Make Up Tricks

Have you ever held on to a pair of jeans that haven't fit you in over a decade because you truly believe that someday they will? I think we all have.

And I also believe that all of us have done the same thing with makeup. We buy makeup that doesn't look good on us then toss it in the makeup mistake drawer, with the congealing foundation that we bought ten years ago.

We have this vague hope that some day miraculously these products will look good on us and we won't feel so bad about spending the probably thousands of dollars, over the years, that we got hoodwinked into spending on them.

Here is a fact that really didn't hit me until a few years ago: Sales people at these makeup counters are on commission, just like the ones that tell you that the dress that makes your butt look three times as big is absolutely fabulous on you.

Some truly want you to look good but many just want to make the sale. These people may be short sighted, in that after you are burned once by them, they will never see your shadow by their display again but that still doesn't change the fact that you have been suckered.

Although I do buy some of my products in department stores and pharmacies, I buy most of my products at Sephora. Why? Because they stand behind their products 100%. If it doesn't look good on you or you simply don't like it, or you have changed your mind - they will take the used product back!

My sister used to work for them and people returned makeup all the time, without being hastled. The staff there has less reason to rush you through a sale because if you are not happy they will be the ones having to refund your money, lose out on the commission and waste time they could be spending helping another customer.

Now let's get to the main problem of the makeup mistake drawer and why it actually exists.

1) We hate to admit we are wrong. Isn't that true? We go to the counter, get convinced that, despite the fact that we are computer glare pale, some tan goop looks good on us, make the decision to pull out our credit card and spend our latest paycheck and then spend the extra effort convincing ourselves that it must look good if we went to all that effort.

2) We are inherently lazy. Now don't go getting all offended. Think about it. You have just spent all this effort buying the stuff and retrying it on at home and then you have to go all the way back to the mall to return it. The mere thought of fighting traffic to return something can sometimes be tiring. It is the same principle as the excercize equipment that you bought to use as a clothes hanger. Who is going to take the time to pack and return that thing?

How to Get Past this, Clear out your Makeup Mistake Drawer and Find the Right Makeup for You:

Long term purchases:

1) Go to your makeup mistake drawer right now and clear it out.

- a)Anything that has begun to seperate must go. Foundations go first.

- b)Any mascara that has been in your drawer for 6 months or more needs to be tossed. (Bacteria grows on the brush and can cause infections)

- c)Every free shade of lipstick that you got with your purchase must go. That is right that puce colored lipstick will never look good on you or anyone else, which is why it was a freebee. That was their fashion mistake that they fousted on you.

- Every moisturizer that made you break out needs to hit the trash bin.

Short term purchases:

1) Admitting that we have a problem is the first step. Ok, so we hate to admit we are wrong and we especially hate having to treck to the mall to admit to the sales clerk that we were wrong. Maybe we feel that we will hurt his or her feelings. Acknowledge this and get over it.

-a) If you just recently bought something that doesn't look good on you and the store has a good return policy BRING IT BACK. If you don't want to return it to the same sales person fine but make sure it is returned to some other sales person in the store.

- b)Get the credit for your item but don't use it that day. You do not have to feel obligated to make another purchase today. Save it for a day when you really have time to try on different shades and products.

Final Step for Future Beauty Purchases:

- 1)Schedule an Appointment with a Beauty Consultant - THIS IS FREE in most department stores and makeup specialty shops.

-a) Only buy the products that you are shown that you truly like and will really use. If they show you this great eye liner but your hands shake and you have a fear of poking yourself in the eye DON'T BUY IT.

b) Speak up. Nicely tell your makeup consultant if you are not thrilled with the color choices, the way the product feels or the way the makeover turned out. Be polite. Simply ask if you can try another look or shade. If you have sensative skin, tell them that before they pick a moisturizer or foundation. If you prefer to wear just concealer and powder, let them know that as well.

The idea is to create a look that you can and want to replicate at home.

That's it folks. This is not rocket science. Let go of your hangups about returns. If you truly feel guilty about taking the time to make smart choices, take a portion of the money you would have spent on makeup don'ts and donate it to charity. Then take the rest of what you would have spent on the wrong shade of lipstick, foundation, whatever and stick it in your savings account. You will feel and look better believe me.

Caterina Christakos - founder of stillagirl.com - a positive place for women and girls. For more makeup tips go to: stillagirl.com