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Original poster

Clinique.... grrr

41 replies

KumquatandCustard · 08/02/2014 19:09

Just posting for a bit of a rant really :)

2 weeks ago went to Clinique counter in Boots (in Worcester, name and shame!) to ask about the Even Better foundation, the young girl working there gave me a sample to try. I went back a week later to ask for a sample of the Anti Redness foundation to try, as the Even Better didn't cover up all the broken veins on my face :( .Anyway after trying this preferred the Even Better, but colour wasn't right so went back today to ask if she could recommend a different colour in the Even Better to try - well she was so rude "Oh, you've had lots of samples!" Well, no actually 2 different foundations. but, still not happy with the colour to which she replied "I've got no sample pots left, you'll have to go next door to Debenhams " I hadn't actually asked for another sample just some advice on what colour would be best....grrrr She couldn't get rid of me quick enough - I felt like a naughty child, If I'm paying £24 for a foundation I want it to be right.

Please answer me truthfully was I being excessive in having 2 different samples ??

OP posts:

citruslemon · 08/02/2014 19:33

Why don't you get the salesgirls to try the foundations on you in store?
Btw way I went from using Clinique for years to now using Bare Minerals, the difference is amazing. Maybe worth considering because they are quite amazing and hiding my acne so might work on your broken veins.

FrugalFashionista · 08/02/2014 19:50

OP, you are not making excessive demands, some brands just have a poor color range and will not be able to match your skintone no matter what.

Ditch liquid and go for mineral. My skin has improved a lot since I switched and minerals cover redness really well (I have mild rosacea). The result looks and feels sheer and glowy. I've tried a lot of liquid foundations but have never been as happy with them as I am now!

mineofuselessinformation · 08/02/2014 19:56

To be honest, I find the 'Touche Éclat' style products hide my broken veins very well.... Just a dab here and there and a quick run in seems to do the job. Worth a try!

Fairylea · 08/02/2014 19:57

I spent 15 years working for clinique and then chanel.

You had a bad consultant I think!

To be honest we were always told not not to give samples out unless it was a last resort - we were always trained to encourage each customer to sit down for a full consultation and then apply the foundation direct to their skin for them.

A standard request for a foundation should always be a full skincare consultation if the customer goes along with it as clinique mystery shoppers regularly ask for a ffoundation and you'd get marked as to whether you spoke about skin care and the 3 step system (soap, clarifying lotion, dramatically different).

I'd try a different counter.

OneLittleLady · 08/02/2014 20:03

Clinque disappoint me really. The three step system destroyed my skin even though they assured me it was fine for very dry, sensitive skin. I couldn't get a colour match for foundation at all, everything, every version was orange on me, rubbish for my skin in general really plus the consultant I had refused to give me an foundation samples to try at home as she said they didn't give them out under any circumstance

Fairylea · 08/02/2014 20:08

The reason clinique won't give out samples generally (unless they are proper sealed samples manufactured by them) is to do with their allergy free claim. Sounds nonsense and is really but they always told us if we decanted some foundation into a customers pot we had no idea what had been in the pot before and so if the customer came back and complained they'd had a reaction we couldn't prove it was the foundation itself and not a reaction to something in the pot.

So really clinique consultants shouldn't be giving out samples unless they are supplied by head office - and even then they are generally used to support a particular promotion and supplied in numbers to support this.

I have to say despite working for them for so long I swear by garnier face wash and rimmel foundation!

SirRaymondClench · 08/02/2014 20:08

Is the CC cream any good? I'm not even sure what it does but I have it in my head it's a moisturiser and foundation and covers blemishes?

Only1scoop · 08/02/2014 20:09

She should have listened and assisted you with colour choice....she thought you were going to take off another sample and probably not buy.

When I worked on the counters years ago we used to have a moan about 'sample seekers' who hadn't used to actually buy anything....they didn't need to....topped up there sample stock weekly....

I know you didn't intend to do this and now she has lost a customer

Bad service

Only1scoop · 08/02/2014 20:11

Also Op I tried the Even better eye cream in same range....wish I'd had a sample first....
Was really disappointed

BetterWithCheese · 08/02/2014 20:18

SirRaymond the CC cream gave me tons if milia, not sure why. I am prone to them but got loads more when using it and it took months to get rid of them again.

VenusDeWillendorf · 08/02/2014 20:21

I think samples are essential- lights are weird in the shops, and it's only after a few hours can you tell if the makeup really is the right colour or consistency, or even lasts.

One of the reasons why I like Lancôme is that they decant lots of foundation to little bottles and write up labels up on them so you know what they are.

Look at this link from Lisa elridge about foundations. She's a make up artist, and acts as consultant for No7, and gives brilliant advice.

SirRaymondClench · 08/02/2014 20:42

cheese right well the CC cream is off the list then! I have had enough problems with spots as it is so don't need any more problems. Why is it so hard to find a good foundation?!

42notTrendy · 08/02/2014 20:55

I got loads of samples from Clarins and Clinique (and a couple others) recently and sat through some applied to my face. None werequite right, colour wrong, felt icky or made me go oily. I then went to Bare Minerals and couldn't believe how it ticked all the boxes. I love it so much and it has had a beneficial effect on my skin.
Anyhoo, no, you weren't making unreasonable requests, I got lots of samples and some very generous ones. But do try mineral foundation.

Original poster

KumquatandCustard · 08/02/2014 21:32

Thanks for the replies - it was just good to get it off my chest :)

Fairy I didn't take the pots in, she had them in a drawer,

I know it would be better to have them apply the foundation directly, but the only problem is they have to keep stopping to serve other customers so I've found that in the past I can be sat there for over half an hour and also I really do like to try the foundation out at home, in different lights and without my contact lens in:)

OP posts:

ShyGirlie · 08/02/2014 21:46

Don't think u were being unreasonable at all!! I love clinique even better and must have had about 6 sample pots before I settled on it! Have been buying it religiously since though. She maybe had run out of pots, but she did put it across wrongly in saying that. Poor customer service for sure.

ilikebigbutts · 09/02/2014 09:20

Samples are a must I think when you're buying a foundation. You won't be going into the store every bloody morning for the consultant to do your make up for you, therefore you need to see how it performs when you apply it as part of your normal routine at home. Shop lighting is shit too and never gives a true reflection on the colour. And how the hell are you supposed to test their claims of "14 hours flawless coverage" if all you've got to go on is a blob of foundation slapped on the side of your face at 2 in the afternoon !

Bitter, moi ? No, just had lots of shit service and fed up of wasting money on make up that falls well short of its claims. To be honest I would probably have complained if the consultant had said that to me....but then I am a moany bitch at the moment !

Frozenatchristmas · 09/02/2014 09:37

I had a random experience with clinique yesterday too. Decided to look there and Lancôme (we only have a tiny debenhams) based on what was said on the nigella foundation thread.

Stopped at clinique first. She did all the talk and put it on with primer and powder. I asked if I could borrow her mirror to go outside to check. That caused such a fuss. Eventually I was given one and glad I checked as my face looked good in store but yellow outside. Off I went to Lancôme where the consultant was lovely. Took eveything off And started again. She recommended a new foundation with a pot of concealer attached. Much better when I went outside (no issues at all) so she got my business plus I got lots of samples.

Deathwatchbeetle · 09/02/2014 19:48

I don't normally seem to get samples and they always look at me as if I had asked for the head of their first born child! I must look grasping!

When I worked in a store once (not on beauty counter) all the staff where giving each other samples and tester lipsticks so perhaps that is why there are no testers (so they say) when I ask. I do think that considering the price of foundations and skin cream in department stores (I mean c'mon we are not talking MUA and Collection prices where it does not matter much if something is not quite right), we bloody well should be given samples. Most of us if the product is good enough will be back for a full size product which we will pay for. How can they not understand that? Sure , a few abuse this but they can be weeded out.

Pisses me off bigtime.

Deathwatchbeetle · 09/02/2014 19:50

Oooh forgot to say, I was in Paris some years back and wondering around a department store for Helena Rubinstein stuff. I got a mascara (love their mascaras, shame they no longer sell over here) and was looking at the foundations. I did not buy any foundations but was given 5 different samples!!!

OneLittleLady · 09/02/2014 20:04

I agree deathwatch samples are important. I was very badly matched at various counters and got the hard sell even though nothing was right but have recently had a good experience with the lancome ladies and am planning to go back and purchase one of the products I was given a sample of as it not only looked right under store lights but also at home in natural light after my own application.

rookiemater · 09/02/2014 21:59

Clinique is doing a 5 day free trial pot of all their foundations at the minute. I couldn't decide between the CC cream or the moisturising one so she kindly gave me both.
I was tempted to go to Boots as well as I wanted to try the Even Better too, but felt there was a fine line between legitimite trying out of products and taking the mickey.

Isthisme · 10/02/2014 12:01

I won't be going there again (I am also referring to the Worcester one), I went for some airbrush concealer a couple of weeks back, she put the lightest shade on me (which looked ok in the shop) far too light in real daylight. Thats £18 wasted.
So maybe look on the bright side, and if you had got a 'makeover' in store and got home it probably wouldn't be the correct colour anyway.

Grr

MrsDavidBowie · 10/02/2014 12:07

I have spent over £70 on 2 foundations this month as the colour isn' t right and I don't like one of them full stop. I got a sample yesterday from Dior but I think that's not right either.
I do use CC cream which I like but wanted extra coverage.

OneLittleLady · 10/02/2014 12:11

After disastrous experiences with awful colour matches as said up thread, I refuse to buy now unless I either get samples to try in my own time or if they apply and let me go away and check out the colour and feel in my own time without giving me the hard sell. I know I'm hard to match as I am am the colour of milk but that shouldn't be an excuse to hard sell something they know isn't right. [grumps]

Christmas2013 · 10/02/2014 12:22

I have to say that I have only had good experiences with Clinique (and I don't work for them!). When I first did the consultation for the 203 step thing they have me one set of products, which really didn't help my skin - I went back for my follow up (that they booked for me the first time I went) I said I wasn't very happy and they gave me an entirely new set of the next range of products with lots of apologies for having got it wrong!
I have also gone in and asked for a small face wash (l was jogging to and from work with my wash kit) - the consultant said they didn't actually sell the mini size it was onl in their promotional material and dug one out for me as a freebie. I guess it all depends on the consultant.
All that said, Bare minerals is the only foundation my skin can tolerate without a massive breakout!

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