Expo Exposé: Beauty Convention Thread

[danielledanielle]

Hey 👋🏽 

So, Sephoria has a special place in my heart 🫶🏽, but.. sometimes the heart wants what it wants...

 

I posted some Hauls from this year's "The Makeup Show" (which is also happening in September) and Ulta had its first bout, Ulta Beauty World.  Thought this would be a good place to share our thoughts, any tea and feedback on these conventions. 

(Pop ups also welcomed - feel free to share dates and experiences on those, too)

Feel free to post photos, upcoming events and impressions.  Give me all the tea ☕ 

 

Also check out:

Sephoria 2024 Atlanta, Georgia 

The SEPHORiA Diaries 2023 

[missjeanie]

@Titian06 @Oh I never even thought of that. I did a little more looking tonight and I can find better prices if I swap some days around but it’s certainly not an economical trip! 

[danielledanielle]

 

Hotlanta!!!

[danielledanielle]

Pop up alert, NYC

from Laneige US insta

 

 

 

[danielledanielle]

Houston, TX!

 

[WinglessOne]

In case anyone missed announcements: 

Ulta Beauty World 2026 will happen April 16, 2026 at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. 

I expect it’ll sell out VERY QUICKLY since everyone will expect a repeat of this year’s convention. 😂 Something tells me Ulta might dial back some of the GWP though. Don’t ask me where to buy tickets or when they’ll go on sale; I have no idea yet. Those are questions for Ulta to answer—which they (understandably) probably won’t til next year, when their plans are better shored up. 

The OCCC is practically across the street (okay, across a few streets 😅) from Sea World Orlando. Last time I visited Sea World, Kraken was their only roller coaster and I think Manta was under construction. (Yeah, it’s been quite a while.) So if I get a UBW ticket, there’s no way I’m not also visiting Sea World to ride the new-to-me coasters. And, the brand new Universal Epic Universe is very nearby! I can’t be that close to Stardust Racers and not ride it. That’d be a crime! Soooo I guess my one-day beauty convention trip would become a weeklong double theme park vacation. And that assumes I don’t also hit up Universal Islands of Adventure (and maybe Studios); haven’t been there since 2019, which means I haven’t ridden Velocicoaster. And yes, this is how I plan my vacations: if there’s a roller coaster nearby, I’ll try to work it into my trip. 🤣

ANYWAY… If anyone plans to attend next year, you should be fine booking any of the nearby hotels on I-4. I wouldn’t call anything near Disney World “nearby,” especially if convention end time overlaps with heavy traffic heading toward WDW. I’d also hold off on booking any travel plans til Ulta announces ticket sale days. I heard from someone that a cheerleading convention might also be happening at the OCCC on April 16; mentioning that because you never know when a flood of different-convention goers might cross your path as you try to reach your convention/destination. (Happened to me in Vegas this spring.) 

Good luck to anyone planning to try getting tickets!

[danielledanielle]

2025?  OOP

From IG

[itsfi]

Wait, what????!!! I'm glad I was sitting for this. Interesting. 

I do hope they announce dates more than 2 months in advance. Location would be nice too, an earlier "Save The Date" would be lovely.

Thanks for sharing this news, @danielledanielle 

[Samtian]

@danielledanielle Well that's good. Won't have FOMO for this year haha. 

[danielledanielle]

True. Can't have fomo if it never happened 😂 @Samtian 

[danielledanielle]

A New Challenger Has Entered...

 

 

 

 

[WinglessOne]

@danielledanielle (and anyone else)   Early access tickets are now on sale! I looked at the pricing + details at the Beauty New York site; dates are October 17 and 18: 

October 16 is only for the Impact Awards & Launch Party, described by BNY as “an unforgettable evening where honoring excellence meets celebrating the industry's evolution. Set against the backdrop of New York City, this prestigious gathering brings together beauty's most influential leaders, creatives, founders, and culture-shapers.” Tickets for this even must be requested; eh, it’s meant more for beauty brands, founders, etc., not us mere mortals. 😂

[danielledanielle]

That's so weird that we have to request it, but in some of the screenshots, they basically are saying it is for consumers.  MUA are consumers too, but also beauty lovers at their core, so it seems odd @WinglessOne , maybe I'll request but set my expectations low

[WinglessOne]

@danielledanielle  Yeah, the way it’s described in some of the marketing is odd. Had that content come out of my writing team, I’d have reviewed and had the writer rework it for clarity. (Ah, memories of my former career life.) I mean, I get that they’re trying to say the entire multi-day event is generally for consumers and industry leaders, but that first-day kickoff/awards event sounds like something the average consumer can’t just go to. Kinda like the Oscars: if I’m not someone’s +1, I’m probably not getting in. 😅

Also, kinda bold to claim this is the “first [event] of its kind to connect industry leaders and consumers” when Sephora and others have already done that via their own beauty conventions, where consumers got to meet brand founders/employees/etc. Sooo… someone definitely should’ve rewritten some of that marketing content. 

If you do get into that first-day event, you’ll have to tell us all about it. Inquiring minds wanna know!

[makeitup305]

@WinglessOne I'd love to go to one of these, that sounds so fun. I'd have to grow extra arms for all the swatches lol

[makeitup305]

@danielledanielle I haven't been to either, but after Ulta's this year, Sephoria better bring it.

[danielledanielle]

I have to agree, I think this is going to be the 5th in-person Sephoria, but there's definitely areas of improvement @makeitup305 

• Waiting at booths is too much - even with the higher tier ticket, the hour goes quickly
• Some brands are too conservative with samples
• I miss services and merch
• Would be nice to have more than 3 hours to get around for the cost of the ticket

I didn't go to UBW, but what I liked about the Makeup Show was the pricing, you only paid slightly more if you wanted to attend two days and Masterclasses were an extra charge.  Masterclasses were a bit pricey, but seeing that they were also honed to MUA, I think it's a decent offering.  I was somewhat interested in Danessa's, the ticket was $200+ but the bag that came with it was valued at 1K, I think.

Also, if you bought a single day ticket, it didn't matter which session you could attend either day with the same ticket.

[makeitup305]

@danielledanielle I've never been to any but 3 hours is so little! I spend an hour at a regular Sephora easily! I wonder if UBW is going to keep the same energy next year. It's crazy the amout of samples that people got! I'm surprised Sephoria doesn't give our or sell more merch. People love merch these days. Hoodies, hats, keychains, with the Sephora logo or symbol would be a hit, I think.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@makeitup305 @danielledanielle did I read it correctly that Sephoria won't be this summer?  Do you think that's why the site now has merch?

[danielledanielle]

@greeneyedgirl107 I don't think that's why the merch showed up, like they teased this a few weeks ago in an email, and some companies like YTTP, T28 and notably Saie, have had really popular merch items that sold, so I am guessing Sephora was trying to get in on that.  If anything, they likely had planned awhile ago for Sephoria to be next year, but were waiting to announce it.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@danielledanielle good take!

[makeitup305]

hmm good question @greeneyedgirl107 I haven't seen anything about it this year and it's already almost August so maybe they're not having it after all. The merch is cute, though.