Sooooo... How did it go? The Beauty Studio Service Thread

[danielledanielle]

I recently got my lashes done at a Sephora and it was suuuuuch a good experience that I will go back, get lashes again, just to chit chat with the associates there.

I narrowed it down to two choices:

Velour Lashes Effortless - No Trim - Natural Lash Collection Understated(I think)

SEPHORA COLLECTION Vegan False Eyelashes Charming   (obvs winner) ... Way nice and way nice price😁😉

They stayed and slayed. This was a four hour wear. It's $15 USD for the service + cost of lashes.  The SC lashes are very adorable, affordable and as my Syane (shout-out to Sephora Meatpacking) said, "they eatttt"

I highly encourage getting lashes, especially if you struggle with them.  I described what I wanted, and got tips and tricks that allowed me to do this on my own.

What I learned

1. Tapered out shape for almond shaped eyes gives you all the drama without overwhelming your eye
2. Cut the outside, not the inside so you don't ruin your lashes if you're new to this or just find it challenging
3. Look down when applying , which seems intuitive, but 9/10 I go straight and straight into the mirror.  Having a mirror and looking down gives me a higher success rate.

Also, I got in store goodies!

 

Tagging some other folks to share their experiences:

@itsfi 

@SportyGirly125 

@Mellmars1185 

@faeriegirl 

[AngWinter]

I really need to do this I never know how to put them on and some falsies are just so pretty I want to be able to apply when I want one in awhile

[itsfi]

Sooooo, I gave the the makeup lesson service a try for the BIC Challenge (that ended last month). I went in on the second to last day of the challenge. Note to self - Self, try not to wait until the last minute 🙄 to get in the services portion of these challenge.  I really need to be better at that. Next time @danielledanielle; next time.

Booking An Appointment:

Booking an appointment for any of the services offered is easy peasy to do online. One "to do" I highly recommend, especially for the makeup related services, is to take advantage of the "Any Special Request" field  on the "Review and Pay" page, and include a note to your makeup artist of what you are hoping to achieve, work on during your time. 

Screenshots for booking an appointment for Beauty Lesson 

Spoiler

(Note: A couple of the screenshots will include the date I post this reply and not the day I actually made the appointment. Apologies for the inconsistency, I forgot to capture a screenshot for a couple of pages when I was making the appointment).

Day of Appointment: 

* Arrive at the store 10-15 minutes prior to appointment. I arrived at the location earlier because I wanted to look around the store and check out some of the new summer releases in store. 

* I arrived wearing just a tinted moisturizer, no makeup, even though I really wanted to put on concealer to cover some of the redness on my face. 

* Check-In: I let the first Sephora employee I ran into know that I was here for a makeup lesson appointment.

* Expectations: When it came time for my appointment, the makeup artist and I first discuss what we're going to do. This is where including some notes in the "Any Special Requests" field can be helpful. These are a few of the things we discussed: 

• My skin condition and preferences (sensitivities, ingredient allergies, skincare preferences, etc.)
• What we wanted to focus on for the appointment / if there was anything else that I hadn't included in the "Any Special Requests" field
• Lesson style - watching what the makeup artist did or seeing what the artist did and then trying the technique myself (with guidance from the makeup artist)
• What, if anything, I had on my skin
• What product(s) I generally use or was currently using
• She also asked me if there was a particular product (that they carried in store) that I might be interested in using/trying. The makeup artist used items from her makeup kit (e.g., Anastasia Beverly Hills, Makeup by Mario, Make Up For Ever, NARS, etc) 

Beauty Lesson: 

- Scope: I had shared that I was interested in (a) learning about summer makeup trends (which is a broad scope and I narrowed it down in terms of cheek products/colors) and (b) contouring, particularly my nose and jawline/chin, that I was looking to learn technique for a more natural contouring and not the heavier Kim Kardashian style contouring - the results of the latter are lovely but I don't have the patience to put the work for that type of look and I prefer a more natural contour. 

- Skincare Prep: I shared with the makeup artist that I was experiencing a mild rosacea flare up and had some redness on my cheeks and around my nose. I also shared with her the skincare products I was currently using. From there, she went to grab the following products:

Spoiler

• SEPHORA COLLECTION Micellar Cleansing Water With Postbiotics + Niacinamide 6.76 oz. / 200 ml. # - this would be enough of a cleanser for me to remove the tinted sunscreen I arrived to the store wearing.
• SEPHORA COLLECTION Organic Cotton Pads 50 Pads 
• First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads 28 ct / container - I have used these pads off and on for over a decade now. 
• Shani Darden Skin Care Hydration Peptide Cream 2.5 oz / 75 mL  - the makeup artist and I discussed my current skin condition, needs and routine. I had mentioned to her that I have a couple of products from the Shani Darden line. 
• Skinfix barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Hydrating Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL - their cleansing oil is currently my go-to for a first (and sometimes second) cleanser. 
• Tatcha The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 Weightless Mineral Sunscreen which is one I'm currently using this week; I pulled it from my drawer after using it for the beauty lesson.

- Lesson Style: We discussed the makeup products I'm currently using and the look I was going for - basic every day, weekend, full face, etc. We also discussed my preference for foundation coverage - full coverage, skin tint, etc. I asked for a bit of a mix - lighter coverage foundation-wise, but for the eyes, something natural, light, neutral for the day that I could (fairly quickly and easily) turn into a smokey eye for the evening. And glowy cheeks, slightly bronzed "I got some sun" face.

I opted to do a mix of approaches as far as the lesson was concerned - I would watch as she applied my base makeup, lipstick, the eyes and most of the cheeks. Then, I would watch her do one side of my cheeks as far as contouring goes, as well as contouring my nose and jawline, and then I would try the technique myself on the other side (with her guidance). 

- Makeup Used: It was a mix of items from her pro kit, products I already have and currently use, and products that I was interested in using. I specifically asked to incorporate the DIOR Rosy Glow Blush Stick 012 Rosewood  as I had recently purchased that a few days before my appointment. I've listed below the products used in the general order (by area of the face) she applied my makeup. While she went to grab the Dior blush stick and a few other products I mentioned or that she thought I might like using (separate from the ones she pulled from her kit), I used the skincare products she pulled / set out to remove my tinted sunscreen and to prep my skin.

Spoiler

* EYES:

• Primer: DIOR Dior Forever Skin Correct Full-Coverage Concealer - I have this already and had shared with the makeup artist that my every day look most often consists of a skin tint, BB/CC cream or lighter coverage foundation and a more fuller coverage concealer. 

• Eyeshadow / Eye Liner: MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Mattes® Eyeshadow Palette: The Original 12 x 0.03 oz/ 1 g # - this was from her kit; it's one she recommended, though she said we could go with the cooler toned one if I was more comfortable with those shades or she could find another neutral-to-cool toned palette. It is a warmer palette than I typically use but we discussed it and went with this one. I'm glad we did; I ended up liking the look she created with it and it gave me an opportunity to try his reformulated version of it - I picked this up when it first came out and found some of the shades to be chalky. 

• Eyebrows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Your Brows Set Medium Brown - just the liner. I *think* this was from her kit. I tend to use taupe or grey-brown shades but my hair has been lightened for the summer and she went with this shde to more closely complement the lighter highlights in my hair.

• Mascara: we opted to skip mascara. I actually had a mascara and eyelash curler in my purse (I was going to dinner after getting my makeup done) so I would just use that. I'm particular when it comes to mascara and since I was off to dinner I felt more comfortable going with something I knew worked well for me.

* COMPLEXION: 

• Primer: used the Tatcha SPF from my skincare routine as primer - this worked out well as I use sunscreen as my primer about 80% of the time

•  Base: MAKE UP FOR EVER Super Boost Lightweight Moisturizing Skin Tint with Hyaluronic and Polyglutamic Aci...  - she pulled this from the floor and from her kit she pulled the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Face Essentials – Longwear Full Face Cream Palette Palette 1: Light to Medi... (which I have) from her kit. We opted to go with the skin tint. 

• Concealer: Dior Concealer we used to prime my eyelids

• Setting Powder: She mixed a couple of powders - ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder  and the HUDA BEAUTY Fragrance Free Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder  (one of the tinted ones)

• Setting Spray: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Waterproof Setting Spray 3.3 oz / 100 ml 

* CHEEKS:

• Blush: Dior Rosewood Blush Stick + Saie SuperSuede™ Talc-Free Powder Blush Mia  (which I have) - she also pulled the Saie SuperSuede™ Talc-Free Powder Blush Ciao 

• Bronzer: MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt® Cream Contour & Bronzer Stick in Light-Medium and Light (from her kit) and the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder 100 sunkissed sand 

• Highlight: Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Seeker Champagne Gold Powder Highlighter 

* LIPS: I have both of these products but hadn't shared that with her. Love the combination and it will be a pairing that I wear from now on.

• Liner: Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner Iconic Nude 

• Lip Gloss: Tower 28 Beauty ShineOn Lip Jelly Hydrating Non-Sticky Lip Oil Oat 

Overall Thoughts

• Very fun and enjoyable experience, both the learning aspect as well as chatting with the makeup artist about beauty products. 

• I appreciated learning a handful of tips and tricks and new techniques tailored to my particular features.

• I was very (surprised and) pleased that I was able to have them use a couple of products that were not part of the kit. And, I was even more pleased at the other product(s) the makeup artist chose for me - both those that were already included in her kit and others as well.

• Last but definitely not least, my makeup artist was fantastic! She really really took the time to review what I included in the "Any Special Request" section and paid care and attention to what I shared when we met - regarding products / brands I like as well as my general approach to doing makeup and what I was hoping to learn. 

After the Lesson: 

• After the lesson, the makeup artist asked if there were any products I wanted her to pull for me (for purchase). 
• Usually they will close out the service by processing payment for the services and any products purchased. 
• You can (but are not obligated) to provide a tip to the makeup artist - either through the credit card used or in cash 

Takeaways for Next Makeup Lesson:

• First takeaway, there will be another makeup lesson

• When booking your appointment, include what you'd like to work on. Keep in mind the time frame you are working with. Alternatively, have photos on your phone showing the look you want to work on during your makeup lesson.

[Samtian]

@itsfi This sounds like a fantastic service! I appreciate the screenshots. 

[itsfi]

It turned out even better than I imagined it would @Samtian! I've been interested in the service for a couple of years now but finally went for it and am glad I did.

[danielledanielle]

Ahhhh, this makes me think of makeovers of yesteryear @itsfi 

I like the input she gave you, like the slight change of brow color is helpful.  It's amazing how a slight change in overtone can also lead to new shades in products. 

Also, heavy on this tip:

"Arrive at the store 10-15 minutes prior to appointment. I arrived at the location earlier because I wanted to look around the store and check out some of the new summer releases in store. "

[itsfi]

lol @danielledanielle, I didn't want to go overboard with purchases but, at the same time, I was very aware that I would be extending the start date of my haul hibernation to June. That said, the NEW Beauty Insider Challenge - Passport To Beauty - Ends 6/25/2025 that started today may put a wrinkle on that and my plans a la2025 - THE NO-BUY, LOW-BUY, BUDGET-BUY ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT THREAD

I wasn't planning on using a Sephora gift card or $100 rouge reward that I've been saving so soon. I will try to hold off until closer to the end date of the new challenge.

[danielledanielle]

For the current challenge, ending 5/28/25, I went and had a Brow Wax.

I did go in my usual makeup, except I did my brows slightly less intense, since they were going to be plucked out.  This actually helped, even though it's usually advised to go makeup free. Vasso, the BA with a plan, asked "is this the shape you prefer?" And we were off...

The wax was a perfect temp...

But, oh, how I've forgotten how the first pull feels 😳🤕  After years of threading, I've forgotten.

All in all, I think she did 🙌🏽, I brought a Brow pencil with me, just in case I wanted to fill in the sparse areas I have, but I didn't bother.

Before

After

While in this pic I've removed my makeup, Miss Vasso also did my wax without disrupting eye look.

Thanks to @faeriegirl for putting this on my radar.

[itsfi]

Your brows look beautiful @danielledanielle!

[danielledanielle]

Thank you .. They've also held up pretty well @itsfi 

[caitbird]

Yesterday I went to my local Sephora to get my lashes done (for the current BIC Insider Challenge). I had never worn false lashes before, so it was a very new experience for me. The Sephora Beauty Advisor who helped me was fantastic, she did a great job and when I explained that I was new to false lashes, she walked me through everything she was doing so that I could try it myself next time. Shout out to Tania for being awesome! 💜 She was super nice, listened to what I wanted (I told her I wanted a more natural/understated look), answered all my questions, and was patient when I kept blinking like a spooked horse when she tried to put the lashes on me lol. 

Here are the tips I learned:

- apply the glue on the inside of the lashes and wait for it to turn clear before applying (I imagine this is different if you're using black glue, but she used clear on me)

- like @danielledanielle said, look down while applying, and place the lashes so that they're pointing up, not straight forward (I hope that makes sense)

- when removing, gently peel the lashes off starting from the outer corner

The lashes stayed put for several hours without budging, but were easy to remove on my own without any trouble. While I was in store, I picked up a Sephora Collection false lash set to try applying on my own sometime. I don't think I'll go for wearing false lashes every time I do my makeup, but I can see myself using them if I want a little something more to my eye look on occasion

Here's a selfie post-application:

These are Velour Lashes Effortless - No Trim - Natural Lash Collection  (not sure which one), and she also applied Tower 28 Beauty MakeWaves Lengthening + Volumizing Mascara Jet  after applying the lashes. No other makeup, since the instructions when booking an appointment say to arrive makeup-free, so pls ignore my eye bags 😅

Overall, this was a fun experiment and an easy way to step outside of my comfort zone a little bit and try something new! Based on this experience, I would definitely try other beauty services at Sephora in the future.

[itsfi]

These look marvelous on you @caitbird The lash set was a smart purchase - that's awesome that you'll try applying on your own! Yaaay for trying something new!

You are my skincare goals, caitbird!

[caitbird]

@itsfi  thank you so much! 💜

[danielledanielle]

They look awesome @caitbird !  I think the BA delivered on a natural look and then some!  Thank you for sharing this experience 😊

[caitbird]

@danielledanielle  thank you so much! She did a great job!

[angie350]

They look amazing! Thank you for sharing! 

[itsfi]

Halloween 2023 - Last year, I booked an appointment for the "Ultimate Glam" for this eye look. The spider and spiderweb detailing I only had done to the one side, but the rest of the look, including the lashes were done to both eyes. 

Tips:

• If you want an elaborate or complicated design like this, highly recommend consulting with the makeup artist before booking your services to ensure that you will be able to get the look (or comparable one) that you are going for. And see below 👇 
• If you have a photo of the look or design you want, bring in the photo
• If the look you are going for is not as complicated, you can either share the look you you want when booking the services in the "special requests" section. It won't guarantee you get the exact look, but this will help to set expectations and make sure you and your makeup artists are on the same page. If you're not sure whether you're desired look is one deemed elaborate or complicated, my recommendation would be to check in with the makeup artist before booking your service to determine whether it can be done and also whether it can be done (along with the rest of your makeup) in the 90 minutes set aside for the Ultimate Glam service.

FYI:

• If you would like lashes applied during the Ultimate Glam service, the cost of the lashes is in addition to the cost of the service.
• The makeup artist will, at the end of the service, go over with you the products he/she/they used and ask whether you would like to purchase anything. Whether you do so or not is up to you.
• If you like one or more of the products used, but are not ready to purchase, they can email you a list of the products. You can also take a photo of the products.
• At the time of payment, you will have the option to add a tip for the makeup artist. 

Some makeup artists still have available time slots for Halloween, the weekend before Halloween. This won't count toward the Level Up challege for points, but it's a great service. No such service for me this year as Halloween 2025 is shaping up to be a low key event. @danielledanielle 

[Ispend2much6]

@itsfi  Would you please share what you used to fill in your brows in this picture?  Thank you!

[itsfi]

@Ispend2much6, if I'm not using just a brow gel, I go for ashy blonde or taupe brow pencil. I had/have a Chanel brow pencil that I brought in with me for the appointment and the makeup artist matched it to ABH Ash Blonde, which has been renamed to Taupe. She used the pencil and pomade for this work. 

[CynthieLu]

Great share @itsfi and with Halloween coming up too, it's a fun idea! 

[itsfi]

@CynthieLu, the Ultimate Glam service, and the other makeup application ones as well, are great options for Halloween and other holidays or events.