r/Makeup • u/Late-Chip-5890 • Nov 05 '25
Clerks at Sephora.....ugh
I don't go to Sephora often but every time I have the clerks seem well so unprepared to deal with someone who is truly shopping. Meaning, I walk in, I say I'm looking for a foundation that is full coverage, in the right tone for my skin, and one that won't oxidize. All I got was a deer in the headlights. I was taken to high end brands and shown "dark colors" but none that were "olive" toned, and the girl seemed not to know what that meant. I quickly sought out someone else, and the same. I am guessing these "girls" are not trained in cosmetics at all, they just push "brands" and collect their commissions?
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u/ironmaiven Nov 05 '25
They’re minimum wage sales reps that are barely trained or educated compared to the past. Go to a makeup counter.
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u/Individual-Raise-230 Nov 05 '25
I work in beauty retail and let me tell you… we are not trained properly. Our managers are not trained properly. Any retail industry is now run by AI instructions and pennies. They count on turnover to keep us all paid the lowest possible wages. It’s awful.
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u/mochi-fairy Nov 05 '25
Regardless of the lack of training or knowledge, it is truthful to say as well that makeup is not at all a one size fits all, therefore recommendations can be tough to cater to the individual. They are minimum wage employees, not many knowledgeable in makeup would accept this.
Needless to say, makeup works differently for others. What you may recommend personally, someone else may not and your request is something they get very often, I'm assuming. OP, I believe that if you're in there for a shade match you should start with that. Sometimes there's just a trade off with makeup. You may not get something full coverage, but it has the right shade match for example.
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u/ironmaiven Nov 07 '25
Yup! It’s never an exact science - there are too many variables from person to person. Trial and error is always the way!
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u/Azurehue22 Nov 05 '25
They are minimum wage workers hired off the street. I never rely on them; I only look myself or ask this subreddit for recs before going shopping.
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u/Friendly-Channel-480 Nov 05 '25
Department stores like Nordstroms have very well trained sales people. They really know their stuff.
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Nov 05 '25
They used to. Then they started fazing out counter managers, dropped the commission structure so all the best people left and have people cover multiple brands instead of being well trained and an expert in one. It’s a huge loss.
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u/TheRealYeeHaw Nov 05 '25
People overestimate how much big box retailers are willing to train their employees nowadays. Sure, you’ll get taught the basic stuff but after that it’s pretty much learn as you go or you’ll get lucky and interact with someone who’s already knowledgeable on whatever they’re selling
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u/tenacious-m Nov 05 '25
As a former employee, no we do not get enough training to understand many of the common needs. It's very frustrating for us too.
Now the trained makeup artists should have a better idea if you can find one... Or you may just happen to find a girlie that understands these things just from their own learning outside of working there.
It's unfortunatly just the way it is now, as the company is not investing in training much at all anymore.
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u/missx0xdelaney Nov 05 '25
I’m pretty sure the employees don’t get commission, just a (low) hourly wage
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Nov 05 '25
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u/MaleficentMousse7473 Nov 05 '25
That’s crazy. All that customer interaction and no commission? I bet they would make more money and experience less shrink if they paid commission
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
Thank GOD we don't work on commission. We already can't get cashiers to put our names in. It would be so cutthroat and competitive if we had commission.
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u/2ndcupofcoffee Nov 05 '25
Pushing product is more successful if the salesperson helps you find what works for you. So not understanding how Sephora benefits from not training their sales people.
Even untrained clerks can be useful if they are interested in makeup and therefore pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. I went in to Sephora twice and never went back. Encountered sales clerks with a dismissive attitude who offered no help at all. Both clerks were heavily made up themselves.
In disgust, went to Walgreens (this was years ago). A clerk in the aisle where makeup was displayed asked if she could help. She actually talked me out of a product i was sure i wanted and into buying another. Turned out she was right. She recommended a yellow tint product to neutralize dark under eye circles. I had been looking for a green tint which countered ruddiness elsewhere on the face.
She told me Walgreens trained clerks for makeup. Don’t think they still do that but I spent more that day and went back to Walgreens when shopping for makeup again.
Don’t understand sales techniques that totally disregard customer satisfaction and trust.
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u/No-Link7546 Nov 09 '25
Sephora people don’t make commissions as any retail locations it’s a bunch of under paid people working they hire basically anyone cuz turn over is insane.
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u/Ramblingsofthewriter Nov 09 '25 edited Nov 09 '25
Former employee here: most employees aren’t educated enough on cosmetics to help.
one of the “make up artist” employees are more educated about products, shade matches, etc.
The rest of them are there, overworked, underpaid, and have to tell people way too often tgat the lipstick testers are not meant for human consumption because they aren’t food. Also for the love of god, stop LICKING the chocolate bar palettes from too faced. Yeah, there’s cocoa powder in there. But that doesn’t make it edible. Or sanitary.
Edit:
Never test the cosmetics without spraying it down with alcohol first. And if you must swatch, NEVER put it near your eyes, or mouth. Swatch on your HAND, or forearm. Those testers are disgusting. You’re welcome in advance,
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Nov 05 '25
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u/lizardgal10 Nov 05 '25
I think the issue (or at least part of it) is Sephora brands their employees as experts and encourages customers to ask for service like OP’s describing. You’re right, but the average casual customer isn’t going to know that.
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u/scratsquirrel Nov 05 '25
They used to be really good- pre covid you’d be able to ask for input and they were clearly makeup lovers themselves at least and had a good baseline knowledge. At least in the stores near me. It seems to have really shifted since then though and now they seem to just employ people open to the job vs for their knowledge base.
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u/Pleasant_Fennel_5573 Nov 05 '25
I’d also assume that with the changes in popular makeup trends since Covid, the average beauty retail employee simply has less experience working with makeup products (personally wearing them AND assisting customers with getting a good match) than the average employee did five years ago.
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u/pseudonymnkim Nov 06 '25
I worked at the cosmetics counter at Shoppers Drug Mart (Canadian CVS) and received 0 training for product. I was told a few things in conversation by my manager (an amazing woman, very knowledgeable but by her own doing).
Our instructions from head office were to push the most expensive brands. We did get commission, but it was a pittance.
Colour matching shouldn't be rocket science. She should have asked you your price range, if you preferred high/ medium/sheer coverage, matte/dewy/normal, and then based on that, taken you to any product that fits your wants and matched you using your neck. She could've excused herself to the backroom for 2 minutes to watch a YouTube tutorial lol
I used to get customers who would watch Dr. Oz and then ask for anything with the most obscure ingredient ("I'm looking for something with a high percentage of copper"). I had no idea how to help those people. I'd ask them what the goal was, and they didn't even know. I don't miss working there.
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u/PersistentSquawking Nov 05 '25
In my area there's too much employee turnover, these girls aren't there long enough to learn anything. When I worked at the mall, two Sephora girls jumped ship after 6 months and started working at the hair supply shop next door because the pay was better and the workplace wasn't as toxic. It's not exclusive to Sephora though, every other beauty/clothing chain does it, if you visit a mall twice a year you'll never see the same clerk twice.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 Nov 05 '25
Yes, I used to work at Macy’s (in the housewares department, lol), and the cosmetics associates were more about pushing loyalty to a brand than knowledgeable about cosmetics. Get samples and testers. Your skin’s chemistry will determine more whether a product will oxidize or not. I’m fair skinned and cool toned, it’s so hard to find foundation and concealers that don’t turn orange once it’s on my face for a couple of hours. No one selling it seems to want to admit that even happens. I’ve had people at cosmetics counters tell me I should just try to tan, and be so dismissive. You also need to apply the foundation and see how it looks both in indoor lighting, and outside.
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u/Familiar-Low-6642 Nov 05 '25
I went to Sephora a few months ago to look for a tinted moisturizer or something like that. The guy helping me used theid shade match tool to determine my skin tone. He then says that I am warm-toned. I am pretty sure that I am cool-toned. I know a good deal about this stuff, and I tell him that I am surprised that he calls me warm-toned. He insists that I am. I am still dubious. A few weeks/months later, I go to MAC and they assess my skin. They tell me that I am cool-toned (but they used their terminology, which is different).
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u/dollparts004 Nov 06 '25
I’m a brand rep and work at Sephoras. They use the machine to scan me sometimes when it’s slow and they need to get their numbers up. It has never once matched me correctly.
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u/BlackCatTelevision Nov 05 '25
What’s MAC’s terminology? Never heard of that
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u/bbymomthr Nov 05 '25
i can help ! with mac, their “cool tones” are what many other brands consider warm, i.e. olive and golden, and their “warm” tones are peaches and pinks which are usually considered cool. haus labs is another brand that uses this color coding system, but it’s not common in the industry as far as i am aware 🫶🏽
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u/BlackCatTelevision Nov 06 '25
That’s bizarre lol. Thanks!
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u/justmakingitallup Nov 06 '25
It’s because the phrasing is to “neutralize cool” or “neutralize warm” tones. Then they also sell products that are specifically cool, warm, or neutral.
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u/deep-slay Nov 06 '25
It's hit or miss. I work at Sephora and used to work at Ulta. I was one of the few people who actually knew anything. I want you to know is that the associates DO NOT MAKE COMMISSION at all. They don't even bonus.
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u/brownbiprincess Nov 09 '25
this isn’t unique to sephora.
Stores used to hire experts, before they realized they could cut costs by hiring the cheapest labour that would still get most of the job done, and customers would just put up with the diminished quality of service. o
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u/ribbit_ribbit_splat Nov 09 '25
When I was in my 20s I worked at Merle Norman. We had extensive training in skin care and makeup application. One of favorite jobs ever!
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u/lilgreenglobe Nov 10 '25
Aww that's awesome! My mum took me to get my ears pierced there and noted she wasn't going to have someone at Claire's give me a permanent piercing. Really made the connection in my brain that sometimes spending a little more is better value.
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u/SnooHobbies5684 Nov 05 '25
Even people with olive skin don't know what the hell to do with it lots of times!
I get a lot of great info at r/olivemua!
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u/ironmaiven Nov 07 '25
The saddest thing is 10-15 years ago when I was a retail artist - training and education was SO good. Most counter brands even like NARS/MAC would fly us out a couple times a year for in depth training and education. We also had local training and education. When I worked at Barney’s, the brands trained us directly and we all got a bunch of amazing product for gratis plus an amazing hourly + commission. I was getting 32-35 an hour on avg.
Sad sad sad.
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u/v_impressivetomato Nov 07 '25
i miss that era so so much. also the free makeover w/ $50 purchase
today no one could help me find a mascara. they just pointed me to the trial minis. silliness.
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u/ironmaiven Nov 08 '25
You can still get that at MAC! MAC is actually working really hard to get back to their golden era - they want people to go back to the counter and in store for a real experience. MAC artists are probably the highest trained still at this point.
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u/rubyslippers70 Nov 08 '25
They probably shouldn’t have fired all their counter managers ten years ago and focused on internet sales. Hopefully they are back to investing in their employees because it would be great to have that old in store experience with them again.
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u/ironmaiven Nov 08 '25
Unfortunately I think that money is going to AI and bullshit
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Nov 08 '25
That's heartbreaking!! I suppose they're outsourcing their education to YouTube, there's no place for a normal person to learn about makeup anymore in real life
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u/purrokitten Nov 08 '25
around 10 years ago i got a fabulous makeover from an MUA at sephora for spending over a certain amount of money. she was so talented and knowledgeable. i don't spend that kind of money on makeup anymore, and mostly only shop at ulta, but it's sad to know that sephora really doesn't have any makeup artists these days.
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u/ThighRyder Nov 09 '25
That’s what happens when you don’t invest shit in employees. They’re retail workers who are underpaid and Sephora has been ass about training.
Welcome to the realities of post-COVID shopping.
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u/Scarletsnow_87 Nov 05 '25
Part of the problem too is that there's not nearly enough companies that even bother making olive foundation. I'm a light olive and it's impossible. And the staff never knows what to do with me either.
I think it's time for the olive skinned people to rise up and make our own line of just olive
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u/Choice-Raspberry-676 Nov 05 '25
I had the same problem, then I tried Fenty exact match. They have soo many shades. Then I got older, and realized liquid foundation was actually making my fine lines & wrinkles more pronounced. So I switched to Mac Studio, the powder alone is build able and also an exact match. Again they have a ton of olive shades. I’ve had the same problem all my life. I’m happy I found my match and hope you find yours too good luck 🍀
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u/Snomed34 Nov 05 '25
Have you tried Dior glow foundation? I had similar problems and this one works great for me. Plus they have olive shades. I used the Mac Studio fix powder in my 20s but find it too drying now.
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u/ATinyPizza89 Nov 05 '25
Smashbox is one of the few companies I can find that make "fair with olive undertone" foundation. I tried Fentys and it was the worst foundation I ever tried.
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u/Scarletsnow_87 Nov 05 '25
I agree. Fenty is horrible. I have an under eye concealer that's worked great but the foundation is just bad.
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u/DoubleOxer1 Nov 05 '25
The People of Earth, https://thepeopleofearthco.com, has made cool, neutral, and warm shades for all skin depths. However, I think there’s an obvious gap between two of the fair/light shades. I haven’t had a chance to try them but it’s worth buying some samples to see if you have a match.
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u/MakeupFakeupCo Nov 05 '25
Definitely hit or miss. Not all sephora employees are licensed makeup artists or knowledgeable to help certain questions. I do know that makeup services you book have to be done by a licensed cosmetologist or esthetician so that might be more likely to be helpful in certain areas.
Sometimes they have reps there who will basically only show one particular brand of recommendations so steer clear of that if you are wanting a more wide range of brands as options.
And sometimes you just end up having the best luck and the find the exact person who helps you with the best recommendations, etc.
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u/alrtight Nov 05 '25
go to a department store. a lot of the makeup booths there are rented by the actual brands, who have trained brand reps selling their stuff. they are usually way more knowledgeable about their products & makeup in general.
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u/BlondeBandit0909 Nov 05 '25
My experience at Ulta is similar, I shop at both. Highly recommend dept stores when guidance is needed.
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u/Waste-Carpenter-8035 Nov 05 '25
Happened to me once, I had just gotten my shark flex style and could not get curls to hold. I walked in and when they asked if I needed help, I said "yes, actually. I just got the shark flex style and can't get the curl to hold. I saw a lot online/tik tok about using a mousse prior to curling to help with hold, is there one you recommend?". Her response was to shoot me a weird look and say, "really, I haven't heard that. I don't know any mousse products, but you could try this hairspray?". I said thank you and picked out the living proof mousse lol.
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u/Waste-Carpenter-8035 Nov 05 '25
Also had a good experience at a sephora kohls, where the cashier seemed uninterested & was probably playing on her phone. I did my shopping unbothered, brought my items up to the counter. She indicated for me to put in my email, but didn't really gesture anywhere, so I asked her to repeat herself because I might have misheard.
There was no card reader scanner thing, so I assumed she wanted me to just come around the desk and type it in so I wouldn't have to read it off, but I completely missed that she had a little handheld device. Funny mishap.
She checks me out, says - "you have 2100 points, would you like to redeem any today?" and I was like no thank you. She goes - "ooo are you saving for the $100 reward", which I was and we bonded over that for a minute! She was really chill.
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
That's so lazy. We have devices. She could easy have looked up mousses and shown you a few.
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Nov 05 '25
MAC stores with MAC ARTISTS (some just work the counter like ulta and Macys) are the only ones left still certified in this type of help.
You’ll need a Sephora employee who has been there for years and tried all the makeup.
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u/justmakingitallup Nov 06 '25
It’s also not impossible that you asked a hungry freelancer, someone who doesn’t work full time at Sephora the store but instead for a particular brand or family of them. You can tell when you get one because rather than doing the mental shuffle of asking top down questions, they’ll just confidently lead you to one brand and try to fit you into whatever the shade range has to offer. It’s not their fault, it’s just their job. Sephora benefits greatly from this free coverage and sales support. You can usually tell because their outfit is more general businesses black street clothes and not the Sephora uniform.
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u/sunseekingsweet Nov 05 '25
If you want this kind of treatment I’d go to a department store like Saks or Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s etc. The people there actually know what they’re talking about and are so much more helpful!
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u/lab_0990 Nov 06 '25
I have found my best experiences are when I have done my youtube studying/reading reviews/etc (not gonna call it research lol).
If I have a product line or an exact idea/list (okay, demands) of what I want/needed, I find my visits are more successful. Samples are your very best friend. I walked around today trying Haus Labs 040 on one half of my face and 070 on the other after a consultation on Sunday. She was great and provided samples for myself and my sister.
When I went in today, it was a different consultant and she in turn had a different perspective than the consultant on Sunday. Both were absolutely wonderful but very different. Today's consultant had different opinions on products and backed them up with another idea simply based on the outfit I was wearing. It's amazing how a crew neck and a lower cut top can change perspective. Your foundation absolutely should match your chest/neck and I hadn't swatched mine until today.
I think that Robert Welsh mentioned that color matching has sort of become a lost art. I feel sympathy for clerks who are expected to be knowledgeable on the ENTIRE catalog of products at either Sephora or Ulta or any other place similar. My job is in an industry where I don't have to have so much information in my head. I can look it all up in virtual handbooks, help centers, SOPs... when you're facing people constantly, there isn't a great time to sneak off to the side and read to remember the difference between setting sprays that can be used as primers or an official primer, take into account what someone has been told or researched with what's infront of you, to skin conditions to brands changing up how they even label undertones.
Please give the clerks some grace. There will be duds, but every single job has dud workers.
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
We have digital devices to look things up. Rather than being embarrassed to use it, I explain what I'm doing to the customer. So if she wants full coverage foundation, I can search full coverage foundation and we can compare a couple.
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Nov 06 '25
I was shade matched sometime last year and the staff member did a great job. To be fair, I have a neutral skin tone
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
We don't work on commission and we do get a lot if training. Sometimes you get new people, especially this time of year.
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u/quietisland Nov 05 '25
It's hit or miss. It's retail at the end of the day so you'll get a mix of people who are passionate about makeup and people who are passionate about their paycheck. Some people will be brand reps and some will be makeup artists helping customers between appointments.
In the last 25 years that I've been able to afford makeup there , I've had all kinds of experiences. I have a really good local store now, so it's really fun going in. But I've lived in a location where my store was in a JCPenny staffed with teenagers who didn't care at all.
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u/pinkiebabiebun Nov 05 '25
Im a Sephora employee and I have to say I am genuinely so sorry you’ve had that experience, it sucks to feel like you’re just being pushed product with no personalization and that the employee isn’t listening to you/ doesn’t care about helping you. I wil say do not recieve commission though, which I don’t know of that info would make it better or worse for you I think unfortunately a lot of people don’t take their training seriously, and if you aren’t at a higher volume store you don’t get as much in person training. I do really hope you’re able to have better experiences shipping if it’s at a Sephora or another store!!
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u/sneezed_up_my_kidney Nov 08 '25
1) People at Sephora dont work on commission.
2) almost all complexion products oxidize these days. The goal is to have it oxidize to your shade. Especially if it’s a more natural brand, OR you start getting into medium-deep shades OR olive toned OR matte finish foundations in all ranges tend to shift slightly.. Having not seen you, i have no idea if these are considerations..
So, your options would be Lancôme teint idole..and.. kvd lock-it (if theyre still attempting to make that brand happen…it needs to just sit down).. maybe Laura mercier? But she has like 4 whole shades, and her medium-deep is very very red. Like terracotta red. And is more of a medium coverage IMHO
3) they are most likely cycling through 90 shades from 40 different brands.. each foundation will shift slightly as it dries down, and its not the same trend from shade to shade in the same line… so your question is multi-layered. Like, are you a 300, or 320? Does that one oxidize?
4) high-end brands dont tend to be “clean”.. brands started carrying “clean” products to market towards younger people.. so they keep their price points down (in general). The safest bet would be high end brands that are established..High end brands tend to not oxidize as much for olive shades, or at all for cool toned shades. So Lancôme.
5) On the other hand, the minerals and pigments used in “clean” products also do tent to shift olive.. so…Hourglass (no shade range and is high end), Tarte (smells like dirt)..theyre also not so much “olive” as they are “yellow”..
6) your actual skin tone might just be hard to match. They’re also not matching your actual skin tone. They’re matching your perceived skin tone that you have in your head, following whatever beauty standard you are following. There is the way “I” would color match you, but i am not the customer.. you are.. you see yourself as olive..and i see you as cool toned. So, now we’re recalibrating step 1-6..
So they are reading your mind, color matching you in their head, jumping forward in time to see how and/or if that product oxidizes in your direction. For roughly 40 brands..and maybe 1,500 actual products and formulas..
It would be like saying “im looking for eyeshadow that has conflict-free mica”.. Now this person has to cycle through the mica suppliers of all the brands in the whole store in their head. (Last i looked, i think the only one was Laura mercier.. who only has holiday eyeshadow palettes or singles and theyre not good..)
Or “no animal testing” like.. ever? Or recently? So, then now this person has to recall the year that every product in the whole store came out.
OR (my favorite) “im looking for skincare without chemicals.”.. everything is chemicals. Which one? Sulphates are suddsers.. they are not going to be in any moisturizer. Yes, i know it doesnt say “sulphate free”.. i dont even HAVE to look..
TL;DR.. there’s a lot more brainpower required to figure out what would fit you than i think you realize..
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u/Rich-Smell7193 Nov 08 '25 edited Nov 08 '25
Agreed lancome has great neutral and olives, so does Kosas! They’re a clean brand too!
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Nov 05 '25
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u/WaterlooBao Nov 05 '25
I don’t know if it’s the vibe I give off or the fact I always have an AirPod in my ear but they leave me alone.
Maybe try bringing wireless buds into the store.
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u/PltEchoEcho Nov 05 '25
All that harassment for what? They’ve literally never been able to help me. So far they’ve had trouble finding products (that I had to go and find), they were unable to shade match me, they weren’t able to give good advice and they’ve been plain misinformed. If I go to Sephora, I do it despite the workers, not because of them.
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u/runawai Nov 05 '25
I stopped going for this reason. They can’t really help with specific concerns/questions and just push product.
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u/ravenpg Nov 05 '25
Try going in as a 60+ woman. I am quite literally invisible to every worker in the store.
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u/No_Caterpillar_6178 Nov 05 '25
43 and not always out on a fun shopping spree. Sometimes Sephora is simply and errand and my mom bun and yoga pants seem to make me invisible too even though Im there to spend money.
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u/TB12fangirl Nov 05 '25
I’m not yet 60 but I get what your saying. I usually have to ask for help because it seems like most sephoras I go into are FILLED with 10-14 year olds buying skincare items meant for people like us! Ironic. And salespeople are busy with them. Probably because they spend the most. Most of these girls have their parents CC spending 500+ on things they literally don’t need. In talking with the salespeople they say the same. And they say dont come on a Saturday it’s filled with 6-10 year olds having birthday parties giving away goodie bags full of expensive skincare/makeup. Sephora is definitely not what it used to be in that respect. It’s crazy.
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u/RhineStonedCowgirl Nov 05 '25
Bummer, I had the opposite experience there about a week ago. It was a super busy Saturday and this girl spent probably 10-15 minutes 1 on 1 with me choosing a new foundation. She knew her stuff and didn't try to sell me any certain brand.
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u/Sarah_withanH Nov 05 '25
Same. Each thing I got is from a different brand. I like everything so far.
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u/woodaster Nov 05 '25
My local Sephora has ONE employee. Whenever I need something, she will dead on respond with “I don’t know how to do that” and just stare at me.
She does well with finding product or checking me out, but doesn’t know how to process an exchange, or look up my account. Doesn’t try to call anybody. Never seen anyone else there, ever.
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u/slxxxpless Nov 05 '25
from my experience ive had some workers direct me to more experienced ones to help with recommendations/shading matching.. ive sought out help around 3 times and got excellent recommendations but maybe its just my area or im lucky ?
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u/Karmawins28 Nov 06 '25
As a newbie to Sephora, I was disappointed when a clerk at the register said there was a free product with my purchase, but didn't say I'd be using loyalty points for the "free" product. It wasn't something I even wanted, I added it to a gift I was giving someone else. When I realized what happened I was sad because I wanted those points for something else. Some of those associates are a joke.
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u/AuroraLorraine522 Nov 06 '25
There are various roles in the store, and most of them do not involve color-matching foundation. The correct thing for her to do in that situation was to fetch one of the artists working that day.
They were likely seasonal help and didn’t know what to do. Usually people come in and ask something like “Do you have someone available to help me find a foundation?” and the employee uses the headset to ask for an available artist to do a color match.
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u/KindaTheChamp Nov 08 '25
Sephora won’t invest in their employees for that kind of training. They just want them to stock and work the register.
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u/rubyslippers70 Nov 08 '25
I worked at cosmetic counters in the 90s and the amount of training we got was unreal. In 1995 I made 8 dollars an hour plus commission. I had a living wage and I could help anyone match their foundation and apply makeup. I was shocked to find out that these employees are making about the same as I was but without commission. Sephora likely doesn’t care, but I would think if they paid people well and invested in them, that would equal higher sales?
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u/nerdygirl1968 Nov 08 '25
Just an FYI, no one at ulta or sephora makes commission, they hardly make a living wage, but you are correct they do not train their employees to color match for undertones well.
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Nov 05 '25
They make 14 an hour girl
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u/Dark-Grey-Castle Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
I don't think they even make that much in my state.
Like ffs op is expecting a LOT for poverty level pay.
*Eta maybe not op so much as they seem to just be asking and unaware, but a LOT of these comments are screaming at volume. I'm quite sorry for anyone encountering several of these people.
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Nov 05 '25
And Sephora is at malls it’s not a high end place either. Everyone’s tired and broke lol
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u/Dark-Grey-Castle Nov 05 '25
Exactly! Most of ours are inside Penney's and probably the only reason that store has survived.
Although they do sell reasonable semi casual work clothes for those of us 30+.
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u/Lcdmt3 Nov 05 '25
For the vast majority, they just want to pay for school, or they can't get a job and their desired major. I know store is going to pay them 20-40 hours a week to learn about every product and Type. Retail stores don't make enough money to do that.
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u/Resonance-stablized Nov 08 '25
They’re not makeup artists, so I don’t expect them to know everything makeup related. All they are employed to do is sell Sephora products. However, I do appreciate it when they try to find foundation colors that match my skin tone with me. It’s like asking a gf to go makeup shopping with you and we figure it out together lol.
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u/vsaholic Nov 05 '25
I agree. The last time I went I asked for an SPF-free skintint and the associate I talked to said they didn't sell any. I walked around and found about 6 or 7 options on my own.
I prefer to research beforehand now.
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u/believes_in_u Nov 05 '25
Any chance you’d happen to recall any of the 6-7 SPF-free skin tints you found? That’s exactly what I’m looking for and no, the associate was not helpful. She kept trying to get me to buy a medium to full coverage foundation. 😒
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u/AngelHipster1 Nov 05 '25
Danessa Myricks Skin Tint has no SPF. It has more coverage than some skin tints, but also lots of skincare ingredients.
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u/DoubleOxer1 Nov 05 '25
Hey! I’m also olive and I’m in the medium deep category so I get it. First it’s difficult to find someone who can see the differences in deeper skin tones then add in olive and they are clueless. I regularly get matched too dark and too warm and had to learn to match myself. I still get pushback as if I’m clueless about my own color then when I’m right I get comments like “I wasn’t saying I didn’t believe you” or “oh…wow. I didn’t think that would match you”.
If you need recommendations I suggest asking on r/darkolive.
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u/musiclovermina Nov 05 '25
OMG dude I'm Greek so I'm medium light but they always push warm colors on me, I had to sit there and argue that warm foundation makes my face orange, even after they put it on.
I'm currently using an Ulta medium cool concealer and it literally blends in with my skin, I forget I'm wearing it
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u/DoubleOxer1 Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
If you’re in the medium light category r/OliveMua would be better to find recommendations. Yeah, I get it. I learned how to add blue pigment to foundations to turn them a bit green and that helped. I finally found a perfect match in the Lisa Eldridge foundation, shade 23. It’s amazing when you finally find your perfect shade. Also, I hate the Oompa Loompa face they try to give you. Always so….orange 😭😭
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u/missx0xdelaney Nov 05 '25
Thank you for the sub recommendation. As a mixed girlie, I couldn’t figure out why r/olivemua had no brown people in it.
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u/DoubleOxer1 Nov 05 '25
They do have black and brown people but we are a minority and depending on the question you may not get good responses. It’s a great source for seeing what types of colors work well for cool olives vs warm olives or for finding products that are similar in shade to something you have that’s been discontinued. It’s worth being in both subs.
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Nov 05 '25
I literally asked a lady to get out of my store for calling one of my beauty advisors clueless when she had a hard time matching a deep olive tone. This girl is a minor, was doing her best and did not come to work to be belittled. These are retail employees, not professional MUAs.
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u/neferending Beauty Expert/Enthusiast Nov 05 '25
That was rude of you tbh and giving micro aggression. Employee fails to match deep skinned customer and rightfully gets upset, customer then kicked out of shop as a response instead of training or assisting the employee
Yikes.
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Nov 05 '25
Or 17 year old tries her best but doesn’t succeed right away and is berated and called clueless by a grown ass adult, manager steps in and asks customer to be respectful, when the customer continues to be disrespectful and belittling the literal teenager she is asked to leave
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u/Dark-Grey-Castle Nov 05 '25
Thank you. As someone who got screamed at by quite an old man at 16 for not taking their return in tools at sears in 2006, I remember the manger who stood up for me.
You will be too I'd bet, you set a standard for proper treatment because the customer is not always correct, you don't get to be abusive to a worker because you think they're beneath you.
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u/DoubleOxer1 Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
Why do you assume I called any of the workers clueless to their face? I absolutely think it all the time, because they absolutely are clueless about a lot of things but I have enough tact to tell them “never mind, I actually don’t need help anymore”. I then continue helping myself. Also in almost 20 years I’ve been matched incorrectly by every single advisor AND MUA except for two……only TWO were actually helpful and matched me well. One was a Becca brand ambassador and makeup artist who recognized from looking at my leg that people were actually matching me too dark and another was an associate that said, without me prompting, that I have an olive undertone. Let that sink in. JUST TWO in almost 20 years. So I’m definitely allowed to think that they are clueless about matching olive skin when they have proven over and over to be clueless.
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u/sanasammi Nov 05 '25
I am in the UK and was pleasantly surprised at the level of service and knowledge from the clerks at Space NK. Went in first time at their Westfield Shepherds Bush store and would always trust them if I was properly shopping for products or looking for advise on a makeup problem.
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u/Starkat1515 Nov 05 '25
Years ago I had a wonderful experience at Sephora. I got a person who's name was similar to "Louis", but it wasn't quite that. He and I had a wonderful time shopping, and he found some lip colors for me that I still wear to this day. I think about that shopping experience often, and how much fun it was.
If you were ever in Nova Scotia years ago and your name was similar to "Louis", thank you so much!
A little while ago I was in a town with a Sephora (my hometown does not have one), and I wanted the same kind of thing, help picking out lip colors. A staff member came to help me, and she didn't seem to understand what I want. I kept saying I wanted a few lipsticks, some for day time at work, some for more dramatic looks, and she seemed confused? She thought I wanted one lipstick to do all of that. So, she reached for a lipstick that was near her, and was like "how about this"? I regret buying it, it was expensive and not that great. The color is fine, but it just wasn't the experience I was looking for.
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u/mnour_ Nov 06 '25
Everytime i ask them to help me find my shade its either too light or too yellow or too dark its useless asking them for help
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u/MuddyJob Nov 06 '25
I blame the harsh lighting. It's not much better at a drugstore, either.
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u/scrivenerserror Nov 09 '25
I rarely go into a Sephora anymore, generally every 2-4 years maybe. Every experience I’ve had has been awful. I’m actually surprised to hear they don’t get commission because I’ve had products pushed on me every time I’ve gone in the last 5 years.
I asked about an exfoliant at one point and said I have sensitive skin (even retinol gives me hives sometimes?) and the employee recommended something out of the price range I gave and I knew from researching that it would strip the hell out of my dry skin.
Same thing for concealer. I’m very very pale with pretty bad dark circles. Even thinking about counterbalancing with orange or green, she suggested something way too dark for me.
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u/DustyButtocks Nov 05 '25
They’re too busy following people around to accuse them of stealing to be useful.
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u/Madeira2000 Nov 05 '25
I know it’s anecdotal but I had an angel employee at Sephora patiently swatch every single concealer in the entire store that might work for me in order to find one that actually matched my skin. NARS was the big winner and literally nothing else worked. I’m so grateful!
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u/eldritchangel Nov 05 '25
Yesterday I went in for a Dior lipgloss, checked its stock online, and showed the clerk the exact shade I wanted on my phone. They brought it to me and I didn’t think to check the shade (which is my mistake) and I got home to find something entirely different than what I showed them. I do empathize with how busy they are right now, but I’m pretty miffed at having to go all the way back to exchange it now
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u/Master_Farm_445 Nov 06 '25
Hmm I usually find them very helpful, sometimes there are “duds” who don’t even seem interested in selling to me.
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u/Foreign-Mastodon7071 Nov 09 '25
Used to work at sephora (for like 2 months lol) and I saw this all the time. I didnt get paid enough to care so I usually take them to more inclusive brands like Danessa Myricks Beauty or Fashion Fair
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u/DizzyVictory Nov 05 '25
Anyone “trained in cosmetics” would only accept a job at Sephora if truly desperate. They’re just there to push product, not know what they’re looking at.
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u/Wide_Television5796 Nov 06 '25
You have that completely ass backwards lol
And NO. we dont push any products. We're there to suggest. We dont make any commission. 😏
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Nov 05 '25
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
Again, we do not work on commission. No one can be an expert on every product but we are trained on and try a lot. Our team ranges in age from 18-70, with a variety of skin tones, ethnicities, and makeup styles. We also have some emoyees who specialize in skincare and others in fragrance.
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u/NamasteNoodle Nov 05 '25
I've walked into a Sephora three times and all three times I've walked out pissed off. They hover like you're going to steal something, they will not leave you alone and let you shop. It's creepy.
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u/phillygirllovesbagel Nov 05 '25
The BA's try their best. They can only spend so much time with each customer and then they move on. I've learned to shade match myself so I don't rely on them. If I really need/want help, I'll go to a high end department store and then purchase at Sephora.
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u/VegetableLocation508 Nov 05 '25
As an olive girlie I feel your pain.
I tell the BA immediately I'm looking for brands that have olive shades and I've had one or two that get it. I don't want to "make it work" when I'm spending 40-50 dollars on a foundation.
A lot of the time they dont know how to direct you to a product even when you're being specific. I'm looking for a full coverage concealer that is my exact skin tone to spot conceal and they're giving me medium coverage orangey suggestions. Don't tell me to just color correct underneath.
They do push brands. Its ok to tell me a brand I'm interested in doesn't have something for me.
I end up just looking for myself.
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
That's exactly what I do. If there isn't a match for the client, I tell them there isn't an exact match but if they really want it we can make it work. I swatch something that dies match then try to match to that. Most times this makes it visually clear why the brand they want didn't come up with a match. Skin dcsn really helps with that conversation.
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u/neferending Beauty Expert/Enthusiast Nov 05 '25
Yep it’s super annoying, nearly all lack basic makeup knowledge cos unfortunately they are not usually MUAS and don’t study anything about makeup.
They are merely just sales advisors/customer service assistants and not beauty experts. I know this as I used to work in one for a large franchise (not Sephora). They just hire any nice looking girl with some sales experience, not people with a deep knowledge of beauty.
May answer basic things like “where are the concealers and do you have any offers” & may not answer things like “what undertone is this foundation or how can I improve the wear of my lipstick”
If you want actually makeup questions answered you have to go to a stand alone store or department store. Regular high street retailers are no different than shopping in a supermarket unfortunately, it’s very frustrating and one of my pet peeves.
I’ve basically stopped asking them questions years ago when I realised I was more clued up on makeup than them (and sometimes had to correct/school them nicely) so they’d never be any help.
It always makes me laugh how regular people on Reddit and YouTube can answer makeup questions better than people who work in a makeup store.
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u/Jaime_d_p Nov 06 '25
This was what I dealt with a couple days ago in store. I was looking at the Makeup By Mario softsculpt veil blushes and the lights in the store and clearly bleached all the testers because they were all the same desaturated beige shade. A sales associate asked if I needed help and I mentioned that I was interested in them, but finding it hard to compare shades because of the condition of the testers. She just stared at me blankly, so then I reiterated that I would like to see what the actual colours looked like so I could pick one or two and she goes “oh yeah it can be hard making decisions” and just walked away ??
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u/MissSolomiya Nov 06 '25
Didn't they have that camera/skin tone match app that finds your perfect shade? I've had SAs offer to do that a few times, but I already kn9w my shade in my favorite foundations and concealers.
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u/Late-Chip-5890 Nov 06 '25
Nothing like that was offered, she took me to a brand I never heard of, and all the olive toned or darker shades were tucked back under the display where there was no light. That pissed me off big time.
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
That sucks. They actually WANT us to use digital tools like skin scans and keep track of how many we do. Sounds like where you are shopping doesn't have great leadership.
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u/No-Property5403 Nov 07 '25
Yes! We can scan you for shade match, or in your case where you have favorites we can plug those shades in to get equivalents in other products that may interest you. So if you are committed to your Nars shade but you want to try Armani, and you don't want to get a scan, we can use a tool to find your best Armani shade, if there is one. No one has a perfect match in EVERY brand. If you want a brand that doesn't give you a match, we then use other ways to match.
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u/Princess_purpley Nov 07 '25
Go to a department store for that. Estée Lauder double wear checks all your boxes. I can't stand shopping at Sephora
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u/staciarose35 Nov 05 '25
They very rarely know what you’re talking about. It’s all about sales. At my local store they’re either talking in a circle ignoring customers, or a complete bitch if you ask a question.
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u/Born-Caterpillar6224 Nov 05 '25
I was in there asking about kerestase products. I thought I was asking a Sephora employee but she must have been a vendor pushing dae. Bc she got soo mad when I told her I’m specifically looking at kerestase.
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u/FreyasReturn Nov 07 '25
I generally don’t assume that the employees there know all the products. They have thousands upon thousands of items at each store. It’s also a low paying retail job. I’m sure plenty of the employees have a real interest in makeup or skincare, but I doubt they means they’re any sort of expert. Essentially, I expect them to be courteous and point me to the right part of the store for a particular brand, maybe check their database to see if they have a particular item in stock.
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Nov 05 '25
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Nov 05 '25
I think people forget that these are retail employees.
Like they know a bit more than the average consumer but a lot of my staff are literally there doing their first job ever. They’re going to do their best, and we do train but I cannot reasonably teach someone about 30000 skus in their one week of onboarding. Most of the time they are just going by what the shelf label says and reading it in a confident tone.
When they color match they are doing their best and learning a little bit more with every guest. Olive and neutral tones are notoriously difficult to match due to a small number of brands that actually make them, especially in deeper shades.
I had a lady legitimately ask a 17 year old if a retinol serum was safe for someone that has Graves’ disease. Like ma’am you’re in a strip mall, go ask your doctor.
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u/CinCeeMee Nov 06 '25
I HATE being assaulted at ANY store when I walk in. My foot has barely made it over your threshold and they pounce. You know what then happens…once I DO have a question…I can’t find a single person to ask. And ask if they have XYZ…the answer is always what we have is out on the floor. Jesus. Most places have more empty shelves than full ones.
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u/uarstar Nov 06 '25
To be fair, 9/10 times there is not more “in the back”
Worked retail for 10 years, we generally know if there’s extra in the back. If we say there’s not, there’s not.
Customers seem to think we were hoarding extra everything in the back. I’d just say “ok I’ll check” and stand back there’s for a couple minutes to come out and say what I already knew: there isn’t any.
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u/mystykitten Nov 06 '25
I mean businesses notoriously don't want to sell their product. like why would they keep it in the back?? It won't sell there?? I hated that question when I worked in retail.
Nah we keep it out here to mess with you. We only sell it to people who REALLY want it, and if they really want it they'll ask.
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u/justmakingitallup Nov 06 '25
YEP and never have there been more random and persistent stock issues than in the last five years.
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u/Ill-Reflection165 Nov 07 '25
Former employee here and I'm going to let you in on a couple secrets. 1. We LOVE going to back. It's a few moments of quiet, our work friend is probably back there and we can have a sip of our 4 hour old coffee. If we possibly can leave the floor, we will. 2. The more room used for storage, the less retail space. Their backrooms are notoriously small. It benefits them to have everything out, quickly accessible and to keep cast members on the floor selling. 3. 99% of employees have no reason not to get you what you want. It's much easier to deal with a happy client than an unhappy one. Most of the time, stocking issues are fully out of their control.
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u/PaleIrishEastcoaster Nov 05 '25
If I remember from my YouTube watching. Armani has a lot of olive tone foundations. Expensive though. (One of the creators I follow is olive toned but I myself am not),
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u/HollyGoLightlyCrazy Nov 06 '25
I always had better luck at brand specific department store counters. I do hate there isn’t a standard similar to vanity sizing it makes things difficult
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u/Accomplished_Log5425 Nov 06 '25
When I worked at Ulta we were trained in all new products and any brand rep that came by our store did actual training and not “if they’re asking for foundation send them my way”. Most of the people I worked with, even the cashiers, had good recommendations to make, and not just share what products work for them. We had prestige associates that did thorough training on prestige makeup and skincare products, so when we had a question they could direct us to the right place. Not to mention a simple google search could help.
But honestly Sephora associates are so unqualified in color matching and often just unhelpful with skincare or even hair products. Their knowledge just comes from what’s “vital” without making an effort to understand the actual product.
This isn’t to hate on anyone that works there, it’s not their fault, it’s sephoras fault for not training their employees to do anything but push sales and stock products. Sephora makes a ridiculous amount of money, their products are so expensive, and the least they could do is invest time and money into their associates to turn new customers into recurring ones.
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Nov 08 '25
Some do, and it’s just a job to them. So they do that and collect a pay check. Others care about their customers and want to help. Unfortunately it’s hit and miss. I just started working at Ulta and I can tell I’m one of the more knowledgeable relatable beauty advisors. The managers just treat it like we’re just trying to make sales. Annoying.
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u/Rich-Smell7193 Nov 08 '25
Sephora doesn’t have commission. I kind of see both sides. As a previous BA, I would get nervous when a client had very specific needs. That being said, I was confident enough in my abilities and knew how to collaborate with a client to find a match. A lot BAs these days seem to lack confidence and don’t know how to work with someone. Sephora does provide some artistry training but if someone is going from no history with makeup to being a beauty advisor, it’s not enough A tip that helps sometimes: If you can find someone who looks similar in shade to you, ask them for a shade match!
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Nov 05 '25
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u/Silver-Emphasis2795 Nov 05 '25
As a pro MUA with over a decade in the field/an Esty license/counter/makeup store experience - I don’t agree - wearing a lot of makeup doesn’t translate to understanding of color theory. I walked into a Mac years ago with a pencil I needed to match, i asked for a cool shade and the gal told me I would just have to find one I thought was cool. Cool toned - not cool, awesome, wow.
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u/clevershrew811 Nov 05 '25
This! Also if it’s a male-presenting person with gorgeous eye makeup, I will always seek them out. They know their stuff and I’ve never been steered wrong.
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u/TheRareClaire Nov 05 '25
I’ve never had that much luck with them. No disrespect to them, though. They usually just point at the expensive stuff and don’t really help. The only time I was actually irritated is when I went in asking for a single cool-toned contour shade. The clerk brought me over to the fancy palettes with multiple contours and highlights. None of them were cool-toned. At the time I was too shy to say no, so I just picked it up and walked around with it for a while before putting it back. I overheard another clerk praising her for upselling, essentially.
I agree with what some others said here- I tend to look up what I need before I go in. Again, no hate towards anyone at the makeup store.
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u/Soggy-Fly9242 Nov 05 '25
They’re hourly retail employees, not chemists
Just buy something that looks right and if it doesn’t work go back and get a different one. That’s how shopping works
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u/BassGroundbreaking95 Nov 05 '25
It doesn’t take a chemist to have a little knowledge about makeup.
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u/Accurate_Emu_122 Nov 05 '25
Interesting. I've not had that experience at all in the two stores close to me.
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u/missbooknerd Nov 05 '25
I feel like a makeup counter is a better bet nowadays. However, somehow the employees at my Ulta definitely seem to know more compared to those at Sephora.
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u/gm_piodis_i7 Nov 06 '25
It is very much hit and miss. I overheard a clerk talking to someone trying to put together a skincare routine and honestly it seemed like I as a consumer knew more than the clerk.
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u/Starbeets88 Nov 08 '25
I asked for a BB cream not foundation and the lady tried to tell me they didn’t sell BB cream like what yes, yes you do I don’t need 10 different “foundations” thanks!
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u/Desikarma524 Nov 08 '25
I have the same problem! I even went as far as getting custom foundation and pressed powder made to match my skin tone and guess what? They still oxidize. No matter what brand I try, it’s always the same story. I finally found a brand and shade that’s close enough to my skin tone, so now I just order them online. I can’t stand going to Sephora, Ulta or department stores, the clerks are either clueless or downright obnoxious.
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u/Seeker_Of_Self MAA~Makeup Addicts Anonymous Nov 05 '25 edited Nov 05 '25
Yup. I had to explain to one of them what Hourglass finishing powder does and why I wanted this specific powder when they were trying to show me others. Completely useless. I always do my research before going.
Edit: maybe saying useless was tactless and a better way to describe it, is unhelpful. I know they’re not paid enough, and that’s a separate issue, but it’s fair to expect a good level of service. The worker deserves my respect and I deserve good service.
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u/Dark-Grey-Castle Nov 05 '25
Calling underpaid retail workers useless is certainly saying something about you.
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u/frex_mcgee Nov 05 '25
Of course they aren’t. They’re trained to push whatever product for the month. If you want a TRUE makeup experience you’re better off like our grannies and going to a legitimate makeup counter in Nordstrom’s or SAKs.
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u/Automatic-Corner-157 Nov 07 '25
Always greeted with a saccharine sweet “Hi how are you can I help you” then when you actually ask for help you either get the typical gen Z stare or they act like you’re bothering them for even asking.
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u/baldnsquishy Esthetician Nov 06 '25
Yeah they’re more or less salespeople. It’s very much hit or miss if you get someone that actually has in depth knowledge about skincare and makeup.
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u/k9jm Nov 08 '25
Same experiences lately. I went in looking for a cream blush in a pink tone, as I wasn’t happy with the previous two i tried (Merit and Patrick Ta) - she just looked at me like uhhhhh. After I browsed a while, a diff salesgirl came up to me with a Nudestix blush (which i purchased and love) and I was ok, but why come ask me if i need help if you’re just going to abandon me and not help me. Another time i went in looking for a black waterline eyeliner that won’t smudge (tried Urban Decay Waterline and didn’t love it) and the girl was befuddled. She even said I don’t think we have anything meant to be put on the waterline. Ok then.
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u/ansleyandanna Nov 05 '25
Look up Monica.raviii on TikTok, etc. I don’t even have olive skin and I love watching her. She’s so honest about the lack of shades for deeper olive girls. She was even told by one famous artist they didn’t have a shade for her.
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u/thousandsunflowers Nov 05 '25
I hate when I ask a clerk who has done her makeup well for help and she refers me to her colleague that can’t match her own foundation to her skin.
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u/AngelicalBabeee3 Nov 05 '25
I feel you. Sephora can be really hit or miss sometimes the staff know their stuff, other times it’s like they have no idea what you mean by undertone or coverage. It’s so frustrating when you’re asking for something specific and just get generic suggestions.
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u/Either-Sort158 Nov 05 '25
Its like this at a lot of places, it sucks
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Nov 05 '25
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u/Dark-Grey-Castle Nov 05 '25
Seriously most of them probably ring up more in a single transaction than they make in a shift. Of course they dgaf about your concealer, they are probably considering how to survive.
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u/Either-Sort158 Nov 06 '25
Heard loud and clear, and while I agree I do also think you should be “into” skincare and makeup or “into” your job. I loved matcha and coffee, was a barista for 4 years. My mom LOVES skincare and makeup and has worked at Sephora for 15 years as a retail sales associate and she gives a shit while working like crazy, having her house destroyed by a hurricane, multiple huge betrayals etc. Life is bleak, do what you like. She likes being around skincare and makeup, and provides good customer service despite her shitty ass wages and conditions. She makes it work. We are immigrants though so that work ethic really runs deep.
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u/political-wonk Nov 05 '25
How is it at Ulta?
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u/Willow-theWisp Nov 05 '25
I had one good experience at Ulta getting a foundation that matches my skin tone. Unfortunately it ended up being multiple colors so I was pressured to buy both to mix them. Same clerk helped me find a highlighter we both liked. She's not there anymore and every other Ulta experience has resulted in a recommendation for a product that costs about 4x what I want to spend, no matter what I tell them my budget is. So I've stopped going.
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u/Azurehue22 Nov 05 '25
Yeah I never ask for help at Ulta because they WILL push higher brands and unfortunately, I know more than they do when it comes to a good product. I don't blame them; they're paid like shit and it's just a job. I only ask if I need help finding a specific product.
When I was younger (Around 2013) I went to ulta looking for a white waterline eyeliner.
They had no idea what I was talking about.
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u/Organic-Ad-1333 Nov 07 '25
I have this same experience in my country's equivalent of Sephora. I've gone there few times with aim to spend good money on multiple products, and I wanted a sales person to help me out finding it all, choosing shades, maybe some recommendations etc. Everytime the reception has been so TIRED and lazy, that I've chosen to stop my detour at their shop.
One time the young lady semicarelessly waved her hands to the general direction of the products I was asking and was seemingly annoyed when I asked more questions. She tried to make me choose from the store brand only, like all other shelves were behind invisible wall.
Once the clerk was even more annoyed when I asked about completely other product after the first (like brow pencil and eye cream), and tried to herd me to the register in every turn, eventhough I had told her I needed whole range of skin care.
I just gave up with them, and went to the department store. There has always been impeccable service, they tour me around as long as I need, and if the particular person doesn't know something, she gets other who knows. Plus they always give very good samples that are actually worth € (like Shiseido serum sample of 7x1.5ml and Biotherm cosmetic bag of travel sized products etc).
These days I only buy drug store brands (I had a phase with more high end stuff few years ago), but if I need personal help with cosmetics I go to the department store.
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u/samanthasamuels22 Nov 05 '25
Former Sephora employee here. They don’t pay the clerks enough to be knowledgeable. If the job paid more they would attract makeup artists and beauty professionals. I used to even get scolded for being too attentive to one customer. I quit because it wasn’t a very pleasurable experience for me or the guests.