I do really love a good trade show, it's a time where I can divulge in my obsession of varnishes, oils, make up and everything remotely girly. This year would be the first year that I went as a owner/director of my own company, previous years I had gone as a therapist. I was fully prepared - I had the floor plan (working my route that I had rest stops for the knee injury I'm still in recover for :( ), made a short list of companies I wanted to talk to, hyped up on coffee (which I am now starting to re-think after Monday nights Embarrassing Bodies - Eek!), and had spent hours on the train getting there 20 mins after opening.
Getting there early was the first master stroke - within an hour i couldn't move in the place! Art Deco (who are now doing a make up line for Dita Von Tease) was already crammed, I grabbed their brochures and hoped I could see them later. Next I wondered to another stall with a table full of products opened (and hygienically with sticks in), they smelled divine and sunk in wonderfully. I started chatting to a member of staff and found there were a Dutch company who had been going for 50 years and wanted to grow in the UK market. I did struggle with the name, Webecos, but the company was something I was connecting with. I actually spent half an hour with the director of the company as well as their new make up consultant of their new line, Dr.Tadlea.
One more note before I move on: The consultant was worth a huge mention as she had little training material and had only had the products given to her Thursday night. She was a true professional and answered everything she could and gave me free reign on her kit. The products themselves are launching was a small core collection (about 8 eye shadows, 3 foundation lines, 2 blushers, 8 eye liners, 12 lipsticks, 12 varnishes, 8 loose eye shadows, and some other bits at the moment I can't remember), this will then be topped up four times a year with limited edition lines. The packaging I really like: simple classic silver with the lipsticks having magnetic lids so you cannot lose them. I came away fully glossed up and with lots of skin care samples.
I then went to have one of my nails Trendy wrapped - They're a adhesive sticker that gets heated up (to make more pliable) and then stuck to the nail after being buffed ready. Then they are trimmed and file the edges down to fit the nail. I must of met the least excited rep of the day as she blandly put one on. That's where it started to go wrong, they wasn't filled round the edges enough and by the time I got home (8 hours later) they were already coming off from the bottom. I was told they would last 2 days - Very disappointed.
However there was something I did fall for - Gel varnish. I had already heard some good reports about this latest system: lasts for weeks, leaves a glossy just manicured finished and well sounded too good to be true. All the leading names had launched theirs - OPI, etc. They also come in many different formulations, which I am investigating further. The one I tried was Calgel a hybrid of varnish and gel that needs no prep time and is dried under a UV lamp for 3 minutes, it can also be used on top of existing varnish. The tech was a salon owner so while working away she could me a honest break down of it benefits to her business, shall we say I'm already crunching numbers and seeing about training.
I did have the misfortune of bumping into a male model there, face first into his (rather yummy smelling) naked pecs, I know I went bright red mumbled about something smelling nice and tried to scuttle off. There was a lot of flesh on show around the tanning area, which made me fell a white as anything. Did I bump into any of the TOWIE's that seemed to be everywhere? Yes but I didn't realise until I got home and saw who she was online - a girl called Frankie, so there you go my TOWIE claim to fame.
By the end I was shattered 4 hours in my knee was rebelling, I was getting grumpy with anyone and I was starting to want to get out of there. I done what I wanted to do (include a 20 minute wait on Dermalogica to get face mapped and get my prescription samples), and with the horde of people I'd admitted defeat and went home for a cuppa.
Now its the mission to go through all the samples/brochures/products and see what I want to invest in/use. Fours huge bags worth should keep me busy for the week.....
Getting there early was the first master stroke - within an hour i couldn't move in the place! Art Deco (who are now doing a make up line for Dita Von Tease) was already crammed, I grabbed their brochures and hoped I could see them later. Next I wondered to another stall with a table full of products opened (and hygienically with sticks in), they smelled divine and sunk in wonderfully. I started chatting to a member of staff and found there were a Dutch company who had been going for 50 years and wanted to grow in the UK market. I did struggle with the name, Webecos, but the company was something I was connecting with. I actually spent half an hour with the director of the company as well as their new make up consultant of their new line, Dr.Tadlea.
One more note before I move on: The consultant was worth a huge mention as she had little training material and had only had the products given to her Thursday night. She was a true professional and answered everything she could and gave me free reign on her kit. The products themselves are launching was a small core collection (about 8 eye shadows, 3 foundation lines, 2 blushers, 8 eye liners, 12 lipsticks, 12 varnishes, 8 loose eye shadows, and some other bits at the moment I can't remember), this will then be topped up four times a year with limited edition lines. The packaging I really like: simple classic silver with the lipsticks having magnetic lids so you cannot lose them. I came away fully glossed up and with lots of skin care samples.
I then went to have one of my nails Trendy wrapped - They're a adhesive sticker that gets heated up (to make more pliable) and then stuck to the nail after being buffed ready. Then they are trimmed and file the edges down to fit the nail. I must of met the least excited rep of the day as she blandly put one on. That's where it started to go wrong, they wasn't filled round the edges enough and by the time I got home (8 hours later) they were already coming off from the bottom. I was told they would last 2 days - Very disappointed.
However there was something I did fall for - Gel varnish. I had already heard some good reports about this latest system: lasts for weeks, leaves a glossy just manicured finished and well sounded too good to be true. All the leading names had launched theirs - OPI, etc. They also come in many different formulations, which I am investigating further. The one I tried was Calgel a hybrid of varnish and gel that needs no prep time and is dried under a UV lamp for 3 minutes, it can also be used on top of existing varnish. The tech was a salon owner so while working away she could me a honest break down of it benefits to her business, shall we say I'm already crunching numbers and seeing about training.
I did have the misfortune of bumping into a male model there, face first into his (rather yummy smelling) naked pecs, I know I went bright red mumbled about something smelling nice and tried to scuttle off. There was a lot of flesh on show around the tanning area, which made me fell a white as anything. Did I bump into any of the TOWIE's that seemed to be everywhere? Yes but I didn't realise until I got home and saw who she was online - a girl called Frankie, so there you go my TOWIE claim to fame.
By the end I was shattered 4 hours in my knee was rebelling, I was getting grumpy with anyone and I was starting to want to get out of there. I done what I wanted to do (include a 20 minute wait on Dermalogica to get face mapped and get my prescription samples), and with the horde of people I'd admitted defeat and went home for a cuppa.
Now its the mission to go through all the samples/brochures/products and see what I want to invest in/use. Fours huge bags worth should keep me busy for the week.....
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