OOTD: Vancouver IMATS (VanCity is moving up in the world)

"I try out a smile and I aim it at you

You must have missed it

You always do."

Dress from H&M; Belt from Zara; Watch from Value Village; Bracelets by Chan Luu and Club Monaco; Headband from Forever 21; Earrings and bag are my mothers; Shoes from Aldo;

I love this dress; it's a bit of an awkward length but I feel like nude heels will make it seem on purpose.

I'm not a headband person, but I jostled enough cool moms out of the way in a hectic Forever 21 to try this pearl one on and it actually worked. I think the key is to have your hair up; I have no idea how to work and elastic headband if your hair is down.

Make-up-wise I did my trademark cateye (it was IMATS, I had to do something!) but I'm just not feeling it anymore. I am preferring (gasp) just mascara and to play up my lips and cheekbones. It's a new era I suppose.

For those of you in the know, IMATS is The International Make-Up Artist and Trade Show; it's only Vancouver's second year hosting it, with the other events taking place in New York, Los Angeles, London, Toronto, and Sydney. You know, the big cities.

I went with my cousins, of which took these photos, and dove in headfirst to make-up land.

The point of IMATS is to showcase young make-up artists, to try new products, and to let make-up artists buy their tools at discounted prices. It draws a crowd becasue anyone, make-up artist or no, can buy the make-up. The biggest draw was the Make-Up Forever table; if you had waited two hours in line, you too could have recived Make-Up Forever products 30% off. I did not.

I did however stop by NYX Cosmetics, which was also offering 30% off and no tax. I got three lipsticks, a blush,a lipgloss, and the infamous Jumbo Eye Pencil in 'Milk'.

At Crown Brushes my cousins and I got super cheap mak-up brushes; I got about six and picked out matching ones for my cousin who is just starting out with make-up. Got her a blending brush, obvs.

Then what I was most excited for, Ben Nye! My only gripe is tha they were displaying the wheel concealer palettes, but not selling them. BUH. But they had an amazing deal where if you picked four of their shadows/blushes they'd give you a four pan palette free. So I made myself a little neutral eye kit. By far my favourite purchase.

I can't wait to back next year, and maybe then I'll get my concealer wheel.

Three things before I sign off:

1) I deleted all the GleeTips and MixCassettes. Starting fresh.

2) I'm thinking of doing outfit of the days on Youtube. I'll still post here, as this bloggy is my first priority, but I'd like to make a few and see how it goes.

3) I have an excuse for why these posts have been so few and far-between. Since July 27th I have been recovering from wisdom tooth extraction surgery. All four were pulled at once and the operation went smoothly. I slowly healed until about day four, where my the pain got worse everyday. The diagnoses was that I had two dry socket, muscle spasms, and a slight infection; I was given three new prescriptions, had my wisdom tooth holes stuffed with cloves (Yeah, they still use cloves to heal teeth) and am finally now on the mend. I haven't left this house this entire time except to go to the doctor, and today was the first day I ventured out for a quick walk with Elsie. These photos were taken July 23rd, but after lying in bed for a week I knew I wouldn't be dressing up anytime soon, so I delayed posting until I was healed. Does that make any sense? It did in my drug-addled brain. Anyway, I feel much better and will get back to life (and style) soon.

Love.