I attended my first International Make Up Artist Trade Show in Los Angeles way back in 2000 when I was fresh out of make up school and ready to take over the world. It was special to me not only because it was my first convention, but because my school had chosen my final project (an animatronic gremlin head) to be on display in their booth where it could be seen by some of the top make up artists in Hollywood. I remember walking in to the small convention room with wide eyed wonder staring at booth upon booth of every type of cosmetic imaginable, it was enough to make a beauty junkie/special effects nerd like me weak in the knees.

Hosted by Make Up Artist Magazine, one of the most well known trade publications in the business, the IMATS (June 26th & 27th) has grown over the last decade from a small grass roots gathering of local professionals into one of  Los Angeles’ biggest make up events of the year. Every year this convention gets just better and better and I find myself still walking into that (now much larger) convention room with the same wide eyed wonder I had when I was 20.

This year’s keynote speaker is Australian L’Oreal Make Up Director Rae Morris, who is also make up director for Australia’s Fashion Week however, the lectures I’m looking forward to the most this year are from Dany Sanz, creator of Make Up For Ever (my favorite!) and her team of artists recreating bridal looks from past decades and the Alice in Wonderland Make Up Team Panel Discussion. I started out as a special effect gal and it’s where my heart truly lies so this is one lecture I refuse to miss. But let’s face it, a weekend of learning and networking with other creative individuals in your field is great, but IMATS is also a trade convention and that means the best part is really the SHOPPING!

Almost every cosmetic line I can think of is represented in some capacity and the samples, gift bags and discounts are worth the admission price alone. M.A.C, Make Up For Ever and Youngblood Cosmetics are just a few of the lines debuting new products and formulas before they hit the general public and my debit card is primed and ready to do some damage this year. I can’t wait to try all of the latest and greatest products and will be letting all of you know what’s a hit and what’s a miss. For those of you who aren’t in So Cal, with the newest addition of beauty bloggers streaming and tweeting live you can follow the action and runway shows from your laptop. For more information about The IMATS you can visit their website by clicking here and I’ll be tweeting from the show on Sunday the 27th, you can follow me on twitter by clicking here.