Beauty consultant made me feel like crap 💩

[Prettydisgustingactually]

So I’ve been feeling a bit crap about myself lately, almost 57, skin looking a bit rubbish etc so decided I’d cheer myself up and invest in a new foundation.

Took myself off to the JL beauty department to face the 100 + various options. I’d decided to choose a couple I liked, get samples to try at home in my own lighting and then go back and buy. I don’t have tons of money and don’t want to get the wrong one. I went over to the guerlain counter and asked for help colour matching. She asked if I was wearing foundation and asked me to remove it which I did. She tried the colours on my chin and asked me to choose. She then put it straight on my face, no cream under it, just straight on. I mentioned it going on better with something under and she said “Yeah I suppose I could have but it doesn’t matter” She put it on half of my face (not especially gently) and showed me the mirror. When I asked her if she was doing the other side she said no as that’s classed as a makeup session and she’d have to charge me. She then handed me the sponge snd said “Try and spread it over if you like” and walked off. She put a pin head amount into a plastic container, wrote on it and handed it to me.

If I’d asked her to show less interest she couldn’t have done. I walked away with a half made up face and no eyebrows as she’d wiped them off, and went straight home as I looked like crap and felt really silly. No upselling of other products, no attempt to talk to me at all. I really feel as though if I’d have been a 30 something beauty, she’d have made more effort.

AIBU in thinking this was really poor customer service?

Never been to JL but in Boots you just wipe it off yourself afterwards. And try on Back of hand, not your face.

That must have been really disappointing and disheartening. You could try a No 7 woman at Boots if you can face trying again.

I think that is dreadful OP.
I don't think it was personal in that probably any older woman, unless they were obviously affluent looking or very " fashionably " dressed would have got similar treatment.
And it's certainly not confined to John Lewis.
Very ignorant , short sighted behaviour.

I feel your pain OP. I am late 40’s and have money to spend on skincare, I always walk
into these beauty halls with such hope but are always disappointed. Which JL was it?
A trip to Liberty to try Jones Road was a similar experience.
Now I support a friend who is essentially in a MLM business but she works hard, soends time with every customer and it seems to be ok on my skin.

Have had good experiences at Bobbi Brown in JL MKeynes.

Tbh I wasn’t expecting or wanting her to put it on my face but certainly didn’t expect to go out with half a face of foundation and told I’d have to pay for a full face.

I'd email Guerlain and tell them you had a terrible customer service experience at this counter and it's put you off buying from them. Those jobs require you to be upbeat, supportive, encouraging, and if you can't manage that then move to a different type of retail. Meanwhile, do try Boots. Their hyperluminous foundation is really good for mature skin and very reasonably priced.

If it makes you feel any better I’ve had similar experiences when I was in my mid twenties and (I’d like to think) I was fairly attractive. A lot of people on makeup counters aren’t very well trained in customer service. Or in the application of makeup as far as I can tell! I did have a good experience at a Charlotte tilbury counter, I did have to pay for it but got to keep a selection of products.

It's the weekend after black Friday. I imagine she's been VERY busy all weekend so I'd give her a break. You asked for help colour matching that's what she did. You don't need primer for that. You don't need a full face for that.

That's shocking OP & I absolutely second emailing Guerlain about this as its most certainly NOT how they would want their customers treated.

I bought skincare & perfume in the Guerlain store in Paris last year & the store assistant could not have been more helpful & also gave me tons of samples.

Similarly, I bought foundation from Estee Lauder at their counter in Brown Thomas in Dublin earlier this year & the assistant redid my entire makeup without charge & gave me a load of samples including a tiny bottle of advanced night repair. I use this all the time & the miniature is v handy for travel as I just refill it from my bigger bottle using the pipette.

I hope you find someone willing to actually do their job & look after you - the paying customer!

Had the opposite experience at the Laura Mercier counter at JL when I went in recently. Not a frequent make up wearer and was utterly delighted with the care and attention from the staff. Opposite experience at Charlotte Tilbury. I know who will continue to get my (infrequent) business.

That's rubbish service. For comparison, whenever I go to the Clinique counter in boots, I can barely get away! Eg when I went to try foundation, she cleansed one side of my face, put some moisturiser on, swatched two shades on my cheek, we chose which one, then she blended my cheek with the chosen one, reapplied some blusher (both cheeks), wafted some highlighter (both sides again) and asked if I wanted to try any eye products or lip colours. That's how it should be done! Definitely email the store and / or Guerlain.

Honestly I came away feeling so fed up. I couldn’t even look round the shops as I had half a face of make up on and no eyebrows. She was just plain lazy and rude.

(As well as Clinique in Boots, I've always had good experiences at the Bobbi Brown counter in JL btw. Maybe give them a try)

You could have used your sample to even it out and it's not her fault you're self conscious of your eyebrows. You wanted a foundation match. Not an up sell to a full face. Most people prefer to get what they asked for not be uphold to surely?

But she stripped the Ops face and then left her half painted. How embarrassing to have to walk through a store like that.

Why don't you try SpaceNK? They have lots of different brands so staff aren't biased towards any particular brand and will find the right product for you. The customer service there is always great from my experience

She asked if I was wearing foundation and asked me to remove it which I did OP could have asked if she had to remove it all. OP could have asked for more remover to even herself out.

I honestly don't think I've ever had a particularly good experience at a makeup counter.

How did you end up with no eyebrows?

Aw really? Well that’s ok then! Poor girl !

Totally would complain op. Very unprofessional! They're supposed to be alot more helpful at the counters.

I’d tried to wipe my foundation off around my eyebrows, but she took the cotton pad and wiped over them. They’re a bit crap so I pencil them in.

I'm younger and I've never had a good experience at a counter either. Anyways colour should be matched on the jaw not chin.

That’s pretty awful op, I find clarins is usually really good, benefit although don’t wear their foundation they are lovely, Chanel foundation is my fave, they are always amazing, when I go to store, however I don’t go on a weekend as they are super busy. And I have an idea what I’d like, sorry they made you feel rubbish, I’ve never had half a face when shopping for foundation, a full face is the least I’d expect, if you had to remove what you had on. I wouldn’t expect anything else but no chance you should’ve been left wandering about like that, was pretty thoughtless,

Definitely email, what a crappy experience xx