6 Things a Makeup Counter Salesperson Doesn't Want You to Know

If you have a divine appreciation for makeup like I do, you already know that the beauty counter in department stores is often too difficult to pass by.

You also likely know that if you aren't armed with tactics from The Nice Girl's Guide to Pushy Salespeople, you end up leaving the counter with a lipstick shade you know you'll never wear because smiling "Melissa" convinced you it "really brings out your gorgeous eyes!"

So, what do we not know about the beauty counter business? Because sure, everything on and behind the makeup counter looks harmless and we feel great perusing and purchasing, but are we all just beauty product-buying suckers?

To find out I asked women who work or have worked behind the counter in stores across the country to spill the beans on what's free and what isn't, what's a marketing ploy and what's real, what they really think about customers, and much, much more.

Here are some of the secrets makeup counter salespeople, and the brands behind them, don't want you to know:


Germs are everywhere

While most makeup counter artists and salespeople clean the makeup brushes (a common breeding ground for bacteria) after they use them from one customer to the next, you can never really trust any brush that isn't yours, says one former Estee Lauder artist.

But "it's not the brushes consumers should worry about, it's really the products themselves," she says. "No matter how many times a day the sales rep cleans them, people love to come stick their dirty fingers in the colors to test them. It's amazing! Women walk right up to the counter, grab a lipstick tester and put it right to their lips. I think that's one of the most shocking things about working at the counter -- the general public's complete disregard for bacteria," she concludes.


See what other gross things are lurking in your beauty products here.


You can get a refund on almost anything

While the return policies differ, most big department stores like Nordstrom and Macy's are notorious for giving full refunds or store credit back for products that have been used -- and used more than once. You can test a makeup product several times before you decide whether it's right for you.

One former salesperson said that Nordstrom's policies are so lax that they were even giving cash back to a man that they knew was stealing perfumes off the counter of the nearby Macy's and "returning" them to Nordstrom. Why? Because "they didn't want to make a scene in the store."









They play on your insecurities

Do you feel special when a salesperson says you are pretty or goes on about how great your skin is? Well, for the most part, they are complimenting everyone.

"Usually if I compliment them, they open up about what they are looking for," says one former makeup artist. She says she found that women were "shy and self-conscious" and that with a little "boost" from her, they were more likely to talk to her about their skin or makeup concerns and buy products.


They make things up

"Cosmetic training in a department store or beauty supply focuses mostly on sales and not about product knowledge, which is unfortunate," says one former counter makeup artist.

"We do learn mediocre product information, but that doesn't come until several months after working there, so we spend the first couple months making stuff up or sharing our limited experience," she says. "I would generalize that most beauty advisors know a little more than what the average woman does about beauty," and the ones that make "good money" off commissions are "sales people, not beauty experts," she concludes.

See beauty tips from real experts here.



They pretend to be something they're not

Walking through a department store you'll realize that sometimes the salespeople look more like doctors than makeup artists. This is a planned scheme to convince you they are "experts," says a former counter worker. "The lab coats and charts are a marketing tool. They give the illusion [that the] sales force are estheticians, research scientists and keep their area clean," she says. "If we were [experts], we would not be working at the counter. Experts on beauty are actually providing services in salons and developing new skin care technology in a lab," she jokes.













The free makeover is NOT free

One of the biggest selling points of visiting the makeup counter is the "free makeover," but what salespeople don't tell you upfront is that the makeover isn't really free.

Makeup artists at counters work on commission. So although you're not obligated to buy anything, it is expected. "Technically it's free, but we invest our time hoping you will become our next big customer. It's like tipping -- if you don't tip your waiter, no one is going to come after you yelling and waving their fist, but you would leave feeling guilty. It's just not courteous to get a free makeover when you have no intention of buying," says a former counter makeup artist.

Those aren't all the secrets they don't want you to know, so be sure to check out the rest by clicking here -- before your next shopping excursion.


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