Interview with Makeup Artist Sephora Essay

Being a makeup artist requires a lot of hard work, precision, and artistry. It is a job that is challenging, yet rewarding. Meet David. David is a 24 year old makeup artist who currently works as a beauty advisor at Sephora on 42nd and Madison. David was also interested on being on the Sephora Pro Beauty Team, but told me that is a task he is working on and will further take on in the coming time. He spends hours by the day helping clients do a color match, give advice on brands, or doing a Custom Makeup Application, or CMA for short. These applications are done when a customer spends at least $50 on any product in Sephora. The client will sit down with a beauty specialist and have a full face of makeup done. I got the chance to follow David as he worked with different clients, and I also got the chance to ask him a few questions, along with some opinions he threw at me. David is well.. of course, employed by Sephora. During the week, he usually works four days a week from about 12pm to 9pm. He told me that mid shifts are the best, because they are usually the busiest and time goes by quickly without even noticing. For his time and effort, Sephora compensates him with $11. 50 an hour without commission. I found that David is not usually at the location at 42nd and Madison, but is normally located in the Times Square location next to McDonalds on 42nd and 7th. David started working with the company in 2009, making it three years since starting with the company. He got the job, just like any of us would have gone to apply for any other job. He filed out an application along with a resume and hoped for the best. David is very interested in cosmetics, and he told me that he uses all Makeup Forever Products. He likes them because of the ease of application and the natural look that comes with it. The line makes your skin look flawless and makes pictures look amazing. When it comes down to applying makeup to clients, David likes to use Bobbi Brown products, along with a few products from the Makeup Forever collection. Also, I noticed that he uses the Smashbox Primer â€Å"Photo Finish. † It seemed like they were trying to push this product a little bit. They clean the brushes before each application, and they also remove any dirt, oils, or makeup from the face. Make overs do differ from consumer to consumer. A client who is fair skinned has a completely different complexion than someone who may be dark skinned. The products do vary between clients. There was a woman that David was working with who said she was, â€Å"new to makeup† and wanted to learn more about application. David started her off with a tinted moisturizer to see how that felt on her face, judging whether or not she would like more coverage. With most clients, they pushed a lot of the Makeup Forever products, being that it is Sephora’s private brand. They did somewhat of a soft sell, being that they told you the name of the product before they put it on. I did notice they would take a brand new product off of the shelf and place it in front of you. David did this with most of the products he applied to his clients. During my time with David, I did not feel pressured to buy anything. He explained to me where he was applying each product and what it did to the face. For the first time, I had contouring done, and I loved the final look of it. It definitely defined the face and I honestly had no idea it came in a powder. I always figured it came in a liquid. My time with David was up, but I did manage to buy a few products. I bought a Sephora Pro foundation brush, along with the HD Microperfecting Powder. They were items I needed, but thanks to David’s help, I bought them right after my consultation with him. I did also spend the money because I found out how much the powder does make a difference after applying the makeup. It gives the face a matte look and also locks in the makeup to your face. The powder also absorbs oils and stays on all day. We all know that Sephora is a top leader in the retail industry when it comes to makeup, skincare, and cosmetics. According to what I found out from David, and just simply people watching at Sephora for about 2 hours, I feel like a company can make a lot of money if they have in store make overs. Unlike CVS and Duane Reade, where you cannot try the makeup, Sephora gives the client an opportunity to see the product on, live, and how he or she wants to see it. It reduces the chance for returns of a product because of the testing beforehand. Companies can greatly impact a sale if they incorporate this technique into a store. Not only will it give people a place to try new products, it gives the client more of an opportunity to work with an advisor, like David. People need help when they try new things on their own sometimes. So when all comes down to store make overs, they are a total win and a great way to communicate with a client.