IMATS 2012 London - Haul!!!

Hello my long lost but not forgotten Cherubs!

Yes I have neglected you, me, my makeup obsession for so long now. Many excuses for this but I am firmly committed to continue with this blog. And I also still dream of having a proper website and have gone so far as to design the logo, layout, concept and find a great web designer BUT time, energy and finances are slowing me down a little.

Anyway, on to the good stuff!

As usual I was really looking forward to IMATS but I have to say the vibe felt different this year. Perhaps the severe weather warning impacted upon the turnout, but it really felt like there were a lot less people there. Also, the atmospehere felt somewhat subdued, but that was just my humble observation! Anyway freezing weather aside, I had a lovely shopping spree there and met some cool people!

On to the pics!

Make Up For Ever

MUFE HD Foundation in shade 170

I have been hankering after this foundation since Kim Kardashian told the world it was her favourite one. Her skin is always immaculate looking and it is HD so should create a perfect canvas. The shades are limited, I decided to go darker rather than lighter so I could tone it down by mixing it with a lighter, more pink hued foundation. I will provide a full review soon.

MUFE Mist and Fix Spray

I tend to make my own special recipe fixing spray but wanted to try a "designer" spray to compare the difference. I will let you know how it performs.

Inglot

Advanced Makeup Component Liquid Blush in 88

The quality of this non-shimmer gel/liquid blush is fantastic. Super long lasting and natural finish. Some of the colours seemed a bit light hence going for this warm toned ginger shade.

Gel Liner Matte in numbers 74 (deep mauve) and 73 (pastel violet)

Good quality matte gel liners in various shades are hard to find at good prices. These are fantastically creamy, true to colour and set to an absolute budge proof finish. I was desperate for great quality purples to use as bases as well as liners. Some cool FOTDs coming soon using these - exciting!

Laboratoire Embryolisse

Lait Creme Concentre 75ml and 30ml

Another absolutely sought after holy grail product that serious makeup artists cannot stop raving over. I simply couldnt resist jumping onto the bandwagon. This balm is perfect for dry/combination skin and creates a nourished, smooth base for makeup. I will be using this ALOT!

Sleek Cosmetics

Lipsticks:

Matte - Heartbreaker (raspberry)

Sheen - Candy Cane (cherry red)

Sheen - Coral Reef (coral)

Matte - Bare All (peach nude)

Matte - Papaya Punch (deep watermelon)

Lately I have been transfixed by bright lipsticks. From watermelon pinks to fiery oranges. The problem is there are just so many that I want and although I love MAC's range, at £13 odd per lipstick it just seems too frivolous, even for me! Sleek has answered my prayers however as their lipsticks are unbelievable quality. Perfect, smooth, pigmented, on-trend shades in sophisticated packaging and in various finishes. Good quality matte finishes are just so hard to find in the lower end of the market, but Sleek just continue to up their game. Their range is probably one of the best and the prices are shocking - in a goooooood way! Stay tuned for some interesting ways to wear bright lip colours.

LA Splash

Glitter Eyeliner:

Golden Abalone (fine true gold glitter)

Kahlua (fine bronze glitter)

Eyeshadow Sealer/Base

I have been hearing about this brand for some time now, particularly their glitter products. Now I am really not a glitter, disco shiny kind of a gal, but there is something to be said for some perfectly placed subtle shimmer/glimmer. I grabbed the true gold and the sumptuous burnt toffee liners, so versatile and universally flattering.

The eyshadow sealer/base is another one of those absolutely raved products that once the bug gets you, you just have to try it. Essentially it is not just a standard eyeshadow primer, it acts like glue for glitter and loose pigments. I haven't played with this yet, but when I do I will report my findings to you.

Miss Adoro Lashes

Human Hair Lashes:

Full lashes WSP

Half Lashes 307

Lash Flares - Medium Black

I actually hadn't heard of Miss Adoro before, but I was impressed massively by the styles, quality and most of all the price! I have shown 3 sets of lashes here, but I bought FOUR of each for just £20. These are human hair lashes and they have the most discreet and flexible bands too so basically the most genuine way to fake it! My all time favourites are of course the half lashes but I have recently gotten into the individual lash flares too for a very natural way to enhance your own lashes.

Royal and Langnickel Brushes Silk Pro

Black kabuki brush

Contour Shadow Brush C265

Flat Top Kabuki Foundation C141

Dome Powder C130

Angle Eye Blender C460

There were so many brush stalls to choose from I was literally spoilt for choice. As I agonised over Bdellium, Real Techniques, Crown, Hakudoku and various others, I just kept coming back to Royal and Langnickel. The sheer range and quality is phenomenal and they had some awesome offers on. Although I was very tempted to go for a full set, given I already have a fair few brushes (ok, alot) I went for a more targeted strategy. As you can see from my selection, I felt I was lacking in the face brush department rather than the eye brush department, so I went for some choice cuts from the Silk Pro range and came away with:

the fluffiest, densest kabuki

delicate, kitten-paw soft tapered face brush

velvety flat top foundation brush to get that airbrushed look

Angled, flat topped shader brush to really get into the crease

puppies tail (ok, ok im sure you get it by now these are SUPER soft) highlighter brush

PHEW! Thats it. Just a few little treats!

Did any of you make it down to IMATS?

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo