How to Conquer Beautycon Like a Pro
This past weekend I attended Beautycon LA. This was my second time experiencing Beautycon in Los Angeles and the festival truly gets better with time.
For those of you who may not be familiar with Beautycon, which trust me I know is most of you, Beautycon is a worldwide phenomenon happening "from London to Dubai to New York to Los Angeles." Beautycon "takes the online experience IRL with [their] Festivals bringing the biggest content creators, celebrities, brands, and fans together to celebrate beauty, self-expression and staying true to oneself. Filled with engaging panel discussions, meet-ups, selfies and brand activations, Beautycon Festivals have seen more than 100,000 fans worldwide and [their] day-of event hashtags continue to trend globally" (Beautycon mission online at Beautycon.com).
Beautycon targets Gen Z'ers who are Youtube and social media obsessed. You know, the 14 year olds who know how to apply makeup better than you ever will?
As I'm a bit of a Beautycon "vet" at this point, my second year at the festival was even better than the first. While this time around I was primarily working, I did get the opportunity to walk the space and learn a few tips and tricks I want to share with any Beautycon newbies out there.
1. Buy the VIP ticket. Just trust me, it's worth it. VIP ticket holders get in the doors at 9am and have 3 hours before General Admission enters the convention center. From the moment General Admission opens, it's an absolute madhouse. Expect lines every where you go. I mean everywhere.
2. Don't be afraid to wear minimal makeup. Most of the booths have some kind of makeup trialling or touchup station so don't be afraid to have a more naked face than normal. It's the perfect excuse to try out some new makeup products and trends.
3. Have a gameplan. If you're unable to purchase VIP tickets or are perhaps running a bit late, make a gameplan for you and your friends to stick to. You will receive a Beautycon program upon entering which details not only where all the booths are located but the timing of all the programming as well.
4. Wear comfortable shoes (and clothes). I cannot emphasize this one enough! Definitely dress to impress, you WILL see celebs at Beautycon I guarantee it, but remember that you will be waiting in line as well as walking around all day long. The amount of girls I saw hobbling around in their heels by the end of the day. Not worth it my friends!
5. Make sure your phone is fully charged. Most booths at Beautycon require you to follow them on Instagram or post a picture from their booth before taking part in their giveaway. You wouldn't want your dead phone to keep you from playing the game would you?! Free makeup brushes are at stake here people!
6. Not everything is free. I know most people go to Beautycon for the freebies and TRUST there are hundreds of them (I have the bags of product to prove it), but know that there are things for sale as well. From discounted makeup palettes to jewelry (take a look at the AMAZING custom 'BOSS' choker I got from Anarchy Street below), there is opportunity to spend. Get ready to swipe!
7. Remain calm. The first time I went to Beautycon LA last year I think I was so overwhelmed by everything going on that I didn't give myself time to properly check out everything that I wanted to see. I felt like I was in such a time crunch that I hurried from place to place and didn't really see everything I wanted to. This is where having a game plan comes in handy.
Beautycon is an amazing experience for the girly girl beauty lover such as myself. With ton of opportunities to learn about new brands as well as see some new goodies from fan favorites, I highly recommend it.
Yes it's overwhelming, yes you WILL fan girl at some point during the two days of the festival, but at the end of the day you'll walk away with some new beauty and skincare ideas as well as a ton of new product to keep the fun going for months afterward.
(Originally Published August 16, 2017)