After a most enjoyable trip to Disneyland, it was time to meet up with my friend for our second annual trip to Generation Beauty! For last year's recap of Generation Beauty, please go here:
Much Needed Self-Care: Generation Beauty 2014
Generation Beauty is a makeup convention sponsored by ipsy which started in 2013 with 1000 attendees (as announced at the start of the event). Since then, Generation Beauty has grown to over 4000 attendees, with an additional convention taking place in the fall in New York. The two-day event starts on Friday night with a special invite-only party for special guests. Following that are two days where attendees have an opportunity to mingle with representatives from various makeup brands and attend mini-panels with their favorite bloggers and vloggers.
As I've mentioned previously, I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to everything makeup related. While I spend more than I'd like to admit on cosmetics, I do not follow any makeup bloggers/vloggers and frankly have questionable makeup application abilities. In fact, my morning makeup routine involves applying sunscreen, quickly drawing on eyeliner (and mascara if I feel like it), and slapping on blush/powder before running out the door to sit in traffic. If I remember, I apply lipstick/gloss once I get to work (in non-patient care areas as per OHSA guidelines).
Generation Beauty appeals to me not only because I get to learn more about makeup, but because I get hundreds of dollars worth of free swag! As someone who tries to live on a budget, I can't help but love free stuff! Here's a rundown of the weekend:
Saturday morning, I show up to L.A. Live to check in and pick up my badge for the weekend. Included with the badge is a tote bag (to hold swag), a sheet of coupons you exchange at each booth for makeup, coupons for Saturday and Sunday's swag bags, and a box of water!
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| Water in a box! |
Upon entering the venue, my friend and I made a beeline to the Bare Minerals booth, one which had notorious long lines last year. We were the last people in line before staff members closed it off, likely for fire code reasons. Typically, the booths with the longest lines offered some service such as makeovers, hairstyling, foundation color matching, and interactive games for prizes. For those considering going to Generation Beauty next year, I highly recommend comfortable shoes and a lot of patience as you will be standing in line most of the day! Another tactic is to bring a friend so you can take turns exploring other booths while the other waits in line!
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| The inside of L.A. Live, where Generation Beauty is held |
Another important item to bring to Generation Beauty is your smartphone (or wifi supported device). Generation Beauty is a social media heavy event, with many companies offering freebies if you tweet/facebook/instagram using certain hashtags. Additionally, if you had the Generation Beauty app, you could check into certain booths for additional freebies (on top of the paper coupons).
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| Many companies offered freebies for posting certain hashtags on social media. IT Cosmetics gave me a tote bag for posting this pic! |
My friend and I spent day one focusing on getting as many free stuff as possible. By the end of day one, I had managed to fill an entire tote bag with makeup, not including a swag bag given to each attendee. It certainly felt like Halloween, but less sugary.
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| Generation Beauty Day One Haul |
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| Contents of Day One Swag Bag |
On day two, I focused more on experiencing the convention than collecting free stuff. I had exchanged most of my coupons by the end of day one, and while Greyhound fortunately allows for a second carry-on bag, I was fast running out of space! Hence, I spent the day getting my hair done at Oscar Blandi and getting a makeover at the Smashbox booth. It's not everyday I get to try out a new hairstyle or have a makeup artist work on my face! Sadly, day two was only four hours long and over way too soon!
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| Generation Beauty Day Two Haul |
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| Contents of Day Two Swag Bag |
Here are some of my favorite swag from the weekend:
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| Too Faced Born This Way Foundation |
While Too Faced had a really long line that was frequently closed off, the wait was worth it as they color matched you to their latest foundation and have you a full-sized bottle! This foundation doesn't launch until June 15, so it was great of Too Faced to be so generous with their sneak peak.
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| Jouer Sparkle & Shine Holiday Party Favor |
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| Inside contents minus noisemaker |
Jouer was definitely one of the more generous booths of Generation Beauty, giving away two lipsticks, a small box of samples, and this adorable party favor with a mini lip gloss, accessories, and noisemaker (not pictured). I may get a few of these favors to give away as gifts this holiday season!
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| tre'StiQue Matte Color and Shiny Balm Lip Crayon in Florence Fig and Rose Balm |
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| Generation Beauty tre'StiQue Booth |
One of my favorite booths at Generation Beauty was tre'StiQue, a new company specializing in travel-friendly makeup. As someone who travels frequently, I love the idea of space minimizing multitaskers, especially when it comes to makeup! While technically not a freebie, I got their matte color and shine balm lip crayon for 15% off and hope to try their other products in the future!
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| Tote Bag from Pacifica Beauty |
In an attempt to pack light, I traveled down to Southern California with a small rolling duffel bag. Sadly, it was not enough to fit all the swag I received during Generation Beauty. Fortunately, Pacifica Beauty gave away this sturdy canvas tote which safely held all my goodies during the long bus ride up to the Bay Area.
Generation Beauty is a young convention that is rapidly growing in size. At this rate, unless ipsy decides to implement more stringent capping measures, I anticipate that the event may have to eventually move to a larger venue. I'm excited for Generation Beauty's potential, and hope to continue attending more conventions in the future!
What an busy and eventful week an a half! Now it's time to recover from whatever bug I contracted, make money, and plan my next series of excursions. Yay for summer travel!
I will be attending the event in NYC for my first time ever! I am so excited to go and meet new people and brands! It sounds like you had a ton of fun. And seriously... that swag is out of control! Lol! Luckily I'm driving there, so carry on isn't an issue. :P
ReplyDeletefeel free to check out my latest video and blog.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2qI4iv5xVc
Blog post: http://www.glittertogaming.com/2015/07/NeriumTrialDay1.html
This will be my first time attending Gen Beauty in NYC. I was not sure what to expect but after reading your personal experience I'm more excited than ever! Thank you so much!!
ReplyDeleteThis will be my first time attending Gen Beauty in NYC. I was not sure what to expect but after reading your personal experience I'm more excited than ever! Thank you so much!!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It is the old what goes around comes around routine.
ReplyDeletemake up
Did you purchase your ticket at the discount pioneer or early bird rate? I waited too long and don't want to stomach spending $167 for a ticket... Idc how much I swag I get, that's a lot of dough
ReplyDeleteHow much are tickets?
ReplyDeleteHere is my recap Generation Beauty 2017 in San Francisco! https://lipstickonapiggie.com/generation-beauty-san-francisco-2017-review/
ReplyDelete