I'm sure I'm not alone in finding the salespeople who work on beauty counters amongst the most irritating in the world. At least in a clothes shop you can hide behind a changing room curtain while they hover outside with their pseudo-gal pal opinions, but at a beauty counter they just firmly plant themselves in front of you, offering advice that you already said you didn't want.
I was helping a friend choose a new concealer yesterday, and had already whittled down the list of suitable contenders in my head, so I knew what I was looking for. My friend is a natural beauty and also a bit of a product-phobe - perfect bait for the sales-hungry vultures - so we braced ourselves before venturing inside the store.
"Can I help?" came the inevitable question.
"No thanks, we're just looking."
"That's really good, that concealer is. It's really good at hiding stuff."
"Yes, we know. Thank you. We're just looking."
"Would you like me to do a makeover on you?"
"Really not necessary, we know what we're looking for."
"If you'd like me to show you to" etc etc.
And so it went on, with me showing my friend how to use different textures for under-eyes and for blemishes, while the commissions pest hovered around us, interrupting constantly and trying to convince my English rose friend to try the darkest shade because "orange covers everything".
(The temptation to point out that I had actually tested that product three months before it even went on counter was building up inside me, but as trump cards go you need to use it straight away, or it just looks like you're lying.)
In the end my friend plumped for the fabulous Laura Mercier Undercover Pot, £28 (stockist: 08001234000) - I use this every day and would be lost without it. It's a trio of face perfecters: a creamy concealer for under-eyes that can be patted on to built up coverage, a thicker solid concealer for covering up spots, blemishes and red patches, and a loose setting powder for keeping the concealer put and mopping up any distracting shine. All in one itty-bitty pot.
I'm afraid I don't have a magic secret for getting rid of sales-pests (apart from go with a shopping list and don't be swayed. You probably don't need their new primer and you certainly don't need the matching lip liner. Be strong.)
I can, however, pass on my fail-safe concealer tips, including this helpful little tit-bit from the wonderful Craig Ryan French, lead product advisor for research and development at Paul & Joe Beauté (before I ate his dust on the go-kart track, but that's another story...): "When choosing concealer for under the eyes, go for shades with peach rather than yellow undertones. The yellow counteracts with the blue in your under-eye bags but leaves skin looking grey, whereas peach camouflages the blue and creates a second-skin finish."
My own facial finger-painting has taught me to always dab concealer on with a finger or small brush, building up the coverage ever so slowly (patting it on also creates a more natural finish than smearing it over spots.) I always finish with a light dusting of powder, and if necessary, you can even dab a second layer of concealer over the top.
As is often the way with beauty, less is more. A good mascara, blush, balm and concealer is all you need to look fresh and pretty (but promise me you'll test the shade before you buy it - the future may be bright, but it's definitely not orange.)
Images: MAC Cosmetics, Laura Mercier.
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