I registered for the event the second I got the email invitation from IT, and I'm so glad I did! One of the sales reps I met said that all of the 1200 spots for the four sessions available were filled within minutes, and the waitlist had over 300 people. I've never been invited to anything like this before, so to say I was excited was an understatement. I even had business cards made for myself in case there were networking opportunities! I didn't know what to expect (or what to wear!), but I wanted to be prepared for anything.
After checking in with the greeters, I was led upstairs to the ExhibIT. First was a video preview of the new line and a brief message from Jamie Kern Lima, the creator and head of IT Cosmetics (whom I adore!). After the video, the real fun began. Each new item was housed in its own themed, interactive installation.
First was the new face wash, Confidence in a Cleanser, which goes with the recently launched Confidence in a Cream. To get to this exhibit, I walked underneath a "waterfall" that separated in the middle when you stepped beneath it so you wouldn't get wet. Unfortunately, because I'm a klutz, I embarrassingly slipped on the floor as I walked through.
I'm not a huge fan of Confidence in a Cream, it didn't absorb very quickly and was pretty tacky when I tried it out, but the cleanser has so many benefits that I'm intrigued. It promises to be a serum and a cleanser combined, leaving your skin looking rejuvenated and minimizing the appearance of wrinkles. As we all know, the key to good makeup is a good skincare routine, so this may be worth a shot!
Next was the Confidence in Your Glow which is already available at Ulta. These are gorgeous bronzer-blush-highlight palettes, that are available in three different shade collections. The real story at this booth, however, was the Heavenly Skin One-Sweep Wonder Brush, which somehow I didn't get a photo of. It is a flat, wide brush that can be used all over the face and eyes, and is designed to pair with these cheek palettes (but really can be used for so much more). This brush, as well as some of the other new brushes, is infused with anti-aging skincare ingredients like silk and anti-oxidants. The sales rep said that the brush has shown to retain these ingredients for over 100 uses and beyond, and that the skincare ingredients are actually added to the chemical blend that they use to create the synthetic brush hairs. Science is fun.
From here, the ExhibIT opened up into the main room with the rest of the installations. It was like Disneyland for makeup! I was greeted by women dressed in old-fashioned movie theater usher uniforms handing out popcorn in IT Cosmetic branded paper boxes and chocolate bars with IT Cosmetics on the label.
I didn't really know where to start, so I browsed around first before really digging in to any of the rooms. I, of course, got a souvenir selfie taken where I got to pose with giant cardboard cutouts of some of IT Cosmetics' fan favorite products. I prefer to be behind the camera, so taking so many photos of myself that night was a huge step out of my comfort zone. I've been working on losing weight, so I was pleased to see I didn't hate all the photos!
I've never had much luck with the line's famous concealer Bye Bye Under Eye, as it has always been a bit heavy for me, but the new Bye Bye Under Eye Concealing Pot seems really promising as an alternative. While having the same concealing power of the original tube version, this little pot promises to be lighter weight. This booth also offered a fun coupon grab box where you could win free shipping by grabbing a slip of paper with the coupon code on it. It reminded me of the Grab That Dough episode of The Golden Girls...anyone?
A very cool new foundation, demonstrated by my new BFF Cindi, is Confidence in a Compact which takes the benefits of Confidence in a Cream and infuses it into this solid-to-serum foundation. As Cindi showed me, it takes so little effort to apply yet gives amazing coverage (better than the famous Your Skin But Better CC Cream, but with the same SPF which is important to me). Just a simple dip and swipe in the compact instantly transforms the solid foundation into a cream serum on the brush, and one swipe is enough to cover at least half the face. I really loved that at each station, the reps, like Cindi, were so enthusiastic and truly loved IT Cosmetics and their products. It made me excited about each new release!
Another new foundation coming out is Bye Bye Lines, which my other new BFF Robert demonstrated and color matched for me. This buildable formula has the benefits of the Bye Bye Lines Serum, and it feels amazing on the skin. It is smooth, lightweight, and looks so natural. My only complaint is that there's no SPF, but that's minor compared to all its wonderful qualities. Also, I've never tried the Bye Bye Lines Serum before, but Robert sampled some on the back of my hand and it felt so hydrating and smelled good enough to eat. For a gal like me who is well into her thirties, it's time to start thinking about taking care of my skin for anti-aging, and this foundation seems like a great option.
To go with their Superhero Mascara, IT is coming out with Superhero Liner. Featuring a brush hair tip from their Heavenly Skin brushes, this liner was super pigmented. They tried it on my lids, and the brush felt so good, and it seemed really easy to apply. I wonder how easy it would be to wing it out. They had iPads at this station, and partygoers wrote who their hero was: I put My Mom with a little heart, because my mom is my hero always.
I've used the original loose Bye Bye Pores powder, and it's a great powder for setting foundation. It has silk in it, so it is incredibly smooth and soft. The ExhibIT featured the new Bye Bye Pores Illumination pressed powder, which takes the original formulation and gives it a glow-from-within look with the "Drops of Light Technology." The rep said that it was suitable for all ages since there's no glitter in it, so don't be scared! I actually liked this version of Bye Bye Pores better than my original loose style, it seemed to make my skin look more smooth and flawless despite my large pores.
Since Bye Bye Pores contains anti-aging silk, they had a gorgeous ballerina dancing among giant panels of silk hanging from the ceiling. She was beautiful to watch! This was my favorite photo of her since it looks like she knows a secret as she's peaking through the curtains.
Bye Bye Redness is a product that when it came out, I got my hands on it immediately. I have cystic acne-prone skin, with past acne scars, so any product that is a no-brainer color corrector to get rid of my redness is a blessing. However, it only came in one shade and unfortunately, that shade is too dark for my skin and I still have to use a concealer on top. One of the best launches of the night- IT is coming out with two new, lighter shades! Bye Bye Redness in Porcelain Beige and Light Beige are welcome additions to the line and I can't wait to try the porcelain shade.
Another exciting development to the line is the Bye Bye Redness Skin Relief Treatment Moisturizer. This rich moisturizer can be used day and night, and also contains anti-aging ingredients. It's tinted slightly green, and neutralizes the red tones in your skin while soothing it at the same time. It says it is formulated for sensitive skin, which is especially nice since I find that a lot of anti-aging moisturizers are harsh on my skin and break me out.
Speaking of breakouts, the launch I was most excited to see was the Bye Bye Breakout line. As I've frequently mentioned, I suffer from adult and cystic acne, and sulfur products (in addition to retinol) are what work for me. For example, the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is a great spot treatment and makes my large breakouts smaller and less painful. While cosmetics that promise to treat acne are nothing new, the new Bye Bye Breakout line contains sulfur which I've never seen in any items before! In fact, the Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer promises to be a concealer and a drying lotion in one!
While I mistakenly kept calling it Bye Bye Blemish (missed opportunity, IT!), I'm pretty sure the concealer was made for me- so much so that I bought it on sight (it recently got delivered, expect a review soon!). Also offered is a Bye Bye Breakout Powder, which comes in three shades (Translucent, Light/Medium, and Tan/Rich). I didn't buy the powder (yet) but I really liked how it felt on the skin, and it was not overly powdery and practically invisible. The powder also contains sulfur, and neither product had that "rotten egg" smell from the sulfur.
I purchased the Bye Bye Blemish Full-Coverage Treatment Concealer and the Heavenly Luxe Superhero eye brush (the coolest brush ever), so expect reviews on those soon. All these products are currently available at the IT Cosmetics website and some products will be available at Ulta in the fall.
While each session was technically only an hour long, I stayed well past that hour and kept joking with each rep that I didn't want to leave. I had the time of my life visiting each ExhibIT and playing with each new product. The stations were so well thought out and creative, the design and marketing teams at IT Cosmetics deserve raises. I was so honored to be invited, and lucky to have gotten in, and it will always be a very special night for me with wonderful memories. I've never had an opportunity like this before, and I hope to have more events like this in my future!
PS Handing out my business card is a thrill!
Let me know what products you're excited about, and don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with me!
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