MAC makeover from hell.... and how it quickly turned to heaven

[kamarria]

Dare I ask if this is the Nordy's MAC counter at Southpoint? I have not been impressed with the MUA's recently at either of the counters in Southpoint. For the past 6 months or more, I have not seen the same MUA twice, nor have I ever been impressed with their own looks. Prior to that they had some fab girls, but they seem to have driven them off.

I was at the Nordy's counter yesterday, but the only girl working had seriously scary makeup on herself. As per usual since I don't trust the MUA's anymore, I asked to borrow a brush to try on a MSF and she seemed very put out to get her kit from somewhere in the back. Then I had actual questions about the collections and it was like pulling teeth.

A month back I asked another MUA if I could borrow a brush to try out the concealer we had just matched. The MUA put some on a brush herself and then without asking came jabbing with it towards my eyes. I think I pretty much shreaked at her. Am sensitive though, as it's It would really easy for me to loose a hard contact if the skin around my eyes is pulled things the wrong way.

So the poster's story is entirely unsurprising, and I would advise everyone to be wary at MAC counters around here. Very sad. I agree that the $50 fee should have been waived.

 

[BlahWah]

Awww, that really sucks! I'm glad you ultimately got something you liked out of it. Made for a great laugh tho... I've had my own issues with getting my face done (for a wedding, no less, and as the MOH!), but the worst I've had at a MAC store was when I asked about Apple Red blush. I said it'd be okay to try some on me and she proceeded to LOAD UP her 129 with product! If you know this blush it's extremely, pigmented. She did both cheeks and my gosh, did I look like a clown! Worse, there was some makeup class learning about MAC and here I was, looking exactly like what they'd never want to. Augh! I asked her to buff it out and she tried to cover with some Studio Fix.

My husband was trying so hard not to laugh... we burst out as soon as we were far enough from the store and I furiously rubbed at my cheeks but a stain was left. Good thing we were on vacation and I couldn't run into anyone I knew...

 

[Brittni]

It was nice of the manager to give you an eyeshadow, but WTF? Isn't the manager the one who kind of decides who gets hired? Idiots, lol. That's so horrible!!!

 

[tyrant]

I had my first makeup application at MAC during a Cult of Cherry event, and I actually really enjoyed talking to my MUA. She used Mineralize foundation and powder, the Tempting quad, Blacktrack fluidline, Plum Du Bois blush, and Subculture lip pencil with Luminary lip glass. She did a smokey eye which I really liked, and I was pretty pleased with the job she'd done, however there seemed to be a build up of foundation/powder in certain areas that I had to blend out with my fingers and some tissue.

This lady was really easy to talk to, so whenever I'd go back to the counter, I would talk to her. And I eventually booked another appointment with her, just in time for the Red She Said launch. I can't remember exactly what she used, but I don't recall her using any moisturizer or Prep+Prime, and it all seemed kinda rushed. I wasn't to impressed with the finished product, didn't care for the sparkles from the MES she used on me, and I had been expecting a mostly neutral eye with a touch of colour, but it was just dark, smokey, and very purple. Afterward when I got back to my car, I noticed that the eyeliner wing on one eye was higher than the other, and I was even more annoyed with the silve sparkles! A little later I noticed that the colour of one eye went nearly to my brow bone, while the other was barely outside the crease. Even later on, I noticed the she did a real sloppy job on the eyeliner, and I had that same build up of foundation that hadn't been blended out.

Now I don't know whether I can ever go back for another application, because I'd feel bad seeing another MUA, but I cannot see this lady again. I mean, I could do my own makeup 10x better than she did it for me.

 

[n_c]

OMG that's horrible sorry you had such a bad experience.

My sis recently had the same experience..the occasion was her prom. When the MA was finished she looked like a 1st grader had done her face...i couldn't believe it. No blending, thick ass eyeliner...not straight, wrong color foundation and way too much blush. Overall just BAD. Good thing i was with her because i went over to another MA and explained the situation to her. She then walked over to the chair where my sis was at and said "no problem I will take over". She proceeded to hand her a makeup wipe and then went to work. The result was perfect.

 

[statusmode]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdlersMommy22 The only time i had a bad experience @ MAC, I asked the lady to do a really dramatic smokey eye on me-- because my ex was taking me to The Top of the Hub (those of you who live near boston know its a SUPER expensive resteraunt @ the very top of Prudential Towers) for dinner and I really wanted to look GORGEOUS.... well this is her idea of a "really dramatic dark smokey eye" See anything dramatic, or smokey, or DARK? Psshhh- yeah.. me either. The only thing dark is my blacktrack fluidline which i applied MYSELF. she used a blue mineralized eyeshadow me and applied the WHOLE THING wit the 219.... I specifically told her what colors were in my dress and that I wanted it to match...does anyone see blue in that dress? ME EITHER Blah- im so sorry you had sucha bad expereience.. that REALLY REALLY sucks--- Id def caleld customer service and tell them!

ooh if I were the MA I would've had so much fun with the task! green-smoke on the lid smoked out with carbon and kohl liner, va va voom! lol..
you're soo pretty btw =]

 

[Sparxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlahWah Good thing we were on vacation and I couldn't run into anyone I knew...

OMG that made me laugh out loud!!!! I'm sorry about your experience!


Thanks everyone for all the comments! I enjoyed reading about the good experiences... but not so much the bad ones :/ Next time I get my makeup done, it will only be done by someone I trust or I know has a very good reputation!!!

 

[Sparxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamarria Dare I ask if this is the Nordy's MAC counter at Southpoint? I.

It was actually at the Belk counter. I originally planned to do to Nordy's but they were booked. Does anyone have any awesome MUA's in the Triangle area of North Carolina? I had a favorite MUA in San Diego but now I'm 2,500 miles away :/

 

[meaghanb2926]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vocaltest I hate to sound like the odd one out, but I wouldn't really accept just an eyeshadow for an MA who completely messed it up. I'd tell head office about it. Yes its a nice gesture but it isn't really acceptable. If they know she can't be trusted with eyeshadows, then she shouldn't be working there. You said in the end it was nice but it wasn't MAC quality, it SHOULD be MAC quality, thats what you paid your $50 for. Personally I think its a bit of a cop out really to give you an eyeshadow for your upset over it all. But i'm glad you're okay with it in the end. p.s that isn't meant in a nasty way to you what I said lol I meant it at the whole situation!

TOTALLY with you! I think I woulda been like, hey thanks for the $14 eyeshadow after I just spent $50 and the clown face to boot!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdlersMommy22 The only time i had a bad experience @ MAC, I asked the lady to do a really dramatic smokey eye on me-- because my ex was taking me to The Top of the Hub (those of you who live near boston know its a SUPER expensive resteraunt @ the very top of Prudential Towers) for dinner and I really wanted to look GORGEOUS.... well this is her idea of a "really dramatic dark smokey eye" See anything dramatic, or smokey, or DARK? Psshhh- yeah.. me either. The only thing dark is my blacktrack fluidline which i applied MYSELF. she used a blue mineralized eyeshadow me and applied the WHOLE THING wit the 219.... I specifically told her what colors were in my dress and that I wanted it to match...does anyone see blue in that dress? ME EITHER Blah- im so sorry you had sucha bad expereience.. that REALLY REALLY sucks--- Id def caleld customer service and tell them!

I actually think you look really great! What do you have on your face? It looks FLAWLESS!!!

 

[effboysinthebut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparxx It started off when I met my MUA. She was wearing NO makeup. Literally.... NONE. No foundation no eyeliner no mascara.... NOTHING.

I'm not sure how she got away with that because we're required to wear 13 products minimum on the face.

But the manager is responsible for hiring unless they have an emergency and aren't in the store during the time the hiring is done (health leave, etc). And you also have to do your demo portion infront of a manager, so if she wasn't able to do a good job I'm not sure how she would have gotten hired.

 

[kcphoto]

I had my makeup done at the store at Tower City in Cleveland this past spring for my birthday. The guy who did it did a fantastic job but it was not at all what I had asked for... I requested he use Dark Edge for my brows, since I had just gotten it and found it to work better than anything else I had tried. He said "that's great, glad it's working for you, but I'm going to use this reddish color." Wtf. When I explained to him I wanted a dewy finish to my foundation and that I was NOT interested in the MSF foundation because too much powder on my nose makes it appear scaly or flaky, he didn't listen and covered my face with it; the friend I was with WANTED him to use the MSF on her and he refused, instead giving her a liquid, which she hates (she is a mineral foundation girl all the way). She'd have bought it, had he put it on her- but nope. I got home and added a couple tiny things here and there (UD's Spandex Heavy Metal liner, a bit of Pink Pearl pigment to add some shimmer since he did mostly mattes). I loved the look, but I was upset that he wouldn't listen to anything either of us asked for. That's not a good way to sell!

 

[erine1881]

Quote:

Originally Posted by effboysinthebut I'm not sure how she got away with that because we're required to wear 13 products minimum on the face. But the manager is responsible for hiring unless they have an emergency and aren't in the store during the time the hiring is done (health leave, etc). And you also have to do your demo portion infront of a manager, so if she wasn't able to do a good job I'm not sure how she would have gotten hired.

sounds to me like it was a freelancer.

 

[II3rinII]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcphoto I had my makeup done at the store at Tower City in Cleveland this past spring for my birthday. The guy who did it did a fantastic job but it was not at all what I had asked for... I requested he use Dark Edge for my brows, since I had just gotten it and found it to work better than anything else I had tried. He said "that's great, glad it's working for you, but I'm going to use this reddish color." Wtf. When I explained to him I wanted a dewy finish to my foundation and that I was NOT interested in the MSF foundation because too much powder on my nose makes it appear scaly or flaky, he didn't listen and covered my face with it; the friend I was with WANTED him to use the MSF on her and he refused, instead giving her a liquid, which she hates (she is a mineral foundation girl all the way). She'd have bought it, had he put it on her- but nope. I got home and added a couple tiny things here and there (UD's Spandex Heavy Metal liner, a bit of Pink Pearl pigment to add some shimmer since he did mostly mattes). I loved the look, but I was upset that he wouldn't listen to anything either of us asked for. That's not a good way to sell!

karen, i totally remember you telling me that story hahaha! i cant believe he wouldnt listen to you guys! i love how you have to text your florida MAC girl just to get the right answers for your questions. love ya boo.

 

[FiestyFemme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparxx It was actually at the Belk counter. I originally planned to do to Nordy's but they were booked. Does anyone have any awesome MUA's in the Triangle area of North Carolina? I had a favorite MUA in San Diego but now I'm 2,500 miles away :/

I wish I lived closer and could help... I'm about an hour away, and the counter I go to here has awesome MA's.

 

[xStarryEyedX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamarria Dare I ask if this is the Nordy's MAC counter at Southpoint? I have not been impressed with the MUA's recently at either of the counters in Southpoint. For the past 6 months or more, I have not seen the same MUA twice, nor have I ever been impressed with their own looks. Prior to that they had some fab girls, but they seem to have driven them off. I was at the Nordy's counter yesterday, but the only girl working had seriously scary makeup on herself. As per usual since I don't trust the MUA's anymore, I asked to borrow a brush to try on a MSF and she seemed very put out to get her kit from somewhere in the back. Then I had actual questions about the collections and it was like pulling teeth. A month back I asked another MUA if I could borrow a brush to try out the concealer we had just matched. The MUA put some on a brush herself and then without asking came jabbing with it towards my eyes. I think I pretty much shreaked at her. Am sensitive though, as it's It would really easy for me to loose a hard contact if the skin around my eyes is pulled things the wrong way. So the poster's story is entirely unsurprising, and I would advise everyone to be wary at MAC counters around here. Very sad. I agree that the $50 fee should have been waived.

In her defense, i do no let customers touch my brush set. & trust me, a lot more customers do want us to try products on them than the ones who don't. It makes them feel special or something. So I get that you're sensitive, but in her defense- she was at least trying to make you happy.

.

 

[BunnyBunnyBunny]

Like Erine said, it sounds like a freelancer. Freelancers are only trained minimally if at all. They are just thrown onto the floor and expected to prove their worth. What I don't understand though is why the other artists weren't helping her out with the application. If there's a brand new freelancer I definitely try and help them out especially with foundation.

Sorry that happened. To everyone though, from the original post it sounds to me that she wasn't forced to buy $50 worth, she just needed things anyway even though the makeup was jacked up.

To the person that was suddenly being jabbed with concealor, that sucks!! I always ask my customers if I can apply it, and when they're hesitant I ask them if they'd prefer applying it themselves. That sucks that they just attacked you. =(

 

[sheisfree]

That sucks but that was nice of them to do.

 

[pinktraits]

Now I'm afraid of this weekend, I have an appointment on Friday and an event on Saturday. ;_;

 

[lah_knee]

As an artist im going to throw my two cents... just think about it...

i can see why you were unhappy as far as makeup, but maybe the girl DID just start. i know it took me a while to get into the groove of doing makeup. even though i felt i was good at it, looking back, i think i was very narrowminded when it came to makeup. experience allows one to grow... doing makeup on different faces... different skin tones, eye shapes, bone structure. you just learn a lot more once you work for at least a year. its unfair to say she shouldnt work at MAC. makeup application is only a portion of our job. like it or not, were a business. not personal makeup artists. we get reviewed on numbers, not on how well we do makeup. sucks but thats the business. i think on her part she should have had you hold the mirror, pick out your own shadows, etc... and if you felt uncomfortable or didnt like something, its important to speak up... because we cant read minds. Also dont judge a book by its cover. i HATE HATE HATE when people come in and scope us out like "um i want her to do my makeup".... we can all execute different looks. some days we dont want to have a bunch of makeup on... or if she didnt have any makeup on, maybe she was having a bad day/running late/etc...

all in all i think it sucks to hear some of you have had bad makeup application experiences, but i think its unfair to say these people dont deserve to work for mac because you think how they applied makeup on you isnt up to par so to speak. i think as long as an artist is attempting to provide the best service possible by being kind and changing anything you request, then what more can you ask for? my biggest tip if you are particular, is have a mirror with you... look at the makeup... ask questions! that way you can agree with the choices or ask to see others.

 

[suggrr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamarria Dare I ask if this is the Nordy's MAC counter at Southpoint? I have not been impressed with the MUA's recently at either of the counters in Southpoint. For the past 6 months or more, I have not seen the same MUA twice, nor have I ever been impressed with their own looks. Prior to that they had some fab girls, but they seem to have driven them off.

I do usually see the counter manager at the Southpoint Nordies when I'm there, and I have seen some great looks on both her and some of the employees (whom I've seen multiple times.) I can't explain how we've had such an opposite experience!

Perhaps that rude MA you had a run-in with was having a bad day, her brushes were drying in the back, she was busy doing non-fun stuff like inventory, and forgot everything she learned at update, so she just didn't want to dish about the collections. Mind you, that's no excuse. We all have bad days, but we don't need to take them out on other people.

One thing that does irk me- I read Specktra so I'm pretty up to date on when each collection comes out. I've actually gone to Nordies to check out a new collection, and is it out? Nope. I'm told it was pushed back. So either MAC isn't sending this counter the most up-to-date info, or..? My solution is to head over to Belk, and by and large, there it is, the new collection out when it should be according to Specktra.

And, come to think of it, sometimes Nordstrom will have the new collection for that day, but they don't have it out by the time I get down there. Always ask if you don't see a collection out!

I do like the Nordies counter and buying my MAC where everybody knows my name, so I will still make most of my purchases there.

But I will say that the counter is a bit different these days versus when the last counter manager was in charge. Not saying one was better than the other at all; just saying it has changed as you yourself have observed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparxx It was actually at the Belk counter. I originally planned to do to Nordy's but they were booked. Does anyone have any awesome MUA's in the Triangle area of North Carolina? I had a favorite MUA in San Diego but now I'm 2,500 miles away :/

I'm so sorry you had such an awful experience! I've actually never had a makeover at that counter. They do sometimes have older stock there, as you found out, so if you're looking for something that's sold out elsewhere, they may still have it. And along the same lines, if you haven't checked out the CCO in Smithfield, I wouldn't say you needed to run out there unless you were going for the other stores as well.

As far as MAs, nobody's currently setting my heart on fire. But I don't get makeovers/makeup for special occasions done very often! At Belk, Sibyl (I'm pretty sure but not positive that's her name) at Bobbi Brown is very comfortable w/MAC and can definitely make MAC recommendations, but she may not be 100% up to date on the newest collections. She does know the core collection well enough that I would, and have, bought MAC products on her recommendation. The person who helped me out at the MAC counter in Belk last time I was there was Dominique, and she struck me as very knowledgeable. At Nordstrom, I'd probably ask for the counter manager (Charlene, pronounced "Char-lynn" I believe) though there are some other gals there who seem to have some great makeup skills. If you ever find that you need something from Clinique (or another non-MAC line), Blake is the most super duper friendly person you could imagine!