. I did a little surgery and brought the neckline up a little, for obvious reasons, and I have to say I can see this is staying with me for years as a rooftop/vacation/hot-as-balls dress.

Plus, it looks perfect with flats.

Here's the deal y'all - I'm not sure this post is gonna be for everyone. The Makeup Show was a primarily professional focused event that brought a lot of brands and educational opportunities to the makeup artists and aestheticians of the DC area. I'm all about that, but I feel like I'm both a connoisseur and a baby professional (I let my cream/liquid stuff expire and disposed of it, but I still do special events for friends upon request). SO. All that said, if you choose to skip this and come back later for the haul post I won't blame you.


Unsurprisingly, even with all the brands, the education is where I feel like the event shined. Could the Demo Area have used some amplified sound? Yes. Should the Seminar Stage have had a TV or two? Absolutely. But even *despite* those annoyances, it was an incredible two days of seeing industry professionals to their stuff up close and personal. Outside of YouTube it's almost impossible to see people work like this, which is why I think it's the most important. Watching how an artist applies products, the shapes of their brushes, how they face different challenges, hearing them talk through their thought processes - it's all kind of irreplaceable. I still remember in the baby days of Internet Beauty and YouTube, watching Eve Pearl and learning how to apply makeup to other people. And that's still rare to find online, and even harder to be in a position to ask multiple questions while it's all happening


There were a few specific "big name" artists I especially wanted to see, and on Saturday it was Jordan Liberty. I can't say I've been following him since the actual beginning of his career, but for years now on Instagram (and sometimes YouTube) I've watched and respected both his artistry and his integrity (and of course, dedication to cleanliness). At this particular show he came as a guest of Stilazzi and was presenting/using his recently released Darkroom palette, and I still feel like watching how much he can do while being super judicious about the number of products he uses is the best part of his work.

Some additional bits and pieces I picked up from his panel:
-Keep an eye out for brushes from him sometime in February 2020 (in the meantime the Stilazzi S203 is his go to for natural brows, especially when combined with their gel liner in Smokey Quartz)
-Mix colors. The more you mix colors, the more your end result will be unique and irreplaceable, and you'll book more work.
-Work fast. The faster you work the more money you make.
-He approaches complexion work like a retoucher
-He's most proud when he puts something there (perfect skin, brows) that you don't think he was ever in the room for/had a hand in


Now as you can see from the collages I'm including here, The Makeup Show was so much more than one or two singular big names (or big names for me). Every demo/seminar included a brand owner, artist, or both, that taught something new to the crowd. I was impressed with how each one interacted and took questions while also sharing something new. Plus, each person was incredible encouraging of new makeup artists - no question was treated as beneath them or stupid, and I thought that resulted in an even more welcoming atmosphere.

(Also, on an entirely different note, I picked up and appreciated how presenters really highlighted and sold the products from brands on site. I don't think anyone was actually being sponsored, it was just a "these brands are here, I love these products" type of natural showmanship that I thought was well done but clearly focused on the brands who took the time to be there in person.)

In addition to Julia Dalton-Brush (of B3), A.J. Crimson (A.J. Crimson Beauty), Jake Aebly, Frederick Sanders, and more, one of the best attended seminars belonged to Kevin James Bennett. Definitely the most "Oprah-Like" moment of the whole show, not only did he have a handout highlighting some of his personal favorite products/techniques/recommendations, he spent the entire 90min giving away the stuff he was talking about to attendees. For being excited, for asking question, just for existing when it came to stuff he threw into the crowd - I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of hilariously and strongly reminded me of the Nordstrom Beauty Trends Show I attended years ago. I wasn't initially as familiar with Kevin, but it was clear that both his artistry and his personality were crowd favorites.

A few bits and pieces from the notes I took:
-Buy the bags and brushes that work for you (his kit was demonstrated in the MyKitCo Essential Buddy Bag)
-Brush sets are for newbies - buy multiples of the brushes you USE (use it on a model, discard it for cleaning later, pick up a new brush for a new face)
-Prefers to use a wax palette paper vs steel (two people mentioned that TSA hates the steel palettes so...)
-Skincare prep is SO IMPORTANT, but he never uses expensive skincare in his kit. In his words, "I don't care what you look like in 6-8 weeks, I care about what you look like now".
-Foundation colors in your kit should really be mandated by your market - don't feel pressure to have everything all the time
-He did a cream foundation palette with RCMA which I didn't know but I thought was cool. He included the 5 pigments that makeup up every foundation so you could customize to your heart's content.
-To set areas where makeup starts to settle (like under the eyes on more mature clients), instead of powder he'd spray a sponge with setting spray (he likes Skindinavia, original formula) and press and roll over the area
-Final tidbit: "I don't shop expensive, I don't shop cheap, I shop smart."


And on Sunday, the day belonged to Danessa Myricks. Even though she'd had a sold out hands on workshop earlier in the day, Danessa did not come to play and in 90min pulled off a full "fashion" face of makeup with - with accessories - while also talking about her history, her start in the business, how she got interested in photography, and answering crowd questions. This seminar was so well attended that not only were the seats full, people stood in the back, along the sides, AND some brave souls sat at the feet of the people in the front row.

Now I spent a lot of time just watching and listening in this seminar so I don't have as many notes to reference. I will say that I appreciated that she flat out said that she didn't always understand her camera settings, that she would just futz with things until the end result looked like her vision, and that she had a holistic vision to creating her luminous final look. It was less about concealing and more about accentuating. Working with her products in super thin layers, usually sheered out with highlighter, and buffing them in so that with the smallest amount of highly pigmented product you got an all over radiance base. Would it be that one that works in real life? No idea to be honest, though I'd like to try it (not on me. Oh no no no - not on this super oily skinned woman. On someone else).

Since I didn't take notes per se, instead I've included a few different things I remember about the look:
-Likes the Simple sheet masks for prep because they don't leave a residue
-color corrected with the Illuminating Veil in a peach shade
-highlighted using the same formula (just in different colors) under "foundation"
-mixed different Illuminating Veil shades into the Vision Cream Cover in 3 different Warm Shades (I think W4, W5, and W7) and buffed those over the skin to provide radiant coverage without any separate concealing
-likes the 0.22 brush from MyKitCo (Used it to apply moisturizer and a few other steps - she described it as a brush you could do anything with)

I reached out for questions on Facebook and Instagram, and got one from @belching_matilda -
"What was a new product you were introduced to that you hadn't heard of before but really liked?"

Answer: I think there were a few things, though I'm still forming opinions about their performance. First up were the setting powders from Kett Cosmetics. Kevin James Bennett mentioned them as being more transparent than translucent, and didn't leave a white case on the skin. Since I haven't always had the best luck with translucent powders (and the loose powder felt like silk) I'm excited to try them on me and others. Also, I think the Danessa Myricks Enlight Halo Powders are amazing. They look like glitter but feel like powder, and are also in a transparent/uncolored base, so when applied they make the skin look wet (it's amazing!). Also haven't applied to myself in full yet, but wow are they impressive to swatch.

So how do I feel about The Makeup Show in the end? I thought it was 100% worth the $40 ticket for two days, and I can't WAIT to see where it grows from here. I still feel a little stupid saying it, but I feel like this weekend reinvigorated my love for makeup in a way I haven't felt in a while. I'm really excited about what I bought, about diving in to it and experimenting with new textures and finishes. So if you're near me geographically, don't be surprised if I ask to borrow your face and thanks in advance!

If you know me you know I'm not someone who keeps her mouth shut on issues I'm passionate about. Abortion rights, access, affordability of basic healthcare - all of those rank right up there. As I nicely tell the ground teams when I see them around, "people find it much easier to give money for children or trees than they do for poor people to have access to safe healthcare providers", and I think this is especially true when it comes to sexual health.

When ALLRIOT reached out to me it was like they'd read my mind because I was already considering a few options to add to my social justice wardrobe and their brand has a lot going for it. ALLRIOT is WRAP certified for their commitment to ethical, humane and lawful conditions and practices in all manufacturing facilities and they have a 12 point system of principals that their suppliers must comply with (see more details on their Ethics page). Plus, items go up to either a size 2-or-3XL and the price doesn't increase at the higher sizes (woop woop!).

When they generously offered to let me try a shirt from their collection, this "Keep Abortion Legal" shirt immediately jumped out at me. I don't mind being a bit confrontational in everyday life, and if you're someone who wouldn't talk to me because I was an advocate for abortion rights for all then... perhaps enough said about that. I strongly believe in safe, affordable access to abortions as a part of ones basic healthcare - if you have a uterus, then you should be able to make whatever choice is best for you and your family. And I'm proud to partner with ALLRIOT in highlighting that.

Plus, on a superficial note, this shirt is SOFT. Super soft and the unisex "t-shirt" fit is exactly as they said - true to size but on the slightly more form-fitting side, so I stuck to a large and it's perfect. I'm trying not to add stuff to the closet all willy nilly but getting this one in hand makes me want ALL THE SHIRTS (plus, it's tagless so an extra A+ for them).