This is a collaboration with Charlotte from Thinking In Pastel, who knows a lot more about budget beauty offerings than I do. Charlotte has written a drugstore version of this post, to give you her top tips on how to get your kit started for much less of an expense.
I have only very recently taken the plunge and started wearing proper makeup (i.e. not just the odd swipe of lipstick and clear mascara every now and then) and I am loving it. I had been meaning to go makeup shopping for a while before I finally did, but was always very overwhelmed by how elitist the whole beauty world felt. I was afraid to go to Boots and pick stuff out myself, and utterly terrified to go to a department store beauty hall and ask counters for help, because I was afraid that all of these pros were going to judge me with my makeup-free face and limited knowledge of products ("What's a BB cream? There's more to eyeshadow application than those double ended foamy things? Isn't all foundation orange?"). I couldn't have been more wrong. In the end I chose to go high end, as I wanted to make sure that I had all of the right products and I didn't trust my own judgement. Jamie from the Illamasqua counter in the Glasgow branch of Debenhams was amazing when I went to get kitted out with proper makeup, and I'm not sure I could have done it quite so well without her. Be sure to check out her amazing YouTube channel and Instagram, as well as her fantastic blog.
1. Do a bit of research before setting out
Find out what brands you like the look of; what kind of products they offer and how good they are; their beliefs (if that's important to you); and whether they are within your budget. This especially applies to high end products. High prices do not guarantee high quality in some cases
2. Don't be afraid to start simply
You don't have to try everything at once. If you don't quite feel ready for foundation, ask about concealers etc. I didn't try my hand at eyeshadow application until probably a month ago as I felt too overwhelmed, and that was completely fine. You do not have to learn to be a pro with every kind of product, and you definitely do not need to buy everything all at the same time.
3. Don't wear any makeup
I know that this sounds silly as part of a first time makeup shopping tips post, but don't feel like you have to pile on whatever odd bits of makeup you already have in order to impress the people working on the counters. The more makeup you're wearing, the harder the time they'll have trying things out on you. Their jobs is to help, not to judge. Everyone who's ever served me on a counter has always been very happy to help, especially when I've had absolutely no clue what I'm doing.
4. Don't let yourself be pressured
If you feel like the person working on the counter is pressuring you to buy something, leave. It's usually a sign that they don't truly have your best interests at heart. They themselves may be being pressured by management to sell sell sell, and while that must be a horrible position to be in, it's not down to you to buy products that will not work for you just so that they can meet their targets. If you would like to think about it for a while, leave, and come back when you're 100%. If at all possible, ask for a different salesperson than the one who made you feel pressured. You may find you feel differently about a product when there's less strain on you to buy it.
5. Look at products in natural light before committing
For some reason, beauty halls tend to have that awful fluorescent lighting that makes everything discoloured. If you can, try to have a look at swatches outside to see the true colour. There's not much in the beauty world that feels quite as bad as realising that you've gone for the wrong color. This especially applies to base products like foundation and concealer, but just to be on the safe side, I like to see lipstick and eyeshadow out in natural lighting as well.
6. Have fun!
Shopping for and applying makeup is supposed to be enjoyable, so don't forget to wear something that makes you feel amazing and, if you like, bring somebody who you know you'll have a laugh with. A busy shopping day is also a great excuse to go have a nice lunch or coffee and have a bit of a chill day, so be sure to take full advantage of the opportunity!
Do you have any high end makeup shopping tips?
"What's a BB cream? There's more to eyeshadow application than those double ended foamy things? Isn't all foundation orange?"
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS ME xD
Ahahaha it was me about four months ago :')
DeleteSuuuuuch a helpful post thank you! I actually do most high end shopping online because I'm a little intimidated by the makeup counter girls haha! But these tips help! I would never have thought to not wear makeup!
ReplyDeleteJemma xx
www.dorkface.co.uk
I promise they're not that intimidating once you approach them! High end shopping is so much nicer, and wearing no makeup really helps when it comes to trying products (i.e. getting a free makeover) :') xx
DeleteSuch good tips, and I do swear by a bit of research first, but I always thought it was the boring way, so glad I'm not alone!
ReplyDeleteAnnabel ♥
Mascara & Maltesers
Not at all! I think that doing research first is fun! Gets me extra excited to go in and finally get my hands on things that I already know are great :')
DeleteLoved this post! I hate it that the lighting is so rubbish sometimes... I think it's good to read lots of reviews but also think do you really need the product because at the end high end products can be extremely expensive :)x
ReplyDeleteAnu | My life as Anu | bloglovin
Of course! Sometimes things that work really well for other people won't work as well for you and I think that it's important to remember that :')
DeleteThe amount of times I walked away from a counter because I've been too shy and was afraid of being approached! Great post it's all about having fun and finding what best suits you.
ReplyDeletekimiandme.blogspot.co.uk
Oh no :( Honestly, usually people working on counter are really nice! If they're not, ask for someone else or walk away. You don't have to put up with that!
DeleteTotally agree with all these - high end make up can be so daunting! I'd also say to always ask for samples. As someone who worked on a counter, I was always happy to give them out when I could :)
ReplyDeleteBeth x
Bethany Georgina
That's a very good point that I didn't even think of! Thank you! :')
DeleteThanks for this post it was helpful. I would also say to ask lots of questions like what they think your skin type is, what other products they would recommend etc. (and always get them to write it all down, and ask for a sample) Then you can go to other counters and see if they say the same thing to get a more rounded view :)
ReplyDeleteFaye x
i wish i could wink
Very good tips! Everytime I reread this post I think of new things, and you guys are great for suggestions too! Might do an updated version of this post in a bit :')
DeleteLike other industries, some networks give great value while there are also a few sites that offer low value products. daily deals
ReplyDelete