Green Beauty is the eco beauty authority—a weekly column that highlights the best in eco beauty products, brands, trends and techniques.

The International Makeup Artist Trade Show (IMATS) 2011 landed in Toronto from November 12-13, 2011. On opening day, there was dense sea of people, all eager to see what is new and exciting in the cosmetic world. The student competition was underway, and models were traipsing the floor in full body paint and fantasy concoctions. The roster of demonstrators and discussion leaders was impressive. All the ingredients needed to inspire the creative mind were present.

Bamboo was there to scope out some new brands, hoping to find more natural product lines from some of North America’s best-selling brands. Unfortunately, with the exception of a few eco products, the trade show did not provide many options for someone searching for fewer chemicals in their makeup. Mainstream makeup still dominates—we clearly still have a long way to go in terms of education and, thus, demand.

There are countless makeup artists, students and general beauty enthusiasts who would be interested in learning more about available eco options. Our hope for the IMATS of the future is for a greater presence of local and eco-conscious companies.