Make up demonstration things. Are they any good?

[FlyMeToDunoon]

Am debating getting one of those sessions where a scary young thing from MAC or somesuch plasters you in unsuitable make up and then you pay a fortune for things you never use again.
Am I mad and if I do it which counter should I go to and what are good things to say to the scary woman?

MAC charge £25 for this but it's redeemable against anything you buy. I haven't done it but the 2 girls I work with have and they really enjoyed it, bought lots of products and have only had positive things to say about it.
If you go to a make-up counter in store then it's usually free, and no obligation to buy - try Bobbi Brown. I would go to MAC though personally. I love their stuff!

I think it depends who you get. I went to a MAC one in Toronto. I was only 19 but had about $200 to spend (10 years ago) but I looked really studenty because I was and the money was a present. Anyway, the assistant was totally uninterested and when I asked about dark circles under my eyes she told me it was my own fault as I should moisturise and she didn't show me any products or anything. Needless to say I spent nothing there.

I went to small make up store and they were truly lovely to me and the girl in there was fantastic. I spent my whole $200 and she gave me loads of freebies. I made a point of walking back past the MAC counter and the stuck up assistant with my loaded bags whilst telling a friend loudly that I couldn't believe I had just spent over $200 on make up.

I have been to a Clinique one and the girl was nice albeit very orange and she made me look very very scary - I literally had to buy babywipes when I left the shop because I felt caked.

At a Benefit counter, the girl was fantastic and gave me loads of freebies and told me if I ever wanted my make up done to cheer myself up to come and see her.

I think they are good but get a reccomendation locally to you as assistants vary.

A rule of thumb is MAC or Bobbi Brown as said emsyj. I beleive this is because the staff are actual make up artists/ trained therapists etc where as other counter staff will have had a crash course on that particular brand.

Dior and Benefit are notoriously bad.

Where do you live? If youre near London try Illamasque... for something a bit different. AMAZING!

Sorry nightshoe, didnt mean to deliberately contradict you. I should have read the thread first. You must have got lucky with your benefit assistant {grin}

Benefit I find are fab- really down to earth. Clinique- totally depends on the person you get and they will try to sell you the complete skin care routine.

Saying that I went for a foundation and moisturiser from clinique today and got a load of freebies including a lippy (full size, blusher, eyeshaddow and 3x 100ml bottles of the correct type of clarifying liquid, clenser and she was lovley!

I ALWAYS end up orange when I leave the clinique counter!

What sort of coverage/ look are you after? Whats your budjet? What items do you need?

Thats OK foureleven, I think that I probably did get lucky because I plonked down and said to her - 'I do not sleep, I have an 18 month old and I work nights, I look awful. Please please make me look even half awake'. It turned out that she had an 18 month old too and so I think we bonded

Haha Nightshoe. We've all been there

Hi all. Thanks for all the advice.
I want someone to give me a good make up look, teach me the techniques and I will buy the stuff.
I find foundation difficult- I am aware of it sitting on my skin and it seems very visible to me. However would like a lovely friendly advisor to find something for light coverage.

Have you tried a good foundation brush FlyMeToDunoon?

Um no... should I?
I know nothing.

Benefit you rebel is excellant

I would defo say to walk out of the shop and look in the mirror in a different light to really ensure its the correct colour for you- I am quite pale though so find this a problem.

Don't feel like you have to have all the same make- I mix it up with benefit and clinique.

Figure out specific things you would like to enhance, achieve and then you'll find the right things for the job. What do you want to do? (sorry I'm getting excited!)

I made an appointment at a Bobbi Brown counter in a big department store before my wedding and went with my sister. I basically asked them how to put make up on and then got my sister to do my make up exactly how the woman taught us! I liked that their look is really natural (but not so natural you look totally unmade up).

I enjoyed it. They were fine dealing me (a total ignoramous who can just about wield a mascara brush and sometimes put on lip gloss).

Yeah give it a go FlyMeToDunoon There are loads out there, Laura Mercier does a good one and of course MAC. But in my opinion the best one for value for money, logevity and purpose is The Bodyshop one.

My top tip is put your moisturiser on with it first then your foundation wont get too stuck to the bristles and will minimise wastage.

Put the foundation on to the back of your hand then take it from your hand on to the brush and on to your face - nose outwards.

With a brush you can blend in to your jaw line, right up to your eyelashes and a little in to your hair line. It also stops your fingers pulling at your skin which will worsen wrinkles... phew sorry if I sounded like a commercial!!!

But you need to start with a good colour and texture match foundation. Maybe make a morning of it and go to Bobbi Brown, MAC and another for good measure then go outside with all three on and see them in the light.

My favourite in Chanel ProLumiere. What is your skin type?

I need to have a leeeetle coverage [I am 46] would like to emphasise eyes more [at the moment I do eyeliner pencil and some bourjois eye shadow very occasionally] and would like to see how mascara might look now. I haven't tried it for years.
I have lines under my eyes that I would like to disappear.
So Bobbi Brown and MAC are coming out well yes?

I would second bobbi brown- heard lots of good things about them (a bit too out of my price range)

I have dry skin.
I got lost at 'put your moisturiser on with it first'

Can I do some cheerleading for Bare Escentuals mineral makeup . They have a big counter at Selfridges on Oxford Street and the stuff is just fantastic. You need to know the knack of applying it though, so the tricks of the trade they show you are invaluable.

If you're wedded to liquid foundation then a good brush is dead helpful, as is a foundation primer to help it go on well.

I had a dreadful makeover at a local department store once. She used a spray for the foundation - I looked like a shop dummy - and caked on the most awful colours. My DH almost wet himself laughing when he saw the state of me

Prior to my wedding I too had a makeover in a department store not sure which brand it was. I came out looking like the flaky cakey lovechild of Barbara Cartland and Danny La Rue.

I did my own make-up on the day and looked very beautiful even if I do say so myself.

You could try telling her less in more, but quite possibly she will not listen to you one jot.

I am unwed atm and the very thought of foundation primer is making me itchy!

Ok this make up company are new but its seems they are all over the counrty.

Illamasqua in Selfrigdes and you can book a lesson...yes they teach you how to do your make up. But the best bit is you can have your lesson recorded on DvD. So when I went home I knew what to do...brilliant.

Cost £30 and redeemable against products

yes, i said illamasque. They are amazing! One of their counter artists, nichola has an internet channel with her sister called fashionfacetv... FlyMeToDunoon it will seem scary at first but if you go to their basics section there are loads of amazing tutorials