The Professional Beauty Show 2014

I attend the London show at the ExCel. Shows are also held in the North and Ireland.
This was my 4th year attending and it seemed bigger than ever.

I'm publishing this post quite late, however, I include some good-to-know tips for getting the most out of attending these types of beauty shows.

The London Professional Beauty show takes place once a year, over 2 days (23-24 February) at the ExCel.

You do need to be a beauty professional (or know one!) to attend.
Admission is free when you register in advance online.

The Sunday tends to be the busiest, it's the first day and the weekend.

The exhibit is split into sections and includes areas for skincare, spa and salon equipment suppliers, advanced beauty treatments, tanning, nail, holistic therapy, retail beauty supplies and beauty training.

The purpose is to showcase leading beauty brands, particularly spa brands, provide tools for beauty business and generally and my objective - save money! Most brands offer a discount, especially for bulk buying.

Click here for information and to see all exhibiting brands

My pics of some of the exhibiting brands.

Lena White for OPI

OPI Spring/Summer 2014 Brazil Collection

Gwen Stefani for OPI 2014 - signature shade 'over & over a-gwen'

More OPI

Seche

Essie

Mavala - 3 for 2 on nail polish!

Morgan Taylor

CND had the longest queue in history, extremely popular! Nail technicians were planted around the stand and the queue to demonstrate while you waited. 
Queued for about an hour to buy only 2 Vinylux polishes!

Leighton Denny

Eldora Lashes - 3 for £10!

NYX - Not my favourite on this occasion as they didn't have any of the recently launched new products. Always one for the busiest stands, one wall of product and the longest queue.
They need a bigger stand.

Decleor - Most of the leading spa skincare brands do not sell product, they sell their spa experiences to salons.

I loved this merchandising showcasing their best sellers and essential oil ingredients.

Caudalie's first year at the show, again to sell their experience only to spas.

Dermalogica offer skincare analysis and samples to match.

Clarins also offered personalised skincare advice.

I don't own a salon or beauty business and I don't bulk buy. I mainly attend to network, understand what's new in the industry for my work purposes and buy discounted nail polish, beauty accessories and make up.

Click here to see my Pro Beauty Haul Post.

Ok so here are some tips, based on my experience.

• Plan ahead - look over the exhibitor list and write down those you want to find on the day.    This way you won't forget the reason you wanted to go in the first place!

• Make a list - once you know who is exhibiting you can choose which products you want to buy. This is important if you want to make the most of discounts on the day, you won't forget and you will be more focused. Get the items on your list first then browse after. 

• Find out what's new - if you know OPI has just launched a new range, there is a good chance it might be available.

• Get there early - 2 reasons. Firstly, the morning tends to be less busy than the afternoon, you can be in and out quicker, unless you want to take your time and make a day of it. It's the same as shopping, you could be there unintentionally for hours! Secondly, if you want newly launched products this is a must. They will reserve stock for each day, but if it is a sought after product, stock won't last all day and you don't want to chance being disappointed.

• Withdraw cash before you get to the venue - Queues for cash machines can be enormous and time consuming. Even worse, they can run out of cash! Most brands will accept cards but some have a minimum spend. Cash spending is easier to monitor and quicker. 

• Take a small, over the shoulder bag - These shows are packed with people and the last thing you want is to be carrying a big heavy bag. Travel light and save your arms for your purchases!

• Carry a small packet of wet wipes - Handy to clean your hands after swatching make up and testing skincare.

• Food and drink are not cheap - ExCel has a food court. If you make a day of it, you may want to have lunch, grab a snack or a drink - just be aware it won't be cheap!

• Wear flat shoes - think comfort when walking around on your feet all day. Even flats hurt but at least your feet won't be swollen!

I hope you find these tips useful, they will certainly make your experience a better one!

If you have any others, I would love to hear about them.

Click here to see my Pro Beauty Haul Post.

Enjoy x