Wednesday, August 19, 2009

MAC wedding makeover

Caution: lengthy rant! You've been warned...

After doing some research, I decided that I'd like to have my make-up done at one of the MAC stores in Warsaw. The fee is 150 PLN, quite a lot comparable to other brands, but redeemable on products, which is always a huge plus.

So on Monday I happily trotted to a MAC store, hoping to walk out with a gorgeous, long lasting make-up on my face. It was my first professional make-up application ever, but I think I was well-prepared, I took photos of the dress, the hair, a piece of fabric from my wedding dress... When I walked in and asked for a lady that I was supposed to have my appointment with (I asked specifically for her because she's been recommended by another MUA), she told me she's very busy and another person has to replace her. It was a bit odd, but I agreed.

Together with a MUA we decided that I wanted focus on my eyes rather than lips, I also said I have VERY oily skin and then let her pick the products for me. At this stage I began to be feel even more suspicious, because she went for Prep & Prime SPF 50 (I thought SPF reflects light in flash photography and is not recommended) and after covering my face in Studio Fix Fluid, didn't conceal any blemishes showing through. At the end she also went for some super glittery orange blusher that was not only gone within an hour from application, but also emphasized the shine on my face.

The strangest thing however was my eye make-up. She went for orange (Paradisco, I think, but I'm not sure since I wasn't given a face chart at the end) on the lid and dark purple in the crease and then she heavily applied some shimmery highlight shade under the brow bone. For my lips she chose one of the Slimshines, and the color she picked looked on me like Softlips lipbalm I put on BEFORE I do my make-up; it did abslutely nothing for my lips.

Here's the finished look:


My face got shiny within 2 hours, and, as I said, the blusher was gone even earlier. The shadow placement was uneven on both eyes as was the liner. Also, I don't think she used a waterproof mascara or liner (Blacktrack Fluidline) because it came right off with some cleansing water. But I think what pissed me off the most was the fact that the whole style of doesn't match the style of my dress or hairdo at all. FAIL!

Basically, I let her finish and told her right away I didn't like it and that we have to go for something entirely different. I suggested 40's inspired make-up with dramatic, reddish lip to match the retro style of the dress. I spent al least 15 minutes with 2 MUAs choosing a lipstick (they wanted me to get a lipgloss, but with the veil on my face I'd rather avoid having it glued to my lips). I settled on Cockney; somehow I have a soft spot for Lustre finish, and also got a Blot powder in Medium Dark, which still looks very light, so I hope it's a good shade. They booked me in for another quick makeover on Wednesday just to try a different eye look.


So I went there today again and despite having an appointment, the same MUA who booked me told me she was busy and had to hurry up because she had another client in half an hour. She was so rushed that she only took off the eyeshadows I applied in the morning and left my eyeliner and mascara ('Oh, you've already got the eyeliner, I don't have to apply it again'), then I told her specifically which colors I wanted and it took her maybe 3 minutes to do both eyes. Voila!

MAC Brule e/s on the lid, Wedge e/s in the crease and Vanilla e/s under the brow bone and in the inner corner

This was taken after I got home, so my mineral foundation is melted, I've got nothing on my lips, the eyeliner should be thicker plus there'll be some falsies, but maybe somehow you get the idea.

I'm seriously disappointed with the customer service at MAC. I think it's simply unacceptable. Today I made sure I was booked to a different MUA for the wedding, but as I've seen before, it doesn't guarantee anything. If I had all the products I need and wasn't worried that I wouldn't be able to do my own make-up on the big day due to stress, I'd rather do it myself.

I guess I AM being very picky here, but that's what happens when you know too much about something and are able to follow closely what a 'specialist' does on you. I'm trying to be positive and think that if I tell them in detail which products I want on my face and which I don't like, it's going to be fine.

What experience have you had with makeovers at MAC?

23 comments:

  1. What a shame, you deserve to be treated like as a princess for your wedding :(

    On the plus side, you look stunning in the second picture :) x x x

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Lottie: I guess they don't treat anyone with respect, and that's all I ask for... Thank you, sweetie! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. In Kings Road in london.. the MAC people can be so bitchy it makes my want to scream! So sorry this happened to you!! :( xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think it would be better if you booked with another company..If they cannot respect you at the Mac store then dont do your wedding make up there!Trust me,looking back,i would have done my wedding make up way better!!Find someone who will be friendly and will respect what you want and who is not in a hurry and doesnt pay any attention!!After all it is your wedding and you will pay for the make up!!I am soo ungry :))

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have had both good and bad experiences. If you have a PRO store there, I recommend going there instead because the artists are more experienced and have better customer service in my opinion. Especially if you are getting your wedding makeup done there, they have to give you the appropriate amount of time and can't rush it...it is your wedding after all! It really just depends on the person but some make artists are just horrible at listening to their clients needs. Good luck with it..hope everything works out!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can't believe the way they treated you! Good customer service is a dying art though IMO. The 2nd look is stunning, this is style of make-up is one of my favourite. I've been lusting after cockney for ages as well... I also adore the Lustre formulation. Whatever happens I'm sure you will look radiant on the day! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. While I personally haven't had a makeover at MAC, I've talked to plenty of people who have, and none of them have been satisfied with the customer service and the finished look.

    Most common complaints I've heard is that they do tranny-like make up (way too much, way too heavy) and bitchy/rude behaviour.

    It's unfortunate that you had to deal with bad service, not once, but twice!
    If I were you I'd return the items bought, ask for a refund, and make a formal complaint. Their business and service is make up and people and if they can't do it right, then they don't deserve a persons hard earned money.

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Tali: Ugh, I hate that! I'm hoping this other artist is going to be better... xxx

    @Krystallia: I also thought about that but I don't have any trusted MUA and for every trial/consultation you have to pay quite a lot, so I think I have to stay with MAC... But I'm going to supervise what they're doing very closely! xxx

    @Kajal Couture: Unfortunately we don't have a Pro store anywhere in Poland :( In fact I think the only 2 MAC stores in Poland are in Warsaw. But the MUA I booked to is a manager there, so I hope she's more experienced! xxx

    @loveaudrey: Well, it's just uncompleted eye look, I hope it'll look way better on the wedding day. Cockney is fab, looks great with my skin tone, I found that MAC Red was just too blue based for me. Thank you, sweetie! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  9. @Tina: You're probably right, hun, I'm just too soft and kind and I always believe that people try to do their best, so even if I think something's wrong, I'd rather keep quiet than make a fuss... This time make-up wasn't too heavy, I even think that the foundation was matched really nicely, just the base and blusher were not really for my skin type. The products I got are lovely though and I think I'll have a lot of use out of them. Thanks for your advice, sweetie! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  10. I can understand them being a little dismissive and rushed if you just walk in and ask for some free help (it's still a shame, but you expect it) but when you BOOK and PAY and they still treat you like this, it's totally unacceptable! I've procrastinated for ages over booking a makeup lesson thing at MAC and your experience is what lurks in my mind and stops me booking. I hope you have better luck on the day. I have to say - you even manage to look beautiful wth the slightly bonkers look in the first photo!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  11. @Ondine: I was thinking that maybe just the staff here in Poland is not trained enough or something, but it seems that's a common thing for MUAs at MAC! I guess just Nicola from Pixiwoo is an exception to the rule :) Thanks for the compliment, sweetie! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am so sorry to read about this bad experience. It is a shame!

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Catanya: I hope it'll be better next time! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  14. I like the look of the second photo. Blot powder has no colour with the exception of deep dark so you should be ok.
    Picking a makeup artist for such a special day is important because it's not just about the makeup (although it's pretty important); you have to be able to get along with the artist and the most importantly, they have/need to listen to your concerns and wants. If you've had this much trouble for a trial I would suggest looking elsewhere.
    For your wedding, you want to look like you but better because there will be lots of cameras flashing. Keep in mind that the makeup should be applied with a slightly heavier hand then you would wear from day-to day. Sorry to ramble on so much. I hope this helps and good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Naomi: Thanks for your advice, hun! My problem is that I don't know any good make-up artist so I would have to go with a trial and error method, which might prove to be quite costly... That's so true about a heavier hand, especially for the blusher, I always have to apply more intially or it disappears within hours. Thanks again for all your tips and take care :) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  16. i'm almost never satisfied when their makeup artists work with me--sometimes i swear it's as though they can't hear a thing i'm saying! i know how frustrating this must be for you...don't worry if you are being super particular about this one thing--clearly it's one of the things that matters to you, and you should be happy with the final look on your big day xx

    ReplyDelete
  17. @fantastic: I decided not to worry too much about it, because if I worried about every single thing not being perfect I would have gone mad... I'm pretty sure something won't go quite as expected on the day of the wedding, but you know what, whatever, I'll be happy no matter what :) xxx

    ReplyDelete
  18. What an awful experience!! To be honest, I love buying MAC and I have my favorite MAC makeup artist I go to for advice...but in any makeovers I've done at MAC, I have never liked. Whereas I have gone to numerous makeovers at NARs and Bobbi and somehow the freelance makeup artists they have always do a great job and make me feel and I think look great. Keep on shopping for a makeup artist that will do what you want. It is your day! :-)

    Michelle
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  19. @Michelle: If only we had NARs or Bobbi Brown in Poland! Unfortunately it's either this or Inglot or Sephora. Inglot make-up is inferior quality to MAC, and I feel at Sephora the MUAs are even worse than at MAC... I tried to find someone freelance, but haven't had much luck :( Thanks for advice! xxx

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am so sorry you had such a terrible experience at MAC. I was an artist there for about 2 and a half years and our counter would have been in big trouble if we treated a client like you were treated. They definitely don't display the proper MAC attitude. If I was closer, I would do your make-up for you!! :) I hope everything works out and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask!

    ReplyDelete
  21. yes you will! you're going to have a fabulous day! you won't even realize any of the things that aren't going well until...way after the fact when it all of the sudden comes to mind ;)

    ReplyDelete
  22. @Meagan: I'm sure not some MUAs who work for MAC are really good, maybe we just slack behind in Poland with customer care... Thank you, hun! xxx

    @fantastic: I hope so! I don't want to remember any faux pas... xxx

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thats awful - first of all, your booking is your booking and they should not just swap you to another MUA for their convenience. Secondly, they should listen to your concerns and the specifications for the look you want. You pay for the service and should get what you ask for!

    ReplyDelete