Last Sunday I was up at an ungodly hour, getting ready to make my way in by train to Salon Melbourne at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Salon Melbourne is Victoria’s ultimate hair and beauty event and unfortunately for those not in the biz, it’s an industry only event. Showcasing some of the best products and tools, live shows, masterclasses and entertainment.  And best of all, major discounts off RRP.

This was my first year at Salon Melbourne, and I knew that I’d need to make a deal with myself before stepping foot through those doors – keep a clear head, don’t become dazed and confused by % off signs and only use the credit card in extreme emergencies.

Being a makeup artist, my main interest for the day was the live makeup shows, getting around to all the makeup booths and hopefully picking up a bargain or two.

My first port of call was the live show “Makeup Secrets Revealed with Rae Morris”. I have many of Rae’s published books, and have seen some video footage, but I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Well Rae blew me away, she came onto the stage so full of life and a real wanting to be there and reveal her trade secrets. My only disappointment was that this show was 20minutes, as I could have listened to this woman speak all day.

Another show I really wanted to see was “Secrets of Beautiful Bridal Makeup”, with Joanna Blair.  Again, these shows are not long enough.  I had a brief opportunity to speak with the Joanna Blair’s School of Makeup team, and they were all so warm and friendly.

Highlight

The highlight of my day was meeting Rae and asking if she wouldn’t mind taking a few selfies.

Well she was so enthusiastic, Rae grabbed my phone, grabbed my daughter Ava (who was tagging along) and proceeded to click away, even giving Ava a few pecks on the cheek. More than I could have hoped for.

Lowlight

I was really hoping to see more brands that aren’t that readily available in Australian stores, or don’t have a huge presence here. Unfortunately that wasn’t really the case. This might be due to the fact that this is a Melbourne only event, unlike its rival show IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show), it’s worldwide.

I was also disappointed in the Inglot live show, and I absolutely love this brand, but the Main Stage had 2 large viewing screens for the audience to get an up-close view of what was happening and unfortunately Inglot chose to leave their advertising on the screens. So unless you were sitting in the front row, directly in front of the model, you basically couldn’t see a thing.

Product of the Day

Lash Replublic’s false lash placement tool. Such a simple yet genius invention. With rubber grips, it won’t blend or ruin the lashes, and makes it easy for self or client application. This was the best $10 spent!

Here’s my very small controlled haul:

Lash Republic Application Tool, Lime Crime Pink Velvetine, Duo Lash Glue, Model Rock Lashes, Gorgeous Brow Gel and Opi Nail Polish

Will I return next year? I think so, maybe attend a Master Class or two and definitely save my pennies well in advance.

Until next time…

Janexo

p.s apologies for the lack of photos, Salon Melbourne strickly stated no flash photography, so I resorted to the iPhone. Annoyingly there were people with cameras everywhere and my iPhone had died by half way through the day.