The Makeup Show L.A. Recap, Part 2

By Sheila

Warning, this is going to be a looooong post! On account of that alone, it will be the only post today, but totally worth the read!

Yesterday’s recap was a general overview of The Makeup Show L.A., and a peek at some of the industry luminaries I saw at the show. Today, a recap of the cosmetic companies I talked to and a look at some exciting products that are coming out.

As I mentioned yesterday, I saw two major trends: multi-functional products and foundations that mimic the skin. By multi-functional, I mean products that allow the makeup artist to not have to carry around a huge makeup trunk, like one of these.

Instead of the big, huge trunks, companies are coming out with palettes that can be customized and are compact, and with enough pigment that there is no need to carry around a ton of product. These little makeup cases are genius, and they were selling like hotcakes!

Of course, this is something that very easily translates over to the average Jane makeup consumers. Companies like UNII and Z-Palette are coming out with customizable products that make it easier for you to carry your makeup kit around. For busy people (like me) who don’t want to carry around a fully-packed makeup bag, this trend is genius.

So, here’s a peek at some of the products I found.

Walking around the show floor, I spent some time talking to companies and finding out what’s new and hot in the cosmetics world.

Revitalash:

Revitalash has a new brow product, unique because it has a sponge tip applicator which facilitates application of their fantastic product to the brow area. This product is different than the lash-specific product with added peptides and vitamins. Also new is a mascara with a lush, creamy formula and a special wand that slightly curves in the middle and helps build lashes.

MUD

I was soooo excited to finally get the chance to see MUD makeup products. MUD is short for Makeup Designory, which is a huge makeup school in Southern California and also New York. This is where people go to learn how to not only achieve a gorgeous beauty look, but to make masks and prosthetics that are used in film and television.

Reiva, the lead makeup artist in New York, explained to me that the makeup line was originally designed in the late ‘90’s for MUD students, but over time they started selling to consumers, offering them an “educated approach to makeup.”

The colors in their line are incredible with some of the most ridiculously pigmented shadows I’ve ever seen. You can buy their products at their schools, or find them online at mudshop.com.

Reiva’s favorite products are their lush brushes, and also their foundation palettes, which are full coverage but can be thinned out with a primer for lighter coverage.

Smashbox

I spoke with Laura, a trainer from Smashbox, about their upcoming Spring collection, and she shared a couple of goodies with me!

First, they have a fantastic liquid liner pen coming out that will put all other liquid liners to shame. This pen is unique because the tip stays strong and doesn’t disintegrate over time, which is one thing I’ve never liked about liner pens!

Next, they’re bringing out a Halo bronzer. I’ve never used their Halo foundation powder, but I’ve heard the raves and know that it’s a truly spectacular product. Now they have this bronzer that has all the properties of Halo – including 24k gold! – and is a great general shade that would look good on anyone.

Korres

The gals at Korres were really excited about their upcoming Antiaging Primer. Fortified with Quercetin & Oak, this is a silicone-free primer that is coming out later this month (March 2010) and that they anticipate to be their biggest seller ever.

I did not know this about Korres, but the company started out fifteen years ago with one product, which is their Wild Rose moisturizer. You learn something new every day!

I’m a big fan of Korres, so I can’t wait to try out the new primer.

MKC Beauty Academy/I Nuovi

Two booths in one! A makeup school AND fantastic makeup, AND I got to meet a makeup industry legend!

Way, way back in the day when Kevyn Aucoin used to write a column for Allure magazine, he used to mention I Nuovi cosmetics. I always wanted to try them and remember seeing the line at Sephora for a time before it disappeared.

Well, they’re back. In a big way. Although the line has been sold outside the US for many years, creator, longtime celebrity makeup artist and author Margaret Kimura is bringing the line back to the States. Meaning “the new” in Italian, it’s billed as “intellectual makeup” that works for everyone. It’s a full –line and the colors are gorgeous. I have some shadows that I will be reviewing soon.

I think the trio on the right is the perfect bridal set!

In addition to the line, there is also the MKC BeautyAcademy located in Los Angeles that Margaret heads. For aspiring makeup artists they offer a 16 week program that is M-F, 9 am to 5 pm, as well as a fast-track five week program held during the summer in the evenings for people who might not be able to attend the regular program.

In addition to all of that, Margaret is also the author of Asian Beauty, and she’s promised to talk to us more about that subject very soon!

BREAK TIME FOR SHEILA!

Break over! Back to the floor!

Eve Pearl

The Emmy, the Emmy! I have to admit the Emmy is what caught my eye and had me taking a peek at the makeup line created by the makeup artist of Kelly Ripa and the ladies of The View.

What’s unique about this line is the salmon colored concealers (above), as well as their duo foundations, which are genius because you can custom mix them to match your skin. Not everyone has the same skin tone, right?

Eve’s products are great because they packages contain several colors in one, which is great because you can again customize the colors to your liking.

There were a couple of super cool products in the line, one being a waterproof, and smudgeproof liquid liner pen, and a lip liner that is creamy enough to be used as a lipstick; on one end is the liner, and on the other is a brush that you can use to blend the liner. Fantastic!

Model in a Bottle

Brand new from the creator of my favorite makeup sealer EVER is a lip conditioner and sealer in one. Fab! Also quite fab is the coupon code you can use if you order from their website. For 20% off of your order, use the code FF20 at checkout.

Kett

One thing I know is that Desiree will be allllll over this post … are you reading, girl? You know you love the airbrush!

Oooh, look at those EYES! Can you believe that this is partly due to an airbrush?!

I got the chance to meet and talk to another woman named Sheila (there are so few of us out there!), Sheila McKenna, company founder.

More than just airbrush makeup, Kett makeup is based on the belief that you can mix airbrush makeup with traditional makeup techniques. It is possible to create a gorgeous, long-lasting makeup look that layers airbrushed and traditional makeup.

There are several foundation types in the line, and many colors to choose from and with skincare properties, including glycerin and vitamins a, c and e. In April Kett is releasing an amazing new airbrush machine called the Transformer that is 1.7 pounds, and is unique because it can be used with single or duo action.

Sheila also showed me an ingenious brush holder called the Cozette Vessel made by her business partner, Roque Cozette. This is awesome … you can use it to carry and hold the brushes and it can also be used as a container to wash your brushes in without damaging the integrity of the plastic.

Mai Couture

This is what’s called ingenuinty. Such a unique product and something that I predict is going to go big places! Wanting to create blotting papers that don’t leave you pale and ashy, Mai Tran developed papers that are BRONZY! Awesome!

What a fantastic idea, and I love that it comes with a protective wallet since I hate seeing my blotting paper cases get crumbly. This is going to be perfect for brides and every other woman! There’s also a blush blotting paper, and that is so great because it eliminates you needing to carry around a brush and blush container in order to touch up.

Both the blush and bronzing papers come in varying tones, and there is also of revitalizing blotting papers.

Great job on these inventions, Mai. I’ll have a full review on these coming up soon.

Vancouver Film School

For those of you who want an intense experience and want to get your hands fully into the makeup industry, the Vancouver Film School offers a 12 month full-time program in makeup design for aspriring makeup artists. Vancouver has a bustling film industry, so this is a fantastic location for those who want the chance to break into the industry.

Stan Edmonds, head of the Makeup Design for Film & Television programwas present and I watched him demo his aging technique. It was fascinating to watch him. It’s a lengthy process involving lots of layering and changing of tips and raising and lowering psi, but it’s effective and realistic at that.

They also had awesome Canadian accents. I love Canadian accents, eh?

Youngblood

From one of the first big-named mineral companies on the market, Youngblood debuted a new primer that has vitamins a,c, and e and is perfect for stressed skin. I’ll have a review on this coming out soon.

Also coming out from Youngblood are new high-def powders, moisture tint foundations, and lip glosses with a new formula that promises to plump and maintain lips over time.

Embryolisse

You always read about Embryolisse in magazines, and it’s one of the most common products I see in makeup artists’ kits.

Having heard so much about Embryolisee though the years, I was excited to try out the products and learn more about the company and their U.S. distributors. The company’s growth was truly a grass-roots effort and grew so much over time that they’re releasing some more products that perform just as well as the original moisturizer.

One very interesting product is a rinse-free cleanser that removes all traces of makeup and does not require the use of water. I’m looking forward to testing and reviewing this one!

Yaby

A line for makeup artists, this line is marketed directly to makeup artists with packaging that is small and intended to cut down on having to bring endless amounts of products on set and also for environmentally-conscious reasons. The pigmentation is truly amazing in all of the products, and what’s really cool are the palettes you can customize.

I’ve never seen anything like this lipstick palette – you can remove the metal pans and fill them with whatever lip color you want. Of course that would work for any product you’d like to put in the palette. You can use an empty palette, or one that is premade.

Yaby is definitely a company to watch – I love their unique ideas.

Phew! As long as this post was, this was really just the tip of the iceberg! I didn’t get the chance to talk to a few other companies, but here’s who else I spied ….

Shadow Shields ,with a gorgeous display