To wonder why I'm ignored at beauty counters

[Scribbydigs]

Every time I go into the beauty section of department stores and ask to try products, the staff just hand me things and walk off, disinterested. Other women seem to get sat down and made a fuss out of, and seem to have full faces of makeup put on them. (I don't even want that, I usually just want some advice on specific colours/products that would work for me).

Anyone else struggle to get help and attention from beauty counter staff? Is it just me? Or do any beauty counter staff have any insider info?

The makeovers are paid. Maybe you don't give make over vibes. But if you ask questions they should absolutely answer and help

I don’t have advice - this happens to me too - even when I know what I want and don’t need help apart from them to get the thing out and take payment. It’s really annoying. I’m much more assertive than I used to be and ask for help in a loud voice - but sometimes they are all busy or missing and I got home and pot luck order online.

I once emailed and complained about a beauty lady. She made me feel shit.
I know I looked a bit rough but I wasn’t just after freebies, I was wanting to buy something. She clearly didn’t think I was worthy of her time because my face wasn’t caked in makeup & I didn’t look all glam at the time. Cow.

Might be worth you booking in at a specific counter. I know MAC and Charlotte Tilbury do this. I have been helped a lot, it can depend on the day….weekends they’re likely to be busy and may have someone booked in a few minutes time. Bobbi Brown also offer this service and you can pick what areas you want them to specifically look at. The cost is redeemable against products too.

I think I am ignored because of my age, I’m not their target market.

You don’t want a beauty counter makeover. I got one once and ended up looking like an Oompa Loompa/Drag Queen hybrid. Genuinely thought the woman was taking the piss.

To answer your question - I really think this is customer service now. Apparently getting a half decent service anywhere is entitled, makes you a Karen and the same people will probably shuffle off making ‘hilarious’ Tik Toks about you after their shift

I was always ignored too, always suspected to was because they knew I was beyond the help their products could give 🤣

Im 54 now, rarely wear makeup, had a family wedding coming up, and had a very helpful conversation last year with a lovely lady (closer to my age!) at the No 7 counter in Boots who was very realistic and helped with foundation, colours and easy to use products to suit my aging complexion.

This has happened to me. I was actually sneered at by staff whilst looking at some products (I had been intending to buy). I assumed it was because I looked scruffy, old, barefaced and a bit shit.

Oh well.

I worked for Clinique and then Chanel for 15 years. We don’t get paid extra for make overs etc. We used to just get paid commission- and you would get bonuses if your IPT was good (items per transaction - 2 was considered a minimum, 3-4 ideal). I don’t know why they’re not sitting you down etc. We were always told to try and sit everyone down, and if anyone asked for a foundation to talk about their whole skincare routine etc. I enjoyed it but it’s a lot of absolute waffle a lot of the time! Good 65% discount on products though for us !

The makeovers are NOT paid, that's bollocks. They're a sales spiel and they target women they think they can upsell a load of expensive makeup to, as their pay is augmented by commission. They will be under pressure from management/the brand reps to sell as many things as possible. Maybe you don't look like someone they can convince to drop £100-ish on makeup.

I usually just sit in the chair and wait for someone to come over.

I once emailed and complained about a beauty lady. She made me feel shit.
I know I looked a bit rough but I wasn’t just after freebies, I was wanting to buy something. She clearly didn’t think I was worthy of her time because my face wasn’t caked in makeup & I didn’t look all glam at the time. Cow.

you’ve just decided what she thought based on your own self esteem. Then complained about her officially. Then called her a name. I’m not surprised she wasn’t desperate to spend time with you

Agree with the PP who mentioned the boots lady. I’ve been a few times for new foundation and always had a colour match and help with picking items. If they show me something out of my price range I always say so I don’t waste their time but both times I’ve walked away with a freebie and they always seem to have these money off vouchers in their little cupboard!

I tried MAC once as my friend swears by it, completely wrong shade, I had an orange ring round my face and had to nip to costa and wash it off - she was pleased with her work 🥴

They are paid unless you purchase after. You can redeem it against purchases, but it's not like they just plop people there and do their faces for nothing.

I’ve never tried and did once ask for help choosing a Bobbie brown (?) lipstick then felt too polite not to buy the orange one they suggested. I still have it unused years later as didnt think it suited me!

The last time I was in Boots for make up the sales assistant was very helpful. I only wanted advice about which lip pencil to buy and she was great and I’m pleased with the ones she recommended.

Oh god I’m the complete opposite, I get approached all too frequently for my liking! I’m usually having a browse and end up telling sometimes up to 3 people at different times that I’m okay thanks and don’t require any help at the moment. It ends up putting me off and I leave only to go and place big orders online on the off chance that something I order is the right shade 😂 I once had a makeover at Debenhams, I was there with baby dd in a buggy and my mum, mum took off at high speed with the buggy and went to the cafe while I sat there and got made up. I left without buying anything once I’d seen what she’d done to my face, nothing was the right colour and I dashed across the shop to attack my own face with baby wipes, I looked truly dreadful. I figure they were working on commission and desperate to sell stuff. The lady was very pleasant but nothing on my face was convincing me that anything was worth buying!

Agreed although I did have a very helpful woman at the Estée Lauder counter in boots last week I did purchase two items and she gave me samples but the ones I saw at boots. Before couldn’t be bothered

I'm in Birmingham. I love wandering through the beauty section at Selfriges in the bullring (Brummies will know what I'm talking about).

The only makeup counter where staff is really friendly and supportive is MAC. So I always end up buying at MAC, because I'm not ignored there.

And saying all that, I have a friend who’s in her mid 50’s and said that she was in Boots the other day and a lady from the No. 7 counter was really helpful and friendly but not pushy at all! Maybe that’s where I need to start doing some of my beauty shopping - our Boots is actually one of the really good ones with loads of the bigger brands.

This always happens to me too! I often wonder if I'm too ugly for them to bother with 😅 I wanted to buy a Lancome eyeliner the other week and they didn't have my colour out. I know they keep them in little drawers under neath. There were loads of staff around doing nothing but nobody asked me at all! I had to ask them.

I remember being blanked by an awful woman at the benefit beauty stand years ago, they were quite new to the UK at the time, she’d clearly decided I wasn’t worth the bother and shut me down quickly and turned away.
ive never been bothered that much by beauty counter workers apart from one that shouted across selfridges to ask if I wanted something for my wrinkles (I was much younger than her at the time too and not really very wrinkly). Cheeky cow.

Unless it’s changed since I worked for them all the Estée Lauder companies are paid and trained in the same way - they even have bureau staff like temps who have a whole wardrobe of different uniforms for each brand and they send them out to cover. So those saying Mac consultants are so much better etc …. Well. Mac is a Lauder brand. So is Bobbi Brown. Aveda. And many, many more. We’d go to Grosvenor Street in London to have our Clinique training and the training was pretty much identical just with different brands in different rooms.

I always looked younger than I was. When I worked walking distance to dept store I'd be ignored . I used to go in on my lunch break.
One day I specifically asked for a perfume on Clinique counter. There was an offer on for free gift with 2/3 items.
I signed up for a store card and was given discount. Got receipt and paperwork.
Never had a bill.
Feel like that was payback for all of the looking me up and down and then ignoring me the other times I went there.

Same, blanked/ignored by counter staff in Boots and John Lewis on numerous occasions. I'm in my 30s, do an office job but wear very minimal makeup and I guess I'm not conventionally attractive, maybe a bit quirky in my dress style. Some of the interactions I've had have left me wanting to crawl into a hole. I know which shade Clarins foundation I use now and I just order it online to spare myself the embarrassment.