Before you buy anything from a makeup counter at a department store, you should read this first. And please forward this to any of your beauty product-obsessed friends.
I love New York department stores. I enjoy the windows during the holidays and the abundance of luxurious clothes, purses, makeup products, and shoes (the shoes!). But what I dislike the most about department stores are the aggressive people at the cosmetics counter.
Every time I walk into the Henri Bendel department store, I’m accosted by a bevy of perfectly manicured people asking me if I want to try the newest this or that. It has the feel of a Mexican border market, with children selling Chiclets and vendors selling ponchos, blankets, and dolls.
So how do you survive when you need to pick up Chanel or some other beauty product not sold in Sephora or at your local drugstore? There are a few commandments you should know…
Know Thy Cosmetic Salesperson
No matter where you shop, whether it’s at a department store or at Sephora, the salesperson’s goal is to sell you hundreds of dollars’ worth of products you didn’t know you needed, according to Cara Phillips in her Newsweek article Six Ugly Secrets of the Cosmetic Counter. Phillips worked seven years at New York cosmetic counters before getting her degree and starting her journalism career.
What you’re told at the counter is usually a lot of marketing mumbo-jumbo, so keep that in mind. “Many makeup artists receive sales training, but they don’t know much about ingredients or how they really work,” says Phillips.
But not all salespeople are cold-blooded. I can usually spot the people who are only interested in making a sale. When I need to buy something at a department store, I feel out the salespeople and give my business to the ones I develop a rapport with.
Feel free to tell someone you don’t trust that you’re “just looking,” said Allison Elliott, a Sephora makeup artist in NYC who was interviewed for Allure Magazine.
To get you to buy these products, a salesperson may try to get you in a chair. You may be told about a new product or asked to try a bit of eyeliner.
The salesperson may suggest you sit down for a quick try. As she’s doing that eyeliner, she’ll ask you about your job, and next thing you know, 15 minutes and 15 products later, she’s handing you a mirror to look at your brand-new face. The cost of all those products, if you’re guilted into buying them: $$$.
You may feel like you made a best friend, but remember, these salespeople are trained to make new best friends every single day.
Avoid Rush-Hour Cosmetics Counter Traffic
Weekends and after work are the busiest times for a cosmetics counter. If you really want to try a new eyeshadow shade, avoid the long lines and waits by going during off-times. According to Elliott in Allure Magazine, the least busy times are Mondays and Tuesdays and weekdays between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Know How Much You Expect to Spend Before You Approach
As a beauty editor eager to try new products, I’m a sucker for a tough-sell salesperson in a lab coat who seems to know what she’s talking about (Phillips says Clinique people wear lab coats because they create an aura of expertise).
When I go to Saks Fifth Avenue, I’m no-nonsense, and I walk straight to the counters, ask for my products, and then get out of there. Sometimes I make small talk and drop the “beauty editor” thing, which leads to being shown new stuff without the expectation that I’ll buy it (everyone knows beauty writers get free stuff all the time).
If you set a budget for the makeup counter, you can be certain that you will only leave with a few of the items you intend to purchase.
Keep the Self-Deprecation to Yourself
If you don’t know a thing about makeup or skincare products, be careful what you admit to. “If you tell the wrong salesperson you don’t know anything about retinoids, you could become a target for a hard sell,” says Elliott in Allure.
Know How to Test Products Safely
The cosmetic counters at Sephora and other major department stores can be teeming with bacteria. To protect yourself from the bad stuff (think pink eye and herpes), play by these general rules:
- Products in powder form (eyeshadows, blushes, pressed powders) are least likely to contain contaminants. Scratch off powder to get to a bottom layer if need be, but be polite about it.
- Avoid testing lip gloss. For lipstick, take a Q-tip and rub it along the base of the stick.
- Test liquid liners and pencils on your hand, not your eyes.
- Never, ever test mascara at a counter, even with the freebie applicators.
- Test concealer and foundations on your neck.
Many department stores, including Sephora, have generous return policies if you don’t like a product you tried. Always ask if you are still determining if you are 100 percent sure about a purchase. And keep this in mind if you feel you got suckered into a big purchase you weren’t expecting.
That Department Store Product Has a Drugstore Sister
When you shop at a fancy department store, one thing to remember is that there might just be a drugstore equivalent to that fancy department store lotion, cream, or powder.
According to former magazine publisher and beauty editor Andrea Q. Robinson in her book, Toss the Gloss, “Major beauty corporations own or license several brands at a wide range of price points.” For example, the L’Oreal Group owns Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris, and Lancome. Procter and Gamble own CoverGirl, Max Factor, and SK-II. The Estee Lauder Companies own Bobbi Brown, Clinique, La Mer, MAC, Estee Lauder (of course), and Smashbox.
What does this mean? Well, it means that these companies typically have one research lab that develops makeup, hair, and skincare ingredients that the company then uses across its many brands, from luxury to drugstore. “The main difference is often the price in the packaging,” Robinson says.
So before you buy that miracle cream or that eye shadow, consider the source. You can find just as good a product at your local Rite-Aid for $30 less.
Thou Shalt Buy at Least 2 Items
If you schedule a makeup appointment with a makeup artist, expect to pay $45 or more for the consultation or makeover. Keep in mind that many counters offer free makeovers. You don’t have to buy something if you only try one or two items at a counter, but for a full makeover, the unspoken rule, according to Phillips, is that you’re expected to buy a couple things. You risk making an enemy out of your new best friend if you don’t. Remember, they work on commission, and not buying something is the equivalent of leaving no tip for a waitress on a $100 tab.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
