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If you noticed that LA's malls and movie theaters were void of 12 to 20-year-old girls this past Saturday, it's because absolutely every single one of them was at DTLA's The Reef to attend BeautyCon's largest showcase ever. Offering stimulation overload for nearly 10,000 attendees, the Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Magazine-sponsored cosmetics convention featured installations from Nike, Barbie, and even Nasty Gal, as well as meet-and-greets with celebrities and YouTube vloggers. It was, in a word, intense.
Although we got there just one hour after doors opened, the event had already hit serious capacity; security was on-hand to control the crowd's most feverish fangirls. Once inside, there was no rest from the chaos, as ticket-holders charged their way in to catch panels with age-appropriate talent like adorable actress-singer Zendaya and Ariana Grande's fabulous brother Frankie.
And proving that YouTube vlogging is still a crazy-lucrative business, Internet stars big and small (Bethany Mota, Brittany Furlan, Lynette Cenee, and our girl Mr. Kate) were in the house to hug fans, take selfies, and wipe away tears as diehards explained how impactful they've been on their lives. The passion, oh, the passion.