One of the most surreal experiences in my twenty-nine years: The ABS is a giant expo full of industry greats setting up booths and educational panels, showcasing not only the products they affiliate with, but also the skills they've spent years honing. Competitions line the walls, stages are everywhere you look, each one showing off something different and new. Some of the most exciting product launches for the cosmetology industry happen here.
I was lucky enough to attend this year. I brought my husband with me as my emotional support critter. I later found out that, technically, I wasn’t supposed to bring him—it’s a giant industry event full of secrets and I broke a cardinal law by bringing my husband along… but I don’t actually mind, and I don’t think he does either. It’s been a chaotic and slightly overwhelming environment, but the amount of knowledge I’ve gained alone is enough to help me cope. Then you add in the products and tools I’ve gotten, and suddenly it’s all worth it—no coping necessary.
Day one was crazy. We drove from Michigan to Ohio Friday night to drop the kids off with my husband’s sister, and then Saturday morning we left her house early to make it to the expo in Illinois by 11. We made it significantly closer to 12, and finding parking was an absolute nightmare, which led to us using Uber for the rest of the weekend to travel around Rosemont.
At one of the booths I spun a wheel and got a big bag full of full-size products; at another I got a bunch of masks to use. Some booths only offered free things with a purchase, but I’ve been trying so hard not to spend every cent I have—we’ve still got bills to pay. It was still incredible just wandering from booth to booth, seeing what they had available, what new products were launching, and what changes were coming to the industry this year.
Even while trying to save money, I scored a lot of goodies. I got a new clipper set and a holographic apron that’s really cute. I picked up some new color bowls for home because I’ve only got two from school, and I grabbed some pigment powders that seem like they’ll be amazing chrome powders for nails and are also eye-safe to use as shimmer or highlighter. I got some things for the kids—eyeshadow and a hairbrush—and a new beard washing kit for my husband. I picked up even more amazing things; I might document them on their own special page. Today I was able to get my teeth whitened and I networked and made some new friends from across the country.
My husband and I while we were there on day two grabbed some mushroom chocolate from one of the booths that was there. We meandered around a bit more checking out the installations and all the different showcases they were having before we went back to the hotel we were staying at. During the night we each ate half of the bar and while it wasn't the usual pscilocybin trips, it was fun to be on while I worked a bit on the website.
There are a lot of educational courses. On day one I didn’t manage to go to any, even though I only had one scheduled for myself; I was too busy taking in the environment, and we left a little earlier than closing because the entire place is insanely loud and packed wall to wall with stuff and people. Maneuvering through at times felt like wading through the crowd at a The Used show.
On day two, I made it to a few classes. One was a nail art class that I ended up leaving early, partly because it covered skill sets I’ve already gained, but mostly because there was a social media class happening at the same time taught by one of my biggest influences and idols in the beauty industry, Kimberly Tay. I’ve followed her on social media for quite a few years, so meeting her was like meeting a celebrity. Having her follow me back is now on my top ten UNREAL things that have happened to me—and there are quite a few that I think I may document.
The last day of the beauty show was an absolute blast. I got to meet more of my inspirations and picked up some useful tools for the trade. I also heard about other expos in the area that I feel inclined to check out once they roll around—both are in October. While that may seem like a long time to wait, I’ve been waiting my whole life to get to this point; I imagine waiting a bit more will do me no harm.
I wasn’t able to get my haircut by the guy I met the first night at the hotel, but I did get his contact information so I can reach out and either set up a time to get it done or meet up with him next year.
Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I cannot wait for next year.