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?

Completely agree.

I think if you asked most women who have had experience of using these types of counters will have had at least one bad one. Don't let it put you off! And don't stand for poor treatment. Be a bit bolshier! If people treat you badly pull them up on it then and there, and if it doesn't improve speak to their manager. Act like you deserve better (because you do!)

I said the OPs complaint is a load of nonsense - not the thread. Again just parroting the OPs crap joke. Why not form a thought of your own?

Oh dear, whatever makes you feel better

Back of hand won't be same colour as your face

Okay hun xxx

I've found Charlotte Tilbury to be staffed by a really sniffy staff often with "dramatic" make up. I really do not get the hype for it . I dislike the feel /formation of the foundation and the lipsticks are drying.

Yes, the side of the face is best.

The back of your hand is a different colour altogether.

Sounds so distressing. If it helps I don't think it's your age. My dd had a similarly bad experience at JL Clinique counter when she was 18. I had nipped to the loo and told her I'd catch up. The sales assistant tried selling her a completely different brand of skincare and was very rude and dismissive of her, but turned on the charm as soon as I arrived obviously ready to pay.
We went to the Clinique counter in Boots together and the sales assistant was lovely.

I agree, very poor customer service when you went away feeling crap, instead of delighted and wanting to buy all the lovely products. It's a no brainer, but the girls at beauty counters often couldn't care less.

I'm sure it was nothing personal, but still rubbish!! I've never left somewhere with half a face of foundation - how odd?! Admittedly I haven't been for a few years. Last time I went, half the make-up counters weren't staffed, and the one I went to, found my shade with the tester, but didn't have it in stock. Total waste of time!

Lily Lolo is nice and inexpensive, and you can order sample pots if you know roughly what colour you are, gor £3. The little pots will do you a few wears too, if it's the right colour. I found the samples which weren't quite right, were sometimes okay for other seasons.

Quite right!

Even if you hadn't bought from her, you would likely still have bought that brand.

But if she was good at customer care, you may well have been convinced to buy something! I've definitely been to makeup counters in days gone by, and ended up buying more than I planned on, because the person on the counter took the time to try it on me and fussed over how nice it looked 😂

No... common misconception. Should actually be on neck. Hands are often a different shade entirely.

This. Why do so many people think foundation should match a person's hand?

Estee Lauder is fantastic in my experience and give really generous samples to try at home.

Hand /face completely different colours

I am more mature and I find the Cover Girl Tru Blend in ivory a good match for my pink toned skin. I am all about getting the shade to match and something that looks skin-like being "dewy" but not "shiny". I only put it on the bits that need the coverage rather than all over my face. After a certain age, I think less is more and a plastic surgeon told me that freckles tend to make a person look younger so I let them show. (Apparently, according to him "old people" don't tend to have freckles.)

Why? Your hand doesn't match your face

If you want to get an idea of what will match before you go op there is a website called "findation" where you can put in a foundation you like the match of and it will tell you what shade to try. I agree it's best to try in store though and in natural light.

Okay doll. Live laugh love doll 😘 ✌️

I went into Boots feeling pretty vulnerable and sad about the skin condition I have which had flared up and was looking pretty awful. A sweet man from the No7 counter came and helped me with Bare Minerals products even though I wasn't looking at No7 products and he found the exact right thing that has got me through 6 months feeling much more covered and confident.

I know a good deal about sales. And I know how the numbers work. A car or a house is totally different from a pot of foundation. Whilst you might go back into town to pick up the pot you've chosen, millions wouldn't. Every second or third thread on here is "Buy it off Amazon" or "Get a cheap one on Amazon". The numbers speak for themselves. Firms can no longer afford to put the money into physical shops - it's not where you get the best return.

And whilst you might have been going back - it wouldn't necessarily be to her or that branch. Stores that prided themselves on customer service are looking like dinosaurs - and their business model isn't bringing in the profits like it used to. Just look at our high streets.

I'm sorry you felt like shit - but she guessed you weren't going to pay for anything that day. She gave you the samples, she applied them so you could check the colour. I hope you did get the colour you wanted and are pleased with your new foundation - we all need to feel nice - especially at this time of year.

I know you are right - but I do think it's about diminishing returns. The counter assistant clearly felt OP wasn't going to buy, or buy from her that day. And if she was rude - that's not on - but she did give OP the colours she asked for, she did apply them for her on her face so she could see them, she did give her the means to remove the make-up.....and said if OP wanted full make-up she could do that but she'd have to charge for it. Fair enough. But OP wasn't looking like she was a buyer.

I used to be in sales and you learn fairly quickly who will and won't buy. Not always correctly but mostly - and if you are on commission you don't get paid unless you sell.

the op says she told her before she even started she wasn’t going to buy today. And potentially not ever. As she said she wants to try at home.

i also think she got what she wished, she wanted colour matched and a sample, both were done. So there seems some miscommunication here, especially with the wiping the whole of her make up and eyebrows off. I’d have thought it common knowledge you just wipe a little off the side of your jaw or use the inside of your wrist, but obvs not.

the op did have a sample and could have finished the other half of her face and asked for another to take home.

I think a lot of this was down to miscommunication. If you want your whole face done it’s charged, colour match is just a small section.