IMATS Tips and Tricks

IMATS Tips and Tricks

• Eat a good breakfast
  It’s the first meal of the day. The lines and people get tiring and you’ll need all the energy you can get.

• Don’t get there early
  Last year IMATS NYC, I made the line around 7:30am (prior to opening). The line was insane! It wrapped around 5 times. There is no doubt in my mind people started to camp out by 5am. By the time the doors finally open, you’ve already stood in a line outside for 3 hours not to mention the added time it takes to get inside to the registration desk.

• Go with a group of best friends
  Having friends to talk to waiting on lines about how much of a makeup junkie you all are is priceless.
  Your friends can help you decide if a color looks nice on you or if you should buy this or that.
  You can take turns on LONG lines. Split the group in half to go explore and come back every 20min to switch off while still holding down the line.
  Share your lists with each other. If you end up being at a booth where things are running low and your best friend is on another line far from you, you should ask if you should buy it for her. She’ll love you forever!
  After IMATS grab a bite to eat and talk about your amazing fun day!

• Print the Map
  Not sure if your given a map or if there is one on display at the entrance, so print one out. Get familiar with the map and the booths you want to tackle first. Map out your game plan. If you get lost from your group, if everyone has a map, they can easy find you.

• Set your budget
  You can defiantly get carried away with spending. Just keep in mind, you’ll be a “kid in a candy store” and you’ll want it all!

• Have your lists ready
  I have 3 sections on my lists. 1-My must haves. 2- My “let me see this product in person then decide to buy it. 3 Booths to check out anyways.
  In your lists, have a detailed description (shade/item #) of each product. Also write down the prices: regular price and discounted price (if you know prior). This will help you see clearly and help you decide if it’s worth getting now or waiting.

• Skip the Lines
  I’ve seen lines over 3 hours long. I don’t even think I’ve waited that long at Six Flags. Some lines with long wait aren’t worth the wait.
  Makeup companies attending IMATS should have brought enough merchandise for 3 days. Saturday would be the day they sell the most. By Sunday, popular and limited edition items won’t last very long, if it hasn’t been sold out by the end of Saturday. TIP- If you CAN wait on what you plan on getting, wait til the end of that day. By the end of the day, people are sitting, tired, eating, or left. You can defiantly expect a shorter line! And if you missed out because they sold out on a specific shade/product you wanted, maybe they didn’t bring enough. Or maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. More money in your pockets! Oh and also try other smaller booths! They carry each other’s products/items.
  People forget that IMATS is mainly also about the educational classes and FX competitions. If you have the chance to research the speakers and classes for that day and sit in their demonstrations. Many of these speakers are very experienced and work with celebrities or Hollywood films. I am all about expanding and seeing others creativity. Pull up a chair, rest your feet and learn from these experienced professionals.

Below is my “Things to Bring” list

Things to Bring
Plenty of water
Snacks
Makeup remover wipes
Hand sanitizer (Bathrooms cleanliness deteriorates)
Tissue (Bathrooms cleanliness deteriorates)
Camera (pictures/video)
Cellphone (just in case you lost your friend)
Money (Cash)
Deodorant (lines, people, sweat)
Perfume (lines, people, sweat)
Flats/flip flops (by the end of the day, you’ll want to crawl home or go barefooted)
Medicine (ex: headaches/body aches)
A small clutch (You’ll get bags. Some empty for marketing purpose and some with little goodies)

See you Saturday makeup addicts!