Why so much makeup?

[mincepieprivateeye]

I went to Boots yesterday as I needed a mascara and moisturiser. I got to wondering why some of the beauty counter staff wear so much makeup. I'm not talking nicely done either, the person on the Clinique counter had a tide mark of dark foundation and almost drag queen eyebrows and lashes, it would put me off asking for advice. A couple of assistants on another counter were nearly as bad while the others were all made up but looked nice. I fully understand they have to wear the make up they sell but do they need to wear it all?

it's probably in their work contract...

yanbu it's not selling it to me either with a face that looks likes the products need to be chiselled off each night.

Erm why do you care?

I agree with your logic and it's not personally how I do my own makeup but meh life's too short to worry about which women wear what and how.

They need to wear ALL the products at once thats why they terrify me its our Debenhams that they lurk the Boots women look normal i

I don't overly care just wondering why if it's your job to sell makeup and skin care you'd surely want to look your best not like a pantomime dame. If they were in any other environment I wouldn't have given it a second thought

Haven't you noticed? Lots of young women absolutely plaster themselves in makeup these days. Trowelling it on, I believe is the saying. I find it utterly ghastly.

Mary Berry, Mel and even poor old Sue being forced to wear false eyelashes on GBBO! It's preposterous, disconcerting, hard to watch (imo). Not just the beauty counter staff who look like clowns these days.

I know a mum from my dcs school works there part time she has beautiful makeup most of the week but when she's going to work has the look your talking about so guess it's part of the job description

Agree. I went into boots with a newborn desperate for some foundation and concealer to hide my hormonal post birth skin and eye bags. The only counter there was a No7 one as it was a small store. The girl serving looked like a little girl who had been playing with mummy's makeup. Foundation tide mark, too light concealer, humongous awful black eyebrows. I couldn't bare asking her to do a colour match for me, even with the fancy colour matching machine that No7 has.

You can never be too rich,

Or

Wear too much makeup

YANBU. Often wondered this myself.

I've never got my head round the eyebrow thing! Since when did great thick black marker pen eyebrows suit anyone? I've never seen straight lines on a normal face either but those eyebrows are dead straight at the front, the bit that goes up from the nose towards the hairline if you see what I mean and boot too keen on the fake eyelashes either

Apparently they think it looks better under the store strip lighting. Wrong.

perhaps it is the rules? (same as female air cabin crew)

it is a shame that most females slap up at the time of their life when they least need it. Not that anyone actually needs it.

Yet bizarrely when you actually talk to many of them about colour matching and get them to recommend products they're quite good.

Really hoping someone who has worked on a beauty counter comes along and tells us what their contracts say about makeup style.

Funny, I was just thinking this very thing in our local Boots.

I always think this too. I don't wear make up but am of an age where I could probably do with some, but no way am I going to risk asking for advice off someone who looks like they do! Subtle is what I'm after.

I wear makeup most days but I think I try to make myself look better. A bit of colour and a but of definition not like a mask. I fully understand they will have to wear it as part of the job but there is no way I'd ask advice on what colour foundation I need from a person who looks like they use Ronseal.

I think they have to wear lots of different products, that I understand.
Now why it all usually looks quite so bad, that I don't.

Some counters are better though, Nars, Bobbi Brown come to mind.

The Benefit girls are usually quite brightly done but I don't find them too bad and they're aimed at the younger end.

Oh i was at the benefit counter today the girls looked lovely and helped me pick a gift for Dd the YSL women were scary its is quite off putting id be scared they would sell me bisto coloured face powder and blue eyeshadow

Bright is one thing, if it's just the aesthetic of the brand, Illamasqua for example can be very theatrical, MAC very bright, that's all their identity.

Foundation that doesn't match, stripy blush, too dark brows, bad application, that's different, I think, it's not professional.

It's the foundation that puts me off. The rest is just personal choice.

Our Benefit assistants are quite heavily made up but are so kind and helpful I sort of look past it, but I dont think it's a good selling point.

Yeah its the foundation

My friend worked at a makeup counter for a while. Her own make up always looks flawless and she is a very beautiful woman. She didn't like the job much when they made her wear high heels which killed her feet from standing so much and makeup applied in a way she would never apply it.