How To Shop For Makeup In A Pandemic

Long gone are the days where you can walk into your local Sephora and test the newly released lipsticks to see if you like it before buying. There is no longer an option of receiving a sample of a certain product to take home. Sales clerks at makeup counters are not applying foundation to customers because proper color matching would require the customer to remove their mask. COVID 19 has forced the cosmetic retail industry to accept the realization that testers are a breeding ground for lingering bacteria. In 2011, Dr. Elizabeth Brooks, Biology professor at Rowan University, analyzed a large number of makeup testers in high-end department stores as well as local drugstores. Dr. Brooks’ studies revealed makeup testers contained a melting pot of infectious diseases such as Staph bacteria, E. Coli, fecal bacteria, to name a few. The bottom line is, makeup testers have always been unsanitary and unsafe to apply to porous skin, eyes and lips.

COMPARE PRODUCTS

So how do you know which products will work for you? Try to compare new products to your favorite lipstick in your makeup bag and choose a product that has a similar warm or cool undertone. Read product reviews and scout social media for pictures of women with similar skin tones wearing the products you are interested in.

VIRTUAL WEB APPLICATIONS

Just as we have all been forced to do, beauty retailers such as Ulta Beauty pivoted and created a way for consumers to virtually try on makeup. Ulta recently announced the launch of GLAMlab which can be accessed through their website. GLAMlab is an interactive web application which allows consumers to select a picture from a group of stock photos of women with varying complexions and undertones. Then, you virtually test products directly on the model. The consumer also has an option of taking a selfie photo and upload it to GLAMlab to test the makeup products on themselves, virtually.

HIRE A PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP ARTIST

No matter how much time you spend uploading photos and browsing through a ton of foundations, you may still need help. Hiring a professional artist to help you find the right makeup products has many benefits. A professional artist will help you shop and save you from spending countless hours browsing websites for products. You can trust the professional artist to make selections that are tailored to you instead of trusting the advice of the sales clerk inside the store. The professional artist will be a personal resource to assist you when your needs change (did you change your hair color and need new makeup? did you recently have a baby and need products for a quick and long-wearing look?)

Dee Gilmore Beauty’s virtual makeup classes are tailored specifically to fit your needs. Anybody can watch a YouTube video of an influencer applying makeup to their own face to convince you to buy certain products. If you’re like me, you have surely been down the rabbit hole of buying products based on an influencer’s review only to realize the product did not perform the same way for you. In Makeup Bag Makeover, we will go through your makeup collection and assess what you currently have and what needs updating. You will share inspiration photos with Dee who will assist you with selecting the products needed to achieve your look.

You may have all of the tools and products you need and simply need help with application. If certain items in your personal makeup bag has expired or doesn’t fit the look, Dee will personally select products for you to complete your look. After the makeup bag is overhauled and the shopping is complete, Dee will sit down with you for 90 minutes or more and walk you through the step-by-step process of applying the makeup products like a pro. By the end of the lesson, you will feel more confident in your ability to achieve your desired look. As a bonus, the session will be recorded so you can re-watch it as often as needed. So, go call the sitter, put on your comfy pants, grab your makeup bag and let’s play in makeup! Book a free 15 minute Discovery call with me to hear how I can be of service to you.

Beautifully,

Dee