|Events| IMATS Toronto 2013

shirt, cardigan and necklace - Addition Elle | leggings - Old Navy | boots - Lane Bryant

IMATS!  I have waited too long for this.  I’ve always wanted to go, but either I’ve been too late or away while the Toronto edition was taking place.  IMATS, stands for International Makeup Artist Trade Show, or the Biffi version of a kid in a candy store (although I also like actual candy stores).  Imagine - makeup brands from all around the world, all the tools of the trade and for the most part everything is reduced in price and/or tax free!  Serious damage can be done!  

I purchased my tickets in August and have been waiting ever so patiently for November 9th to arrive.  I enlisted the shopping support of my girls Maram and Jordyn to come with me (so I wouldn’t spend all the money) for the ultimate day of makeup and makeup related things.  The amount of people all excited and crowded around each vendor was overwhelming.  But there is power in numbers, and the three of us (well four plus my photographer bf) successfully made a dent in my budget.  (Budget means you spent all the money you brought right?  And using your credit card once...).  

While there we even had a chance to sit in on a fall forcasting/drag inspired makeup lesson from Courtney Tichman, the global brand manager and lead makeup artist for Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC).  It was a great way to break up our shopping session and to get some tips that the queens use to amp up the drama.  I also got the chance to meet Courtney (while wearing Black Metal Dahlia Metallic Lip Tar).  This also prompted my friend Maram (a girl with more foundation in her vanity than the cast of Ru’Paul’s Drag Race) to OD on OCC.  

With Courtney Tichman

Makeup Forever model

I may have spent more than I brought, but I am very happy with my goodies.  It was nice to grab a few things that I have been eyeing for a while, but not sure if I should order online.  I’m down with ordering clothing online, but I’m so much more tactile when it comes to makeup and tools.  I know what fabrics feel like, so I’m comfortable, but the consistency of a concealer?  The density of a brush’s bristles?  I need to get my hands on it!  I was also not at all disappointed by IMATS itself.  All the YouTube beauty gurus that I follow always mention it and it’s a big deal in the industry, so I had high hopes.  It was fun, informative, gave me variety and no matter where I looked something awesome was happening.  My bf was in a photographer’s dream with all the body painting and transformations happening around him.  There was something for each of us and I think we each walked away happy and looking forward to the next one.

My IMATS haul

|Style| On Wednesdays We Wear Black...

I don’t know about you, but I am living for the current season of American Horror Story: Coven.  A fan of the series since the start, even though I hate being scared, I’ve watched (mostly through my fingers, covering my eyes) and loved every incarnation of Jessica Lange’s characters.  But I have to say that Coven has been less scary and more story driven and certainly more fashionable than the past seasons.  (For example the serious Grace Coddington vibe Frances Conroy’s Myrtle Snow is serving).  And can we just talk about the addition of Gabourey Sidibe?  I think she is an amazing actress and I am so excited to see what they do with her character.  It’s a breath of fresh air to finally see a plus size actress like Gabourey on a popular show like Coven, that isn’t just there to be the butt of the joke or a run-on sentence of self depreciation.  

Channeling my inner Fiona Goode and following her advice, I wore “something black”.  While I don’t usually dress all in black, I find myself being more and more attracted to it lately.  I work as a makeup artist on the side, so it’s the colour (or lack thereof) of the uniform. There is something sexy and mysterious about wearing all black.  Dare I say, even witchy.

I am in love with this Addition Elle dress!  To be honest I had been eyeing the lace swing dress from Asos, which has been on my wish list, among a few other things for a while now (hint hint bf).  So when I saw this in store I just bit the bullet and bought it.  The lace is a paisley, with an under layer slip that is attached at the the neckline but free flowing at the side seams (sorry for the fashion tech geek moment - that stuff is important to me!).  It is so comfortable.  It’s soft and stretchy, but with a great fit and shape.  I even went down a size!

As much as I am in love with the dress, this blazer is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time.  It has an open front, fitted sleeve and structured shoulder.  I love me a good shoulder pad when it’s done well.  And the best part?  It was on sale!  I went into Reitmans on a whim, just to see what was up.  They tend to have a more conservative vibe, so I don’t usually find things to my taste there, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The jacket was reduced from $70 down to $59.99 with an extra 30% off!  Goes to show you, even if you don’t usually like a brand or line, it’s worth creepin‘ on sometimes.

Lately I feel like my ring obsession is getting ridiculous.  I never used to like more than just a statement ring or a knuckle duster.  But since my nail game has been elevated, the rings had to follow suit.  These ones are some of my favourites, from all over really (mainly Aldo Accessories, Urban Outfitters and Little Burgundy) .  I’m really into to midi rings (if you hadn’t noticed).  Gold is almost always my metal of choice.  I like the warmth it brings to my skin tone and my looks.  I do like the mixed metal detail of this necklace and the 60s long pendant vibe it has.  I thought it was a good pairing with the shape of the dress and length of the blazer.  Chic, with just enough emphasis.   

While I may not possess the powers of the Supreme, it is fun to play dress up as one.  

Outfit Details:

dress and necklace - Addition Elle | blazer - Reitmans | boots - Penningtons | leggings - Old Navy | scarf - Aldo Accessories  

|Style| The Boss Is On A Roll...

Halloween is my favourite holiday, always has been.  I’ve been dressing up since I was a little girl and I see no end insight.  The idea of dressing up and becoming someone else, even just for a night is so exciting to me.  I think that’s why I’ve always been attracted to fashion, to be honest.  It’s like Halloween everyday, just not as extreme (well, for most people).  Every year I plan and make an outfit.  And every year, since I’m the fashion designer/makeup artist in my group of friends, I usually end up being Mother Halloween and assisting, if not creating most of my friends’ costumes as well.  

This year the bf wanted to be scary.  I don’t do scary Halloween - cute, fun, crazy and accurate are more my game.  But since the boy hadn’t dressed up in his adulthood, I made an exception.  He wanted to be Jason.  Or more accurately Jason from the 2009 remake (see what I have to deal with here?).  Knowing that the costume would take a lot of time (there’s a machete harness made from a horse bit after all!), I knew I wouldn’t have that much time for a new full blown costume for myself.  Being the amazing girlfriend that I am, I decided to make the sacrifice and use a past costume.  If you know anything about me, I like to go big, or not go at all.  And since we were going to the Silver Snail Halloween Party, I thought why not cosplay as one of my all time favourite villains - Ursula!  

Close up of machete harness and full Jason costume

I’ve been Ursula before and in all fairness I always felt that I could have done the makeup much better.  During my attempt in 2011, let’s just say may makeup skills were not as refined as they are now.  And even though I was re-dressing up as a past costume, I had to make this version even better.  

2011 vs. 2013

The full power of this costume came for the makeup, 100%.  And the secret weapon - contouring!  Contouring makes everything better both in Halloween makeup and in real life!  (Yes Kim...I’m looking at you).  I wanted to make my face look like a still from the Disney classic.  I started by using a white pencil to mark out my new features and then I painted (literally) my skin.  After 3.5 hours, I was Ursula, ear to ear grin and all!  

The dress itself was made from stretch velvet and power mesh.  I took a few throw pillows and used the batting to make the tentacles.  They’re attached to the hem of the dress, then tacked to the body at my waist/hip area.  My bf actually found the wig online, which had a much better effect than the spray that I had used the time previous.

The reactions at the party were reward enough, for all the time and effort spent gettin‘ my Sea Witch on and making my guy look scary as hell.  It was so fun to pass by people and just hear the comments and gasps.  I am really proud of this Halloween’s offerings.  We also each won a prize, which was an unexpected treat, since we kinda missed the judging time frame (did I mention it look over 3 hours?).  

I feel like I did the Boss justice with this one.  Now if I want to top this costume, I better start planning...

Ursula's Poor Unfortunate Souls - Poison Ivy, Skull Face and Disco Unicorn