Have you ever caved to sales’ pressure at the beauty counter? Share your stories!
— Christine
- MAC Cosmetics — 15% off with code THANKS15, ends 9/25.
- Macy's — 15% off beauty purchase with code VIP, ends 9/25.
- Nordstrom — 15% off major beauty brands, ends 9/25.
- Ulta — Fall Haul Event, including 30% off NYX, ends 9/30.
Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We hope you'll consider supporting Temptalia by shopping through our links below. Thanks!
39 Comments
Discussion and debate are highly encouraged, and we expect community members to participate respectfully. When asking a question, please check the post above for information regarding pricing, availability, dupes, and availability, and keep discussion on-topic. If you have general feedback, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us.
Comments that include advertisements, self-promotion, insults, etc. may be in violation of our comment policy and subject to deletion. Please see our comment policy for more information.
Comments on this post are closed.
If you don't see your comment yet, it's still in our moderation queue. We try our best to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind. Thank you for your patience!
Nope, I stick to my guns 🙂 x
It has never happened, I only buy what I only want to and sellers’ magical tricks have generally zero effect on me. Probable reason why is that my father was a commercial/seller (in other domain than beauty but anyway!) and I get more or less lucid and waterproof very early to all his tricks to make people surrender. That said, this might also be a question of personality as well. I’m reasonable at heart and always think twice before doing anything too impulsive. Moreover when it comes to buy stuff I will nothing have to do with!
I can think of two times, but it’s more so because I was wavering back-and-forth about getting a product. So it convinced me in the right direction (and the other time not so much).
yes…because usually it’s for stuff I wanted ANYWAY but wasn’t sure if I should get it right there and then.
I do not sell at a counter as it is too high pressure, but have been selling cosmetics in freestanding stores for more then two years and love it!
hell yes! it used to happen all the time and then I got good at making the salesperson go away, but it happened recently. At the mac store for style warriors this chick made me buy nearly the whole collection and that was not my intention. Usually, I’d say screw it, but the recession has finally hit me and I cannot afford to keep a pile of makeup that I don’t really want no matter how pretty the packaging. So, I returned it and had one chick look at me like I was crazy. As a woman of color I was disappointed by the collection and only liked the style warrior gloss. Sorry for the novel here, but ladies be strong. Those people are supposed to help not push products on you. Sometimes they make me want to leave the store, but I’m strong now. lol
It’s true, I work at Lancome counter in Macy’s and have a sales quota of $200 per day, and if I don’t make it my pay may be docked, and if I go above I get a raise. lol So be strong!!! Unless you’re at my counter… 😉
Not exactly. I mean if someone shows me something and I like it, of course Ill buy it. But I don’t usually buy things I dont want or need, no matter how convincing the sales person may be.
I used to be really bad at it and just buy whatever the people put in front of me. But just recently I got really good at saying “no, thanks” or just simply “i don’t like it” Sometimes I do buy things just so the lady would leave me alone but I bring it back the next day.
once, and i’ll never do it again! i wasn’t thinking at the chanel counter and swiped for over 100$ of stuff for no reason!!! i felt so guilty later because i used my parent’s credit card so i just told my mom to take it all back. i don’t even remember what i bought!!
…yes .. hahaha I was trying to find like a bronze blush but not a bronzer, something that had a gold shimmer … so this lady … younger than me! hahaha started to show me all the products so she convinced me of buying it AND the brush .. so i ended up buying both things when at the beginning, I only wanted to know the colors hahahaha 🙁
Sometimes. I mean when someone does a great job choosing colors for me, I like to pick them up b/c I know I will forget the name of the item if I wait until later to pick it up.
When I was younger that would happen to me quite a bit but not as much as I’ve gotten older and more confident.
Yes, it has happened a few times in the past that a sales person pushed me into buying things I really didn’t want, because I had a problem with saying no. I’m older and more confident now so it’s easier to stand up to pushy SA’s. We also can’t return cosmetics in Holland, that’s another reason why I’ve become very picky when it comes to buying make-up. Things are expensive enough these days.
Oh yes it has happened.. I try to stick to my guns most of the times, but there’s always going to be that one salesperson who is on your booty while your just looking around, checking out the collection, etc. and you feel like her/his laser-beamed eyes are watching you closely so that when you pick up something to look at it, she’ll pressure you into buying it… i hate it! When they try products on you, it’s hard to say no when you didn’t like the way it turned out, because then when you say you’re not gonna buy anything, you feel like a total meanie.. haha
I COMPLETELY agree! I hate it when the MUA’s and SA’s like, stare at you while you’re browsing the eyeshadow rack or something and it feels like you should either buy something and make them happy or buy the ONE thing you came for and get shot by laser beams. 😉
=X YES! I have no self control. lol.
For cosmetics, my trick to not caving into the pressure is to ask the SA to write down the name/color of the product so I can think about it. It usually gets them off my back and they leave me alone to peruse the products I am really after. At times though, like Christine, at special events I have caved, but then I just returned the stuff later.
You know what’s funny? I just realized this is a great trick to play on the sales people that pressure me all the time. I’ll indulge them for 5 or 10 minutes by letting them show me everything, then I’ll say, “I’d like to think about it. Would you please write down the names of each product, the specific color and a small description so I remember which is which? Thanks so much!” LOL I started laughing just thinking about it.
I find that sale pressure tends to make me want to LEAVE the MAC counter more than it does compel me to spend more money on stuff I don’t need, LOL! For example: The very first time I even went to MAC, I bought Lady Bug lipstick, Engraved Powerpoint pencil and the Sweet Liason Suite Array duo. As soon as I was done shopping, the woman who helped me pick out Lady Bug said “Ya’ll dun, sweetie? Ya need sum eyeshadduh or anythang?” She’d already made me SO uncormfortable sniffling with her cold all over the lipstick samples that I nodded my head ‘no’, checked out as soon as I could and left without another word.
Sometimes I have problems with it. When I was younger I felt so intimidated going to the counters, some of those ladies are soooo pushy! As I’ve gotten older though, I’m better at saying “I’m just browsing for now, I’ll call you if I need something” BUT last time I got my makeup done at MAC, for Style Warriors, I ended up spending about $60 more than I had planned. The SA was so sweet & so helpful and I looked great! Yeah, I haven’t touched the Strobe Cream at all… I couldn’t help it!
Yesterday I went by a Chanel counter & the lady was so far up my butt that I ended up not buying anything, even though I wanted a glossimer. I tried one on & it looked terrible- she was like “that looks GREAT on you!” yeah right lady!
So, I guess the moral of the story is, for me, if the SA/MA is really sweet and helpful then I buy more; if they are pushy or rude I don’t buy anything!
sorry about the novel here =)
Never. Buying anything is a splurge, and I find no point in ending up with something I’ll never use, or something thats only mediocre, especially in this economy. I always think about it several times before I decide to buy anything.
Yes it happened a time or two when an MUA seemed in a bind to make a sale. LOL. I am better now though. I prefer not to be helped by pushy people, but it’s not always my choice LOL.
Sales Pressure? Nope, and thankfully I rarely encounter it. I do however get sucked into enthusiasm sometimes. Like the Just a Pinch gell blush. The MA was really psyched about it and I pursued my curiosity.
it’s happened once or twice…one time a massive haul at chanel…which i ended up returning the next day. i’ve learned my lesson from that though…i found out all that returned makeup goes to waste(which fills be with enormous guilt), so i make sure i am ready to spend whatever it is i do on cosmetics.
i find self-control is more my problem these days than sales pressure!
I cave, not only to the salesperson but to my inner voice saying “Buy buy buy!” And then I return it the next day or week.
Yeah…recently I was at a Pro store for the first time in a couple years and was sucked in by all the “new” products. But mostly it’s not that I get talked into buying things that I didn’t really want, but that I get sucked into the pleasure of buying and buy a lot of things that do I want, but don’t need and shouldn’t buy, because the MA’s are so friendly…I’m such a sucker! And I never return any of it for fear that I’ll change my mind and want to buy it again.
yeap.. 😀
i will end up with a bunch of stuffs where my actual intention is just to get an eyeshadow..
hee..
Oh I definitely do get pressured lol. Not so much anymore I guess, because I’ve learned my lesson and money is tight lol..I’m becoming stronger!
NEVER EVER EVER EVER !!!!!!!!!!!!! I only buy what I want and what I like, I never give in to pressure to buy from cosmeticians and I think that they get that straight from the start, therefore, they never try to push items on me.
Yes Yes Yes. I cave ALL THE TIME. I’m such an easy target. I get sucked into buying something pointless and walk out of the store wondering what just happened.
rarely do i cave in. i only do when i like a color but unsure if ill use it or not. if a mua helps me then maybe i will.=)
Heh.
Yesterday I had a “discussion” (OK, argument) with a SA in a store that regularly advertises it’s “Red Dot” specials. So there are these eye pencils on a table with red dots on them. No sticker to say how much they are or anything so I ask. The SA says (with attitude) “They’ll be 20% off. On Thursday.” and I’m like, “But it’s only Tuesday. It has a red dot on it now – is it on special or not?”
“No.”
“Ok then, I’m not interested. Bye.”
And I left.
Then today, I found the exact same pencil, though in a better colour for me, in a pharmacy 3 blocks away – for 30% off. And the SA was very sweet.
I bought two.
🙂
No. I usually shop at MAC, Sephora, Lush and Aveda and Shoppers or Pharma for drugstore items (Walmart if they carry it cuz its cheaper). I ask for samples whenever possible – no samples and good return/exchange policies you wont get my money! I usually know what products I am looking for… an MUA or sales person might help me narrow down colour or size options. The trick is to tell them what you are looking for asking a Q or two and then saying “I’ll take it” this makes them feel as though they “sold you” on it. Works like a charm for me and no high pressure tactics on their part everyone gets what they want. If I am not confident in their product knowledge (including ingredients) then I usually tell them thank you and I will give it some thought and help myself and if its not an urgent purchase go back and deal with someone more knowledgeable or that I am familiar with. If I am just looking I make it very clear!
case in point… the hello kitty collection. I wasnt interested at all and didnt jump on the bandwagon … but every MAC counter/store I went to tried to lure me over to the display but I said I dislike the packaging and colours and its not for me. Just be straight with them and they tend to bug off.
Wow, that is a good suggestion. Few weeks ago, i shopped at a Clinique store. After I bought 60 worth of purchase, I asked them for a sample. The lady said matter of factly that they don’t have them and CLinique only send samples with new products out… umm, right.. Then what’s that jar I saw as some other SAs slip to somebody? However, one time at another Clinique counter, I didn’t buy anything and the SA gave me few samples to try (yeah, it came straight from the bottle pump, but better than nothing)
I think samples are for cutomers to try and esp for customers who purchased. Seeing many women leave the counter not asking for samples reminds me that a lot SAs actually resell those samples back online for profit just saddens me.. BS I say! LOL
No…Although the sales people are pretty convincing….I’m one of those people that if I think its worth it then I get it a vise versa and i always need to find a bargin so basically no way unless i want it
Never, even after I have a makeup done on me. I try to know prior what I need (last time it was a foundation), then I ponder after a few days if I want additional items or not. Actually, if SA tries to get me to buy something, I get even more cautious lol.
yes it always happens. but then i end up returning the product