Biggest Makeup Crimes committed by Women of Color

[FacesbyNiki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaturalSister19 I desire for women (all women) to be open to many options - whether it be make-up colors, clothing, hair styles... ...But technically (through years of make-up artistry, study of color theory, and endless experimentation on every skin tone) ...brown [Chestnut] does go with everything. I truly mean the color brown in general, but since were talking about Chestnut l/l, here I go... With lip liner and lip color, pretty much any combination can be made to work with the implementation of a make-up technique called blending. [sarchasm] Other contributing factors include degree of application (line width, pressure used during application, line/fill ratio, liner to lipstick ratio...blah blah blah) If you use a lip brush to blend enough so as to not be able to tell where the l/l ends and the lip color begins - you have made it work. Not saying that this would or should satisfy everybody, just that it does work. I know, I'm really anal.

I have to disagree. What I am saying is, if you are wearing Pink Poodle, you don't need no damn chestnut. And yes, I've seen that combo on women of color. There are other liners in the rainbow as someone stated, try them out.

 

[FacesbyNiki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaturalSister19 It is definitely the MUA's job to investigate the customers' needs and desires - not to assume anything. Then there is the other side - not to excuse the MUA not investigating... As a free-lance MUA for 21+ years & in my three months at MAC, this is what I have observed. WOC that are new to make-up generally are afraid of/ or resistant to color, it can be very frustrating trying to get them to be open. I'm at a $2 million dollar a year counter so the pace does not always support spending the time required with some of the make-up infants to get them to explore. I don't own Chestnut nor is it in my kit, but maybe the MUA isn't lazy. If 8 out of 10 WOC want Chestnut, we give it to them, no questions asked. Lots of customers can be turned off by you suggesting something other than what they asked for - it's a fine line, all in how you say things. MAC (Estee Lauder, a Corporation in business to make money) looks at it's employees this way in this order: 1 - Sales 2 - Image 3 - Customer Service 4 - Make-Up Artistry Yes, in that order! ______ These aren't streotypes, just trends at my counter: When WOC want Chestnut, Oh Baby & Chai, you give it to them. When a Caucasian woman is an NW30, but has to have NW20, you give it to her. When an Asian woman who is probably a C30 insists on buying NC25, you give it to her. When Middle-Eastern women get their make-up done and you are dying inside to match the foundation to a T - but they want to look darker - you make them darker. Satisfy the customer! I came into MAC with this hero mentality where I wanted to save every woman from her make-up mistakes, but you just can't. It is very gratifying when you can open up a WOC to color, or help an NC50 match her foundation perfectly, in spite of the fact that she has been buying NW45 for years. I could go on and on, but as a Retail Artist, we deal with a lot and many times, we can't do our best Make-Up Artistry due to many factors like the ones I have mentioned here - not because we are lazy. (Even though there are lazy ones amongst us)

Ok, you seem to be getting a little beside yourself. LOL We are just ranting about what we see as artist and customers. We do know that if you suggest something, either they will try it or leave it. It's all about just doing the suggesting. It doesn't hurt.

 

[MACa6325xi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki Ok, you seem to be getting a little beside yourself. LOL We are just ranting about what we see as artist and customers. We do know that if you suggest something, either they will try it or leave it. It's all about just doing the suggesting. It doesn't hurt.

Thanks for suggesting. Some of us (me) need those suggestions and really appreciate them. Let's agree to disagree and show some love for those of us that don't wish to change. Peace and Blessings to those diehard Chestnut, Oh Baby sisters out there. We love you!!!!!

 

[FacesbyNiki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACa6325xi Thanks for suggesting. Some of us (me) need those suggestions and really appreciate them. Let's agree to disagree and show some love for those of us that don't wish to change. Peace and Blessings to those diehard Chestnut, Oh Baby sisters out there. We love you!!!!!

You got a point. I'm not saying change from using Oh Baby and Chestnut but try not to use it with every color.

 

[MACa6325xi]

Next, I have some crimes I want to get off my chest. LOL

1. Why is it that when you walk in some MAC Stores, the folk (you know what I mean LOL) think we own the damn store. No people, you do not own the MAC store other people are free to come in and make purchases.

2. Do we really need to bring our husbands/boyfriends with us to the MAC counter (unless he's buying some makeup himself)? LOL

3. Some of us need to stop looking at the sister next to us up and down and rolling our eyes. Show some love at the counter. We are all trying to buy makeup and it's only makeup.

4. Everyone cannot be blonde like Mary J. Blige and Beyonce.

5. If the sister next to you asks what colors you are wearing, let her know. Don't say "Oh, this is something I just threw together." Help a sister out.

6. For some of us, after you have spent your money at the MAC counter and FootLocker, please go to the bookstore and buy your children some books. Or go to the library. No need to come to parent teacher conference all MAC'd out and your child is failing. "No Child Left Behind really means that "Our children are being Left Behind."

 

[MACa6325xi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FacesbyNiki You got a point. I'm not saying change from using Oh Baby and Chestnut but try not to use it with every color.

You ain't never lied. I had to learn this the hard way and now I have different liners for different colors. However, I would not have known better if an MA had not pointed this out to me.

 

[MAChostage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaturalSister19 ...brown [Chestnut] does go with everything. I truly mean the color brown in general, but since were talking about Chestnut l/l, here I go... With lip liner and lip color, pretty much any combination can be made to work with the implementation of a make-up technique called blending. [sarchasm] Other contributing factors include degree of application (line width, pressure used during application, line/fill ratio, liner to lipstick ratio...blah blah blah) If you use a lip brush to blend enough so as to not be able to tell where the l/l ends and the lip color begins - you have made it work. Not saying that this would or should satisfy everybody, just that it does work. I know, I'm really anal.

I agree wholeheartedly with this! My fave MA taught me this very thing when I was new to MAC and purchased Chestnut l/l. I do wear other liners but Chestnut is truly valuable to me (and I know there are more closeted Chestnut fans around here, hee hee).

Ya'll stop all that hating on Chestnut, now! If I didn't know any better I would've sworn that Chestnut came up on Specktra and insulted all your moms or something!

 

[FacesbyNiki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACa6325xi Next, I have some crimes I want to get off my chest. LOL 1. Why is it that when you walk in some MAC Stores, the folk (you know what I mean LOL) think we own the damn store. No people, you do not own the MAC store other people are free to come in and make purchases. 2. Do we really need to bring our husbands/boyfriends with us to the MAC counter (unless he's buying some makeup himself)? LOL 3. Some of us need to stop looking at the sister next to us up and down and rolling our eyes. Show some love at the counter. We are all trying to buy makeup and it's only makeup. 4. Everyone cannot be blonde like Mary J. Blige and Beyonce. 5. If the sister next to you asks what colors you are wearing, let her know. Don't say "Oh, this is something I just threw together." Help a sister out. 6. For some of us, after you have spent your money at the MAC counter and FootLocker, please go to the bookstore and buy your children some books. Or go to the library. No need to come to parent teacher conference all MAC'd out and your child is failing. "No Child Left Behind really means that "Our children are being Left Behind."

Oh my gawd!!!

My stomach hurts from laughing.

 

[NaturalSister19]

I think that since so many of 'US' look at Chestnut and Oh Baby as the only lip combo we should wear, MAC should use this to their advantage and create a marketing campaign around it to boost sales even further.

You know, something like "The Chestnut/Oh Baby Phenomenon". Get a few WOC celebs who are different complexions (Alicia Keys, Michelle Williams and Tweet for instance) and rock out a slamming re-promotion of these products.

...instead of making fun of it behind our backs. When I started freelancing for MAC, I heard several MAC MUA (African American and other) do this. Even though I agreed that we need to branch out to more lip looks, I would always find a way to tactfully defend what I secretly saw as narrowmindedness.

 

[MACa6325xi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaturalSister19 I think that since so many of 'US' look at Chestnut and Oh Baby as the only lip combo we should wear, MAC should use this to their advantage and create a marketing campaign around it to boost sales even further. You know, something like "The Chestnut/Oh Baby Phenomenon". Get a few WOC celebs who are different complexions (Alicia Keys, Michelle Williams and Tweet for instance) and rock out a slamming re-promotion of these products. ...instead of making fun of it behind our backs. When I started freelancing for MAC, I heard several MAC MUA (African American and other) do this. Even though I agreed that we need to branch out to more lip looks, I would always find a way to tactfully defend what I secretly saw as narrowmindedness.

Yes, a re-promotion is a great idea. It could be part of the so called "originals." Then they need a whole collection called "Africa. Let me see MAC can come up with some beautiful colors based on the continent and it's beauty. I can see some of the lipsticks and shadows ( Mozambique, Egypt, Cote de Voir, Kenya, etc). Then the next collection should be "Harlem." The colors should reflect the history and style associated with Harlem. Some of the names could be (125th st, Apollo, "A" train, etc.) All the money WOC spend, they need to do something.

 

[aziajs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACa6325xi Sell it to them and then show them some other colors. They may not know anything better or different. I think we should start a thread "The Biggest Makeup Crimes Displayed by WOC at the MAC Store/Counter. Then we need a thread called: "The Biggest Makeup Crimes Committed By MA's at the MAC Store/Counter. In some cases Oh Baby, Chestnut, etc are all the colors some MA's recommend because I've had that happen to me. I just let them know that I dislike Oh Baby, and please don't recommend Amber Lights eye shadow to me. No disrespect to those colors, but I don't like them and prefer different things.

Preach girl, preach! I have been saying the same thing about the liners and shadows. I like the idea of "The Biggest Makeup Crimes Committed By MA's at the MAC Store/Counter." LOL. The stories we ALL could tell.

 

[aziajs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACa6325xi 3. Some of us need to stop looking at the sister next to us up and down and rolling our eyes. Show some love at the counter. We are all trying to buy makeup and it's only makeup. 4. Everyone cannot be blonde like Mary J. Blige and Beyonce. 6. For some of us, after you have spent your money at the MAC counter and FootLocker, please go to the bookstore and buy your children some books. Or go to the library. No need to come to parent teacher conference all MAC'd out and your child is failing. "No Child Left Behind really means that "Our children are being Left Behind."

YES!!!

 

[aziajs]

There are so many times when I go to a counter and I feel like it's the blind (MAs) leading the blind (customers).

 

[L281173]

I was also thinking of a line in which rappers like Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown could redeem themselves.

I would call the line "The Redemption Line"

The advertisment could read, How make has changed my life and made me change my image and attitude.

I could see Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, and Mary J. Blige highlighted in a layout.

Some of the shades could be called:

New Attitude
Knowing Myself.

 

[Twinkle_Twinkle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MACa6325xi Yes, a re-promotion is a great idea. It could be part of the so called "originals." Then they need a whole collection called "Africa. Let me see MAC can come up with some beautiful colors based on the continent and it's beauty. I can see some of the lipsticks and shadows ( Mozambique, Egypt, Cote de Voir, Kenya, etc). Then the next collection should be "Harlem." The colors should reflect the history and style associated with Harlem. Some of the names could be (125th st, Apollo, "A" train, etc.) All the money WOC spend, they need to do something.

Yes! There needs to be a completely chocolate, latte, mocha, caramel friendly collection that repromotes So Ceylon, Gold Deposit and Metal Rock MSFs and Reed blush. And no gold or bronze eye shadows or lipsticks. MAC, I don't want to see that. Instead it should have nude lipglosses for two-toned lips. That would be the bomb.

 

[Indigowaters]

You'll see my responses below, lol.
Quote:

Originally Posted by MACa6325xi Next, I have some crimes I want to get off my chest. LOL 1. Why is it that when you walk in some MAC Stores, the folk (you know what I mean LOL) think we own the damn store. No people, you do not own the MAC store other people are free to come in and make purchases. OK!!!!!! 2. Do we really need to bring our husbands/boyfriends with us to the MAC counter (unless he's buying some makeup himself)? LOL This doesn't apply to me 3. Some of us need to stop looking at the sister next to us up and down and rolling our eyes. Show some love at the counter. We are all trying to buy makeup and it's only makeup. OMG! If one more "sistah" comes up acting like she's about to buy a Bentley and I'm in a 97 Honda, Imma tell her where to jump off. It's makeup people! Some women act like the MA is their "man", lol. 4. Everyone cannot be blonde like Mary J. Blige and Beyonce. Preach! 5. If the sister next to you asks what colors you are wearing, let her know. Don't say "Oh, this is something I just threw together." Help a sister out. I don't have a problem helping someone else. I may never see them again, and helping them doesn't cause a major ripple in my life. 6. For some of us, after you have spent your money at the MAC counter and FootLocker, please go to the bookstore and buy your children some books. Or go to the library. No need to come to parent teacher conference all MAC'd out and your child is failing. "No Child Left Behind really means that "Our children are being Left Behind." I hate that.

 

[lilchocolatema]

That's really funny that you should say that. I rarely sell this combo. Anytime they ask for it, I say "have you ever tried 80% and Sinnamon?" or "Cushy and Instant Gold would look too hot on you", because they are great as well. I am just sick and tired of seeing chicks in the same old combo that's been a standard since like '97. So, after they try the combination that I suggest, and they dislike it (which has NEVER happened) I tell them to branch out.

But, in my region, I don't really have that many brown skinned women anyway, so I rarely have anyone ask for it. (GOOD!) But, it really doesn't matter about what I think, cuz it's going on their lips. But if you want to look like half of the other MAC customers, be my guest. Ok, I'll sit down now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaturalSister19 It is definitely the MUA's job to investigate the customers' needs and desires - not to assume anything. Then there is the other side - not to excuse the MUA not investigating... As a free-lance MUA for 21+ years & in my three months at MAC, this is what I have observed. WOC that are new to make-up generally are afraid of/ or resistant to color, it can be very frustrating trying to get them to be open. I'm at a $2 million dollar a year counter so the pace does not always support spending the time required with some of the make-up infants to get them to explore. I don't own Chestnut nor is it in my kit, but maybe the MUA isn't lazy. If 8 out of 10 WOC want Chestnut, we give it to them, no questions asked. Lots of customers can be turned off by you suggesting something other than what they asked for - it's a fine line, all in how you say things. MAC (Estee Lauder, a Corporation in business to make money) looks at it's employees this way in this order: 1 - Sales 2 - Image 3 - Customer Service 4 - Make-Up Artistry Yes, in that order! ______ These aren't streotypes, just trends at my counter: When WOC want Chestnut, Oh Baby & Chai, you give it to them. When a Caucasian woman is an NW30, but has to have NW20, you give it to her. When an Asian woman who is probably a C30 insists on buying NC25, you give it to her. When Middle-Eastern women get their make-up done and you are dying inside to match the foundation to a T - but they want to look darker - you make them darker. Satisfy the customer! I came into MAC with this hero mentality where I wanted to save every woman from her make-up mistakes, but you just can't. It is very gratifying when you can open up a WOC to color, or help an NC50 match her foundation perfectly, in spite of the fact that she has been buying NW45 for years. I could go on and on, but as a Retail Artist, we deal with a lot and many times, we can't do our best Make-Up Artistry due to many factors like the ones I have mentioned here - not because we are lazy. (Even though there are lazy ones amongst us)

 

[ginagate]

Well, as a 'makeup infant', I have to say that 99% of the counters I go to (including MAC) recommend golds and browns. Especially when I tell them I don't wear a lot of makeup and am a novice.

I avoid color not because I'm "too cheap"

, but because that's what I've been taught. Most of my color experimentation has been on my own -- with the exception of the sweet girl at the Benefit (!!!) counter, who helped me out when I said I had questions about makeup application. She eased me into color that was work-appropriate and didn't make me feel like I had two choices: super-bright or brown.

A lot of us just don't realize there are other realisticchoices out there, not just super brignt/lots of product and browns/superneutral / little or nothing. And we'd prefer to err on the side of caution.

 

[MiCHiE]

Well, the problem I have with "sistas" who do wear color is they do the "Foxy Brown" with it---the bright color on the lid, or all over---and nothing else. Give that color some friends and let them mingle. Foxy was repeatedly going to court with a mint-colored eyeshadow on her lid only and I think the judge finally locked her up to not see that shit for a while.

 

[NLoveW630]

I hope some of you do not take this in the wrong content:
Let me share something with everyone:Yesterday, I went to MAC and what did I see..a MA putting Chestnut and Oh Baby on a WOC. Now the sista all ready had Gold Hair, Hazel eyes and a Gold shirt on.. Watch this..I go up to the new collection to try on the "NEW" colors McQueen Collection, I politely inquired to the MA for a Q-tip so that I could try out the "NEW" collection. The Sista just sat there watching me. By the way, I'm a NW45 . Anywho,, I proceed to do my thang..put Pharaoh, Electro Sky on as my base then I can back and put Hauting and Nile on top and then I blend my little butt off (ok my butt is not little, wishful thinking)..then I put shroom, for highlight..ok, I admit to you all I was showing off my skills. When I was done and was ready to walk out with my haul, she stopped me and asked me what I was doing and I explained to her. I told her just being me, expressing my love and desire for color on my lovely skin. She told me that she "wish" she could do what I do and not feel funny. I reassured her she could that she just have to open and willing to let go of the past sterotypes placed on us by "others". To make a long story short. I got her number and she end up getting: Hauting, Fig1, Beige-Ing s/s. I told her if she needed me, I would be there for her.
The MA in the store told me, Thanks and that she wanted to show her the new collection but she just didn't now how. That's a different topic all by itself. I also told her about the B2M program, she was floored and told me that she had gotten several item in the past and no one ever informed her of the recycling program. I even told her to try out some Pigments and she was like, "what do I do with those"? I told her to go and play with some of the testers and whatever she adore, ask for a sample(s).

So, I think one of the biggest mistake WOC make, not having insight on what they are buying and who they are buying it from.