# MAs: Do you ever have clients who LIKE their foundation color to be off???



## MAC_Pixie04 (Dec 6, 2006)

I get a lot of clients who either want their foundation to be way too light or way too dark.  A lot of older clients like their foundation to be too light because in their mind and eyes, it makes their skin look "more radiant."  And a lot of my teenage/preteen clients that come in like their foundations to be too dark so that they look tan....

We're trained to just let them pick the one they like, even after we offer our opinion, if they still want the wrong color, give it to them.  
Do you guys ever try to persuade them to take the right color?? If so, what are some ways to do that?  I don't wanna seem pushy, but I can't stand to see people walking around with the completely wrong colored face....


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## FacesbyNiki (Dec 6, 2006)

All the time girl.


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## MisStarrlight (Dec 6, 2006)

Ugh, all the time!  What I do is match them first...if it seems like they are going to have an issue with their color, do 1/2 their face w/ their right color & 1/2 their face with the color they think they are.
Tell them that that is the correct color, but it's up to them.  Explain what the wrong color actually does to their face (makes it look duller, like they're wearing a mask, etc), what foundation is meant to do (even out the skintone), that they can use blush/bronzer/hightlighter to add their desired effect and have it look more natural & if necessary, like they are a NC 45 wanting an NW 30 (believe me, its happened) get a second opinion to make them feel more comfortable.

If all else fails, give them the color they want....and then when they get home & their relatives tell them it looks horrid and they return the product the next day, give them a giant 'I told you so' look.


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## shabdebaz (Dec 6, 2006)

Well, I let them know my opinion...and that's about all you can do.  I swear I did a makeup once on a girl who was, like NW20, and she picked an NC45 foundation.  I am not kidding!  She wanted to look TANNED.  I literally told her to tell people who ask about her makeup job that SHE picked out the foundation colour.  LOL.  

Then, you get those people who want to look fairer than they really are.  I first thought it only existed in Indian culture (it is rampant in my culture), but, DAMN!, I was wrong.  I had a lady who was NC50 tell me that she felt "dirty" putting dark coloured powder on her face!  I was pretty shocked.  I had never heard something like that before.  

So, yeah, you get all kinds of people.  I wish people could realize that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and COLOURS.


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## lara (Dec 6, 2006)

Most of my Japanese/Thai/Korean clients prefer their foundation to be at least a couple of shades paler than skin tone. It's a cultural beauty thing.

Apart from that, it's the usual culprits - someone who thinks that dark foundation equals tanned, someone who is convinced that they're paler than they really are, etc.


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## MisStarrlight (Dec 7, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *shabdebaz* 

 
_I swear I did a makeup once on a girl who was, like NW20, and she picked an NC45 foundation.  I am not kidding!  She wanted to look TANNED.  I literally told her to tell people who ask about her makeup job that SHE picked out the foundation colour.  LOL.  _

 

It's funny that you say that...for our Lure/Bait/Hooked event, my coworkers decided that I didn't fit in...that I needed a tan.  I normally wear NW5 or 10, but they covered my entire body with NC45 & the spray bronzer things.

But yeah, I tell people to say that they picked out their own foundation color if they are totally crazy off like that too.


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## giz2000 (Dec 7, 2006)

All...the...time.  I usually try to dissuade them by showing them this wonderful product called:  bronzer (or blush)...that usually wins them over....


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## calbear (Dec 7, 2006)

I have found that it's better to let them have their way - since they seem to return less when they picked it versus when we try to persuade them what the right color should be. I always feel like my eyesight must be off cause these women pick some of the most hideously wrong colors so I just stopped trying and let them tell me what they want and I try to match that.


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## MAC_Pixie04 (Dec 7, 2006)

It happens the most with Bare Minerals at my store.  People just want to have the product so bad because of all the hype it gets that they'll take it even if there isnt' a perfect color for them.  And I always offer my opinion and sometimes i'll ask someone on the Artistry Team to jump in, but 8 out of 10 times, they take the wrong color.


But then 5 of the 8 come back and complain saying that so and so gave them the wrong color.  Then we have to damage it out (we lose money!) and they come and get rematched and STILL take a color that doesn't work for me.  My OCD kicks in hardcore and i just kinda wanna scream YOU LOOK LIKE A PANCAKE! but i can't lol so ij ust give them what they want, but damn i'm glad i'm not the only one who gets so damn frustrated lol


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## ChynaSkye (Dec 7, 2006)

It does happen alot, Ive seen it year after year sigh...
My best advice to artists is to match them to what you feel is the best match and let them know what your professional opinion is, if they decide to go with something different then be supportive. BUT if they ask you your opinion again let them know, "the first shade is what I would recommend to be the most natural but it's also about what you feel the most comfortable wearing". 

Many times I see them again saying that my choice was a good one and they were glad that they got what I suggested. And customers that thought they were right and got the wrong one came back to me later and exchanged it for what I matched them to.... some of my best customers are the ones that didnt believe me at first but came back to me because I was honest.


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## Kiseki (Dec 8, 2006)

That's a cultural thing eally. Here in Portugal, many people will buy foundation darker than their natural skin tone because they want to look tanned. The result is a mask-like gross thing that many of these girls and woman stop around the chin and immediatly if you look at the neck, you'll see a huge difference, they pretty much look like clowns to me and I avoid giving my opinion because people generally get offended.

When I was in sales (not cosmetic, but art material), whenever I thought the customer was making a VERY bad purchase, I would say it only once, more usually tends to make them become very annoyed and with a bit of an atitude, however, I did reserve the big "I told you so" for the next time around.

Of course there are those who just use bronzer aaaaaaaall the way and end up orange and not sun-kissed at all. Whoever thinks that looking orange looks natural must be colorblind.

However, in Portugal you don't get to take back the product because you don't like the color, most stores won't take it back, I can think of only one that does, so people buy wrong colors at their own risk and in some stores, when you get to the counter, the person will open the product take it out and ask "Is this the color you want?".

Whenever I am in the USA I keep forgetting about stores return policy and am usually very careful about products that I buy.


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## bellezzadolce (Dec 8, 2006)

I get that alot at my counter.  Those with a fairer complexion believe that a darker foundation makes them look more tan...so I expain to them that they it really makes them look muddy or like a sweet potato and how it's better to match your skin and use a bronzer to warm up the skin.  Most times they agree...but...on the other hand I find that those with richer skin tones want to look like 2-3 shades lighter and they end up looking ashy and when I try to explain it to them, they are not trying to hear what I'm saying.  And the sad part is that they'll look at me and say well your's is pretty...I don't see a line...I want mine to look like your's.  So once againg I have to explain that I understand my skin colour and tone therefore I match it not distort it and they still don't get it.

In the end all you can do is offer your "professional" opinion and let the customer decide what they want b/c they are  the ones that have to wear it.


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## ms.marymac (Dec 8, 2006)

How about customers that want to see the texture? I can understand wanting extra coverage if needed, but I see a lot of customers that say, "I can't see my foundation." It really gets me when they happen to have perfect skin. All you can do is try to make them happy, after telling them that it is nice for foundation to look natural.  Arrrgh!


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## Kiseki (Dec 8, 2006)

Everything that is taken to an extreme ALWAYS goes wrong, that's my take on it.

Also, a slightly tanned person will be considered a healthy person, hence why bronzers are sometimes called "poudre de bonne mine" in French, because an ever so slightly sunkissed glow can make you look better, but like many of you said "you have to match it before".

As for the texture, the whole wax dummy look went out of style loooong ago, thank the gods.


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## shabdebaz (Dec 8, 2006)

That's so true, bellezzadolce!  People always tell me, 'I want my foundation to look like yours...you look like you don't have anything on".  I always laugh and say, "Well that's funny because I am wearing a concealer for foundation (Select Cover Up)!".  The secret to flawless looking skin is the right MATCHING shade of foundation.


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## shabdebaz (Dec 8, 2006)

OOps.


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## MAC_Pixie04 (Dec 8, 2006)

I had a client recently that was OBSESSED WITH BRONZER.

She wanted NARS Casino, which is more suitable for darker skin, and she had medium/fair skin.  She put it on and she looked totally dirty and covered in shimmer.  I showed her a matte bronzer that was perfect for her tone, but it didn't satisfy her. I mean it looked beautiful IMO, natural sunkissed look, but she wanted to go for the Donatella Versace look I guess.


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## noahlowryfan (Dec 8, 2006)

what if someone has a difference of color between their face and neck. how do you find their foundation shade?


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## ledonatella (Dec 9, 2006)

Yeah people do that to me all the time. I usually like to go a touch darker on people because my line's foundation has a tendency to look whitish from the sunscreen so I go 1/2 a shade darker to conteract that, but our formula's so sheer I can do it without it looking clowny. But yeah, I have a girl that has a med-dark carmally latin skin tone (think J-Lo) and she likes to put on a really dark foundation to look tan (think Mary J. Blige). She's already tan!!!!! But it just makes her look dirty & muddy.


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## Beauty Mark (Dec 9, 2006)

Not an MA, but I've had friends do that because they think it makes them look paler/darker (depending on the person, they value lighter/darker skinner) but it looks stupid


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## redambition (Dec 10, 2006)

not a customer as such, but my mother. she always wears foundation a few shades darker than her skin tone so she doesn't look "pale"... when in reality she's about the same as me, maybe a shade darker.

today i managed to put some fairly well matched foundation on her (originally mine, given to her because it was a touch too dark for me), and it made a world of difference.

oh yeah, she's also hell bent on buying pink toned foundation because she's scared of looking orange or jaundiced. she actually needs a warm toned foundation and concealer, because she is fairly warm toned and she needs to even out some redness on her face.


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## lightsinsorrow (Dec 10, 2006)

Oh, definitely.  I never fight it.  It's like...hey, it's your face.  If you want to look like that, it isn't my problem.  People will continue to wear whatever they like to wear.


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## Ella_ (Dec 11, 2006)

My sister is an NW 25, but buys her foundation in NW20. She has skin that has a tendancy to oxidize her foundation - the select spf stuff, so she buys one shade lighter so that when the foundation oxidizes after an hour or so of wear it actually matches her skintone...


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## MAC_Pixie04 (Dec 11, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *noahlowryfan* 

 
_what if someone has a difference of color between their face and neck. how do you find their foundation shade?_

 
i usually try to match their neck if they'll let me.  but sometimes they don't see that the tones are different. it depends on the client.


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## sadieboo (Dec 11, 2006)

My very first customer this morning wanted me to show her some foundation - she came in with a clean face, but I could still see what she usually wore at her hairline.  ORANGE ALERT!!!!  She brought in her bottle, it was YSL.  So I matched her, picked a great formula for her, and applied it.  It looked fantastic, was the perfect match, and her comment was, "I look so pale!!!" 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 I explained to her that what I put on her was her correct shade, and that if she wanted more color she should try bronzer.  I also said, very politely, that I could see what she usually wore and that I thought it was a bit dark for her.  She looked doubtful, but she liked the way it felt on her face, so I gave her a sample to take home.  She said she was going to ask her daughter - if her daughter isn't nuts she will tell her that the old YSL stuff was TOO ORANGE!!!!

Don't people understand what a freakin' miracle it is to find a great match in a foundation?!?!


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## giz2000 (Dec 11, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *sadieboo* 

 
_\ 
Don't people understand what a freakin' miracle it is to find a great match in a foundation?!?!_

 

No..they don't....:|


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## ladydangerr (Dec 11, 2006)

I get this all the time. The teenagers who come in and have a line around the border of their face. The clients who say they will be tanning and want a darker color are another problem. This is how I handle it EVERY time:

I tell the people who like using foundation as their fake tan that it's imperitive that they get the RIGHT color and contour with a bronzer. I always say, "Since the foundation completely evens out our skin tone, you always appear to be more pale because your whole face is one color. Thats why you need to use a blush or a bronzer to put color back into your face. Foundation is just a base for your face, and you can apply color with a bronzer to look tan. This creates an extremely flawless and classy look." 

and as for those who say they will be tanning:

I tell them that since we don't know how much darker their skin will get, or what tone it will become, that they need to get their current color and pair it with a bronzer until they reach their desired color. And once they do so, to come back and get matched again. This way they have makeup for when they're light AND dark, and a bronzer to use in between.

Take advantage of the fact that you can power group a bronzer on these people 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




-Amy


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## MellissaG (Jan 21, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ladydangerr* 

 
_I get this all the time. The teenagers who come in and have a line around the border of their face. The clients who say they will be tanning and want a darker color are another problem. This is how I handle it EVERY time:

I tell the people who like using foundation as their fake tan that it's imperitive that they get the RIGHT color and contour with a bronzer. I always say, "Since the foundation completely evens out our skin tone, you always appear to be more pale because your whole face is one color. Thats why you need to use a blush or a bronzer to put color back into your face. Foundation is just a base for your face, and you can apply color with a bronzer to look tan. This creates an extremely flawless and classy look." 

and as for those who say they will be tanning:

I tell them that since we don't know how much darker their skin will get, or what tone it will become, that they need to get their current color and pair it with a bronzer until they reach their desired color. And once they do so, to come back and get matched again. This way they have makeup for when they're light AND dark, and a bronzer to use in between.

Take advantage of the fact that you can power group a bronzer on these people 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




-Amy_

 

lmao, this is ironic.  Secretly, I tend to float counters and try different products to see whats new and if anything updated works better for me. Products, shades, brushes etc for everything as far as eyes, lips, face ..anything! goes.. 

For xmas I recieved a $20 gift cert (Better than nothing!) for MAC, and went to a counter and spoke with an amazing MA, remembering I spoke with someone a couple days before who was using studio fix on her face, and it made her filled in brows look AMAZING and perfectly matte, no oil or sheen at all. So he put studio fix on me, and I hated it.. I suppose mainly because I hate buying foundations  because my skin tone changes all the time, as I go through these stages where i'll be tanning, and the color drastically changes from day to day, when im originally pretty fair. I think he hated me, since I couldnt decide on which shade to go for! He told me to just buy the one that matched me now, and then get re matched after tanning -- I thought thatd be too much of a hassle, so I ended up getting a new brow pencil, a neutral shadow and a new angle brush.. at least he got something out of all my hassle. 

Im a very annoying consumer :X


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## chinadoll724 (Mar 10, 2007)

Haha, sorry to butt in as i'm not a make up artist, but one of the MAs at the MAC counter at Saks here has foundation 3 shades too dark. She was proud of it and actually showed it to me and said "I blend it really well so you can't even tell". Trust me . . . you could and it was scary.


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## MAC_Pixie04 (Mar 10, 2007)

i know someone who does that with BE foundation...her natural color is fairly light, but she wears Tan, anybody who's ever seen BE foundations know that that's a very very huge jump.


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## pixichik77 (Mar 12, 2007)

This happens all the time at my counter, and I won't sell it to them.  In the South, that's pretty rude; but I explain that if a SALESPERSON, whose whole purpose is to SELL products, doesn't want to sell you something, wouldn't that tell you that you are looking at the WRONG COLOR???  Most of the time they will meet me at least half way, or I will tell them just to take some samples with them, and not give them the color they think they are (the samples are prepackaged).  Or if they come in and say, I need shade number so and so, I will ask, "is this for you?" (they say yes) and I'll say, "lets rematch you; I don't even wear that shade!"

But then again, I am pretty brash.  I used to sell cars


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## caffn8me (Mar 12, 2007)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *noahlowryfan* 

 
_what if someone has a difference of color between their face and neck. how do you find their foundation shade?_

 
I was taught to match to the neck to avoid a visible demarcation line.  Below is a picture of someone who has a pale NW face with a darker NC neck - it was better to match to the neck.  Sorry the pictures aren't great as my digital camera is prehistoric.  The picture shows just foundation so no blush, contour or lipstick.

I think you can imagine how odd a foundation that matched the face perfectly would have looked against the neck.


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## littlemakeupboy (Jun 2, 2007)

I Despise It


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