Today I have my first official guest poster on bbeingcool! How exciting!
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Let me introduce you to Kim-Marie – or Kimbalikes in the social media world.
I first stumbled across Kimba when I read this fabulous post called 4 minute make-up tips on the Fox In Flats blog. I thought this was such a simple, common sense and doable thing, I decided to follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and… now I stalk her with emails about writing for me! She also has a lovely blog called Kimbalikes… Go and visit her, she is mighty friendly, SUPER stylish and bubbly to boot.
Find her blog here …. Kimbalikes
Follow her on Twitter here… @kimbalikes
Follow her on Instagram as ‘kimbalikes’
Follow her on Pinterest as @kimbalikes
A little while ago I had a strange realisation when putting on my make-up that I hadn’t updated my make-up look since… um…. well… forever! I realised I was back in the teaching game, so wanted to look a bit more polished than usual and realised with a shudder that I may have to call in some expert help. The thought of the glamatrons at the beauty counters intimidate me {having had terrible skin it is hard to trust people with perfect skin… hmmmm.. may need therapy for that one!}, I wished I had a wise, make-up savvy friend to help. And then I thought of Kim-Marie.
So… I asked her to write a guest post for me. Which actually turned into two! So… look out for her second post next week!
Thanks Kim-Marie – over to you!
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I’m very honoured to have been asked by B to guest post for B Being Cool.
B has asked me for some tips on how to navigate the world of makeup – specifically how to run the gauntlet of beauty sales assistants and actually leave with what you asked for.
It’s not an easy process, especially as some beauty sales assistants can be intimidating. Just quietly, some of them wear more makeup than your average drag queen – and look less feminine. Not always the sort of person you want to take beauty advice from!
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I’ve put together a few tips on how best to get what you want out of a beauty shopping trip. Right, start your engines, let’s go!
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Research
Unfortunately, like most things in life, doing your research before going makeup shopping is very important. If you venture near a beauty department with the vague concept of “buy makeup”, you’ll most certainly leave with makeup. The likelihood of leaving with what you want or need? Um, not so good.
I highly recommend getting your paws on a copy of Amazing Face by Zoe Foster. Other excellent books that I have in my collection are Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin and Makeup : The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris. I’ve read very good reviews for books by Bobbi Brown and Napoleon Perdis, but they are brand specific, rather than an overview of how to apply makeup. Paula Begouin’s Cosmetic Cop book (frequently updated and online too) is interesting from a product review basis.
Nowadays, I get lots of my beauty information from reading beauty articles in the weekend papers, overseas magazines (UK Glamour is my favourite), and blogs. I love blogs for beauty advice – you get real girl advice from products that have been tested on real girls with real lives. The best part about beauty blogs is that they are most often unbiased and honest – I never get this feeling from magazines.
What do you want?
You need to know, before you go shopping, what skin type you have, what features you’d like to highlight and which features you’d like to minimise. What do you need help with? Perhaps you’d like some products and tips to make your cheekbones look more pronounced? Maybe you’d like longer, more fluttery lashes? Or some ideas on how to get your eyeshadow to last the day? It could be skincare you’re after – perhaps you have read about a new miracle product and want a sample.
What sort of look are you after? Do you have a formal event for which you’d like some evening makeup ideas? Maybe you’d like some tips on a natural day face – the sort of face where you look polished and pretty but not obviously made up? Have a think about colours too. Orange lipstick might very well be so hot right now, but if you don’t like it then, then you’ll never wear it, even if it is actually a good colour on you. Take your eye colour into consideration. Green eyes pop with purples, blue eyes are enhanced by browns, and brown eyed girls look fab in everything!
Budget
It’s a good idea to have a rough idea of spend before you go shopping. You might feel fully justified in buying yourself an expensive foundation if it is the perfect one for you and makes you feel absolutely fantastic, and then complete your look with less exclusive brands. I have replaced some MAC products in my makeup drawer with products from Australis – the prices for the quality is impressive. A great time to buy makeup is when they have a gift with purchase on. You get to try some new products that you might otherwise not buy, and some of them may be your new go to product. You don’t always get what you pay for with the more expensive brands, and there are some amazing products at the cheaper end of the market. It’s a matter of trial and error and working out what is best for you.
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Beauty Assistants Are People Too
Yes, some of them look a bit scary and you worry about them selecting the right makeup for you when their own makeup is a bit OTT. My tip is if you have pale skin, do not buy makeup from an assistant who is a bit orange. I speak from personal experience! I’m not sure if they make money from commission, but at least some of them must do, with their upselling attempts. No, I would not like fries with that! Just remain cool, calm and collected and when approached by a beauty assistant, tell them politely that you are just having a look and will ask for help when you need it. It’s their job to help you, and there is a lot of theft at beauty counters, so don’t be upset if they hover.
You are perfectly within your rights to pick up bottles and read the ingredient listing. It is beyond rude to stick your fingers in products and apply the testers directly to your skin. Ewwww, gross! When you’re ready to sample colours and consistency, then ask for assistance. Common sense, really.
Use their expertise. Ask them questions about why this product would be best for you, or ask them to recommend one. If you are asking about a new pink lipstick and they try selling you skincare, just very politely shut them down and let them know that you’re only interested in finding out about this type of product today. B tells me she gets annoyed by people trying to sell her skincare when she’s looking for makeup. B, my advice is to smile and nod. ”Yes, thank you very much, that’s very interesting, but my dermatologist and I are looking after my skin and we’re really happy with the progress. I’m really just looking for a purple eyeshadow / green nail polish / fuchsia lipstick today.”
Questions, questions, questions!
Do not hand over your credit card until you’re satisfied this product you’re about to buy will actually do what you want. You’re perfectly justified in asking for a sample to try at home. Sometimes they will apply the product for you in store. Ask what products they use to complement the product. Does this foundation need a powder to set it? Do you really need a lip pencil under a lipstick? Or a lip gloss over the top? What tools are they using to apply it? Ask away. You’re under no obligation to buy anything.
They often pop you in front of a mirror and then stand in front of you so you can’t see anything. I find it really helpful to see the steps of the process to work out how to recreate it at home. Ask them to talk you through the process, ask questions about each step and ask for a hand mirror so you can see what’s happening.
Make sure you find out about their return policy. What will they do for you if you get an allergic reaction to the product, especially if they don’t have samples available for you to test. Will they give you a refund, or an alternative product?
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Testing
The best place to test colours for foundation is on your jawline. Wipe off your makeup from this area and then apply a stripe of two or three colours. The one that you can’t see is your colour. Always best to try a few colours because the subtle variants in the colours don’t look much in the bottles, but a pink tinge on a yellow-based skin is not a good look. No one woke up this morning and said “Yes, I’d love to have grey skin today!”.
The best place to test lipstick colours is to make a fist then apply some colour to your fingertips. As close to your natural lip colour as you can get in a pinch.
Test eyeshadows by putting some on the back of your hand with an applicator. Then swipe it with a cotton bud, and look at the colours. If it is still true to the colour, then it’s a good buy. If the colour looks entirely different, then please do not buy this one. It is unlikely to last well or give good colour payoff.
The best place to test skincare is to do a patch test on your inner arm. Best to check overnight with a take home sample, particularly if you have sensitive skin.
Often, beauty counter staff will test the products directly on your skin in that process called “a makeover”. This can be fab – you can walk out with a whole new look, tips on how to recreate it, the benefit of a trained makeup artist’s expertise and a spring in your step. Or … you can be horrified by a vast expanse of blue eyeshadow, or a smokey eye so intense you look like you’ve survived an arson attempt. It’s perfectly OK to provide feedback – my suggestion is to remain polite when you’re voicing your concerns. Actually, this is my suggestion at all times! If the look is really not to your liking, request that it be toned down so you don’t feel ridonkulous at your next stop, the supermarket followed by the school run. If the colours are brighter, darker or different than what you were expecting, take a second to work out if different isn’t actually a good thing. If you’re still unconvinced, just ask nicely for different colours and suggest why you’re not so keen.
Where to buy
Department stores and posh chemists are the obvious answer to buy makeup from, with their multitude of brands and specialist staff, but please don’t forget the fabulous online store options. My favourite is www.adorebeauty.com.au. You can email them for advice and they actually email you back promptly and provide excellent advice. Amazeballs. Their site is stocked with fab products, extensive product reviews and proper quality customer service. Usually best to buy brands and products that you’re familiar with, but I’ve not followed my own advice and been thrilled with their recommendations.
Places like Priceline, with their lower end of the market ranges, have really stepped up their game recently. I visited a Priceline this weekend and was impressed that I was approached by a friendly floor walking staff member, looking to provide assistance and help. There are loads of display stands and shelves and shelves full of products, grouped together in sections. Best of all, there are lots of testers available so you can play to your heart’s content.
Beauty is an art, not a science. It can be considered completely frivolous and there are certainly far more important things in the world. But it’s OK to use makeup and skincare to make you look a little more polished and pretty on the outside, especially when the act of doing so makes you stand a little straighter, smile a little more brightly and feel just that little bit more confident. How can that be a bad thing?
Thanks so much Kim-Marie! So helpful!
Does anyone else get a bit daunted at the beauty counters?
Next week… Kimba tells us all about the different products we should have in our make-up bags! Stay Tuned!
I just love the ideas you have shared here for us! I am sure a lot of people can benefit and can take advantage of this information.. Thanks!
There are some great tips here isn’t there? Great to have Kimba here…
B recently posted..Team Friday – Sugar Free is so cool right now…
Thanks for having me, B! x
Kim-Marie recently posted..Write Stuff : Wishlist
No problems, I soooo could not have written with such authority!
Next week should get a good response too!
B recently posted..Team Friday – Sugar Free is so cool right now…
Thanks Meygann. Hope someone benefits
Kimbalikes recently posted..The curse of the cardboard box
Excellent article, full of great advice. Rachel x
Rachel from Redcliffe Style recently posted..10 Things – Reasons I’ll stalk your blog
She really knows her stuff! Next week Kimba outlines all the different things we need in our make-up kits. Set to roll out on Monday.