Top 3 Lies You'll Hear at the Makeup Counter

Makeup counters can be beautiful things. We can go to them for consultations, and even get a free makeover. But when it comes to buying the products, things get a little uncomfortable. The fine ladies and gentlemen at department store makeup counters want to make a sale, and that's the bottom line. I have seen these salespeople go to some pretty extravagant lengths to push their products, and truth be told, more often than not their concern does not lie in the customer's best interests. Here are a few of the biggest lies--I mean, the worst beauty tips--that may get thrown your way at the beauty counter.

Makeup brushes: Our brushes are anti-bacterial - you only need to wash them once a month!

First of all -- gross. If you are using your brushes on a daily basis, you should be cleaning them once a week without question. How do you wash your makeup brushes? It's easy, not time consuming and far better than rubbing bacteria on your face that the supposed "antibacterial brushes" don't kill. The best way to wash your makeup brushes is with baby shampoo, massaging into the bristles in warm water.

To give your brushes a daily pick me up, use a gentle mixture of one part baby shampoo, two parts water, and one-half part antibacterial rubbing alcohol. Shake it up in a spray bottle, spritz your brushes and wipe them onto a damp paper towel or washcloth. You'll be amazed by how much crud comes off. And these beauty counter mavens want you to believe that it's okay to go a whole month rubbing that junk back onto your face? Oh, okay - yeah, right!

We don't have that -- but we have this that works basically the same way!

To which I say, "Sure you do." Getting a job at a makeup counter relies more on sales than it does cosmetology experience. If you are looking for a primer and the staff at the Clinique counter tells you that they don't have one, but they have a moisturizer that works "pretty much the same," do this: politely decline, thank them for their time and move on to another counter. You know what you're looking for, and you know that you can get it from somewhere'"don't settle for a halfway product. Remember, their bottom line is to keep you at that makeup counter long enough to make a sale, even if they know that they don't carry the product you need.

Healthy makeup: Our makeup is safe to sleep in because it's good for your skin!

This is the top lie told at makeup counters. Short of "it will make you live forever!" this is the best selling point a product can have: It's good for you. The only makeup that won't clog your pores if you leave it on for 12+ hours is the purest of mineral makeup, and even then, just because it's not bad for you, doesn't necessarily mean it's good for you. When this line is used on you, take a moment to think: why would I even need to sleep in my makeup, anyway?

Keep in mind that the only thing that should be on your face when you go to sleep is a light water-based moisturizer. The best beauty tip to guarantee that your skin is being taken care of is to take care of it!

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