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?

Depends which brand. All the major brands - all Estée Lauded ones, Lancôme etc, are paid a basic good salary and then commission which is closely linked to how many items they sell per customer. The make overs etc aren’t paid separately - it’s literally part of the sales tactic.

*lauder

Make overs aren’t paid. I’ve had a few and I’ve never paid for one.

I’ve experienced both and I’ve noticed it depends on how I look that day. If I go on a day with basic make up and looking a little scruffy, impossible to get attention. If I go on a day where I’ve made more of an effort on my appearance and they can tell I like make up, I get attention and time.

Do not give these shit customer service brands your time or money. Go elsewhere, visit a skin specialist beautician and get a mini treatment and loads of make up, skin advice for free. Phone and explain what you're looking for and only book with somewhere you feel valued by.

They will just make u orange like themselves

Not if you’re clear that you want it as close to your skin as possible, and if it is still off then you say you’re not happy and they look at other colours.

😆 That’s funny but it’s a really unfair comment. You get good and bad sales consultants in every brand. I like to think I never looked orange. 😁 We were told how many / what products to wear though. I tend to go for quite a natural look normally but with Clinique we had a list of things we needed to wear which did make us look more made up. We were always taught to match to the customers skin tone exactly - which is what I’d try to do but often a customer would disagree with us and actively choose / ask for a foundation that made them look tanned or paler than they were… It taught me a lot about what people actually want make up wise.

I just get comments along the lines of " Are you interesting in anything or are you just looking?"

I'm nearly 60 but clearly not their core demographic.

The Clinique ladies in my local Boots don't even bother to talk to me.

If you want attention in department stores you just have to look rich.

I only get help at the Boots No.7 counters. The staff are always nice and they know their products. I’m ignored everywhere else but now I don’t bother with these brands.

i always just assumed it’s cos I’m ugly and probably look like I don’t spend £40 on foundation

Personally, I'm wee, fat, not particularly attractive and now mid 40's. I dress meh, clean but not smart. I'm not the demographic they give a crap about, and I never was. Pity. I would have spent a bloody fortune trying to look slightly better 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Ageism is rife. Could it be that?

No, I'm 62. They're lovely to me.

I usually get ignored too, I think my age / I don’t do very “on trend” make up! Last time as others have found the women in no 7 looked a bit intimidating but were chatty and helpful and I actually have foundation in the right colour now! My other good experience was with absolutely lovely young woman in Champneys (it was “bare minerals stuff at the time) who showed me sooo much useful stuff and application etc for my wedding, she was brilliant, but it was a “make up tuition” appointment that I specifically paid for!

@Xrays I’ve always thought that that would be such a great job!

More fool them.
In my younger days I'd often get my make up done and get freebies especially Clarins never could I afford or justify the prices

Yes this is exactly why I don't want a full face of makeup at a counter. I did it once at a Benefit counter when I was about 18 (to be fair Benefit probs wasnt the best choice) and went straight into Boots afterwards to buy makeup remover wipes, and I cried in the car on the way home, it was so bad.

I'd just like to go and ask for advice on what would suit me and be able to just try out 1 or 2 products before I spend £30+ on something I later realise isn't my colour.

I'm in my early 30s, average looking, dress well. I don't think there is anything about me that might make them stereotype and overlook me.

I did used to enjoy it. 💐 I stopped when we moved to the countryside and there weren’t any counters near me - I used to live in London before. I’d love to go back and do it again. It was really fun and I used to enjoy chatting to all the different people I’d meet. The worst thing was we weren’t allowed to ever sit down; so literally 8ish hours on your feet with just a short lunch break. They liked us to look busy, never sat at the counter. We’d have to be cleaning (wiping round bottles etc) if we had nothing to do, even if we’d done it 1000 already that day! 😆

I liked the Self ridges ones. They were mostly nice. Estee Lauder especially. Never in a million years would I pay. I don't think I screamed money just looked interested.

If you do want the makeover then “I’ve had this foundation before but I can’t remember which shade, could you check for me? I might be between shades and it’s summer/winter now. And I’ve been wondering about adding a blusher, what do you recommend?”. Then they’ll say “oh do you want to try some eyeshadow etc and it builds from there. Then at the end “please can you write down what you’ve used, I want to see how it lasts on my face today before I come back.”

Best advice is pretend to be a mystery shopper - you'll get a 5 star service. If you're first question is something like "hi, I'm looking to buy a gift for my sister, who has fair skin, for around £50", they should start being really attentive in the off chance you're reviewing them

To be fair I have always found the staff in MAC stores tend to be quite helpful and attentive. It's more the Clinique, NARS, Charlotte Tilbury etc. tribes who don't seem to give a toss.

Worst experience I've had recently was at Liberty. Asked the assistant on the Laura Mercier counter to recommend a blush for me. He didn't acknowledge me or say a word to me about the product, just picked up a compact and snootily said: 'This is your colour, that's £26 please.'

I've always found the classic I'm asked when I'm not interested and ignored when I want help, good old sod's law. But if its always the case I'd imagine it's more how approachable you look than anything else, do you have a resting moody face?

I’ve had this conversation with a lot of people. I always (in life, in general), tell people that there are all types of people out there, some helpful, some not so, but the truth is if I’m dressed up/have make up on or hair done I’ll get stopped/and/or helped at beauty counters, not dressed up I don’t. I honestly think sales assistants don’t get that they are losing out a lot by doing this. I actually stopped shopping at our local large pharmacy because they just left me standing so many times while dealing with people who were pretty much more their ‘type’ (and I’m not bitter saying this). They’ve all done a double take seeing me since where I work (a few doors down) because I wear make up to work. I really hate it- I never ever ever discriminate when serving a customer