IMATS 2010

So hello to you all! It's been a long time since my break, but I finally decided to get off my lazy butt and make a post. To be honest, I have been really busy as usual but I'm sure you are all tired of hearing that from me. I am taking summer school until the end of the month, and because it's so fast paced I need to be producing work 3 times as fast. I didn't expect it to take up so much of my time. I am definitely looking forward to finally resuming my summer in 2 weeks though.

As I already stated in my previous post, I attended IMATS in Pasadena once again this year :). It being my second time around was definitely a little more rewarding since I knew what to expect. There were so much more people this year compared to last year. The exhibit hall was so packed!

I arrived around 8:30AM at the Pasadena Convention Center with my bestie, and we had to wait a good 30-40 minutes in the Will Call line to get our wristbands. I didn't expect that, because last year I just walked up to it. When we finally got in, I decided that this year I will go line up in the crazy Makeup Forever line. I was a little bit hesitant at first because it's notorious for taking a couple of hours to get your stuff, and this year was certainly no different. We waited for 3 hours! My feet were so tired by the end of it! However, I was happy I got my stuff and saved 40-50% on all of it :)


This was when I was just around the 2nd corner before the register. It still took an hour to get there! There were so many people huddling around to swatch the products.

My bestie and I were starving so we went off to grab lunch at the Island's at Paseo Colorado across the street before resuming. I didn't buy much after because I didn't want to spend too much. I mostly just went around looking at stuff. I did pick up some brushes at Crown though.

Saw Enkore up on stage talking while I was trying to get through the large crowd of people trying to buy brushes. It was like a battle field. You had to keep your eye out for empty spots so you could slide your way in.

Here are some other random pictures I took while I was there. I didn't take much. I was tired, and I kind of forgot about my camera in my bag. Excuse the quality also because I did not take my dSLR. I did not want to lug that thing around with me while I was carrying everything else.

So we left IMATS at around 4:30PM and....

In the end, this was my haul!

• MUFE HD Foundation in #118
• MUFE HD Microfinish Blush in #5
• MUFE Star Powder in #922 & #947
• Parian Spirit Brush Cleanser Set
• and some Crown brushes

I am most excited about the MUFE stuff I got. It was the biggest thing I was looking forward to, and even though it took 3 hours, it was definitely all worth it!

Overall, I was pretty satisfied. I did forget to pick up some things that I originally wanted to (next year I must make a list), but that's okay. I am looking forward to next year's already! I am hoping next year I will be able to attend both days and the classes too. I didn't get to this year because there was just no time, and I only had one day. I couldn't go the 2nd day because I had some other things to attend to already. Until next year!

Shout outs to Lillian and Gloria! They kept telling me to post XD

Review: Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Collection/Liner

Ah, Makeup Forever liners! Now who hasn't heard of these or have seen other makeup gurus using them? They are one of the most popular pencil liners next to Urban Decay's 24/7 liners and of course there is good reason for that. I, myself, have been wanting to try these liners for a long time but I never really got around to it. However, I finally was determined that I need to see what the rave was all about, and if they would work for my stubborn eyes. Now, I apologize that I didn't review this sooner as I do not think the set is available anymore, but hopefully this will help with your decision on purchasing them individually.

Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner

Retail Price: $35.00 (set), $17 (per full size pencil)
Availability: Sephora
Shades: Mat Black 0L, Dark Grey 21L, Blue With Green Highlights 12L, Shimmering Plum 4L, Champagne 23L

Pros

• Soft and creamy
• No tugging when applying
  
• Good pigmentation
• Good lasting power
• Great for the waterline
• Waterproof so they take a little bit of effort to remove.

Cons

• If you buy the set, the eyeliners are quite small. They are only about 3in (7.5cm) measured with the cap on.
  
• Not all colors come out as vibrant as they look in the stick.
  
• Not 100% smudge proof on the waterline.
  

If you buy the set then your liners will come in this cute tin case. Personally, I just yanked all of them out because it takes up less space but you can reuse the tin to put random things like Q-tips, tweezers, business cards, etc.

As I listed above in the description, you get five liners in Mat Black 0L, Champagne 23L, Blue With Green Highlights 12L, Shimmering Plum 4L, and Dark Grey 21L. All of these colors are also available in the full size version so if fall in love with a specific color and run out, you can most definitely pick it up anytime of the year at your local Sephora.

These are swatches of all 5 shades with one swipe. Of course you can build the color up with a few more swipes, however. My personal favorites are the Mat Black 0L, Champagne 23L, and Blue With Green Highlights 12L as I feel that they are most true to color and easy to work with.

I like to use the black one on my waterline, and I find that it feels very comfortable there. I've tried a lot of pencil liners on my water line and most of the time, I can feel this waxy feeling after I put it on. As for the Champagne color, this is an awesome shade to use to highlight the inner tear duct. It's quick and easy, and stays put for a long time. The blue shade is a lovely color and before I bought these liners, I sort of had an idea of how I would like each shade to look like and this color definitely delivers. It's vibrant, but not too vibrant so it's a very wearable color.

As for the gray, it is a decent color. I wasn't wowed by it but nor was I disappointed. However, the purple was a disappointment. I was looking forward to the purple, but when I got it, it turned out to be a very dull color as you can see in the swatch. It has no sheen and overall, I thought it was just blah if that even justifies it. I think this color could have done a lot better, but sadly it did not.

On my eyes, these liners performed pretty good. My main reason for purchasing these was for my waterline and lower lash line. I like adding a pop of color there, and these are really great for that purpose. On my waterline, they don't last all day, but they last longer than any other liner I have tried on there so I definitely like it for that.

Overall, these are great liners and if you are really looking a new liner, why not give these a try?

Rating: (4/5)