Words and photography by Ella Williams

aAh! Magazine writer Ella Williams attended the GLAMOUR Beauty Festival, hosted by GLAMOUR Magazine, in Manchester last weekend to receive her very own makeover. This is her verdict.

The entrance to the Central Convention Complex was buzzing, full of people waiting to enter the Beauty Festival hosted by GLAMOUR magazine. An array of different people were hustled together, bare-faced and ready for the day ahead; older women dressed up to the nines in fancy frocks and teenagers gossiping about which celebrities they may or may not bump into. The main hall was just as expected – full glitz and glam. 

Those in attendance who didn’t feel overly confident with their hair or makeup skills could have been forgiven for feeling intimidated – there was a large crowd of people congregated together, eager to appease their love for beauty. However, the atmosphere was positive. I overheard one woman say, “we aren’t here to make friends, we are here to be glamourised!”

Sequin walls and a large, gold GLAMOUR statue guided the guests through to an overwhelming number of stalls showcasing some of the top names in beauty. Electronic billboards advertised brands that were available to explore during the day, while Boots set up shop front and centre, exhibiting companies like Too Faced, BECCA, Clinique and Fenty Beauty.

“We aren’t here to make friends, we are here to be glamourised!”

In front of the glitzy Smashbox stall, I noticed a cluster of people eagerly taking selfies next to someone with long, lime-green hair and dramatic makeup. Upon closer inspection, I realised it was the BBC 3 ‘Glow Up’ winner Ellis Atlantis, and standing beside him was fellow star, Tiffany Hunt. The pair were promoting the Smashbox primers, while makeup artists were already beautifying the guests. That was where my makeover began.

I visited the HUDA beauty counter, where makeup assistants were applying eye and lip products on guests. They gave my eyelids a warm, smokey shade, completely transforming my face, before also reapplying my lipstick; I was even taught how to contour my lips using a lip liner. HUDA and many other brands had products on offer for the event at a discounted price, whilst Tatti Lash was selling and applying their new lashes (which aren’t on sale yet) to GLAMOUR guests.

AJ Odudo, a gorgeous woman wearing electric pink heels, hosted a makeup demonstration in the theatre performed by star makeup assistant, Cher Webb. Webb, who has worked with celebrities including Caroline Flack and Helen Mirren, applied shimmery eye shadow and red lipstick on the GLAMOUR Beauty Editor, Lottie Winter.

Next, I visited French skincare brand, Caudalie, who were offering skincare consultations. They took enhanced pictures of my skin, analysed the close-up images and told me exactly how much bacteria my skin carried, my pore size and the amount of sun damage I had, before offering me skincare advice. I was shocked by the results, to say the least.

I later sat down with haircare company Amika, who was offering salon services, and a professional hairdresser spent about twenty minutes styling my hair into beachy waves, whilst giving me top tips on how to achieve the look at home.

Everybody at GLAMOUR Festival was lovely, guests were complementary to each other, the brand representatives were enthusiastic to share their passion and the celebrity makeup artists and stylists generously indulged guests with makeovers on the day. Everyone was given a gift bag upon leaving which were full to the brim with products, including skincare by Pixi, HUDA gift sets and Tatti Lashes. These alone were worth the ticket price.