Those of you who follow my blog regularly can recall my post on my first visit to The Makeup Show last year. Every year in various cities, both domestically (L.A., NYC, Miami) and internationally (London, Berlin), beauty professionals get a chance to attending seminars and workshops, and purchase cosmetics and other tools for our trade.  Ladies and Gents, I had a ball attending this year’s show! It was held at Venue One on West Randolph, for the second year in a row. Makeup artists, hair stylists, and other folks in the beauty industry from all over the country flocked to this event.  There were tons of exhibitors and this Beauty Babe made a beeline for M.A.C., Alcone Company, Make Up For Ever, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, and several other companies to stock my kits with new purchases! I had to wear my good walking shoes so I could keep up! Attending The Makeup Show allows working MUA’s, students, and other beauty industry professionals to really reap the benefits of what we do, along with networking, researching, and studying new trends and techniques to help us improve upon our skills.

It’s easy to get caught up in buying makeup and tools while attending The Makeup Show, so I had to remind myself to stay focused, by visiting several workshops and seminars. Ones that I really enjoyed were HD Makeup Techniques: Airbrush and Beyond-David Klasfeld for OCC Makeup, and The Artist Advantage: Mastering the Flash Color Palette-Brittany James for Make Up For Ever. One of my favorite Keynote events was “Beauty and The Blog.” Words of wisdom for Social Media were spoken by Makeup Artists Jennifer James and Candace Corey, as well as Patrice Grell Yursik of Afrobella.com. These ladies took questions from the audience and gave us so many useful tips to improve our presence in social media. I introduced myself to Patrice and we realized instantly that we both adore Rachel Stewart Jewelry! I guess great minds think alike (wink, wink)!

The amazing artist  James Vincent, Director of Artistry for The Makeup Show, introduced  keynote speakers Tia Dantzler and Billy B and I could just hear the pride in HIS voice as he talked about how special these two artists are, as well as how blessed HE was that they were able to come and speak with the crowd.

For those of you who don’t know, Tia is one of the top artists in the field, and her work has graced the covers of Vogue, Glamour, and many other publications. Tia has created looks for Jennifer Hudson, Maxwell, and President Barack Obama. She is also a brand ambassador for Johnson & Johnson. Tia shared some priceless tips about getting started in the business, remaining professional, and constantly researching to learn more about the craft. She is truly a beautiful and humble spirit who appreciates the opportunities she has been given. Follow Tia on Twitter and learn beauty tips on her blog, The Beauty Elixer!

Mr. Billy Brasfield, known as Billy B  “took us to church” as he stated! Billy B started his career in 1985 and since then, people all over the world have sought him out to make them look sensational. Billy has done makeup for Lady Gaga, Madonna, Beyonce, and many other celebrities. As a Keynote speaker, Billy shared with us the pitfalls of the industry, as well as what it takes to become a successful makeup artist. With his witty sense of humor and lifelong experience, he was to simply a joy watch on stage. Check out Billy’s Tumblr page for inspiration!

The one thing that stuck out for me, as an observer, was again, the humble attitudes of both Tia and Billy. As both artists shared, it’s easy to get a big head and think that once you gain access to celebrity clientele, you have “arrived” but that is not the case.  This sort of “diva” attitude will only insure that you won’t work again!  I really enjoyed listening to these artists, who have both influenced me in different ways!