What to expect from a MAC makeover?

[doubleetendre]

So yesterday I booked a makeup-appointment for the Wonder Woman collection event. it was exciting, and normally, i am very friendly with the MAs at my counter, but with my family observing several feet away, one can't help but slip back into their turtle shell; I kind of froze for a few seconds when the lovely MA asked if I needed anything, but I finally gained my composure (I'm calm a majority of the time too; maybe I was feeling pressured to speak?), so all was well. I'm going to have my makeup done at the Nordstrom counter in the Garden State Plaza at around noon on saturday; I'm too excited, and somewhat nervous, because I was planning on pampering myself as a reward for an audition, but now it's next week. If only Wonder Woman could save me now...

I'll share with everyone what happened, and hopefully, I can post a video and give you all a link so you can watch it!

 

[katiekatxoxo]

Does anyone know if the $50 redeemable in product rule applies to Canadian stores? I'm going my prom and I have a fair amount of experience working on my own face so I wouldn't trust a random lady at a salon with a limited range of foundation shades etc to do my makeup for $30- $60 with no cash to spend on products but I'm pretty friendly with a lot of the mac ladies in my area and I'm not getting anything else done so it might be nice to try out some looks

 

[doubleetendre]

So yesterday I booked a makeup-appointment for the Wonder Woman collection event. it was exciting, and normally, i am very friendly with the MAs at my counter, but with my family observing several feet away, one can't help but slip back into their turtle shell; I kind of froze for a few seconds when the lovely MA asked if I needed anything, but I finally gained my composure (I'm calm a majority of the time too; maybe I was feeling pressured to speak?), so all was well. I'm going to have my makeup done at the Nordstrom counter in the Garden State Plaza at around noon on saturday; I'm too excited, and somewhat nervous, because I was planning on pampering myself as a reward for an audition, but now it's next week. If only Wonder Woman could save me now...

I'll share with everyone what happened, and hopefully, I can post a video and give you all a link so you can watch it!

Ah, okay... So here's how it all went down:
The MAC that I went to was in a Nordstrom counter in the Garden State Plaza; I came in, just about time, and a makeup artist rung me up. Of course, because it was the event, a lot of makeup artists were wearing Wonder Woman t-shirts. The makeup artist who had done my makeup that day was named Sandy. I asked quite a few questions and made an inquiry here and there, but we didn't talk much unless I made an effort to speak to her. I didn't have any plans on what I wanted to wear, because I literally came in the second my appointment was about to start... so I didn't have time to look around. But I did have one objective: to experience as much of the collection as possible, and to go outside the box. So when she asked me if I was going anywhere and if I had anything in mind to try out, I just told her that I came to buy a lot of stuff from the collection and to see if anything looked great on me.
I came in with a bare face, so any removal of makeup was unnecessary, so none of that happened. Sandy had been wearing a purple and colorful eye from the Defiance quad, and showed me the other two quads in Lady Justice and Valiant. I ended picking up the Valiant quad because I didn't have any green eyeshadow, and I wanted to see the outcome. That day, I learned that it would be easier to start your eye-makeup, which has drastically shortened the amount of time I take applying my makeup. I also asked her if she normally started with eyes, and she proceeded to explain that it wouldn't take too much hassle if I did just that. (Sandy had used select cover-up as base-it wasn't anything special, but it still looked pretty fresh ten hours after) As soon as she had a smokey green eye done on me, she started to line my upper lash-line with fluidline eyeliner in 'Blacktrack' and lined the lower rims of my eyes with Technakohl eyeliner in 'Graphblack'. For my lashes, she didn't curl them (I told her she didn't have to, because I thought 'why bother if you won't notice them?' and, I didn't want to use false eyelashes yet (especially if I'm not planning on going out), but she used Zoomlash mascara on my eyelashes, which made them pretty long, but I found that it didn't make my lashes as separated as I would have liked; not enough volume or length for my taste, either.
After that, we went onto the face! Earlier on, before putting any makeup on me whatsoever, she sprayed some Fix + and applied some Prep and Prime skin on me. On my face she had used Studio Tint in Medium (has pretty good coverage, but still gave me that overwhelmingly dewy finish [a little too dewy for my normally oily skin]), and used select cover up concealer, mixing the shades NW25 and NC30. To set it, Sandy had lightly brushed Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in Medium. On the apples of my cheeks, she tapped on some Trace Gold blush.
Before she left to get another lipglass from the permanent collection, i asked her if there was anything in the collection that would really tie the look together. On my lips, she applied some of the Jumbo-size lipglass in 'Secret Identity'.
I think the hardest part of the whole makeover was choosing what to buy. But damn, did my mom and I spend money ($122; yikes). My mom told Sandy that she would buy the Opulash mascara in 'Bad, Bad Black', and the lipstick in 'Spitfire', whereas I would buy the quad (valiant, if you can't recall) and the lipglass she used on me, and then I asked her if there was anything in the collection that she really liked and thought was great, so she showed my mother and I the Mineralize Skinfinish in 'Golden Lariat' and used it as bronzer on my face. I liked it, and she then explained to my mother that we could just use it as blush and/or bronzer and it would be killing two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, they didn't have it in stock anymore, so she just showed me the powder blush in 'Mighty Aphrodite', and we brought that instead.
So in the end we ended up buying:
-eyeshadow quad in Valiant
-Opulash mascara in Bad, Bad Black
-Lipstick in Spitfire
-Powder blush in Mighty Aphrodite
-Jumbo-size Lipglass in Secret Identity
I thought it was a fantastic experience, and Sandy made it very exciting and such a memorable experience; I saw so many cute little girls walking by with their moms, watching me getting my makeup done and asking if they could get their makeup done too (kind of reminds me of the ol' days when i was banned from makeup as a kid). To any of you who haven't done it before and are skeptical about it or want to know more, just do it! It can be such a great experience. Just go in there, be the best you can be, and flash your best smile, and also have a list of what you want to get ready, k? Have fun.

 

[Folie]

[quote name="beautytraveler" url="/forum/thread/93111/what-to-expect-from-a-mac-makeover/180#post_1984439"]very helpful tips

i went for a mac makeover a few years ago and it wasnt that pretty.

the ma did what she wanted because i was undecisive

i walked out looking like someone had punched me in both eyes

purple shadow from my lid to brow bone with a harsh black crease[/quote] There's a MAC counter a bit aways from me. In this area, they have other counters. I've always noticed the MAC make overs, the other brands do make over too, always look the worse in comparison and usually aren't that flattering. I've also noticed they tend to hire people who can't do make up on people who have different coloring or complexions.

 

[xStarryEyedX]

There's a MAC counter a bit aways from me. In this area, they have other counters. I've always noticed the MAC make overs, the other brands do make over too, always look the worse in comparison and usually aren't that flattering. I've also noticed they tend to hire people who can't do make up on people who have different coloring or complexions.

i'm always SO shocked when i hear stuff like that! it took me FOREVER to finally get a job at MAC, i don't think that anything less than the absolute best should be working for the company...shame

...

 

[RealDoll]

Ive been fortunate the two girls that have done my makeup at my MAC counter have done awesome jobs! I only want them to do it becuase I trust that they will do another great makeover

 

[Ember2]

Throughout the 1990s I used to get regular makeovers to update my look from year to year, season to season. I've found since then that the appointments have not been as good, probably because I have gotten older and not every MUA seems to know how to respond to aging skin and features.

The worst came when they were doing complimentary makeovers last April as part of a special beauty event at a Bay counter that I don't usually visit. There was a general workshop on the collection first, and they had you sit in one of the makeover chairs to wait for the next available mua. The event participants all had on wrist bands so it was easy to identify us. I sat down in one of the chairs and waited and waited. Every single one of the 20 something girls passed me up to do a younger client, saying "I'll be right with you" etc. I wanted to see how long it would take for someone to actually start my makeover. After 40 minutes I was asked to get up from the chair so that they could do a demo on a customer who wasn't even part of the event. It was both infuriating and embarrassing. Needless to say I spoke with the manager and I have never been back to that counter.

When VV came out they indicated that they were doing some mini demos in the Bay store I usually shop at, and when I asked for an eye demo on the Cruella de Vil collection I was told there was only one mua artist available at the time and she couldn't handle a mini-demo with the volume of customers coming in. Fair enough. While I was swatching another customer, much younger, came into the store and wanted to know how to wear the MES and the same girl did a full makeover on her and had the nerve to tell me that she couldn't sanitize a lipstick for me until she was through doing her demo. I can't even begin to add up how much $$ I have dropped at the counter since the early 1990s when I started buying MAC.

 

[BlahWah]

Quote:

Throughout the 1990s I used to get regular makeovers to update my look from year to year, season to season. I've found since then that the appointments have not been as good, probably because I have gotten older and not every MUA seems to know how to respond to aging skin and features.

The worst came when they were doing complimentary makeovers last April as part of a special beauty event at a Bay counter that I don't usually visit. There was a general workshop on the collection first, and they had you sit in one of the makeover chairs to wait for the next available mua. The event participants all had on wrist bands so it was easy to identify us. I sat down in one of the chairs and waited and waited. Every single one of the 20 something girls passed me up to do a younger client, saying "I'll be right with you" etc. I wanted to see how long it would take for someone to actually start my makeover. After 40 minutes I was asked to get up from the chair so that they could do a demo on a customer who wasn't even part of the event. It was both infuriating and embarrassing. Needless to say I spoke with the manager and I have never been back to that counter.

When VV came out they indicated that they were doing some mini demos in the Bay store I usually shop at, and when I asked for an eye demo on the Cruella de Vil collection I was told there was only one mua artist available at the time and she couldn't handle a mini-demo with the volume of customers coming in. Fair enough. While I was swatching another customer, much younger, came into the store and wanted to know how to wear the MES and the same girl did a full makeover on her and had the nerve to tell me that she couldn't sanitize a lipstick for me until she was through doing her demo. I can't even begin to add up how much $$ I have dropped at the counter since the early 1990s when I started buying MAC.

That really, really, really sucks! I'm very surprised at how discriminating they were. Did you send comments to head office? I'm sorry you had such a difficult experience. =(

 

[Ember2]

I did let MAC customer service know. I only shop at the main stand alone store now. They have a lot of part timers there and the staff is not always familiar with all the new collections, but they don't treat me like a leper there.

 

[lifesentropy]

I went in for my MAC makeover yesterday, purchased $50 worth of products, tipped the MAC artist...but my shade in the MAC Prolong Wear foundation in NC30 (that she put on me) was not available. She told me that I needed to spend $50 that day and I asked if I could buy a different shade and then exchange it at a different MAC and she told me that all purchases of that day are non-returnable, non-exchangeable.

I wanted the MAC Prolong Wear Foundation from the beginning and I wouldn't have went in for the appointment if not for that...so I opted to get NW25 because I was matched to that at a different counter and it looked perfectly fine. However, when I came back home and tried it, it was wayyy too pink for me so now I'm stuck with a $30 foundation that doesn't match me. It's not completely my fault because I didn't know that they didn't have the foundation in my shade prior to the appointment and I didn't know that I could potentially buy a giftcard instead (my MA never suggested it). What should I do? Do you think I can return/exchange it at a different MAC counter?

 

[sereagoso]

I went in for my MAC makeover yesterday, purchased $50 worth of products, tipped the MAC artist...but my shade in the MAC Prolong Wear foundation in NC30 (that she put on me) was not available. She told me that I needed to spend $50 that day and I asked if I could buy a different shade and then exchange it at a different MAC and she told me that all purchases of that day are non-returnable, non-exchangeable.

I wanted the MAC Prolong Wear Foundation from the beginning and I wouldn't have went in for the appointment if not for that...so I opted to get NW25 because I was matched to that at a different counter and it looked perfectly fine. However, when I came back home and tried it, it was wayyy too pink for me so now I'm stuck with a $30 foundation that doesn't match me. It's not completely my fault because I didn't know that they didn't have the foundation in my shade prior to the appointment and I didn't know that I could potentially buy a giftcard instead (my MA never suggested it). What should I do? Do you think I can return/exchange it at a different MAC counter?

I've had my make up done at Mac numerous times before, purchased the $50 worth of products, and have never had trouble returning/exchanging those items.. I can see why they would have a policy that you cannot return them, but Ive never ever had that problem before.. Ive never even noticed on the receipt any verbiage stating that next to the products, and I only remember them showing up on the receipt as if I was normally just buying the product. But def something worth looking into..

 

[Paisly]

I'm not sure how I feel about makeovers. I feel like people judge flaws. I have slight redness... but nothing a tinted moisturizer can't fix. One time, i was asked about a concealer... And the woman flat out said to cover the redness. i didn't have any makeup on that day, I politely said, "I like the redness of my cheeks" LOL! I just feel uncomfortable with in general my skin being touched and being judged. I guess the judging part is apart of life. BUT Atleast judge me AFTER i leave.

 

[xStarryEyedX]

I went in for my MAC makeover yesterday, purchased $50 worth of products, tipped the MAC artist...but my shade in the MAC Prolong Wear foundation in NC30 (that she put on me) was not available. She told me that I needed to spend $50 that day and I asked if I could buy a different shade and then exchange it at a different MAC and she told me that all purchases of that day are non-returnable, non-exchangeable.

I wanted the MAC Prolong Wear Foundation from the beginning and I wouldn't have went in for the appointment if not for that...so I opted to get NW25 because I was matched to that at a different counter and it looked perfectly fine. However, when I came back home and tried it, it was wayyy too pink for me so now I'm stuck with a $30 foundation that doesn't match me. It's not completely my fault because I didn't know that they didn't have the foundation in my shade prior to the appointment and I didn't know that I could potentially buy a giftcard instead (my MA never suggested it). What should I do? Do you think I can return/exchange it at a different MAC counter?

You're not stuck with it. Where did you have your makeup done- Macys/Nordstrom/Store? You have to exchange it at a Macys if you bought it at a Macys, Nordstrom if at Nordstrom, ETC. But you're definitely allowed to exchange it. At my old counter we had to crack down with people with this stuff too, but my manager would strangle us if we ever told somebody they were stuck with a foundation that didn't match them. And you couldn't buy a gift card instead of makeup, so that's why she didn't suggest it. Don't sweat it, you're good.

 

[martiangurll]

I loved this thread. It is inspiring me to go and get a lesson in contouring...

 

[lifesentropy]

You're not stuck with it. Where did you have your makeup done- Macys/Nordstrom/Store? You have to exchange it at a Macys if you bought it at a Macys, Nordstrom if at Nordstrom, ETC. But you're definitely allowed to exchange it. At my old counter we had to crack down with people with this stuff too, but my manager would strangle us if we ever told somebody they were stuck with a foundation that didn't match them. And you couldn't buy a gift card instead of makeup, so that's why she didn't suggest it. Don't sweat it, you're good.

How long do I have to return something to a MAC free standing store? I purchased my foundation at one but i's been about 3-4 months so I doubt I can exchange it now. I thought you could buy a gift card instead of makeup because someone earlier in the board actually suggested that (I guess they were wrong then).

 

[xStarryEyedX]

How long do I have to return something to a MAC free standing store? I purchased my foundation at one but i's been about 3-4 months so I doubt I can exchange it now. I thought you could buy a gift card instead of makeup because someone earlier in the board actually suggested that (I guess they were wrong then).

I think free standing stores you only have 30 days. Here's why the giftcard thing doesn't work just so it helps make more sense... Because then the sale doesn't go to the person who rings up the gift card, it goes to the person who rings up the sale when you use the gift card. It sucks that it has to be about sales, but since there are goals and all that jazz it does to an extent. Plus the gift card thing definitely doesn't work at a dept store, because then you can get your makeup done- and then go buy anything in the store with it. Sometimes to reserve an appointment for days that book up like crazy (halloween, new years, etc) counter make you buy a gift card to reserve a spot, so maybe that's what they meant? I haven't really read that far back.