I didn't know this great deal about MAC

[Shonajay]

It's my birthday tomorrow and yesterday my friend booked us lunch and cocktails. We met an hour or so early, and she took me to the MAC counter for my treat. Apparently, £30 gets you a full on makeover, make up applied, advice, a chart to take home to recreate the look, and then you get your thirty quid to spend on MAC products!

Just thought it was a great idea, maybe also for a teen, or a mum like me stuck in a rut. The make up girl was superb, I feel ten years younger. I've never really used much MAC but I was very impressed- for instance she recommended a dark brown for my socket line- and said but your bound to have one at home, yes? So no hard sell. Well worth it, relaxing too.

Most of the high-end makeup counters offer a similar deal. They'll do your makeup, talk you through the products etc and the money the makeover supposedly costs can be used against purchases. Back when I was young, free and single I did it quite a few times. Particularly liked the Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier ones.

It's a great way to push yourself out of a makeup rut and pick up some new tricks.

It is a really good idea. I did it for my dd last year as a Christmas present. She really enjoyed it.

Shona if you're strict with them on what you want (eg a friend of mine got great advice with lipgloss etc at Gatwick airport and I have had a nice lipstick recommendation and lipgloss) then they're great.

But I have had some total rubbish advice from them, I ask eg for lipstick similar to one I have from them and they're all like . I don't expect that from a MA who's supposed to know their colours and people's colouring!

I have to say, colour wise - a few times have used NARS counters and just said I want bright colours for eg eyes for clubbing/going out and something different and once they know I don't want browns/bronzes (I've got grey/blue eyes with touch of green in them) they will suggest different.

I remember a sweet MA at MAC recommending and shoving on a pretty silvery combo for when I was bridesmaid at DB's wedding, pretty but would never wear it and don't think I bought anything either. i did tell her the dress which was fuschia pink and nude patent slingback sandals.

Yes I once came away from a Benefit one looking like a cack-handed transvestite, but the principle is good.

Agree about Benefit, except I looked like I belonged on TOWIE. Couldn't really say anything as this was how the girl who did it looked and I felt I would be insulting her!

Haha Amber, I had a similar experience at Benefit! Apparently the Benefit girls aren't trained MUAs the way high end ones like MAC are - they present as though they are but they're not. I had amazingly awful orange scouse brow huge caterpillars that made me burst out laughing when she showed me a mirror.

I went to a MAC counter for this quite a few years ago before our wedding. It was great. I bought a fair bit but when, for example, I said I was happy with my current foundation, there was no hard sell at all.

Amber actually I was speaking with a friend the other week and she and her friend were in Essex and got a TOWIE makeover from the Benefit girls... which wasn't them at all.

Makeme - As far as i recall only MAC and maybe NARS are trained MUAs, the rest like you say present like they are but really they get the look of the season to paint you with and products to sell.

That's why if I want specific colour recs I'll use MAC and NARS.

Illamasqua and Urban Decay are trained artists too.

I'm a MUA. I have worked at Benefit and MAC, and let's just say that Benefit aren't exactly the best.

The thing everyone has to remember though is that these are all beauty counters, selling targets are everywhere no matter which counter you visit. Benefit are the worst for it though.

QueenElsa - I never see Illamasqua counters in UK (love their makeup though) and the UD ones are few and far between.

I agree with you re the sell... I had a woman SA at Bobbi Brown dash off (when I was about to purchase a red lipstick/gloss) at it was her hours yet the next week she rang me (as she had to cancel an appointment with me) as we'd booked a makeup bag clearout code for selling me more BB products

I hate to say it but the foundation from BB I bought from her was the worst ever and I won't repurchase.

I'm also loyal to counters and SAs - well try to be.