Have you ever gotten a makeover at a counter/store? How did it go? Did you like it?
— Christine
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I have gotten makeovers at several counters: Chanel, Clinique, MAC, and others when I was younger…
I always have fun at makeovers because I let them do whatever they want, I tell the MA to be creative and treat me like art. Obviously they have the most fun with that at MAC! But I always come away with something different and special, and it is fun because it gives me a chance to try something new and let the MA have fun! I love it. My next makeover I plan on getting is on Friday for my friend’s dress rehearsal 🙂
Speaking of my friend, she got a MAC makeover a few weeks ago for her bachelorette party, and showed up with some gorgy silver toned eyes…it was like mod robot style…it was awesome. But she never ever wears eye makeup except for some mascara…and I couldn’t put my finger on what was different at first. She pointed to her eyes, said she was at a MAC counter, and the guy put makeup on her and when it was all over, proudly said “Sorry honey, I only do drag”.
LOL!!!!!! 🙂
I always tell the MA to do what they think is best, haha!
OOoooh yeah how can I forget. My last one was at Bobbi Brown at this mall here in Australia and unfortunately it sucked big time.
The MA was all excited at first because she had never really “got to play with” someone with a “darker skintone”. By dark I mean I use 6 or 7 from Bobbi Brown’s foundation. So it’s more medium tanned, as someone put it.
Anyway, the look came out all wrong, the foundation was way too dark, the eyeliner was wonky and her highlighting just made my cheeks look fat. The first thing the Dude says when he sees me is “you look weird”, right in front of the MA, hahahah. Needless to say she was peeved I walked away without buying anything.
Well too bloody bad. Unfortunately she’s still there and very obviously doesn’t like me anymore. LOL
That’s too bad, Sal! I haven’t gotten a ton of GREAT makeovers – a lot of just so-so ones.
i had a makeover at MAC back when the Antiquitease collection went out and I <3 it!! the MA was sooo nice and did a perfect job!
Plus, the makeup lasted me for hours and hours
Nice! I’m so glad when people have good makeover experiences!
I got a makeover from my now favorite MAC MA and I love her for it. She was the one that introduced me to all that is MAC. I spent way to much money that day. I printed off a look from the website and she tweaked it a little. (I am very pale, very very pale) She made me glow and look more beautiful than ever. Well because of her, I thought maybe everyone can make me this beautiful, so I went to the MAC counter to get my makeup done for a very special event. My MA wasnt there but I new the other MA…omfg I didnt know I could look so ghostly. She didnt add any blush or bronzer and I had foundation streaks. My eyes were way to dark and bold for my tastes! I printed out a pic and everything. She just didnt follow it!!!! Well now I know that if I want a makeover, only my MA can touch my face.
That’s so very awesome, Renee!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the look she did for you 🙂
This is one of my absolute favorite things to do when I want a new look/have big occasion coming up/extra $$ and time! Haven’t done it for quite a while but I’ve been itching too!
I had Clinique done for my junior prom (ahem, 10 years ago!).
More recently, I had a Sephora makeover before my wedding, it went well. . . a bit too much blush, but otherwise, I was happy. I bought a ton of stuff for my wedding, then reconsidered and had my makeup done at the Aveda salon where I got my hair done. I brought in a pic of Julia Roberts from InStyle and I looked like a hooker without foundation when I was done–definitely bad, bad, bad! I used my own makeup that I’d gotten done at Sephora plus some from a Mary Kay consultation that I’d done and it turned out really pretty.
I had Bobbi Brown done when I was a bridesmaid (done before the wedding, then I bought stuff and did it myself) that definitely gave me a new look and new techniques; although it did take a bit getting used to (now I do that look a lot!). Had an Estee Lauder one done for an actual wedding. That one didn’t turn out so hot at all–a reddish/pink eye that made me look sick and the foundation was too light and had too much SPF and I’m “white” in all the pics! YIKES!
Now I’m jonsing for another makeover–I’m thinking Sephora or MAC. I like Sephora ones because they give you the best of all the brands they have to choose from. . . . but after finding these boards, I’m really curious about MAC. And I think Bobbi Brown offers good overall tips, so I’m thinking maybe that again, too. Hmm, maybe all three? Hahaha, my hubby would kill me!!! LOL!!
Anyway, long story short–I love getting counter makeovers!
Seems like you’ve had both good and bad experiences, but I’m glad you haven’t soured on them!
James Boehmer from NARS did makeover for me for several times when he came to Hong Kong. Lucky me! and I learnt new tricks from him everything he did my makeup.
Ohh, very lucky, Taj!! What new tricks? Share 😀
lipstick -> lip gloss -> lip pencil -> lipgloss(centre part)
wow, that gives so sexy longlasting plumped-up lips ! ! !
Hey Cristine,
Oh yes back in Dubai,i did have like 2,3 makeovers,of M.A.C and Chanel,it was absolute fun and it stayed for like hours an hours,and yes MA did rock me by giving me an awesome look,(sigh)AH Cristine..u remind me all of that.
Zzainy..
Awesome! I’m so glad you loved your makeovers 🙂
I’ve had a few. The first one was Halloween 06. I told the MAC MA I wanted 70’s but she chose everything from the eyeshadow colors to the blush, foundation(hadn’t used any til that point), everything. She was the one that started me on my love of blue eyeshadow. Now every year I go to a MAC counter and tell them to go crazy off of whatever I’m wearing that Halloween. This year will be a little different, as I’m going to be a Robert Palmer girl with a few friends.
Also, my last makeover was at MAC during the FAFI event. It was free, so how could I resist. I didn’t particularly like how it ended up, but I did come away knowing that my skin tone isn’t an exact NC 45 and that I could buy NC 45 and 50 and mix them together for a better match. Also, I now realize that I really cannot tolerate other people putting eyeliner on me. Every single time they try it’s a mess.
I’m so glad that you had so much fun with your Halloween makeovers!
I haven’t gotten fantastic makeovers from MAC – all but one were terrible.
Nope. Not yet 🙂
Think you’ll ever do it? 😉
The MAC counters at our retail shopping centres do a free makeover with product purchase of sgd120/- and above. At times, like the recent Fafi launch, with just sgd80/- spent on products (including one item) from whatever launch, you’d get to sign up for a free makeover too!
I’d normally have fun and have the MA try out colours that i’d normally wont use or don’ know how to. And its times like these that i have my “colours re-analyzed” eg. like if i was under the sun alot and got more tanned during hotter months of the year or something, i’d have the MA test out concealers, foundations and powders just to be sure i have the right colours.
Having said that, my last makeover during the Fafi launch period was quite a bad experience. I mean, the makeup done and colours introduced were good and all but the brushes the MA used on my face were really funky. My face broke out the next day and it was a good two weeks before my face cleared!!
Nice! MAC counters do that a lot here, too 🙂
It’s too bad that your Fafi makeover wasn’t so great 🙁
The first makeover I’ve ever done was at MAC- I was young and still in high school. It was for my birthday and my dad, who had previously forbid me to wear makeup, broke down and finally let me. He strictly told them to make me look natural and not to go over the top. I admit at first they did a great job…until later I discovered the horrors of oxidation. I was an orange oompa loompa by the end of the day. I felt really bad because my dad had bought me everything and dropped a pretty penny that day. There were some winners that day, Buff blush became a staple of mine and I still have Patina eyeshadow 🙂
I also loved going to the Stila counter when they were still at Macy’s. They did my makeup for a wedding I was in and the girls there were so sweet. I was so sad when Stila was removed! But now the girl who I liked the most is at Sephora and she’s my favorite SA there 😀
And, I now frequent the Benefit counter the most. My best friend used to work there, so of course with every visit to Macy’s I had to stop by and let her test out new stuff on me. She doesn’t work there anymore, but I still go there every time and have some of the best visits and service 🙂
Oh no, how terrible, T! At least it got your dad to cave on makeup, though.
I love getting make overs done at the MAC store 🙂 I always let the MA know that I am totally into spending some money and that I am open to trying something new….every time its been good. However, one time I had a MA do a black smokey eye for me and bought all the items to go with the look…I got home and my man said “JIKES thats way to dark for you”! So I took all the stuff back and had her do a smokey eye in a teal color…she was really super understanding and its not that the first look was bad…it was just a bit too much for me.
I’m so glad you’ve had such great experiences, Tanya! Haha, I can just imagine your man doing that!
I have had several in department stores but the best makeover I have had was in Napoleon Perdis SF store. I was truly impressed by the MU artist named Timmy who did a good foundation match on me and chose colors which I really liked. The makeover looked like me but better, nothing too loud or drag-queen like. I loved it!
It’s not cheap but it was worth it. I look forward to going back there this fall for a new look and to check out new skincare products.
I love some Napoleon Perdis products! Their foundation is amazing.
It is because of your rave reviews of some Napoleon products that made me go find them. Thanks for your recs, they truly help.
Yes. Usually they’re fun, but sometimes a bit over the top for my taste.
My friend and I just got ‘makeovers’ done at MAC this weekend. We both loved our looks so much. We were going out so we had the artists working on us to more ‘glamorous’ looks. We had so much fun.
My friend wanted to try out a red lip so the artist working on her used Russian Red and did a more subtle slightly smoky eye.
I had the MA do a look that she thought would be glam on me – I love to play around with bold eyes but she ended up using shades that I would have never thought would look good on me (bitter and old gold pigment) and they were fabulous. We both had our MA’s put eyelashes on us as well.
We looked so glam, had a great time, learned a few new ideas and tricks. It was very worth it.
That’s awesome, Angie! I’m happy to hear the makeovers went so well 😀
Oh yeah I had several MAC makeovers and one at Benefit as well.
For MAC it was Naturally Eccentric, Untamed, Culturebloom, Sweetie Cake, Barbie, Smoke Signals and Fafi! 🙂
Oh and now I totally forgot to tell you how it went LOL!
It was awesome every single time. The guys at my counter are very funny (except for my one ex-best friend *barf*) and we always have a great time and they’re all so talented because they make me look fab in the end!….and envy my lashes! Hehe! 😀
Happy to hear about the makeovers going awesomely 😀
I’ve only had a counter makeover once and it was…um…pretty awful. It was for Barbie Loves MAC. The MA decided to give me dark “reverse creases” with Mothbrown – she basically painted on these dark brown triangles next to my nose and made my brow bone really, really white which made the contrast with the dark triangles even more ridiculous. It looked like bad makeup from the musical Cats or something.
I didn’t see myself in a mirror until she was done and I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie and say that I liked it. I think I just said, “ohh…ok…” bought my products, and moved on.
Oh, wow, what a drastic makeover, Carrie! I didn’t LOVE most of the makeovers I’ve had by MAC either 🙁
My first experience with a counter makeover was with NARS and I was really impressed! The MA did a nice, purple smoky eye and I loved it. Needless to say, I bought all that she used.
That’s amazing, Bre! It must have been one fabulous job for you to buy everything!
I usually have one every 1-2 weeks. Mostly because I buy enough stuff every time and my MA knows this so we just play around with different looks. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t. There’s one girl who works at the ocunter whose skills are AMAZING but she is hardly ever there because she is part time 🙁
Oh, nice, Stacey! How pampering that must be 🙂
Number of times,but absolutely the best was done at the Chanel counter in Toronto.I still regret I did not have my camera.
Nice! One of my favorite makeovers was at a Chanel counter as well.
NEVER HAD ONE! 🙁
Awww, Tatiana! Why not?!
I have gotten a makeover at a counter, but I remember only doing it twice in my lifetime 🙂 Smashbox back in my junior year of HS and YSL about a year ago.
How did the YSL one go?
I’ve had quite a few – MAC, Smashbox, Clarins, Clinique, Bobbi Brown – my favorite was Bobbi Brown because it was really perfect. The foundation and concealer were a great match, the make up was not over done at all and best of all, the MA didn’t push me to buy anything! This was a few years ago and I didn’t buy all the products that were used because I find them to be quite over priced. Plus, I already had a stash of Clarins and MAC products at home! I did get the gel liner and blush she used though.
I must say a word about MAC though – every time I had a make over in different countries – the US, UK, Singapore, Australia and HK – all the MA’s selected the exact same foundation shade for me! I found it quite amusing because I never mentioned I already used the same shade to any of them. They all just picked the one shade I already had!
Wow, I love that all the MAC MAs pick the same foundation (and the right one!) shade for you. That’s fantastic. I also hate pushy MAs… I had a Chanel makeover once, and I felt so guilty not buying much.
yes, it was 2001, the san francisco Macy´s department store and the mac-counter. The great punk-rocker kind of girl gave me hints on how to use mac colors, and introduced me to orange eyeshadow (I have blue eyes). To this day, I still use these colors she advised me, and I look great. I do experiment, though…
After her, I havent really encountered as innovative and helpful mac-lady as she was.
That’s great to hear, Mirth! I’m glad she introduced you to orange shadow 🙂