• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To MakeupMakeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup

A beauty blog blooming with fresh makeup reviews, swatches and beauty tips from your friendly neighborhood beauty addict

  • Home
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
    • Advertising & Media
  • Categories
    • Product Reviews
    • Makeup
    • Skincare & Fragrance
    • Style & Fashion
    • Hair
    • Nails
    • Tips & Tutorials
    • Just for Fun
  • Brands
  • Store

3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Next Beauty Convention Experience

August 1st, 2017 by Karen 9 Comments

gen beauty sf
Makeup conventions can either be really fun or really exhausting.

Beauty expos and conventions like Generation Beauty, IMATS and Beautycon can be a blast, because not only can you score fab freebies, but you can find out what your favorite lines have in the hopper and discover brand new brands you haven’t heard of before.

But they can also be overwhelming…

inside gen beauty sf
No, seriously, does it go on forever?

There are just so many people, so many booths and SO MANY LINES to stand in (LOL!)… Oh, the humanity! You really gotta be in the right mindset, and I think it also helps to be prepared. Next time you go to a big beauty conference, try these three things to make the most of your beauty expo extravaganza experience.

1. Arrive early

A lot of makeup enthusiasts like to go to these beauty conventions for a chance to grab some free swag and snag snazzy products at a discount, but the thing is, if you want to do some of the funnest stuff, you have to wait in a line…and the lines at Gen Beauty last weekend, especially the lines to the big brand booths, were almost Disneyland-caliber. Easily 30-45 minutes. And they got longer as the day went on (so get there early).

The MAC line was hella long!

gen beauty sf the balm
MOAR MAKEUP
Benefit had a 30% discount on quite a few things

If you’ll be driving, you’ll also want to get there before the parking situation gets too Thunderdome. At Fort Mason yesterday where Gen Beauty SF was, the lot was full and full-on dire by 11. I ended up parking half a mile away and hoofing it, like in ye olden times, to get to the convention center.

Anyway, the earlier you get there, the better your chances of you grabbing a decent parking spot.

line temporarily closed
Saw this sign a few times…

Also, the freebies tend to run out later in the day, which happened at several of the booths I visited. No free lipgloss for you, young lady. 🙁

2. Wear comfy shoes

GIRL. I can’t stress this enough! Say you get stuck parking 10 minutes away (ahem). You wanna be able to walk and carry all your stuff to and from the event without your poor feet suffering, but if you can handle being in heels all day, then hey, more power to ya.

Please note the shoes — oh, and the lady covered in head-to-toe body paint.

And again, those lines can get pretty long. Gen Beauty is a mid-sized convention, and the wait time at the smaller brand booths was 10-15 minutes.

The wait at the bigger brands was at least half an hour (!), so you *will* be on your feet all day.

3. The benefits of networking

There are so many people at these things! It seems like a lot of peeps go with friends, but a lot of people also fly solo, which is what I did yesterday. I met a lot of other makeup lovers in lines, and it made the waiting more enjoyable. It’s always fun to talk makeup with other people who like it as much as I do.

If you’re shy and more introverted, I totally get it — conventions and big expo halls can be really intimidating. But think of it as a chance to practice putting yourself out there, and you probably won’t even see a lot of those people again. It’s not like you’re at work. There’s no pressure. You can totally relax and just look around. Maybe start a conversation with someone by complimenting them on their makeup or their outfit. That’s always a good way to lead into things.

I was wearing my Vans shoes with the makeup print, and quite a few people asked about them, which led to some good conversations in line.

With the gorgeous ladies of NUDESTIX

And if you work in the beauty biz, or you’re a beauty blogger or a makeup artist or a PR person or just a hardcore makeup aficionado, conventions are good places to chat with PR people and industry insiders. You may also even meet the founders of one of your favorite brands. I got to kick it for a bit with the co-founders of NUDESTIX, Jenny Frankel and her daughters, Taylor and Ally. We chatted for a really long time, and I learned a ton about the line. They were super nice, too, in case you were wondering!

So, yeah…be sure to bring plenty of business cards, if you have them, along with a good attitude and your best handshake. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

3 Ways to Make the Most of Your Next Beauty Convention Experience / Originally published August 1st, 2017

There are 9 comments on this post. Leave yours.

Categories: Just For Fun

The products in this entry were provided by the manufacturer for consideration. For information about my posting policy, please see my Disclaimer.

Previous Post: 3 Up-and-Coming Beauty Brands to Watch: Eva NYC, Soo AE and NOTE Cosmetics
Next Post: Beautiful San Francisco: The Marina Green

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sarahc says

    August 1st, 2017 at 9:14 am

    I haven’t been to any makeup conventions, but I totally agree about wearing comfortable shoes. I only ever wear heels if I’m staying in the same hotel as a conference.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      August 1st, 2017 at 9:28 am

      Yes, and only if the conference area isn’t too big, LOL!

      Reply
  2. Christina says

    August 1st, 2017 at 9:26 am

    So neat! I haven’t gone to IMATS in a while and couldn’t go to Generation Beauty this year because I went to San Diego Comic-Con (totally worth it!), but I might just have to budget it for it next year. Lines don’t scare me, and I think nothing compares to the 5+ hour wait sometimes for Comic-Con panels (hello Game of Thrones!), so I’ll be well prepared for the lines at these beauty conventions. I remember thinking the wait was bad at IMATS, but nope, I was wrong. LOL! Plus, isn’t it all worth it to score some awesome beauty deals and products? I’m all excited for next year now! Haha!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      August 1st, 2017 at 9:27 am

      Hi Christina,

      I’ve been wanting to go to Comic-Con for forever! Sounds like you had fun. 🙂

      Reply
  3. LindaLibraLoca says

    August 1st, 2017 at 9:26 am

    I really want to go to a makeup convention one day, and I will make sure to wear flats. Which is, to be honest, what I wear most of the time anyway. Comfort over style!
    LindaLibraLoca recently posted … July 2017 Favorites and Recap

    Reply
    • Karen says

      August 1st, 2017 at 9:27 am

      Yes! Comfort rocks!

      Reply
  4. Rachel says

    August 1st, 2017 at 11:30 am

    That looks like fun! But I think I would get fed up with the lines pretty quickly!

    Reply
  5. Kim says

    August 2nd, 2017 at 5:17 am

    Cash and Carry shows are a challenge for everyone (exhibitors and shoppers) because they tend to be crazy-busy. That said, we’ve walked trade shows that literally take 3 full days to see every booth. Killer. 🙁 It looks like you had a great time, though, and that gal in body paint is AWESOME! Is one of the three ladies in the Nudestix picture the mother of the other two? That seems impossible unless Nudestix is code for Fountain of Youth. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Lipstick on a Piggie says

    August 7th, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Hello!

    I was also at Generation Beauty in SF and this is all great advice, especially #2! I wore my most comfortable shoes all weekend and my legs were still really sore afterwards. Definitely worth it though.

    If you’re introverted, it also helps to go with a friend who is chattier to be a sort of “mediator”. I went with a good friend with a much more confident personality who spoke to literally everyone she met. It helped because it took a lot of pressure off of me and I simply contributed when I could! She certainly made more friends and got more freebies than I did, so trying to be extroverted for a weekend has its perks!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Makeup and Beauty Blog

Welcome to Makeup and Beauty Blog
Hi there! I’m Karen, your friendly neighborhood beauty addict, and I’m a Bay Area girl who hoards brown eyeshadow and covets coral lipstick. Every morning, I wake up and say, “I’m going to do something other than a smoky eye today.” Then…I end up doing a smoky eye anyway (most days). When I’m not putting on makeup, taking pictures of makeup or writing about makeup, which I’ve been doing daily since 2007 (!), you’ll find me hanging out with my hubby (“El Hub”), my four-year-old daughter (Connor Claire) and my torbie girl cat (Pretty Girl Rosie, a.k.a. PGR).

SHOP THE STORE


Long Live Lipstick Tee 💄



Blush Is My Crush Tee



Mascara & Kitties Tee



Thank You For Being a Friend Tee



You Hair Me Tee


Recent Posts

window bed balcony

Saturday Surfing, Jan. 23, 2021

briogeo at ulta

Briogeo Now at Ulta!

duri when in rome

I’ve Found the Perfect Pale Blue Denim Nail Polish, and It’s Only $8

duri when in rome

This Matte Brown Classic Eye Makeup Goes With Everything

sonoma public library

Road Tripping in the North Bay Area: Historic Sonoma Plaza

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Featured Posts

Lady Unicorn

Weird Things I Like to Do

brows fill out beforehand

Before You Pluck or Wax Your Brows, You Must Do This

current bare skin status

What’s One Thing That Drastically Changed Your Skin for the Better?

red brown smokey eyes tutorial top pic 2

A Glamorously Grungy Makeup Tutorial: Smoky Reddish Brown Eyes and Vampy Matte Lips [MODERATE SKILL LEVEL]

Copyright © 2020 Makeup and Beauty Blog. Get in touch.