Beauty counter conundrum: how to avoid the hard sell

Bobbi's best foundation yet? Try before you buy.

Happy 'twenty-twelve' to one and all.

First up this year is the age-old problem of how to avoid the hard sell at the beauty counter. We know they have sales targets to meet and product to shift but sometimes it's as if the smiling, doll-faced ladies behind the counter have put us under their spell? (And you'd think it'd be easier for a make-up artist but let me tell you, I get sucked in too sometimes).

Take my recent trip to the Bobbi Brown counter at Liberty's yesterday.

Bobbi has recently launched a new whipped foundation: Extra Repair Foundation SPF 25 (RRP £36), in a jar nonetheless! How novel. Now, there is nothing which excites me more than finding the perfect foundation. I think that's because I've never found it. (I find fault with them all, but, I'm terribly picky and I know foundations are leagues ahead of the ones my mother used to buy so I can't complain).

Even as I looked at the foundation and the assistant walked over, I could feel myself falling into The Trap...

I decided to try some on the back of my hand and was instantly impressed by it's smooth texture. (It left my skin looking dewy similar to NARS Sheer Glow Foundation RRP £29.50).

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation. We likey.

Within seconds, the shop assistant had offered to apply some to my face. I thought, why the hell not! She went to an awful lot of trouble, cleansing my face first, then massaging in some cream, and then the foundation itself ("it's important to warm the foundation up in your hands before you apply it to the skin. Bobbi encourages us to do this").

5 minutes in, I started to feel the 'I-should-buy-something-to-say-thank-you' guilt-trip. Another 2 minutes went by and I'd bought some! ("@£*&*^%") But here's the thing we must remember ladies:

MY FAIL-SAFE TOP TIPS WHEN MAKE-UP SHOPPING:
1. The assistants are there to introduce us to products, and to the brand. It's their job - first and foremost - way before any selling comes into play. 'I am in complete control' is your mantra as you approach them.
2. Even if they spend 20 minutes giving us a glamorous makeover, we are not in any way obliged to buy anything.
3. Most brands produce sample sizes of new products. If you like something, ask for a sample. If they don't have a sample ask for a small amount of the product to be put in a sample pot (I think Nars are one of the few brands which don't do this).
4. New foundations must always be checked first on your skin, in natural daylight (e.g. on your neck or jaw, not on your hand). This is essential before you buy. With the array of liquid foundations currently available there's no excuse not to get a perfect match.
5. Check eye-shadows for pigment on the back of your hand (e.g. if the eye-shadow leaves an intense colour/mark, you know it has a good level of pigment). Another good tip, if the eye shadow is bright/strong, ask the assistant to apply some for you. (E.g. a burnt orange eye-shadow may look fantastic on the back of your hand but might be totally the wrong colour for your eyes!)

These might sound like obvious tips but I think it's good to remind ourselves every now and then so we avoid stocking up on the wrong types of product (by 'wrong' I mean products we were never really that convinced by or those that aren't particularly flattering).

Back to my Bobbi Brown purchase - I may, or may not return it (my only quibble is that I could feel it on my skin during the day and it came off quite easily on my hands/clothes, but I guess that's what you pay for with dewy skin?).  Whatever I decide, I regret not asking for a sample.

Do you have any beauty counter experiences - enjoyable or hellish - that you'd like to share?