PHAMExpo 2013 Recap

This post is by contributing writer Mai from Portrait of Mai.

The Professional Hair and Makeup Exposition (better known as PHAMExpo)’s Inaugural Show was this past weekend and there’s much I have to talk about the show. When IMATS LA decided to move their show to January, that left an opening for PHAMExpo to come in and offer a new makeup show opportunity for the summer open to the public and professionals.

Let the allure of Misty Maven and Porcelain’s glamorously gothic drag queen stylings draw you into this post…

Going into the show, I myself had reservations about what would make it stand apart from shows like The Makeup Show and IMATS. I think many people there couldn’t help but make comparisons to IMATS considering the show was held in the same venue at the same time that it usually is held at. If I had to describe PHAMExpo, I would say it was more low-key and less frantic than IMATS (whose crowds are hellish enough for me to honestly consider not going next year) and there were still a mix of good brands to appeal to professionals like at The Makeup Show. There were also great educational speaker events throughout the show.

Overall, I did have a great experience at the show. Staple trade-show brands like OCC, Sugarpill, Royal and Langnickel, Naimies, Nigels, etc along with a mix of new brands that I hadn’t ever heard of before were there and it was a diverse mix that made for a glorious shopping and swatching experience.

Would I consider going again? I personally would. I loved that I could get my OCC and Sugarpill fix without the horrendously terrible lines that have become commonplace at IMATS LA. I am hoping the show gets better and better each year!

Now onto the photos from the show. My camera or memory card must have blitzed out because I was sure I had taken more pictures there but there weren’t as many when I reviewed it. Still though, here are some pictures of the most exciting booths at the show. My pictures may be few but trust me when I say there were over 80 brands at the show!

From OCC, a beautiful sea of Creme Color Concentrates (how appealing is that teal, the 3rd from the left in the 3rd row!?) and Lip Tars.

One of my personal must-sees was Sugarpill Cosmetics. They were debuting and selling three of their new collections, all of which will be released within the next several months.

Their booth was magnificently decorated with prints from some of their recent photoshoots.

Next up, I feel like the worst beauty blogger because I completely forgot to take a picture of one of my most anticipated booths at the show, BonBliss Beauty. Instead, have a picture of their offerings from when they were exhibiting at ISSE Long Beach. BonBliss Beauty produces one of the most moisturizing salt and sugar scrubs I’ve ever tried (and deliciously smelling), for reals. They’re so worth checking out, I promise!

Although Koren/Enkore Makeup wasn’t able to have his sonic brush cleaning machine at the show, I wanted to remind everyone what his product was. This is an Ultrasonic Brush Cleaner which can clean your brushes in as little as one minute or three minutes for a deeper cleaning. It isn’t out yet but should be coming soon. I had to mention it now because I know Phyrra has been looking forward to it for ages. For makeup artists or an enthusiast, it’s a great idea!

Elessa/Pursebuzz and Violet Voss were also exhibiting at the show. I made a point to stop by their booth because I was looking forward to purchasing a “The Face Chart”, a packet of face charts from Youtuber extraordinaire, Dustin Hunter. His Face Charts are like the makeup enthusist’s adult coloring book and it’s so exciting to be able to support someone whose I’ve been watching since the beginning. You can get his Face Charts on his website.

Bdellium Tools makes my favorite pink and white haired eye brushes and they’ve finally released the pink brushes in a brush set. If you’re interested in trying out a new set of brushes, definitely check out Bdellium (the ‘b’ is silent!)

Saucebox Cosmetics is a brand that I’ve seen at about three trade shows now but I haven’t actually tried out anything by them until now. Their eyeshadows are primarily mattes and they felt fairly pigmented when I was swatching them out. Their Black Widow eyeshadow (the one in the closed compact in the picture) was SO pigmented in one swipe it is insane.

If you’re a redhead, you HAVE to check out Brett Freedman’s line of brow products. His Gingerella and Auburnista brow pencils are a godsend for redheads and if they’re good enough for Reba McEntire, they’re good enough for you!

When I get rich enough, I’ll purchase some Hakuhodo brushes but until then, I’ll just take pictures of them and drool over their soft as a cloud brush hairs.

This picture needs no explanation right?

While I was at the show, I was so tempted by these Kim Greene bags, they’re deceptively simple looking but are perfect for traveling. Kim Greene is a makeup artist and part of Greene Street Beauty, a collaboration between Kim Greene and Melissa Street with Youtube reviews and tutorials to help fledging makeup artists and enthusiasts.