IMATS buys part II.

Louise Young is an industry veteran and is famous for her own brush line and compact make-up range. I haven't tried them before, so here was the chance. Having been served by Louise Young herself was an added bonus. Picked random ones I liked, and I got the brush belt free.  

LY24B – made of natural hair, fine liner brush, very small, so excellent for small eyes and detailed liner work (£9.00)
LY17 – made of natural hair, quite stiff-bristled, so it's great for packing on colour on the eyes or even use it as a lip brush (£10.00)
LY45 – made of natural hair, great for eye shadow application and minimal blending (£17.00)
LY46 – made of natural hair, ideal for eye shadow application and minimal blending (£19.00)
LY51A - synthetic, perfect for powdering, highlighting, or buffing in cream products(£19.00)
LY04A -  synthetic, super soft, perfect for powder blush application (£17.00)

My favourite from the line-up is the LY04 and LY24A but all seem to be high quality make. I love the colour of the handles too it makes the brushes look very sophisticated. I already decided that my next buy will be the foundation brushes.
Available to order here

Trying to avoid total bankruptcy I didn't even go near the Hakuhodo stand...okay, I did for a bit...just to run my fingers through their blusher brush that I have my eyes on for ages...but then I quickly tore myself away  from their delicious looking stand because I kept hearing 'Buy me! Buy me!' repeatedly in my head. I had to resist.

Onto the next stop: Love Make-up and Ben Nye, phew, I feel saver here.

These practically packaged micro milled loose powders have been legendary in the media make-up world for long (maybe less used on the fashion scene) behind the scenes until Kim Kardashian's make-up artist brought them into the maintsream and became widely used by the general public too. These powders are incredibly lightweight, silky and are perfect for mattifying. They work best on normal to combination to slightly oily skin. If you want to add a bit of warmth to light complexions use the Banana Luxury Powder – it works well as a highlighter and contour on the right skin tones and counteracts redness too. I had to stock up on  these, they are very handy products to have, not to talk about the price point! A massive amount of 3oz./85grams is only £15.95 at PAM and the shelf life is 30 month. The Luxury Powers are available in 8 other shades, on certain websites due to the high demand, there are restrictions: max 2 x1.5 oz or 1x3 oz per order! Please note that these products contain talc and parabens, so avoid, if you're not okay with those. Available to buy  here and here

  As a make-up artist, I can't have enough bags and pouches to keep my kit tidy. There are so many brands offering great options, MFUE, PAM, Zuca, Stilazzi,Monda Studio, Zoeve, Paris Berlin, Screenface, My Kit Co, Boots. It is very much of a personal choice, you don't have to go crazy on the price. I was in the mood to try the MUFE ones and bought some IMATS ones for fun, but it really doesn't matter until your kit is clean and tidy. MUFE Danys Pouch available here the pencil mesh bag here

I have a lip balm obsession for years now. Why I haven't tried the Dr. Paw Paw balms yet? I can't explain. Dr Paw Paw is a multi-purpose light, non-sticky, soothing balm that comes in  three coloured tubes: yellow for the original balm, red and peach for the tinted ones.  Paw Paw stands for Carica Papaya, a fruit jam-packed with nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins C and B that help repairing, moisturising and soothing the skin. It also contains aloe vera leaf  juice, another source of essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that protect form damage, hydrate and sooth the skin. I went for the red tinted one, it can be used ony lips and cheeks. This is a perfet holiday multi-tasking product, available here

I've loved the Make-up Artist Magazine for a long time. I remember back at collage looking forward to get my hands on the new editions in the library and poring over the work of both fashion and film make-up artists. Editor-in-Chief Michael Key, who is also the executive producer of IMATS has done a lot in terms of celebrating the work of make-up artists and making sure the public and the industry acknowledges this awesome group of professionals who usually are just quietly working away behind the scenes. The magazine is full of valuable industry info (fashion, beauty, film theatre), very educational and is a must have for make-up geeks who are interested in all aspects of make-up artistry. There was a great deal offered at the Make-Up Artist Magazine stand: buy three and get four free with gold pro-card, so I managed to get my hand on a few back issues I wanted. The Andrew Gallimore cover was a must!
You can subscribe  here