BeautyCon - Is it too hyped up?

So I went to BeautyCon this weekend with my sister, Saturday 3rd December. We got the train literally as people were getting on the train after frantically running to the platform which was the other side of the station. I was breathless. I was sat for ten minutes on the train just catching my breath back after making that mad dash. I mean I was also exhausted because the day before I had a 5 hour rehearsal for the panto. Which is in less than 3 weeks now! Argh!
We got a taxi from kings cross to Olympia where it was being held. Cabbit are my favourites to use. They always offer really good prices, you can book your return as well. Which can make it cheaper. Their drivers are really nice, the cars are nice and they give you the option of taking things like luggage, foldable wheelchairs and well anything you could think of needing.
So we get to Olympia and there was a few people milling about and we thought we were 15 minutes early but we were allowed in. So we got our wristbands and goody bags and then we headed into the lift down to the event. It was really weird to be back and it be completely different to comic con.
So when we got to the place where it was being held in, there was a lot of empty space. There was about 5 stands and then go round the corner and there were about 10 stands. Less than I thought there was going to be.

Really I thought there would be more. Because we went around once and we were quite disappointed because a lot of the things on display you couldn't actually buy. A lot of the stands where just there with a lot of mirrors. There was only 5 stalls that you could actually get something from. No freebies and the goodie bags were hardly stuffed as it says on their website.

So I went and bought two brushes from a stand called Peach And Pearl, I was actually going to get 3 brushes but they came to £30 and I only brought £30 in cash because we were going shopping in Oxford Street afterwards. And I have a lot of brushes anyway. So I bought two brushes, one i'm not too sure whether to use it for eyes or concealer. Probably going to use it for my eyes. Then I got a small rounded crease brush.

The two brushes I bought. They do look really pretty. I have yet to actually use them.

Then we went and had another look round and got in the queue for beauty bay, who had one of the biggest queues of the whole thing. We were in the queue for about half an hour during that time my sister pointed out a youtube person who was presenting for something. Whilst we waited they ran out of one of the morphe pallets, which was what I wanted to buy. The morphe pallets for the amount of shades in the palette, for £20 is a bargain. But they had 3 different pallets so I had no idea which one to buy. So when we finally got to the top of the queue the lady said they had found more of the pallets they thought they had run out of. The Morphe 305. So the lady explained to me the difference in the pallets, which now makes me feel kind of stupid for not knowing. The morphe 305 is a mix of matte and glitter shimmer shades. The morphe 305 S is all glitter shimmer shades, hence the S in the name. And the morphe 305 M is you guessed it, made up of all matte shades. I can't believe I didn't twig that. I also bought a small pink z pallete and a makeup geek eyeshadow, I can't remember the name but its a baby pink shimmer shade. It looks really pretty on, is so pigmented and has fast become one of my new favourite eyeshadows.

I don't know why the photo went like that but the Makeup Geek eyeshadow in the Z pallete and my morphe pallete, all in a BeautyBay bag. 

My Morphe pallete

So then we had another look round but I was pretty worn out after the queue so I went to sit down whilst my sister had another look round.

One thing Beautycon could do better is accessibility, all the stands had lipped steps up. Which until you have a cane or something that makes things like that a ginormous pain in the backside. Also the seating, as my sister got the social package we were allowed in the vip seating. Turns out though when we went to ask about going into there, you couldn't access it until 1pm. Which makes things difficult for me if I can't sit down for a minute.
The seating for everyone was a couple of tables which were mainly occupied and some bar height tables with stools. I struggle with stools because they have no backs or if they do, they are too unstable for me. I cant relax on them because I have to concentrate on balancing on it. There was no easy seating.
Now I don't know whether everybody agrees with this but whenever I have gone to a big event and they realise I'm disabled they normally let me in the front of the queue. Queuing that long wiped me out. I'm not saying they should have let me get to the front because people had queued before me and quite rightly were in front, but maybe let me sit whilst I waited or a number ticket thing so when your number is called your next.
Also when I contacted them about disabled access and carer tickets I was told they don't do them but to contact the company directly. Which I think is a bit ridiculous, the tickets are quite expensive, to be paying the same price for someone who doesn't want to go but just needs support from that person.

My sister was hoping to meet some of her favourite youtubers, one of those being Saffron Barker but we soon found out through some twitter stalking that her meet and greet wasnt going to be until 4pm. I mean thats another thing that I found was insane that they weren't doing. Some visible lineup. A schedule of who's on and when. Especially for the people that don't have twitter or do but can't because mobile data and all that. It seemed bizarre to me that there wasnt. Especially after the last event I went to at olympia, Yalc and Comic Con, timetables where everywhere and there was clear signage and staff to help you.

My sister then came back looking quite disheartened so I said to her ' I know you want to meet her but she's not on until 4 and even then theres no guarantee you'll meet her.' It would be different if there was something to do until 4pm, it was about 1:30pm, but there wasnt anything that after a first look was worth staying for. So we left and got an uber to victoria secrets on  Mayfair. I think my sister also thought it was kind of unfair that all these youtubers got things free, had more things to do. Which I kind of see, because really what was there to do for everyone else. Its fine giving guests goody bags and things like that but offer something on par for everyone who paid to attend. I think last years event was better because there was more to do and interact with. More brands that you could buy from * I'm talking to you real techniques, all I wanted was a sponge!!* Hahah!

So we went to victorias secret, which was probably the busiest shop I've ever been to. I mean who knew underwear could be so popular. I brought a few bits in there and pink. I got the softest jumper and jogging bottoms ever. They're my outfit to go over and under my dress for the panto. But I realised that the amount I spent, although quite expensive, was quite tame considering we overheard one of the cashiers read out a total of £900. I mean £900 on underwear!! But I must say the lady in Victoria's secret who helped us was lovely, I cant remember her name but she was one of the only people to help me. Since Victoria's Secret was crammed with people actually finding what I wanted was really hard, well just walking around was hard, and I had people slightly pushing me and someone actually psychically kind of moved me and everyone stepped over my cane. I mean disabled people need underwear too! But this lovely lady came and asked me what I wanted and brought back quite a few options. Which I really appreciated. I remember my sister talking to her and saying everyone just kind of looked at me and didnt help and the lady said how she knew someone who had epilepsy and the amount of stares they got when they had a seizure in public.  And then the till was a nightmare, first we couldn't find and we asked someone, who let me say was a bit rude. Then when we got to the till, it was the narrowest aisle I have ever seen. It was one of those 'well this shop clearly is not open to everyone' because it really felt that way. But I don't care if I'm not their target market, everyone deserves to buy and shop where they want. Like I said disabled people want to have nice underwear as much as anyone else. We have a right to feel sexy, pretty, confident, we're allowed to feel good about ourselves.

Obviously I'm not going to take a picture of everything I brought in Victorias Secret  but I bought this jumper
and jogging bottoms and they are one of the best purchases I've ever made! 

I got them a size bigger so they could be quite loose.

Speaking of Uber as someone who has never used them before this, I found they were really good as I could track where it was and how far away it was. But at the same time I found as someone who doesn't really know London and doesn't know my way around London, if the taxi couldn't reach me, which happened on multiple occasions during the day I had to ring the drivers and have them direct me to where they were. Which I think if you are like me and are going as a tourist to London bear that in mind. But I also know that Uber can, although cheap, be very hit and miss.

All the shopping bags which all fit in the beauty con bag,

Then we got another uber to selfridges, we didn't go in, but I think we came out the wrong side of oxford street. We tried to find mcdonalds on oxford street and followed a map on my phone but turned out we missed it because it was down a little road on the other side of the road. So we decided to just go back to the train station and go to mac at st pancras and the new urban decay store in kings cross. I love them two stores because they have everything that a normal mac and urban decay store would have but smaller. I would definitely recommend them especially the new urban decay store. The staff are lovely, thats the second time I've gone into the st pancras store and the staff have always been lovely to me, and the store itself is well set out and spacious. Then we got a pret cheese and tomato croissant, which I love because it tastes like pizza. Then we got the train home.
When we got to our station, my mum picked us up and we dropped my sister home. When we got home I did buy myself a takeaway because I hadn't had anything to eat all day.

Must say that now there is a urban decay in kings cross I may be
making a few trips into there when I'm passing through!

All the things in the beauty con bag, on the website it said it would be stuffed but I wouldn't say it was stuffed, not even filled really. I am grateful for my sister inviting me but it was a bit of let down. More for her than me because she was really looking forward to it. The eye pencil from Pixie though is gorgeous. 

Overall I had a nice day but beauty con itself was a let down. If we had just arranged to go to beauty con it might have been a let down of a day. If we had known we would have gone later and stayed longer. I think we might go somewhere else next time. I did say about the clothes show or imats. But we'll see. By the way I did end up getting the sponges I wanted when I went shopping with my mum a few days afterwards!
Thanks for reading,
Sorry it was so late! As you can tell I wrote this in December and only just now remembered it!
Until next time,
Sophie