Lets talk Generation Beauty. I promise not to sugar coat this, so get ready, this is going to be a long one. Wow, what an event. There was much to stand in line for and so little time! A good event, but not all what I had expected. I'm glad I was able to attend this year. I loved all the lovely people I met and was able to connect with.
I have to admit that I had been waiting for this and made sure by the time it was here I was ready for it. I truly enjoyed this event and the experience. Upon entering the tent, placed on top of a parking structure at LA Live, it was a sight to see. Once inside it appeared to be endless. Thank goodness for the free beverages from Keurig at the "Brew the Love" station (this was a rather warm tent). Stages set up around the tent and so much pink, it would make any girl happy. The not so glamorous port a potties were outside the tent to the right and next to them three food trucks parked for anyone's hunger needs.
The not so glamorous port a potties
So little time, I knew I had to be extremely strategic. I made sure that I had printed out the schedule a week in advanced and already had my day planned out and all speakers, work stations and games were highlighted so I knew exactly where to be and when. With my map and schedule in hand I was ready for Generation Beauty!
So, what I experienced. Well, lots of waiting in line. Four hours to be exact when it came to Bare Minerals. I wanted to take away so much from this event and not just free products but also knowledge. I was unable to experience all that was offered due to everything required to stand in line. As if waiting in line was not bad enough there was much demand from vendors for Instagraming and Tweeting just to get a free item (so if you are one of the few without an account, it needed to be created and NOW!).
A day in the life of Amber's Trendy Thoughts at Generation Beauty start: Upon walking towards Pixi I had yet to realize what all it was going to take to receive a free item from Pixi, first I had to wait in line, then take a picture of myself in front of the word "Pixi" then Instagram it with the #PixiBeauty. After all that was done I had to show a Pixi representative the posted picture of me on Instagram finally I was able to play a game to win a Pixi prize!
The Pixi pic I had to take #PixiBeauty
Same went for NYX, after waiting in line I had to take a picture of a NYX product, then I had to Instagram it with yet another "#" this one being #NYXCosmetics then show it to a NYX representative to receive a free butter gloss. I was finding that this was the case for other vendors that had attended. I can't say that this was horrible, but talk about having to work to get a free item.
The pic of the NYX item #NYXCosmetics
The worst line was Bare Minerals. They were giving out a full size BareSkin along with the Perfecting Face Brush. Together these items retail for over $60.00. I really wanted to try these so along with everyone else I got in line. After an hour (ok, not too bad), then two hours (hmm, this is starting to take up time), then three hours (I guess theres no turning back now) I thought I'd never get it. I figured since I pretty much just missed out on the entire event waiting in line, Instead of attending any of the work stations to hear the guest speakers. I would just wait it out, however long it was going to take. It took around four hours. After waiting in line for four hours, the event was coming to the end. The representatives for Bare Minerals at this point were getting ready to hand out the Generation Beauty gift/swag bags (I'll go more in depth about the gift/swag bags later) so now everything was being rushed. If I understood the rules to get this (these no longer applied to me and the end of the line since the event was wrapping up) to receive the free items you had to get a makeover, then Instagram a picture of the glamorous makeover and #GoBare. There was no time for a makeover at this point and there were still hundreds of people standing behind me. A representative from Bare Minerals instructed me that she could look at me and color match me without any swatches. I was not a fan of that so she agreed and offered to color match me on my neck. I did still have to take a picture and post it on Instagram with the #GoBare.
The photo taken for Bare Minerals #GoBare
My complaint was not the free items but the method on how we had to receive them. It took so much time having to stand in line and then do all of the things we had to do to receive free items. In a way it was fun but it became more work than fun in the end.
My next disappointment was that hardly anything was for sale! I came to Generation Beauty with the hopes to buy items that I had read or watched reviews on. I was crossing my fingers for discounts and newly released products! Nope, not happening. Some examples, EM by: Michelle Phan had what I believe to be their entire product line so it could be seen, color matched and tested. If I wanted to purchase any items I was instructed I could go to their web site and order online. They were there not to sell, but to show their products. That was extremely disappointing. I had to wait again in a line just to play with the products but was unable to buy them. To be honest, the likelihood of me purchasing any of the EM products on line is probably not going to happen. I would have done what is called an "impulse buy" since it was there and I had money in hand. The impulse is gone and I'm over it.
SOHO London New York, had their products there so we could touch but could not buy! I would have bought the entire line of the leopard print bags but I was instructed to go to Target to purchase it. I do applaud them, they were giving out an item to everyone but I wanted to do some shopping! I felt like I was being taunted in a way. I was shown what they offered but was unable to purchase it. I found this to be even more irritating due to the fact that their items are not offered for sale on their website. So now if I wanted to purchase the leopard print (that I have now given up on) I would have to try and hunt it down in hopes of finding the entire collection. Talk about leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
Another disappointment was the time slots of the work stations/guest speakers/games. There were multiple things going on at once. A total of 48 events crammed into four and a half hours! So choices had to be made. Every thirty minutes between six or seven beauty sessions were going on at once. This made it frustrating, there were multiple things I wanted to do in certain time slot but I had to choose ONE. In the end it no longer mattered since I spent the entire day on Saturday in the Bare Minerals line.
Out of all 33 vendors who attended I want to say that only four or five actually had items for sale. I was thankful that Temptu was there color matching and offered their system and a great discount. I purchased one to try out, it was a great price the staff was extremely knowledgeable and there were no obligations to take pictures or post anything. That was one booth I felt had much to offer. I was taught how to use the system, I was color matched and product was available to purchase.
Sunday was dedicated to meet ups and taking pictures with everyone's favorite beauty gurus. Sunday began at 11am and ended at 2pm. Talk about choose wisely because within two and a half hours a total of 24 beauty gurus were going to have lines formed to meet them. This I found to be even more trickier because every thirty minutes a choice had to be made between four beauty gurus but the catch was I had to choose wisely since that one line was probably the only line I was going to have time to wait in. The bigger catch was that we all were given a printed schedule and it was also posted on the web so we all would know where to find the beauty guru we wanted to meet. The day of, times were changed only to be announced on stage, so that if you did not hear it, there was a chance one may miss out on meeting their favorite beauty guru. I witnessed a girl get extremely upset and almost in tears when she was told that Michelle Phan's time had been moved up and that they had stopped the line so she was unable to meet her or get her autograph on her EM palette that she had brought to be signed. I felt extremely bad for her.
SOHO London New York, had their products there so we could touch but could not buy! I would have bought the entire line of the leopard print bags but I was instructed to go to Target to purchase it. I do applaud them, they were giving out an item to everyone but I wanted to do some shopping! I felt like I was being taunted in a way. I was shown what they offered but was unable to purchase it. I found this to be even more irritating due to the fact that their items are not offered for sale on their website. So now if I wanted to purchase the leopard print (that I have now given up on) I would have to try and hunt it down in hopes of finding the entire collection. Talk about leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
Another disappointment was the time slots of the work stations/guest speakers/games. There were multiple things going on at once. A total of 48 events crammed into four and a half hours! So choices had to be made. Every thirty minutes between six or seven beauty sessions were going on at once. This made it frustrating, there were multiple things I wanted to do in certain time slot but I had to choose ONE. In the end it no longer mattered since I spent the entire day on Saturday in the Bare Minerals line.
Out of all 33 vendors who attended I want to say that only four or five actually had items for sale. I was thankful that Temptu was there color matching and offered their system and a great discount. I purchased one to try out, it was a great price the staff was extremely knowledgeable and there were no obligations to take pictures or post anything. That was one booth I felt had much to offer. I was taught how to use the system, I was color matched and product was available to purchase.
Sunday was dedicated to meet ups and taking pictures with everyone's favorite beauty gurus. Sunday began at 11am and ended at 2pm. Talk about choose wisely because within two and a half hours a total of 24 beauty gurus were going to have lines formed to meet them. This I found to be even more trickier because every thirty minutes a choice had to be made between four beauty gurus but the catch was I had to choose wisely since that one line was probably the only line I was going to have time to wait in. The bigger catch was that we all were given a printed schedule and it was also posted on the web so we all would know where to find the beauty guru we wanted to meet. The day of, times were changed only to be announced on stage, so that if you did not hear it, there was a chance one may miss out on meeting their favorite beauty guru. I witnessed a girl get extremely upset and almost in tears when she was told that Michelle Phan's time had been moved up and that they had stopped the line so she was unable to meet her or get her autograph on her EM palette that she had brought to be signed. I felt extremely bad for her.
The only line I stood in and had time for was Judy
Don't get me wrong, this event was not terrible just not what I had expected. I was thinking more on the lines of IMATS. In the end I had to remind myself that this was not IMATS but Generation Beauty. I felt that this was more of an event to show and tell the consumers what companies had to offer, let us play with it and instruct us on where it could be obtained (obviously not there). So in a nutshell, a day of window shopping.
I can't deny that when it came to the "Beauty Happy Hour" our gift bags were pretty amazing and much thought was put into them. My only complaint was that we were given tickets and had to wait in not one, but two lines to receive a mesh bag filled with goodies. This was done on Saturday and Sunday totaling four bags of free items from the majority of the companies that were at Generation Beauty. I think I would have preferred receiving all the items at the beginning when checking in. That would have been four less lines that I would have to have waited in. Another thing I had learned from an individual who was handing out the bags, was that the individuals considered "Beauty Gurus" by Generation Beauty were given gold name tags opposed to the pink that the general admission were given. The gold name tags were given different bags of free items. What was in them? I don't know. Why they were given different bags from the rest of us? Again I don't know. That's just what I was told, and why all name tags were being checked. I guess I'll know more when the "Beauty Gurus" post pictures and or videos of their swag bags. At least now I know that when they talk about the free items they received from these events. They may not be the free items "I" the general admission person received.
Would I attend Generation Beauty again? Yes, just next time I think I'll pass on the lines and skip out on all the booths and really experience what the guest speakers have to offer. I would have liked to have heard about how to stand out on YouTube and how to achieve great makeup for HD filming. Generation Beauty had a lot to offer, just wished I would have been able to have experienced all of it.
I can't deny that when it came to the "Beauty Happy Hour" our gift bags were pretty amazing and much thought was put into them. My only complaint was that we were given tickets and had to wait in not one, but two lines to receive a mesh bag filled with goodies. This was done on Saturday and Sunday totaling four bags of free items from the majority of the companies that were at Generation Beauty. I think I would have preferred receiving all the items at the beginning when checking in. That would have been four less lines that I would have to have waited in. Another thing I had learned from an individual who was handing out the bags, was that the individuals considered "Beauty Gurus" by Generation Beauty were given gold name tags opposed to the pink that the general admission were given. The gold name tags were given different bags of free items. What was in them? I don't know. Why they were given different bags from the rest of us? Again I don't know. That's just what I was told, and why all name tags were being checked. I guess I'll know more when the "Beauty Gurus" post pictures and or videos of their swag bags. At least now I know that when they talk about the free items they received from these events. They may not be the free items "I" the general admission person received.
Update: what Ipsy/Generation Beauty considered to be "Beauty Gurus" who wore gold tags, from what I have seen posted on social media much different items were given to them, from what I the general population received. From what I had seen they were given full size items and not sample sizes, also receiving full skincare kits from Dermalogica and Proactive. They also received the new Benefit "There're Real" eyeliner and much, much, more. So much swag that a "Beauty Guru" was giving away items because they had received so much!
The free items I received
Would I attend Generation Beauty again? Yes, just next time I think I'll pass on the lines and skip out on all the booths and really experience what the guest speakers have to offer. I would have liked to have heard about how to stand out on YouTube and how to achieve great makeup for HD filming. Generation Beauty had a lot to offer, just wished I would have been able to have experienced all of it.
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