I had makeovers at five different makeup counters and this is what happened (2024)

Whether you’re a makeup maestro or only dabble occasionally, many of us love the idea of visiting a professional makeup artist and having our faces properly ‘done’.

Luckily, you don’t need to be a celebrity to achieve that these days; many high street makeup brands offer makeovers in-house, but with so many choose from, it can be baffling knowing which to go for. Are you more of a MAC or a Clinique girl? No7 or Nars?

With this in mind, I decided to try out the makeover services as five popular high street brands. I asked each to give me two looks: one daytime (on the left), one evening glamour (the right). And I picked up plenty of makeup tips (as well as a few purchases!) along the way…

MAC

What was I expecting?

MAC, for me, is all about drama: bold colours, stunning evening looks and attention-grabbing celebrity collaborations.

I had makeovers at five different makeup counters and this is what happened (1)

What did I get?

Well, I finally found a foundation that perfectly matched my skin for a start! MAC’s foundation range is split into warm and cool tones and has a huge array of shades (including darker colours – much-needed on the UK high street). The makeup artist quickly matched me as NC15, basically the palest shade, which made me happy because I seem to spend half my life trying to convince makeup artists that I am actually much paler than they think.

My day look was surprising subtle (yep, MAC does do subtle), although don’t be fooled into thinking that just because it looks natural, there’s not a whole lot of product on there. I particularly love how fresh my skin looks; this is a combination of the foundation, highlighter, bronzer and blush working its magic. Believe me, after a long day at work not much of that glow was coming from me!

For the night look, makeup artist Phoebe went BIG on my eyes, including false eyelashes, which I rarely use because I can’t stand the feeling when they come unattached and start flapping around your eyeballs like a spider. Luckily that’s not a problem when you have a professional on hand. Phoebe also taught me how to tightline, which is where you apply eyeliner on the waterline of your upper eyelid, adding extra definition and making lashes look longer. It’s a bit fiddly at first, but certainly effective.

Tops tips I picked up:

  • Use a concealer that’s slightly darker than your foundation for your undereye bags, otherwise the area will look weird (I had NC20 concealer).
  • Always curl your eyelashes. I have quite long lashes naturally so never bother with this; in fact, it makes a dramatic difference to anyone's eyes, says Phoebe.
  • Don’t worry if there are some colours you simply hate. I was worried Phoebe might think I was boring for saying I only use browns and golds on my eyes – in fact she said we are drawn to what suits us, so it’s fine to not experiment with colours if you can’t stand the sight of them on your face (that’s the last time I bother with purple eyeshadow then).

    Products used:

    I had makeovers at five different makeup counters and this is what happened (3)

    DAY

    Complete Comfort Crème, £24.50; Prep and Prime Fix +, £17.50; Studio Fix Fluid, £22 – (my shade - NC15); Pro Longwear Concealer, £18; Prep & Prime Highlighter, £18.50 – (my shade - Bright Forecast); Bronzing Powder, £22 (my shade – Bronze); Blush Powder, £18 (my shade – Plum Foolery); Mineralize Skinfinish, £24 (my shade – Soft & Gentle); Pro Longwear Paint Pot, £16 (my shade – Painterly); Eye Shadow, £13 (my shade – Sable); Eye Kohl, £14 (my shade – Smolder); In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash, £19; Lipstick, £15.50 (my shade – Patisserie)

    NIGHT

    As above, plus: Amber Times Nine Palette, £25; Fluidline, £16 (my shade – Blacktrack); Eye Brows pencil, £14 (my shade – Lingering); Lip Pencil, £13 (my shade – Boldly Bare); 7 Lash, £10.50

    NO7

    What was I expecting?

    I think of No7 a bit like John Lewis: no-nonsense, reliable, and a stalwart of the British high street. It launched back in 1935 and has been recommended through the generations since, so I definitely felt like I was in safe hands when I visited the Piccadilly branch.

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    What did I get?

    Pushed out of my comfort zone, surprisingly. The first look featured green eyeshadow and coral lips, which I would never normally pick (as I’ve mentioned before, ‘variations on brown’ could pretty much sum up my makeup look). I am also a complete eyeliner addict, so going liner-free for my daytime look was definitely a refreshing change.

    I have to say, I wouldn’t have expected the night-time look from No7 either – I guess I was expecting something a bit more ‘safe’ than this heavily contoured, bronzed look. I love the eyes and the extra definition in my brows, and the fact I was encouraged to try a peachy blusher instead of my usual pink.

    This being No7, skincare was obviously high on the agenda – at my age (28), the Early Defence range was recommended, although I’ve heard great things about Lift & Luminate and Protect & Perfect for those aged 40+. I also tried No7’s nifty little Match Made service, where they scan your skin with a special device that idenfities the ideal foundation, lip and blusher shade to complement your skin.

    Top tips I picked up:

    • Apply your serum properly. If there’s one thing No7 excel in, it’s skincare, so I paid attention when advised to dab in my serum, rather than rubbing (oops…)
    • Apply foundation properly too. That means from the middle of your face outwards, as the central point is generally where you need the coverage most.
    • Don’t panic if you apply too much dark eyeshadow. Instead of completely starting again, simply counteract it by brushing a paler shade on top.

    Products:

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    DAY

    Beautifully Matte Foundation, £14.50 (my shade – Cool Vanilla); Match Made Concealer, £7.50 (my shade – Cool Vanilla); Instant Radiance Highlighter, £9.95; Powder Blusher, £9; Stay Perfect Eyeshadow Trio, £9.50; Lash Impact Gold Special Edition, £13.50; Match Made Moisture Drench Lipstick, £9.95 (my shade – Rose Mist)

    NIGHT

    As above, plus: Shade and Define, £8 (my shade – Black Shimmer); Stay Precise Liquid Liner, £7.50; Beautiful Eyebrow Sculpting Pencil, £8; Precision Lips Pencil, £6.75 (my shade – Nude); Match Made Moisture Drench Lipstick, £9.95 (my shade – Honey Bloom)

    CLINIQUE

    What was I expecting?

    Most people associate Clinique with skincare above all else. In line with this, I expected the makeup looks to be extremely focused on the skin, and fairly natural in terms of eye and lip colours.

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    What did I get?

    A seriously bold look! For the day, I chose from a selection of pre-set looks (you can vary each one up according to your tastes). Mine was called Acoustic, and featured some barely-there eyeshadow with brown eyeliner, plus a peachy lip.

    For night, we went full-on. The ombre lip is a trend I’ve never tried before – I think you need a professional makeup artist involved to ensure it looks fashion-forward, and not like you’ve just applied pale lipstick with overly dark lipliner! I love the eye makeup – winged eyeliner and brown eyeshadow is right up my street. Overall, a much more vibrant, fashionable look than I anticipated from the brand.

    Top tips I picked up:

    • For a subtle day look, focus on your socket line. Rather than daubing eyeshadow all over the lids, a wash of nude shadow with a more intense colour blended over the socket line makes your eyes pop without being too 'done'
    • Don’t be obsessed with covering all your ‘flaws’. Some people want their skin to look like a blank canvas after applying foundation (i.e. all one colour), but allowing a bit more of your natural colouring to show through looks far less mask-like.

    Products:

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    DAY

    Chubby In The Nude Foundation Stick, £23 (my shade – Abundant Alabaster); Airbrush Concealer, £19 (my shade – Fair Cream); Chubby Stick Cheek Colour Balm, £19 (my shade – Robust Rhubarb); Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight, £19; Lid Pop, £15 (my shade – Vanilla Pop); All About Shadow Singles, £16.50 (my shade – Nude Rose); Quickliner For Eyes, £16 (my shade – Chocolate); High Impact Mascara, £17.50; Just Browsing Brush-On Styling Mousse, £16.50; Quickliner For Lips Intense, £14.50 (my shade – Intense Sassafras); Pop Glaze Sheer Lip Colour + Primer, £16 (my shade – Melon Drop Pop)

    NIGHT

    Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour, £19; True Bronze Pressed Powder Bronzer, £24.50 (my shade – Sunkissed); Lid Pop, £15 (my shade – Cocoa Pop); Pretty Easy Liquid Eyelining Pen, £19; Superfine Liner For Brows, £14.50; Quickliner For Lips Intense, £14.50 (my shade – Intense Liquorice); Pop Lip Colour and Primer, £16 (my shades – Nude Pop and Berry Pop)

    NARS

    What was I expecting?

    Beautiful colours and high quality products. In my head, Nars is a bit of a ‘treat’ brand, and this luxe feel was reinforced when I entered its pristine new makeup store in Covent Garden.

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    What did I get?

    I actually really love both these looks. The day-time face is slightly more full-on than I got at some of the other brands, but that definitely suits my style (I’m one of those ‘full face of makeup to buy a pint of milk’ type of girls).

    For the night-time look, makeup artist Vicki-Ann opted for a zing of colour on my lower lash line, using a bright blue liner – a great way for a colour-phobe like me to introduce a rainbow hue into their palette.

    I’m slightly obsessed with these matte lipsticks too, as they somehow manage to look fairly natural and bold at the same time.

    Top tips I picked up:

    • Invest in a liquid bronzer. If you don’t want to buy a whole new foundation to match your Summer tan, simply mix your existing base with the bronzer (Nars Laguna is a great option).
    • Use a lighter shadow in the inner corner of your eyes. This will brighten and widen your eyes.
    • If you have pink-toned skin, opt for peachy blushers. Naturally pink-cheeked folks should opt for more coral tones to neutralise their redness - who knew?!

    Products:

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    DAY

    Oil Free Primer, £26; Sheer Glow Foundation, £31 (my shade – Deauville); Radiant Creamy Concealer, £22.50 (my shade – Custard); Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, £27; Laguna Liquid Bronzer, £26.50; Blush, £23 (my shade – Luster); Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo, £25; Dual Intensity Eyeshadow, £21 (my shade – Telesto); Eye Paint, £18.50 (my shade – Black Valley); Brow Perfector, £17 (my shade – Kalamata); Velvet Matte Pencil, £23 (my shade – Pop Life)

    NIGHT

    Larger Than Life Long Wear Eyeliner, £19 (my shade – Abbey Road); Audacious Lipstick, £24 (my shade – Arlene)

    BENEFIT

    What was I expecting?
    I mainly associate Benefit with amazing brow products (and true to form, they recently launched this extensive new range of eyebrow products), as well as excellent bronzers and highlighters. However, I was really interested to find out what the overall Benefit aesthetic would be when I visited the buzzing Carnaby Street store.

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    What did I get?

    As I expected, the contouring and bronzing for both my day and night looks were on point (I’ve taken these pictures side-on just so you can admire my makeup-enhanced cheekbones!)

    For both day and night, the eye makeup was fairly dramatic; this was built up for the night-time look with the addition of extra eyeshadow and a glossy lip, which I liked much more than I expected.

    Another surprise came when I was introduced to Benefit’s skincare range. To be honest I’ve never really associated Benefit with skin products, but the eye cream, serum and moisturizer which were used during my makeover felt lovely and hydrating – worth a try!

    Top tips I picked up:

    • Do your smokey eye before the rest of your makeup. That way if you end up with eyeshadow all down your face, you can wipe it off easily instead of having to remove all your makeup.
    • Use your ears and lips to map your contour. If you’re not sure how to contour your cheekbones, imagine a line joining the top of your ear and the corner of your lip – this is the place to apply it. Another option is simply to suck in your cheeks and see where the line falls!

    Products:

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    DAY

    It’s Potent Eye Cream, £25.50; Total Moisture Facial Cream, £26.55; Instant Comeback Facial Serum, £36; The POREfessional Primer, £24.50; Playstick Cream-to-Powder Foundation, £26.50 (my shade – Tea Party); Hoola Bronzing Powder, £23.50; Dandelion Blusher, £23.50; Shy Beam Liquid Highlighter, £19.50; Boi-ing Full Coverage Concealer, £17.50 (my shade – Light); Brow Zings Eyebrow Shaping Kit, £24.50; Gimme Brow, £18.50 (my shade – Medium); Big Beautiful Eyes Eye Contour Kit, £25.50; They’re Real! Beyond Mascara, £19.50; They’re Real Eye Liner, £18.50; Hydra Smooth Lip Colour, £13.50 (my shade – Frisky Business)

    NIGHT

    As above, plus: Hydra Smooth Lip Colour, £15 (my shade – Talk Flirty)

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