Crowds of beauty connoisseurs and influencers filled the Magic Box event space in downtown for the revival of Beautycon L.A. after a four-year hiatus. With a line wrapping around the building at a crisp 10 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, attendees eagerly awaited a weekend full of beauty samples, artist panels, live performances and immersive beauty experiences.
Standing face-to-face with hundreds of others, packed like sardines to enter beauty brand haven, attendee Kiana Ong was surprised by the size of this year’s conference. She was unable to enter the convention until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
“This was my first Beautycon. It wasn’t as spacious as I thought it would be, but I still got a tote of freebies and had a ton of fun meeting different beauty brands I had previously seen online,” Ong said. “Some people took the bus to Beautycon, but I took a Lyft ride because I heard the line was getting longer, even after opening.”
In 2019, financial issues with vendors and employee layoffs led to the near bankruptcy of Beautycon and Moj Mahdara’s step down from CEO. After a change of leadership with Essence Ventures, Beautycon made a comeback with a new venue, new speakers and a new mission for the hundreds that came this weekend. Although the event was previously hosted at the L.A. Convention Center, beauty enthusiasts still came from all around California and the U.S. ready to relish in the return.
Attendee Jasmine Signorino, who had previously attended in 2019, shared a shift she noticed in the experience.
“It’s definitely different, especially after overcoming COVID-19, but I believe it’s building a great foundation for a bigger and better Beautycon for the future,” Signorino said. “It’s really a safe place to spend time with like-minded people, especially my mom and friends.”
Attendees were able to snatch free samples and full-sized products from brands such as Good Weird, Glossier, Honey Skincare and Innisfree. The venue also included immersive exhibits where people could get their photos and videos professionally done by Crater and Proto Hologram.
The beauty playground included brands such as Shea Moisture, EOS and Grande Cosmetics. Previous sponsor Palmer’s gave out totes filled with moisturizers and oils, the first time since they sponsored the 2019 New York and Los Angeles conventions.
Dalia Levy, senior director of digital marketing for Palmer’s, expressed her enthusiasm for the change of Beautycon leadership.
“We’re excited to see Essence come back this year and Beautycon as well,” Levy said. “It’s a testament to show that live events are back in the post-COVID era. It’s a little tight, but everyone’s having a great time and there’s nothing like being back in person with your fans, followers and beauty lovers.”
Regardless of the lengthy wait for Beautycon to come back to life, guest creatives had a positive time working to make the space enjoyable. David Suh, a Los Angeles based portrait photographer with over 6.1 million followers for their viral posing videos on TikTok and Instagram, took part in the festivities. They worked on the Walmart Makers Studio photography exhibit; a space filled to the brim with new trending products, a keychain making station, a makeup parlor, and professional photography area.
“I think it’s beautiful that I get to see so many people coming to celebrate all different kinds of beauty,” Suh said. “I love that.”
This principle of celebrating identity and diversity within the beauty industry was heavily integrated into conversation during the course of the event. One of the over 25 panels titled, ‘Beauty Looks Like Me: Redefining Traditional Beauty Standards’ included Briel Adams-Wheatley, a trans beauty creator with hanhart syndrome, known for makeup videos on Tik Tok and Instagram. She previously heard about Beautycon through the social media sphere.
“What I’ve heard is that [Beautycon is] always crazy, but I’ve loved every experience I’ve had for the past two days. I would definitely love to be a part of it again, next year,” Adams-Wheatley said. “I think it’s so important to see someone like me in my position, rooting and rallying for my communities.”
Additional panels included well known creatives such as artist BIA, actress and CEO Marsai Martin, beauty influencers Gabriel Zamora and Monica Ravinchada and Rupaul’s Drag Race star Plastique Tiara. From heart-to-hearts to tutorials on content creation, Beautycon catered to a diverse array of audience desires.
Leah Raquel, a singer-songwriter and third time Beautycon visitor, anxiously waited by the main stage for a fireside panel chat with Kelly Rowland. Raquel wore merch promoting her newly released single, “Inconsistent” while filming the event on her digital camera.
“I can tell they are revamping, so I’m definitely giving them grace. What they were able to accomplish in a short period of time… I think they’re doing a great job bringing it back,” Raquel said. “If you’re coming to Beautycon to experience celebrities, influencers… really watch the shows and panels, I feel it’s ten out of ten.”
Despite the venue change and leadership of Essence Ventures on Beautycon L.A. 2023, it is clear that meaningful connections bonded by a mutual love for creative expression in the industry is still a highly valued experience. A majority of people involved as both special guests and beauty attendees had a fruitful time meeting new creatives, trying new products and connecting over the power of makeup.
Click here to view the Beautycon L.A. 2023 panels.