IMATS NYC Weekend Vol. 1

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay in this week’s post… I’ve been in a state trying to choose just the right photos to share!

No one’s ever accused me of being afraid of the long post, but I’ve decided that to squish all of my goodies into one post would have been a bit much even for me… hence, today’s post will be volume 1 of 2 🙂

Being in NYC, I wanted to take advantage of some city-specific beauty opportunities in addition to the main event.

First up, my very first visit to the ELF Studio in NYC!  It just so happens to be in my old neighborhood, right on Broadway at the intersection with Astor Place.  Overall, it was a very fun visit.  The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, but not pushy if you wanted to do a little solo browsing.  There were testers for most of the products, which really helped me winnow down to my top choices.  Here’s what I got!

I am a HUGE fan of the Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow formula, and I could NOT resist Soiree, this gorgeous deep pink.  I even ended up wearing it to dinner that night!  It also paired perfectly with…

… this Day to Night Lipstick Duo in Need it Nudes!  I liked the formula so much, I decided I needed the Red Hot Reds, too 🙂

The formula is very rich and moisturizing-feeling and the shades are really well pigmented.  There is a bit of a scent/flavor, reminiscent of the ELF Moisturizing Lipsticks.  Not a huge fan of that aspect, but it wears away reasonably quickly… or at least I just get used to it reasonably quickly.

I’d been dying to try to ELF Clay Eyeshadow Palettes and the two that ended up catching my eye, no pun intended 😉 were Seaside Sweetie and Saturday Sunsets.

Here’s a closeup of an eye look with Seaside Sweetie…

… and here’s one with Saturday Sunsets.

I was very impressed with the softness and blendability of both palettes, and was also pleased that in both eye looks, they lent themselves well to a dash of added shine from my ELF Prism Eyeshadow Palette in Naked.

My final in-studio purchase was a stock up on what has become a must have night-stand staple, my ELF Soothing Lip Balm.

Of late, I’ve been taking a no holds barred approach to getting my skin under control, which is leading to a bit of irritation and dryness.  I slather this balm on nightly and it has really been protecting my lips well!  Not too shabby for a $1 lip balm!

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The other NYC-specific stop I made this trip was to Duane Reade, the quintessential NYC drugstore chain named for it’s first location at the corner of Duane and Reade streets downtown near the courthouse.  As you may know, I always make it a point to check out cruelty-free products at local drugstores, so this was a must-stop.  I popped into the one in Penn Station while I waited for a train, and I only had time to check out the color cosmetics, no skin- or hair-care this time around.  That said, I was pleased to find the following brands:

• Black Opal (I believe affiliated with Wet n’ Wild)
• Jordana
• Milani
• Physician’s Formula
• Wet n’ Wild

I even picked up a couple of quick goodies for myself.  The actually very velvety Velvet Matte Lip Crayon in Charred Cherry…

… and the Wet n’ Wild Illuminating Palette, which I think will be doing triple duty as eyeshadow, blush, and high lighter depending on which shade(s) I use 🙂

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Ok, that’s it for volume 1.  Stayed tuned for full details on the main event, IMATS NYC 2016, coming soon!

*These are only my opinions, formed through my personal experience as a consumer.  I am not a medical doctor, an aesthetician, or a health/beauty professional.  There is no guarantee what effect, positive or negative, these products may have on anyone else.

**All products were purchased by me from brands that, to the best of my knowledge, are cruelty-free.