I loved the event, if only because it gave me the chance to meet and interact with bloggers and companies that I admire and respect. I didn't think ahead of time enough to bring business cards but it was still awesome to network.
Bloggers/Vloggers first!
I saw Leesha, Xsparkage on youtube near the Sugarpill booth and had to run over there to get a picture because I didn't want to miss a chance to not meet one of my favorite youtubers. She's super photogenic and I am unfortunately not, she was so so pretty in person!
That day was the first time I'd ever met Alicia from
Funny Face Beauty in person. She actually recognized me first and it was amazing to meet someone whose blog I loved to read and who in turn read my blog. We had spent a good part of the day hanging out together and we didn't take a picture together until near the end of the day.
Lauren, Queen of Blending on Youtube was the nicest person ever and she had the most amazing nails, earrings, and makeup ever. Just as awesome in person as she is in her videos.
And of course, Christine from Temptalia. It was so nice to talk to her, I asked her about how the site was going and am still astonished at how she managed to work on the site while in graduate school. Utterly amazing and someone who really knows how to prioritize and get the work done.
I met Jenn, Bellapepper53 on Youtube right as Alicia and I were about to go into the VIP reception. I've been watching her videos for awhile now so again, it was awesome to meet and talk to her.
Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog was great to talk to. Alicia and I chatted with her outside while getting drinks and oh my god I was just starstruck. It's admirable to see how much effort she puts into each and every post she does.
The last blogger I met was Kelly from Vampy Varnish. I remember reading her blog when it used to be just about nail polish and it's been nice to see the evolution of it beyond just nail polish.
Company owners!
I met Amy/Shrinkle of Sugarpill Cosmetics early in the morning. Do ignore my awkwardly floating hand around her waist.
and I was really excited to meet Marissa, the CEO and Founder of theBalm. I liked hearing her speak during the "Brand Stories: How Your Beauty Brand Got Big" speaking event.
I've been wondering about how TJ Maxx managed to get so much of theBalm Cosmetics so who better to ask than the CEO and Founder? Turns out theBalm dealt directly with TJ Maxx with the sale of their products because of how well TJ Maxx stores are distributed across the US. theBalm were able to get their products out way better that way. I know at my local Sephora, theBalm was pulled from the store so I imagine it must have happened at other stores.
Here comes the bit of bad news. I asked about the The Balm and the Beautiful palette and I was told that TJ Maxx bought up their whole stock of those palettes. I don't believe they will be making anymore so if you managed to get one of the The Balm and the Beautiful palettes, cherish the hell out of it.
I've got one last Beauty Social post to do and it's all about my swag bag from the event! Needless to say, I've got a crapton of things to review in the upcoming weeks and months.
